Darren is passionate about ‘getting things done’ and thrives in the roles of command and leadership, operations, planning and project management which was reflected in his exemplary 24-year career as a Clearance Diving Sailor and Officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Darren's extensive experience includes operational oversight of a warfare operation command centre, a military training institution, naval warships, a Navy diving team, a special operations counterterrorism unit and capability management of multiple disciplines within Defence. After serving globally alongside US and other coalition partners in multiple operational theatres, Darren is committed to creating an operational advantage for those who put their lives in harm’s way in the complex maritime environment.

Before embarking on The Whiskey Project journey, Ryan built a formidable career in Defence and the Public Sector, including more than 15 years of highly accomplished and commended service as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer with the Royal Australian Navy.

He has worked globally across complex environments with both government and industry, leading cross-functional teams to deliver practical outcomes and highly effective business solutions. An Executive Level professional, Ryan's experience has primarily been focused in the areas of command and leadership, operations, plans, project implementation and capability management roles. He also served distinguished tenures embedded with the Australian Special Forces (2nd Commando
Regiment) and the Royal Navy (UK). He is known for his expert knowledge as a specialist in the areas of maritime autonomous systems, ship handling and navigation, counter terrorism and mine warfare and clearance diving.

Rebecca is a dynamic and results-driven executive leader with over 25 years’ experience leading large-scale businesses, major projects and global delivery teams with P&L turnover up to $500m per annum. Rebecca has demonstrated experience in project recovery and growing business performance in the Defence, Oil & Gas and Infrastructure sectors. Rebecca's experience includes the development of overall Business Growth Strategies including Mergers & Acquisitions, Safety Leadership, Business Transformation, Business Development, Bid Strategy & Management, Talent Management and Cultural change.

With over 15 years’ experience in engineering and project/program management within the maritime environment, Jamie’s experience includes supporting complex assets across their lifecycle including design, build and sustainment.  Commencing his career as a degree qualified Naval Architect , Jamie worked on the design and build of cutting-edge littoral combat solutions within defence as well as commercial solutions. More recently Jamie has held both engineering and program management roles supporting sustainment and major upgrade programs across the Royal Australian Navy’s Amphibious and sealift fleet.

Himaja is a Chartered Accountant with over 10 years’ experience in professional services, having worked across multiple divisions within a global accounting firm in both a client facing and internal strategic capacity. Her experience ranges from traditional accounting to broader advisory such as project management, restructuring, and management consulting; combining technical finance expertise with strong commercial acumen. During her career Himaja has worked with regulators, large Australian and international companies, and small to medium high-growth businesses.

Ollie drives continual innovation to better equip and enable the maritime operator. After a 25-year Clearance Diving and Maritime Special Operations Defence career, Ollie is regarded as Australia’s maritime special operations equipment and development expert. He has prepared and supervised teams, developed, lead and executed mission plans in some of the most challenging maritime environments around the globe.   With a keen eye on emerging technologies complimented by decades of practical experience.