Meet the
HMA TEAM
Our TEAM
HMA 2026
CHRIS KELLEHER
Chairperson
general manager
myo munchee operations
CHRIS KELLEHER Chairperson
Managing Director
MYO MUNCHEE OPERATIONS
Chris is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in business management, operations, and business development across manufacturing, healthcare, research commercialisation, and professional services.
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Chris Kelleher is a senior executive whose career has spanned manufacturing, professional services, research commercialisation, healthcare, and construction. He has held Chief Executive Officer, General Manager, and Business Development Manager roles with organisations including Mayne Health, the University of Newcastle, the Federal Government, and PKF Corporation.
Chris currently serves as General Manager of Myo Munchee Operations, an Australian company based in Carrington, NSW that develops, manufactures, and distributes a range of Grade 1 medical devices designed to support oral health and functional therapy.
He brings substantial governance and leadership experience to the HMA Board, with a track record of providing strategic direction, sound governance, and organisational sustainability at both management and board level. His previous board roles include the Chamber of Manufacturers, inaugural membership of the Hunter Business Chamber, WEA Hunter, NEWMACQ Housing Co, Keystone Products Development, and Mineral Carbonation International.
Manufacturing remains a cornerstone of the region's economy and future growth. Chris strongly believes in the role the Awards play in recognising excellence, innovation, collaboration, and leadership across the Hunter and Central Coast manufacturing sectors.
Brett Allan
Deputy Chair
General Manager
JLW Services
Brett Allan
Deputy Chair
General Manager
JLW Services
Brett Allan has a career spanning more than 30 years across Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Recycling Businesses.
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He has held various senior leadership roles and is currently the General Manager of recycling business JLW Services.
Brett is passionate about maintaining a manufacturing footprint in Australia for future generations and feels this can only be achieved by businesses being globally competitive and by having sustainable operations.
Steph Loadsman
Treasurer
Managing Partner
KPMG Newcastle
Steph loadsman
Treasurer
MAnaging Partner
KPMG Newcastle
Steph is the Managing Partner of KPMG Newcastle with over 15 years of tax and accounting experience, advising local, national, and international clients across a broad range of industries.
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Steph is a Partner at KPMG and a trusted adviser to private businesses, combining deep technical expertise with commercially focused solutions that support growth and long-term value creation. She delivers expert taxation, accounting, business advisory, and outsourced CFO services tailored to the needs of her clients.
Working closely with business owners and leadership teams, Steph translates complex technical requirements into clear, actionable strategies aligned with commercial objectives. Her approach goes beyond compliance, with a focus on tax efficiency, risk management, and practical insights that support profitability and sustainable performance.
Steph brings to the HMA Board strong financial and governance expertise, a commercial mindset, and a deep connection to the Hunter region. She is committed to supporting local manufacturers as they navigate growth, diversification, and the opportunities that define this next chapter for the region.
Growing up in the Hunter, Steph has always felt connected to its manufacturing industry. With the region experiencing significant growth through diversification, she is excited to support local manufacturers on their journey and be part of what comes next.
Frank Sammut
public officer
Executive Director, Central coast Industry Connect
Frank Sammut
Public Officer
Executive Director, Central Coast Industry Connect
Frank is a Mechanical Engineer with over 45 years of experience in manufacturing, with deep expertise in food and beverage operations, senior corporate leadership, and regional industry advocacy across the Central Coast.
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As a mechanical engineer, Frank’s manufacturing experience started as a graduate in the government sector and ammunition production covering foundry, metal rolling and forming and production of various defence ammunition.
He moved on from this to set up and run a small family business in the snack food/confectionery which he did for 10 years. His hands on experience from there led him into the corporate environment where ultimately, he held senior operational roles with PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay and being Operations Director at Snack Brands Australia, Arnott’s Snack Foods and Saralee.
Across all organisations he has had multidisciplinary responsibility for Engineering, Logistics, Procurement, Manufacturing operations, Customer service and R&D and included overseeing multiple sites across Australia.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Central Coast Industry Connect – a not-for-profit organisation representing Central Coast manufacturers. He is connected into the Hunter through his involvement with Engineers Australia Newcastle Division, The NSW Energy and Resources Knowledge Hub and the recently announced Hunter Hydrogen Technology Hub.
