Aurora Labs sharpens executive team to drive Defence commercialisation
Aurora Labs Limited (ASX: A3D) has appointed Andrew Garth as Chief Executive Officer and transitioned Rebekah Letheby to Chief Operating Officer, both effective 5 October 2026. The dual appointment is designed to sharpen executive focus as Aurora advances the commercialisation and scaled manufacture of its Defence and propulsion technologies.
Aurora is an industrial technology company specialising in 3D metal printed parts and advanced propulsion systems for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), with a primary focus on the Defence sector. The restructure provides the company with dedicated leadership resources across two parallel functions: commercial strategy and technical execution.
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New leadership structure built for the next phase
Andrew Garth steps up as CEO
Garth joins the CEO role from his existing position as Executive Director, Strategy and Partnerships, bringing an established understanding of Aurora’s strategy and near-term commercial pipeline. He holds qualifications as an aeronautical engineer and brings more than two decades of experience across Defence, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and government.
Key credentials include:
- Senior Program Manager at GKN Aerospace, working across the Joint Strike Fighter and Airbus programmes
- Roles with the Victorian Government Defence Council
- Roles with the Centre for Defence Industry Capability and the Defence Industry Innovation Centre
Garth will lead Aurora’s overall strategy and market engagement initiatives in the CEO capacity.
Rebekah Letheby moves to Chief Operating Officer
Letheby has been with Aurora for over ten years across senior technical and executive roles, most recently as Chief Executive Officer. Her transition to COO is a move into a more operationally focused position, not a departure from the company.
She brings deep technical knowledge of Aurora’s additive manufacturing technology and long-standing relationships with commercial and Defence partners in Australia and internationally. In the COO role, Letheby will focus on advancing Aurora’s established Defence relationships and progressing current opportunities toward commercial outcomes.
Non-Executive Chairman, David Trimboli
“Aurora has made significant progress in establishing its technology, manufacturing capability and position within the Defence sector. As we move into the next phase of our development, our focus is increasingly on converting that foundation into scaled manufacturing programs, strategic partnerships and commercial outcomes.
This leadership transition aligns our executive resources directly with those priorities. Andrew brings a strong combination of Defence, aerospace, government and advanced manufacturing experience, together with an established understanding of Aurora’s strategy and the opportunities now in front of the Company…
Rebekah has been central to the development of Aurora’s technology and capabilities over the past eight years. Her transition to Chief Operating Officer enables us to deploy that experience where it can have the greatest impact, which is working closely with our Defence and commercial partners, advancing key programs and ensuring we have the technical and operational capability to execute as opportunities progress.
Together, these appointments provide a clear division of executive focus and strengthen Aurora’s ability to progress its growing pipeline from engagement and development through to potential commercialisation and scaled production.”
Why additive manufacturing matters in Defence
Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D metal printing, is a process that builds components layer by layer from digital designs rather than cutting or shaping raw material. In Defence and aerospace supply chains, this approach offers several practical advantages.
Key benefits relevant to Aurora’s sector include:
- Rapid prototyping that reduces development lead times significantly
- The ability to produce complex geometries that traditional manufacturing methods cannot achieve
- Lighter-weight components suited to aerial and propulsion applications
Aurora’s specific focus is on advanced propulsion systems for Unmanned Aerial Systems. UAS represent a fast-growing segment of modern Defence capability, with platforms increasingly used for surveillance, logistics, and combat support roles across allied Defence forces.
For investors, the broader context matters. Governments including Australia’s are prioritising sovereign Defence manufacturing capability, seeking to reduce dependence on international supply chains for critical components. Aurora’s positioning as a domestic provider of 3D metal printed propulsion systems for UAS aligns directly with this strategic priority.
Sovereign manufacturing capability has become a funding priority for the Australian government, with Aurora securing a $1 million Defence Industry Development Grant under the Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream earlier in 2026 to scale its Micro Gas Turbine production at Canning Vale.
What the restructure signals for investors
The leadership split creates two distinct lanes of executive accountability. Garth will drive market engagement and Aurora’s broader commercial strategy, while Letheby concentrates on technical execution and the advancement of Defence partner relationships.
The MBDA teaming agreement, formalised in May 2026 with the European missile group jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, represents the most concrete expression of that international commercial pipeline Garth will be tasked with advancing.
This division effectively expands Aurora’s senior executive capacity, with two leaders working in parallel rather than a single executive spanning both functions. The chairman’s stated priority is converting Aurora’s technology and manufacturing foundation into scaled manufacturing programmes, strategic partnerships, and commercial outcomes.
The remuneration arrangements for each executive are summarised below.
| Executive | Role | Annual Salary | Bonus Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Garth | Chief Executive Officer | $350,000 + superannuation | Performance Bonus Scheme |
| Rebekah Letheby | Chief Operating Officer | $325,000 + superannuation | Performance Bonus Scheme |
No additional fees will be paid to either executive for their roles as Executive Directors of the company.
The restructure positions Aurora to advance its Defence and propulsion pipeline from engagement and development through to potential commercialisation and scaled production, with dedicated leadership focused on each stage of that progression.
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