DEWC Service’s Jesse Jones has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Australian Defence Industry Network (AIDN) SA Young Achiever Award.

Now in its 19^th year, the Young Achiever Award recognises the exceptional contributions of young professionals under 30 who are making a meaningful impact in the defence industry.

Four emerging leaders were nominated for the award, each demonstrating passion and a commitment to advancing Australia’s defence capabilities.

Jesse has worked at DEWC Services for four years, having started his career as an engineering graduate and progressing into his current role of Software Engineer Consultant where he works primarily in the Science and Technology Research and Development space.

Throughout his career, Jesse has showcased his profound technical capabilities and leadership skills, as noted by the judges. Jesse’s work, particularly in Machine Learning and AI domain, is helping to develop secure, testable, and interoperable systems that support Defence capability.

On winning the award, Jesse said it is a huge honour to be recognised for work he finds great purpose in.

“I’m appreciative of the support from my company, team, and clients in Defence for taking the time to endorse me,” he said.

“It’s a very strong signal to me that I’m doing the right thing and delivering as much value as I can for them and my country.

“Every day I get to come to work and contribute to a mission that matters, work with incredible people who have pushed me to grow and learn more than I expected, and build things I wouldn’t get to anywhere else.”

Defence SA Chief Executive Matt Opie congratulated Jesse and all nominees for their outstanding contributions to the defence industry.

“Defence SA is proud to support the AIDN Young Achiever Award which plays a vital role in recognising and celebrating the impact of young professionals in building our sovereign defence capabilities,” he said.

“We are growing South Australia’s defence industry workforce to deliver the pipeline of Defence projects within the state. Recognising these Young Achievers and providing pathways for the next generation of defence industry leaders is vital to achieving this ambition and shaping the future of our defence industry.”

AIDN-SA President, Graham Priestnall OAM congratulated Mr Jones and the other three finalists.

“The AIDN YAA has a long history of recognising young professionals and future leaders in the defence industry and this year’s finalists and winner epitomised the high calibre of professionalism, leadership and character of young individuals in our industry,” said Mr Priestnall.

Other finalists for the AIDN SA Young Achiever Award were:

• Matthew Majewski, BAE Systems Australia
• Carissa Ionni, Aurecon
• Ben Harvey, SAHR Professional Services

Defence SA has been a long-time supporter of AIDN and proud sponsor of the Young Achiever Award, which celebrates the emerging talent in the state’s defence industry.

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Image: Defence SA Chief Executive Officer, Matt Opie; The Hon. Stephen Mullighan, Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police, Member for Lee; Ben Harvey of SAHR; Carissa Ionni of Aurecon; Matthew Majewski of BAE Systems Australia; and 2025 AIDN SA Young Achiever of the Year Winner – Jess Jones of DEWC Services.