Originally from Melbourne he has lived on the NSW Central Coast for 26 years. He is currently the chair of the Central Coast Group of Engineers Australia, sits on the advisory board of Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources(NIER) and is the immediately pass president of the Business NSW Central Coast Regional Advisory Council.
crystal bergemann
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
THE BRAND PEOPLE
CRYSTAL BERGEMANN
MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE BRAND PEOPLE
Crystal is a senior corporate executive with over 30 years of experience leading high-impact strategic initiatives across branding, marketing, communications, stakeholder engagement, and change management in manufacturing, aviation, and media.
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Crystal Bergemann's 30-year career spans manufacturing, aviation, and media, progressing from broadcast communications into executive leadership at Ampcontrol, where she became known for shaping brand identity, driving organisational transformation, and delivering strategic initiatives that move industries forward.
She brings to the HMA Board a powerful combination of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, reputation management, change leadership, and data-driven marketing. Her work is grounded in a belief that aligning people, purpose, and performance is the foundation of lasting growth.
Crystal's contributions to Australian manufacturing include helping position Ampcontrol as a national innovation leader, playing a central role in the NSW Government's COVID emergency ventilator project which produced a functional prototype in just 18 days in the Hunter region, and leading the 2022 Ampcontrol rebrand and award-winning Live Work Better program. She has been recognised with Excellence in Marketing at HMA 2024 and named among Australia's Top 10 Most Innovative Manufacturers in 2024.
For Crystal, serving on the Board is an opportunity to build genuine pride in the sector and community, inspire future generations, and champion the people and businesses who make Australian manufacturing strong.
ANDREW CASKA
Patent Attorney,
CASKA IP
ANDREW CASKA
Patent Attorney,
CASKA IP
Andrew is a patent attorney and space engineer who works with innovative companies to navigate, protect, and enforce their intellectual property in Australia and overseas.
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Andrew Caska began his career in engineering and consulting before identifying a gap in the market: local manufacturers were not receiving the IP service or results they deserved. He went on to found Caska IP in Newcastle, which is now approaching 15 years in business with a recently opened office at Terrigal Beach.
His greatest strength lies in combining a beginner's mindset with deep technical knowledge to deliver creative, commercially sound IP solutions. Registered as a Trans-Tasman IP Attorney, Andrew holds first-class honours in Space Engineering alongside degrees in Science, Engineering, and IP Law. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Innovation, a certificate in strategy, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Andrew has supported the Hunter Manufacturing Awards for over ten years through Caska IP and brings to the Board both that long institutional knowledge and a genuine belief in the role manufacturing plays in the health of the broader Hunter economy.
To Andrew, manufacturing is the lifeblood of the Hunter economy. It supports jobs directly and indirectly, drives local supply chains, and underpins the broader business ecosystem that keeps the region thriving.
Nick Couper
COO, Hunternet Career Connections
Nick Couper
Nick is a vocational education and training leader with over 15 years of experience supporting manufacturing organisations through apprenticeship and traineeship programs, workforce development, and strategic staffing solutions.
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Nick has spent more than 15 years in the vocational education and training sector, holding senior roles across regional and national group training companies before moving into executive positions with national private registered training organisations. For the past nine years he has been with HunterNet Career Connections, helping guide the organisation through significant growth and diversification into a trusted national provider of apprentices and trainees.
His expertise sits at the intersection of workforce strategy and industry need, helping manufacturing organisations map their staffing requirements against long-term business plans to build capable, sustainable teams. Nick's commitment to the vocational sector extends to governance, having served two terms as a NSW Member Elected Board Member of the National Apprentice Employment Network, advocating to the Federal Government on behalf of the group training sector.
He brings to the HMA Board a deep understanding of how skilled workforces are built and sustained, and a practical focus on creating meaningful training outcomes for organisations and individuals alike.
For Nick, manufacturing is the heart of industry, anchoring large prime contractors and the SMEs that support them. He is committed to helping organisations and their people access quality training that sets them up for long-term success.
