Brigadier (Retired) Rod West’s Profile

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE:

Brigadier (Retired) Roderick (Rod) John Scott West has in excess of 30 years of service to the Nation  in both the public and private sectors. He has been a successful leader, manager, trainer, human resource specialist and a policy formulator.

In a 30 year military career, Rod rose from a private soldier to a Brigadier (1 Star Officer) commanding men and women from small groups of 10 through to joint and international formations of up to 3000 personnel including in operational theatres from Cambodia, Bougainville and East Timor through to Kuwait and Iraq. His last appointment in the military was as the Military Attaché at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC providing strategic level diplomacy for the military to military relationship between Australia and the United States. Rod retired from the Regular Army on 1 March 2011. He was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross and the United States Legion of Merit for his service.

Rod has successfully directed and managed engineering projects, organisational re-structures, tender submissions and financial programs with budgets up to $450 million. He was the Program Director for the Federal inter-agency AACAP environmental health program, the Hardened and Networked Army Program, the East Timor Defence Training Centre Project, Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) infrastructure and training programs across the Pacific as well as commanding the humanitarian response to the 1998 tsunami in PNG. 

Most recently Rod was a General Manager at Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) for some 5 years, based at Redbank Queensland. He was responsible for the establishment of a Business Unit of RDA which he grew to be a multi-million dollar business in just five years. RDA was a complex business using a ‘ZEBRA’ structure requiring accountabilities both back to the parent company in Germany and to the RDA Board in Australia.

Rod also has extensive experience as an instructor, training manager and staff developer. He is currently the CEO of Risk Reduction Services Australia.

Educational Degrees:

  • Master of Science – National Defence University, Washington DC
  • Masters of Management - University of Southern Queensland
  • Master of Defence Studies – University of Canberra
  • Certificate of Engineering – Army School of Military Engineering

Other Competencies/Courses:

  • Diploma in Management
  • Graduate Diploma in Management
  • Diploma in Security and Risk management
  • Certificate IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor
  • Equity and Diversity
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Officer Cadet School Portsea, Victoria
  • School of Military Engineering
  • Engineering Advanced Course
  • MICROSOFT Project
  • Australian Defence Force Senior Executive CAPSTONE
  • Static Line Paratrooper
  • NATO Staff Course, Canada
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Professional Education

  • Executive Program, Strategic Leadership, The Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Massachusetts USA (2009)
  • Australian Institute of Company Directors Course (2011)

"By being small and agile, we can deliver big results to improve your training, human capital and safety needs. "