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2010 HUNTER MANUFACTURING BOARD
Back Row Standing - Lee Edmonds-Ward, Jeff Phillips, John Coyle, Leigh Bryant, Ivan Waterfield (Deputy Chairperson), Tracey Freinberger, Ian McEwan, Brendan Smith
Front Row Seated - Paul Hankinson, Bob Cowan (Chairperson), Carol McEwan (Admin Manager), Tony Masters
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BOB COWAN
Chairman of HMA
Managing Director – Cowan Manufacturing
Cowan Manufacturing was founded in 1973 with one employee. Today the company is a thriving business with a strong global reach and employs over 50 staff. Bob has served on a number of boards and committees including: NSW Small Business Development Corporation, ABL Defence Industry Committee, Chairman of HunterNet Cooperative, Advancing Lake Macquarie Group, Australian Defence Committee Export Forum for Minister of Defence and the Australian Defence Products for Export , Hunter Business Chamber Board and currently sits on the NSW Manufacturing Council. Bob is well respected for his commitment to business and local community and is a Centennial Medal recipient.
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LEIGH BRYANT
Director - Scorpion International Freight Services Pty Ltd
Leigh is an active Hunter business advocate and has supported regional exporters and importers through her previous long term contribution on the Hunter Export Centre as chair and board member and as deputy chair and board member of the Hunter Economic Development Corporation. She is a current director of the Small Business Development Corporation, councillor of the NSW Business Chamber, member of the Newcastle University Community Engagement Advisory Committee and serves on the Australian Quarantine and Industry Consultative Committee. She and her husband Michael, founded Scorpion International Freight Services Pty Ltd in 1984 - to support the import and export needs of the Hunter's manufacturing and business community. Leigh's role at Scorpion International is sales/marketing and business development.
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JOHN COYLE
Executive Officer - HunterNet Co-operative
John has a wide and varied background both in Australia and the UK. From sales, marketing and advertising to industrial manufacturing and engineering. He is CEO of HunterNet, board member of HunterNet Group Training Company, Varley and Newcastle Innovation (the University of Newcastle Research Associates Ltd) and is a Member of NSW Council AIG, member and past chairman of the Hunter Manufacturing Council, past Director and Vice Chairman of the Hunter Export Centre, Director of the Hunter Community Foundation and member of the TAFE NSW Hunter Institute Advisory Council. John has a passion for manufacturing as MD of Treloar Group and BEP prior to joining HunterNet as CEO.
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TRACEY FREINBERGER
Tracey has a business background in marketing and management and spent the past 8 years as Business Manager of TriNature Pty Ltd, the eco division of Hammersley Industries, before taking on a new role in a catering venture/business with her husband. Her current roles are in administration, finance and marketing.
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PAUL HANKINSON
Director - Forsythes Recruitment
Paul is a Director of Forsythes Recruitment which has offices in the Hunter and the Central Coast. He joined Forsythes in 1992 having previously occupied senior level human resource positions with national and international organisations. He is a past Chair of the HMRI Foundation, Past President of the Newcastle Business Club, past Director of Hunter Business Chamber and an active supporter of the Hunter Medical Research Institute.
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LEE EDMONDS-WARD
Head of Human Resources - Aerospace - BAE Systems Australia
Lee is a seasoned HR professional and is head of Human Resources-Aerospace within BAE Systems Australia. She has held senior executive roles in aviation, power generation, coal mining and health. She holds a Masters in Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of both the Australian College of Occupational Health Nurses and the Australian Human Resources Institute. Lee also has tertiary qualifications in health, sociology and political science.
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IAN McEWAN
'Retired' Director - McEwan and Partners Pty Limited
Ian has over 40 years of expertise in the audit and accounting sector. His background and experience as a partner for more than 20 years with Australia's largest accounting and business services firm, has enabled his specialisation and interest in the diverse business activities of the Hunter, including broad based manufacturing business activities. His passion for ‘everything to do with accounting' in the business, audit and taxation disciplines has underpinned his reputation of excellence. Ian has ‘technically' retired from full time accounting at his practice, to working ‘part time' on HMA and supporting the team at McEwan and Partners Pty Ltd.
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JEFF PHILLIPS
Managing Director - Varley Group
Jeff has extensive experience at a senior management level in the engineering field, beginning his career at BHP Newcastle Steelworks and qualifying as an Electrical Engineer. In 1993 Jeff commenced employment with the Varley Group and in 1995 was appointed Managing Director. In 2000 Jeff was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Varley Group of companies. Jeff is a Director of HunterNet and past Chairman, Member and past Chairman of Australian Industry Group/ Hunter Manufacturing Council, past Chairman of Hunter Industry Group, Chairman of Products and Services Group/Industry Development Centre, and Committee Member at Hunter Defence Industry Strategy Centre and Edgeworth Football Club.
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IVAN WATERFIELD
General Manager Cardiff Operations –Downer EDI Rail
Ivan is the General Manager for DownerEDI Rail and heads up their Cardiff Operations. He holds a Master of Science in Advanced Manufacturing & Management, a mechanical engineering degree and tool fitting trade qualifications. Ivan is a committed Rail Industry player having held senior roles with major international and national rail industry organisations. He is passionate about manufacturing and committed to the development of quality apprentices for the future needs of the manufacturing industry. Ivan is also an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Management.
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TONY MASTERS
Power & Mining Industrial Supplies Pty Limited
Tony is a hands on person with a passion for machines. His career path started with buying and selling motorcycles in UK .....he completed a tool making apprenticeship but his passion for the sea took him to the West Indies sailing and teaching diving on charter yachts before returning to ‘civilisation' beginning a new career with a global conveyor mining Company, managing projects in Arizona/USA, India, South Africa, Jamaica and the UK. He came to Australia and founded Power and Mining Group in 1987, servicing the mining and power sector in the Upper Hunter. He bought the company to full cycle in 2004, selling off the engineering elements to a global company and retained the industrial supplies business. Tony is a founding member of HunterNet, AIG councilor and a founding director of the Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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BRENDAN SMITH
Manager of Human Resources and Safety - OneSteel Grinding & Rail
A versatile human resources professional, with experience across the Government, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Software Development, and Education industries. A proven ability to develop relationships and achieve results is supported by a strong knowledge of Organisational Development and grounded in a Ph.D. in Organisational Psychology.
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CAROL McEWAN
Administration Manager – HMA Inc
Carol is a highly skilled administration professional and was appointed as HMA's Administration Manager in 2007. Her role as Executive Assistant to CEO/Plant Manager and Production Manager at Tomago Aluminium spanned over 18 years. She served on the Australian Institute of Office Professionals -Newcastle Branch, as President for 3 years.
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