MARNIE DAVEY
DIRECTOR,
INTEGRATED AI
MARNIE DAVEY
DIRECTOR,
INTEGRATED AI
Marnie is a strategic leader specialising in industrial AI and digital transformation, helping regional manufacturers move from accidental technology pilots to sustainable, site-ready operational capability.
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Marnie Davey has built her career at the intersection of digital transformation and heavy industry, leading the overhaul of digital customer engagement across e-commerce, identity, and equipment management for major industrial networks. As Founder of Integrated AI, she helps industrial companies move beyond technology curiosity to genuine operational implementation through structured readiness models grounded in frontline realities.
Her site-first perspective ensures digital shifts are safe, practical, and aligned with the people doing the work. She holds an MBA alongside postgraduate credentials in AI in Business and Technology Management.
Deeply committed to practical outcomes, she helps manufacturers use technology to handle routine tasks, freeing up human capacity for the innovation and strategic thinking that will define the region's future.
With deep expertise in digital strategy, operational leadership, and AI governance, she joins the Board with one clear goal: helping regional manufacturers build the operational capability and digital foundations required to thrive in a changing landscape.
ADRIENNE DONNELLY
Admin & Events Manager, HMA
ADRIENNE DONNELLY
OWNER, ORGANISED BY ADRIENNE
Adrienne is a Newcastle-based entrepreneur, event strategist, and community builder with over two decades of experience supporting businesses across Australia in operations, event management, and scalable business foundations.
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Adrienne Donnelly is a Newcastle-based entrepreneur and event strategist whose career spans more than two decades supporting small and large businesses across Australia. As founder of Organised by Adrienne, she specialises in operations, systems, and building scalable business foundations for service-based organisations.
Recognised for her strengths in operational leadership, event delivery, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, Adrienne plays a key role in several flagship regional initiatives. Through her work with the Hunter Manufacturing Awards and Gen Collective, she leads large-scale events that bring together industry, government, and community, showcasing local excellence and fostering collaboration across the Hunter region.
Known for her attention to detail and ability to turn ideas into seamless experiences, Adrienne is a passionate advocate for women in business and building connected, thriving professional communities. She has been part of the HMA ecosystem since 2019 and looks forward to continuing to support the vision of the Hunter Manufacturing Awards into the future.
KELLY DRAY
MARKETING COORDINATOR,
HMA
KELLY DRAY
GROUP MARKETING MANAGER,
VARLEY GROUP
Kelly is a strategic marketing and communications leader with over ten years of experience across manufacturing and industrial sectors, driving brand development, digital strategy, and stakeholder engagement to support sustainable industry growth.
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Kelly is a marketing and communications professional whose career has evolved from hands-on design and campaign work to leading strategic brand, digital, and stakeholder engagement initiatives across manufacturing, property, and industrial sectors.
She brings particular strength in multi-channel campaign delivery, digital strategy, brand development, and data-driven reporting. Kelly has managed cross-functional teams and shaped communication strategies that align with broader business objectives, consistently lifting organisational visibility and performance.
Through her work with Hunter-based manufacturing organisations, regional industry networks, and awards programs, she is an active champion of local manufacturing, connecting businesses, celebrating sector capability, and showcasing the innovation that defines manufacturing across the Hunter region.
Working at Varley, Kelly sees firsthand the skill, innovation, and dedication behind Australian manufacturing. Supporting local industry means strengthening communities, creating opportunity, and ensuring sovereign capability for future generations.
Joel Forbes
Senior Project manager, Downer
Joel Forbes
Senior Project Manager, DOWNER
Joel is an engineering and project management professional with over a decade of experience in complex manufacturing and maintenance environments, specialising in asset performance, production reliability, and data-driven continuous improvement.
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Joel Forbes began his career in the nuclear sector before transitioning into rail, progressing through engineering and project leadership roles to his current position as Senior Project Manager at Downer. Over more than a decade, he has built deep expertise across manufacturing, maintenance, and asset-intensive operations.
At Downer, Joel oversees major maintenance and capital programs covering more than half of Sydney's passenger rail fleet. These long-term programs bring heavy overhaul, refurbishment, and upgrade work to the Cardiff Maintenance Centre, securing a meaningful pipeline of advanced manufacturing activity for the Hunter region for decades to come.
