Babcock Australasia Appoints Acting CEO in 2026

Australia – Babcock Australasia, the Australian and New Zealand regional division of Babcock International Group and an active provider of end-to-end military pilot training across the Australasian and Asia-Pacific region, has announced the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cridland after almost 11 years with the company, with Chief of Staff Leah Grantham appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer effective immediately.

• Grantham, based at Babcock's regional head office in Adelaide, has held senior leadership roles within Babcock Australasia for the past four years and brings more than 20 years of experience across corporate strategy, corporate affairs, and government and stakeholder relations. A permanent CEO recruitment process is underway.
• Babcock Australasia operates as a CASA Part 142 approved training organisation, delivering pilot and aircrew training to air ambulance and search and rescue personnel in addition to its broader defense training remit.
• Globally, Babcock provides end-to-end military training for Air Force, Army and Navy personnel from university level through to combat operations, providing, integrating and maintaining training platforms, ground devices and flying assets across fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopter fleets.
• In March 2025, Babcock Australasia announced an expansion of its military aviation services to address growing demand from the Australian Defense Force and the New Zealand Defence Force, pursuing opportunities across fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aerial system platforms. Focus areas include scalable, turnkey pilot and aircrew training solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region, alongside operational support and in-service maintenance and overhaul.
• The leadership transition follows a period of active contract growth. In September 2025, Babcock signed a $250 million contract with the Australian Border Force, under which the company will recruit 16 new staff including pilots, surveillance crew and engineers, with new aircraft entering service from September 2026. Babcock has been an Australian Border Force service provider since 1995.

Source: Babcock Australia