Retirement of Peter James and Proposed Appointment of Hamish McLennan as Independent Non-Executive Chairman

After 10 years as DroneShield’s Chairman since before its Initial Public Offering in 2016, Peter James has announced his retirement from the Board and his decision to not stand for re-election at the Company’s Annual General Meeting on 29 May 2026 (AGM).

As part of the Board’s ongoing renewal process, Hamish McLennan will join the Board from 1 May 2026 as Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman-Elect, and will assume the role of Chairman, at the conclusion of the AGM.

McLennan is an experienced executive and board director across private and public organisations with strong focus on building companies and driving superior corporate governance. He was Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ten Network Holdings until July 2015 and, before that, Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman, at News Corp. As Chairman of REA, he has overseen growth in the company from approximately a $2 billion to a $20 billion market capitalisation business.

Commenting on his appointment, McLennan said: “I have followed DroneShield’s trajectory closely and am looking forward to contributing to the next phase of the Company’s development both within Australia and abroad.”

“Strengthening governance, discipline and operational maturity will be central to supporting DroneShield’s continued growth as an Australian technology success story and an important national defence partner during a period of elevated global security challenges.”

“The Company has achieved significant progress under Peter and Oleg’s leadership, and I will work closely with Angus to build on this strong foundation.”

Commenting on the appointment, James said: “Hamish is uniquely equipped to lead the Board of DroneShield through this next stage of growth. He has a depth of experience as a director and Chairman of fast-growing technology companies in highly regulated sectors, and the perspective of an experienced global executive. He also has led companies with multinational interests and has substantive cross-border experience.”

“Leading DroneShield from pre-IPO through to the ASX200 has been a privilege, as has working closely with Oleg over this period. The opportunities that have been created, not just for our team, but for Australia’s growing defence technology sector, are a legacy that we are proud of.”

“Having served over 10 years on DroneShield’s board, I believe now is the right time to commence the transition to a new Chair. I am confident that these changes set the Company up for its next stage of growth, with refreshed leadership and new energy to capture the momentum in the rapidly growing market for counter-drone technology.”

DroneShield

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