He is committed to building local capability, optimising asset performance, and driving data-led continuous improvement. Joel is passionate about returning large-scale rolling stock manufacturing to the Hunter and strengthening the region's industrial base through resilient supply chains and a skilled local workforce.
Joel has seen firsthand how building local capability, from overhauling gearboxes to establishing dedicated repair and testing facilities, genuinely energises workplaces. The Hunter has world-class talent; making things here deepens skills, builds confidence, and compounds benefits right across the region's supply chains.
Michelle Hessing
Brand Engineer/Md,
Accentia Design
Michelle Hessing
Brand Engineer/MD,
Michelle is a versatile brand, design, and packaging expert with 30 years of experience across manufacturing, government, and publishing, delivering innovative product packaging and export compliance solutions that combine creative flair with technical precision.
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Michelle Hessing is a brand, design, and packaging specialist whose 30-year career has taken her across government, publishing, manufacturing, mining, construction, and education. She has held senior roles including Senior Graphic Designer at Lake Macquarie City Council, Group Production Manager at Australian Geographic, and Creative Director at Little Green Frog Marketing, before founding Accentia Design, where she leads brand design, packaging, and product compliance work for clients across Australia and internationally.
Michelle's strengths span prototype development, supplier sourcing, print and packaging management, and logistics into 3PL systems across Australia, the US, Asia, and Europe. She has collaborated closely with CEOs, compliance officers, and technical teams to deliver complex solutions on time and on budget.
Her manufacturing sector work includes export-compliant packaging, multi-language compliance documentation, and product solutions for clients including Arbre Beauty, Myo Munchee, and Goal Group. She has been recognised with a RAPI Award, RTA Award, and Chevron Environmental Award for innovative work on the Gorgon Project.
Michelle believes fostering innovation in the region's manufacturing sector strengthens local communities and showcases the talent behind Australian-designed and Australian-made products. She takes pride in promoting the ingenuity and quality that define our nation's manufacturing.
Daniel Hodges
Vice president sustainability, Molycop
Daniel is Vice President Sustainability at Molycop, bringing 17 years of experience across steel manufacturing, engineering, and decarbonisation, and leading global sustainability and climate governance for a major heavy industry manufacturer.
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Daniel Hodges is a senior leader whose career in manufacturing began as a motor mechanic before he completed a Mechanical Engineering degree as a cadet with OneSteel, working across the Newcastle, Waratah, and Whyalla steelworks. That grounding in real operations has shaped everything that followed.
Since joining Molycop in 2015, Daniel has held senior roles across maintenance, engineering, capital delivery, and business development at the Waratah Steelworks. In 2024 his responsibilities expanded to lead Molycop's global sustainability function, encompassing ESG governance, greenhouse gas accounting, product carbon footprinting, climate-related financial disclosure, and regulatory responses including the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
He brings to the HMA Board strong operational, technical, and governance expertise, with particular depth in decarbonisation strategy, risk-based decision-making, asset integrity, and safety governance. A proud member of the Hunter manufacturing community, Daniel was awarded the Hunter Manufacturing Awards Rising Star in 2013 and joined the Board in 2024.
Daniel is passionate about strengthening manufacturing capability in Australia and the Hunter, where a deep industrial legacy endures. The Hunter Manufacturing Awards provide a strong platform to recognise and tell those ongoing stories.
JEFF HONNIBALL
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, VARLEY group VEHICLES
JEFF HONNIBALL
CHieF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, VARLEY GROUP VEHICLES
Jeff brings over 25 years of diverse leadership experience across pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing sectors, with a strong track record in supply chain, operational leadership, and large-scale project delivery.
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Jeff Honniball is a senior executive whose 25-year career spans supply chain, manufacturing, risk management, operational leadership, and large-scale project delivery across global pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing organisations. He has built a reputation for guiding businesses through complex operational environments with a consistent focus on safety, customer engagement, and commercial performance.
His expertise includes international supply chain management, business growth strategy, risk mitigation, LEAN manufacturing, and systems optimisation. Jeff has delivered strong results through best-in-class process methodologies and end-to-end supply chain improvement, leading high-performing teams across diverse sectors and geographies.
