AmCham Appoints the Hon Ellen Lord to its Board of Directors

Monday, 22 June 2026

The Hon Ellen Lord                                          

The American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) is delighted to announce the appointment of the Hon Ellen Lord to our Board of Directors.

Ms Lord served as the inaugural US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from 2017 to 2021. Prior to this, Ms Lord was President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems, a global defence and aerospace subsidiary of Textron, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. Ms Lord is a board member for AAR Corp., Parsons Corp., SES S.A., Trident Systems, Exiger, NIOA Group and the U.S. Naval Institute. Additionally, she serves on a number of advisory boards including PsiQuantum, MIT Lincoln Lab and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Ms Lord’s appointment substantially strengthens the Board’s defence sector expertise at a strategically critical time for the United States and Australia.

As Under Secretary of Defense, Ms Lord oversaw the evaluation, acquisition, and sustainment of a US $1.7 trillion portfolio of defence systems. Her tenure focused on agile adoption of new and advanced technologies and software, substantially streamlining the acquisition and implementation of systems that modernised the functions of the department at pace.

Ms Lord’s appointment reflects AmCham’s strategy of engagement with US-based directors and our long-term commitment to strengthening and deepening our relationships with industries critical to Australia’s partnership with the United States.

“Ellen Lord’s understanding of the national security ecosystems of both Australia and the United States will be critical to unlocking Australia’s defence potential,” said AmCham Chairman David Moffatt. “Her appreciation of the strategic imperative to innovate at speed and scale, ability to navigate the United States defence system, and expansive networks in this sector critical to the joint prosperity of the United States and Australia are a tremendous asset to the Chamber’s members and both nations.”

“The work of AmCham is essential to the success of the US-Australia alliance,” Ms Lord said. “New and emerging challenges for both nations demand rapid innovation, and strong guidance for companies who can meet capability requirements is integral to maintaining our strategic advantage. I look forward to contributing to AmCham’s work in guiding companies through the defence ecosystem.”