03-10-2016, 10:37 AM
Quote:Airservices Australia names Jason Harfield CEO
The government-owned national air traffic control organisation Airservices Australia has ended a seven-month hunt for a new chief executive and appointed acting CEO Jason Harfield to the role.
- Mitchell Bingemann
- The Australian
- March 9, 2016 5:22PM
The appointment comes despite ongoing controversy surrounding the government-body and its dealings with an obscure Canberra-based organisation with international military links called the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM).
Mr Harfield, who started with Airservices 26 years ago as an air traffic controller, was appointed acting chief executive after the resignation last July of former RAAF officer Margaret Staib.
Mr Harfield has lobbied internally to take the top job and has been considered a favourite despite Airservices hiring executive headhunting firm Spencer Stuart to conduct a global search for a new chief.
“The board reviewed an extensive field of candidates and concluded that Mr Harfield offered the right blend of experience, skill and drive to lead the organisation,” said Airservices Australia Chair, Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston.
The appointment comes despite bipartisan requests — from Liberal senator Bill Heffernan and Labor senator Glenn Sterle — to ensure no new chief executive was appointed at Airservices before the findings of the investigation into dealings over the organisation’s controversial $1.5 billion OneSky air traffic control project were known.
OneSKY will integrate the nation’s civilian and military air traffic control systems.
As revealed by The Australian, the Australian National Audit Office late last year launched an inquiry into contracts awarded by Airservices to consultants associated with the mysterious Canberra-based ICCPM.
Last year members of the Senate rural and regional affairs and transport legislation committee grilled Mr Harfield and other Airservices executives, claiming the arrangements with ICCPM were conflicted.
ANAO is assessing whether these claims — which revolve around negotiations for the award of a major contract for the OneSKY project — are true or not.
The ANAO is due hand down its report in the autumn session of parliament.
Slow off the Yaffa?? -
(Warning: Bucket maybe required 
)Unlike Binger from the Oz (above) the Yaffa's resident anorak (& Harfy's No 1 fan) Dougy, was somewhat slow off the mark with the glad tidings. Hmm..maybe he was too busy celebrating with the other RAeS trough-feeders, anyway here is Dougy's totally unbiased opinion on the Harfwit coup:
Quote:Observation Deck
25 Feb 2016
Just when Airservices felt that the heat was coming off after a horror year in terms of adverse publicity, there’s been another bout of hysteria focused on the probity of the huge OneSKY project.
Yes, the way it’s painted in the media, there’s a strong sniff of conflict of interest in one aspect of how the deal was put together, but in terms of the critical importance and urgency of OneSKY it seems almost irrelevant.
I’d suggest that the Australian National Audit Office gets on wth its probe into this possible irregularity, but without impacting the progress of OneSKY, which we are going to need within the next 24 months or so.
The issue also appears to have delayed the appointment of a new CEO for Airservices, with acting CEO Jason Harfield confirmed in the role just yesterday. Harfield performed strongly in the acting role and has earned a go on a more permanent basis, but for a while it looked like the board was hesitant to announce the appointment of ‘an insider’ while there’s still a question mark hovering over the OneSKY contract.
Harfield meanwhile has significantly bolstered the AA corporate communications team by the appointments of Alec Wagstaff and Steve Creedy. Add that to the impressive professionalism of incumbent Rob Walker and it’s a formidable capability. Maybe 12 months ago would have been better timing, but then it wasn’t Jason Harfield’s call back then.
Now that Harfield is confirmed in the top job, hopefully all concerned can get on with the job.
How's the bucket, full yet?