As CEO of Varley's Vehicles Division, Jeff leads six national engineering and manufacturing businesses, giving him direct insight into the challenges and opportunities shaping Australian manufacturing today. He contributes to the HMA Board a blend of operational depth, strategic thinking, and a stakeholder-focused approach that supports local industry growth and innovation across the Hunter region.
Jeff is excited by Australia's manufacturing future, driven by advanced technologies, growing local capability, and a highly skilled workforce ready to innovate. These strengths, working together, will accelerate industry resilience and open new opportunities across emerging sectors.
BRANDON LANE
ELECTRONICS PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER,
ELECBRAKES
BRANDON LANE
ELECTRONICS PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER
Brandon is a multidisciplinary engineer with over four years of experience across electronics, firmware, software, and production automation, applying a systems-driven approach to designing and improving modern engineering solutions.
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Brandon Lane began his engineering career with an internship at Wabtec before joining Elecbrakes, where he has spent four years contributing across electronics hardware design, embedded firmware, production automation, data collection systems, and software engineering spanning mobile, backend, and web platforms.
He brings a strong engineering mindset, a systems-driven approach to problem-solving, and a fresh perspective that supports innovation and forward thinking. Actively involved in manufacturing through Elecbrakes, which designs and produces its products in Lisarow using a fully in-house SMT production line, his work includes hardware development and internal automation tools that enhance production efficiency.
He holds Class I Honours in Electrical/Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering and received the Hunter Manufacturing Awards Rising Star Award in 2025. As the category winner, Brandon joins the HMA Board as a guest member for 12 months, providing opportunities to further develop his leadership skills and network within the region's manufacturing community.
Brandon believes growing Australia's local manufacturing sector creates more meaningful engineering opportunities in regional areas, strengthening communities and building a sustainable, skills-focused future for local industry and the next generation of engineers.
Luke Sassé
climate change entrepreneur & engineer
Luke Sassé
climate change entrepreneur & engineer
Luke is a Mechatronics Engineer and MBA holder with experience across mining and manufacturing in technical, sales, and leadership roles, now focused on climate change innovation and supporting regional start-ups.
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Luke is a Mechatronics Engineer with an MBA whose career has spanned engineering, technical sales, project and product management, and leadership roles across the mining and manufacturing sectors. That breadth gives him an unusually practical perspective on how industry works from the ground up.
Now directing his energy toward environmental impact, he works with Newcastle start-ups in this sector. This career shift reflects a conviction that engineering expertise and climate action are deeply connected, not competing priorities.
A board member since winning the HMA Rising Star Award in 2023, he brings operational knowledge, enthusiasm for emerging technology, and a genuine commitment to celebrating manufacturing excellence across the Hunter region.
Luke is energised by the talent and creativity of Hunter manufacturers, which points to a bright future for the region and inspires continued investment in local innovation and capability.
GRAEME VENNELL
CHAIRPERSON,
HUNTERNET
GRAEME VENNELL
CHAIRPERSON,
HUNTERNET
Graeme is a former CEO and Managing Director with 40 years of experience across heavy industry, METS, and specialist engineering and manufacturing businesses throughout Australia.
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Graeme Vennell's engineering career began in 1980 as a cadet with BHP Steelworks, where he progressed through technical leadership roles to become Lead Fluid Power Engineer. After BHP's closure he moved into the METS sector, rising from Engineering Manager to Managing Director of CCI Engineering. He joined Custom Fluidpower in 2008, advancing to Engineering Director and then CEO, a role he held from 2012 until retirement in 2022.
A practical, trusted leader, Graeme has guided organisations through the 2012 mining downturn, COVID-19, and a major sale to an American manufacturing group. His career achievements include blast furnace projects at BHP, construction of the Sydney Steel Mill, and rebuilding Custom Fluidpower into a lean, customer-focused business.
Graeme brings to the HMA Board deep experience in executive leadership, engineering, project management, ERP implementation, and business strategy. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and recipient of the Harvey Knox Award in 2019.
The Hunter region continues to excel in delivering manufactured solutions across sectors locally and internationally. Graeme is proud to lead people and organisations driving projects of genuine nation-building stature.
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