DroneShield appoints new COO

Counter-drone specialist DroneShield (ASX:DRO) has appointed industry veteran Michael Powell as COO.

Powell joins the leadership team with a formidable pedigree, having previously held executive roles at Thales Australia and Knorr-Bremse.

The appointment comes at a critical inflection point for the company, driven by a sharp spike in demand across European and US markets.

DroneShield has significantly expanded manufacturing capacity at its Alexandria, NSW facility.

The enlarged site is designed to boost production throughput, slash delivery lead times, and fortify supply-chain resilience—foundational steps for supporting multi-year defense and government contracts.

"As the need for counter-UAS systems accelerates globally, Michael’s expertise will be vital in ensuring we scale with both discipline and resilience," said CEO Oleg Vornik.