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The Albanese government has announced the appointment of former head of Rio Tinto Australia, Kellie Parker, to the role of national armaments director.
Under the newly created role, Parker will be responsible for heading up the new Defence Delivery Agency, upon its commencement on 1 July 2027. Her appointment is effective from 9 November 2026.
Announced earlier this year as part of the Rebuilding Defence Capability report, the Defence Delivery Agency is a new arm dedicated to delivering key defence programs and consolidates the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Group, and the Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group under one roof.
Prior to this appointment, Parker was responsible for overseeing global mining giant Rio Tinto’s Australian operations, having spent 20 years at the company. Prior to her role as chief, she held management, safety and operational roles across the company’s iron ore businesses, and was previously named as managing director, pacific operations for Rio Tinto’s aluminium sector.
In a release, Defence called Parker’s experience “invaluable”, “spanning operational leadership, complex asset development and major transformation”, and added that she has delivered “a multibillion-dollar portfolio of projects with thousands of Australian suppliers”.
It said her appointment “will support closer collaboration with Australian defence industry” and encourage “stronger commercial discipline”.
Since the announcement of the Defence Delivery Agency in July, the role has been performed by Nadine Williams, who will remain on as interim national armaments director until Parker commences on 9 November.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles congratulated Parker on her appointment and said that her “significant experience” in leadership, transformation and delivering operational outcomes “will serve her well as she takes on this important responsibility”.
“I thank Ms Nadine Williams for her leadership, advice and management of one of the most significant reforms in the Defence portfolio in decades, and helping to deliver the foundations to ensure its success,” Marles added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said: “The Albanese government has been clear about its ambitions for reform of Defence’s capability acquisition process. Kellie has had a distinguished career in the private sector over several decades, and her appointment matches our ambitions to deliver increasingly complex defence projects at speed and scale.
“This appointment is about bolstering timely, cost-efficient and accountable delivery of capabilities, and getting better bang for buck for the record investment the Albanese government is making in defence.”
Parker herself said that she is “excited and honoured” to take the helm of the Defence Delivery Agency as the first national armaments director, particularly “during a time of reform and transformation across Defence”.
“I look forward to being part of the team responsible for delivering outcomes that support the Australian Defence Force through the acquisition and sustainment of capabilities, systems and platforms,” she said.
“An important focus will be working closely with businesses and organisations across Australia to support a homegrown Defence industrial base.”
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