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Senior Management Team

Neil Hodges

Managing Director

Neil has executive responsibility for the strategic direction, performance and overall management of BlueZone Group. Neil served 13 years in the Royal Navy, specialising in mine warfare, with operational experience gained during live mine countermeasure operations in both the Iran/Iraq war and the Gulf War. Building on this operational background, Neil has led complex programs including the Acoustic Mine Imaging Project, drawing on his expertise across mine warfare and project management disciplines. Neil is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Director Course, reflecting his commitment to professional development and governance excellence. He also holds a Master of Business Administration Technology Management, combining strategic business acumen with deep technical to support effective, informed leadership.

Andrew Hazell

General Manager, Defence

Andrew brings extensive operations management experience across market analysis, due diligence, acquisitions, and the effective delivery of commercial, HR, IR, safety, and quality outcomes. His strong background in government relations, combined with the development and management of client, supply chain, and stakeholder relationships, has enabled him to successfully negotiate and manage a wide range of defence and commercial contracts. With more than seventeen years’ experience delivering maritime and littoral geospatial systems including survey, diving and mine-warfare across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, Andrew provides a depth of regional and technical expertise supported by a distinctly customer centric approach. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (International Business) and an Advanced Diploma of Complex Project Management, underpinning his capability to lead complex, multi stakeholder programs.

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Daniel Robins

Engineering Manager | Thornton General Manager

Dan joined BlueZone Group in 2018 and rapidly gained experience applying his mechatronics engineering background to a diverse range of projects, including the development of inspection robots for harsh pipeline environments and the design of sonar deployment systems for Army littoral survey applications. His work across design, sustainment, and obsolescence management has reinforced a strong commitment to rigorous systems engineering practices and high-quality technical documentation. Promoted to Engineering Manager in 2022, Dan now leads a multidisciplinary team of electrical, electronic, and mechatronic engineers delivering the sustainment, upgrade, and design of uncrewed systems, maritime robotics, and undersea sensor technologies in support of Defence and maritime customers. Dan has also obtained a Master of Business Administration with the support of BlueZone Group, reinforcing his ability to balance technical excellence with strong commercial and leadership outcomes.

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Kathryn Bowdler

Chief Finance Officer

Kathryn joined the BlueZone Group in 2020 and is responsible for the company’s finance, and administration functions, supporting effective governance, compliance, and sustainable business growth. She holds a Master of Business Administration with a major in Marketing, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle, and is a member of CPA Australia. With a recent completion of the ACID company directors course, Kathryn is now a GAICD.

Drawing on experience across the mining and manufacturing sectors, Kathryn brings strong capability in financial management, commercial reporting, process improvement, human resource management, negotiation, and organisational change. Her broad commercial background and disciplined approach underpin BlueZone Group’s operational performance and support the delivery of reliable, customer focused outcomes across diverse markets.

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Mitchell Hinchcliffe

Program Manager

Mitchell leads BlueZone Group’s Project Management team, with responsibility for the oversight and delivery of all company projects, as well as contributing to broader executive planning and governance activities. Since joining BlueZone Group in 2018 as a Mechatronics Engineer, Mitchell has progressed through progressively senior roles, being appointed Project Manager in 2022 and Program Manager in 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics, Honours), a Diploma of Project Management, and is a Certified Practising Project Manager (CPPM) accredited by the Australian Institute of Project Management. Mitchell brings extensive experience delivering Defence contracts for the Australian Army and Navy, with a proven ability to successfully manage complex programs through supply‑chain disruption and resourcing constraints, including during the COVID‑19 pandemic. He is recognised for his strong stakeholder engagement, clear and effective communication, and a disciplined, governance‑driven approach to project delivery.

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Mark Hegarty

Group Sales Manager

Mark brings more than 40 years of experience in hydrographic surveying and maritime operations. He served 23 years in the Royal Australian Navy as a Hydrographic Surveyor, followed by a further eight years managing the support of hydrographic and navigation systems installed on RAN Hydrographic Ships. Holding a Diploma of Hydrographic Surveying, Mark combines deep technical knowledge with a practical, hands on approach to customer support, sales, and service of oceanographic and hydrographic equipment. He is trained in CARIS and HYPACK software packages and provides expert support to customers in the deployment and use of these systems.

Darren Burrowes & Neil Hodges

Founders

In 2000, Darren Burrowes and Neil Hodges founded the company that has grown to become BlueZone Group. Darren brings a background in Electrical Engineering and served as a Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Neil served with the Royal Navy, including operational Mine Counter Measures experience in the Arabian Gulf in two conflicts. Darren and Neil have always shared a strong vision to enable Australia’s MCM capability through the provision of excellence in service, support, and engineering of remotely operated vehicle technology for Navy operations. In time, this vision has grown larger, enabling many organisations to operate in Australia’s deep oceans, coastal seas and rivers with the world’s leading marine technologies.