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          • SMI Team
          • What We Do
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          • A Brief History
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            • Donald Maxwell Student Award
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        Newsletter Signup

        BMT names Global Strategy and Innovation Director

        Peter Behrendt brings to his new role a wealth of experience that will ensure BMT can continue providing a premier service to its existing customers and exploit new business opportunities. With innovation being seen as the lynchpin around which the promise of entrepreneurial venture is to be built at BMT, the newly appointed Strategy and Innovation leader is poised to maximise our current market position

         

        (SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 0900 AEST) - BMT, a leading international multi-disciplinary engineering, science, and technology company, has appointed Peter Behrendt as its global Director of Strategy and Innovation. The announcement this month also coincides with BMT receiving recognition and being selected by Australian Financial Review as one of Australasia’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020.

         

        Peter joined BMT in 2017 as Managing Director for the Australian Defence and Security business. A role that he has now handed over to Chelly Litster, who has been with BMT since the acquisition of Effectiva in 2018.

         

        Peter is an experienced business leader whose background includes operational, commercial, and business development positions within leading international companies, including spending nine-years with SAAB. In his new role as BMT’s Director of Strategy and Innovation he will lead the team responsible for developing, executing, and articulating BMT’s corporate strategy.

         

        “I am delighted to have someone of Pete’s calibre in this new role leading strategy and innovation. We have an ambitious and exciting strategy to grow, helping our customers to solve evermore complex and challenging problems. I know Pete will bring great energy and insight to this important role.” Says BMT, Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Kenny.

        “Pete will be instrumental to the execution of our world-wide growth strategy. His experience, diverse knowledge and keen focus on exploiting business opportunities will be key to BMT’s future growth and success.” commented BMT Global Business Development Director, Rob Teasdale.

        Commenting on his new role, Peter says: “I look forward to making a real difference to some of the global challenges that our customers face. It is about us being passionate about our ‘four core sectors’ in an era of renewed great power competition, ongoing naval modernisation and military expansion efforts, and as well while defence expenditure and procurement trends are on the up for the rising powers located in emerging markets.”

         

        “My main goal is to ensure that BMT stays one step ahead of our competitors by identifying strategic growth initiatives within these four strategic sectors that include maritime design, asset monitoring and performance, environmental and climate solutions, and defence and security. We must aim to proactively drive disruption instead of being disrupted. This will involve coming up with solutions that challenge existing business models, and I am confident that we have all of the necessary levers in place to achieve this.” he adds.

         

        “BMT is now looking to replicate its global successes as ‘The Maritime Pioneer’, within the APAC region. The strategy is all the more timely for this 2020/21, as at the epicentre of the world’s maritime technology revolution, BMT is recognised as the ‘tech behind the tech’. Having launched several exciting innovations for Maritime including TUFLOW, REMBRANDT, SARIS, BMT DEEP, MATE, several Digital Data Transformation platforms and proprietary machine learning risk modelling applications. In addition, through the pursuit of new venture opportunities BMT will seek to build on its global brand presence and cultivate growth and value in its emerging portfolios.” Concludes Behrendt.

         

        Peter is based in Adelaide, Australia, and will oversee strategy and innovation globally for BMT.

         

        BMT is a leading international multi-disciplinary engineering, science and technology company offering a broad range of services in the maritime design, asset monitoring, environmental, and defence and security sectors.

         

        BMT’s clients are served through a collaborative network from over 30 offices across five continents. BMT invests significantly in research and innovation.

         

        The company’s assets are held in beneficial ownership for its staff.

         

        www.bmt.org

         

        Innovation at BMT:  www.bmt.org/innovation

         

        2) About the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies List

         

        The AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list (previously the BRW Most Innovative Companies list) is now in its ninth year. The list ranks the most innovative organisations in Australia and New Zealand, by industry, and is the only national list of its kind. The list is judged and compiled by Inventium – Australia’s leading innovation consultancy. Inventium uses a unique, scientifically proven approach to help organisations grow through innovation. In 2020, the list comprised of ten industry lists, compiled from over 600 nominations.

        www.mostinnovative.com.au

         

        3) For further information, please contact:

         

        Ancia Barham

        BMT, Government and Public Relations Manager

        Mobile: +44 7500 869062

        E-mail: ancia.barham(at)bmtglobal.com

         

        News

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        12 May 2026

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        7 May 2026

        Captain Ben Vickery, Royal Navy, Joins Exail for Mine Warfare Systems Development in the UK

        6 May 2026

        Secretary of State Visits Artemis Technologies as Region Accelerates Delivery of Clean Maritime Innovation

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        12 May
        12 May 2026, 09:30 – 14:00

        Navigating the UK Defence Ecosystem: Opportunities for Marine Science and Technology

        The Society of Maritime Industries' (SMI) Marine Science and Technology Group (MSTG) is running a seminar to provide a high-level overview as to how non-traditional defence suppliers including...
        01 Jun
        1 Jun 2026 – 5 Jun 2026

        POSIDONIA 2026

        Posidonia brings the whole shipping world to its exhibitors. The international shipping community attends in strength with national pavilions and thousands of visitors.
        09 Jun
        9 Jun 2026, 08:30 – 11 Jun 2026, 17:00

        Seawork 2026

        In 2026, we are once again partnering with Seawork, Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition, to host a dedicated SMI Hub within the exhibition.
        01 Sep
        1 Sep 2026 – 4 Sep 2026

        SMM 2026 (Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology trade fair)

        When it comes to meeting up with all the leading protagonists of the global maritime industry, there’s no place like SMM, one of the leading international maritime trade fairs. 
        13 Apr
        13 Apr 2027, 09:00 – 15 Apr 2027, 17:00

        Sea Asia 2027

        SMI will once again organise the UK Group Pavilion at Sea Asia in its role as the official Country Pavilion organiser. The event will return, bigger and bolder on 16-18th March 2027. To register...
        07 Jun
        7 Jun 2027, 09:00 – 11 Jun 2027, 10:00

        NorShipping 2027

        SMI will once again organise the UK Group Pavilion at Nor-Shipping. The event will return, bigger and bolder in 2027. 
        19 Oct
        19 Oct 2027 – 22 Oct 2027

        Kormarine 2027

        Join SMI in the UK Pavilion at Kormarine a leading international marine exhibition held biennially in Busan, South Korea. Kormarine highlights cutting-edge advancements in shipbuilding, maritime...
        SEE MORE Events

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