AVA appoints defence heavyweight Bryant Henson as CEO to drive US growth
Ava Risk Group (ASX: AVA) has appointed Bryant Henson as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective 24 August 2026, following an extensive international executive search.
The appointment positions the critical infrastructure security business for its next phase of global growth, centred on the United States. Henson most recently served as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Strategy & Business Development at Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), with prior senior roles at L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT).
His appointment is subject to receipt of Australian Directors ID.
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A proven global operator from defence and critical infrastructure
Henson brings more than two decades of leadership experience building and scaling global businesses serving defence, aerospace, government, critical infrastructure and commercial security markets. His track record spans some of the most respected names in the sector.
Career highlights include:
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Otis Worldwide — Executive Vice President and Global Head of Strategy and Business Development, leading global growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships and business development across more than 200 countries and territories
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L3Harris Technologies — President, Tactical Communications Sector; and President, Mission Avionics Sector, supplying advanced communications, sensing and mission-critical technologies to defence, intelligence and government customers worldwide
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Lockheed Martin — 16 years in progressively senior operational, business development and executive leadership roles across one of the world’s largest aerospace and defence companies
Henson will be based in the United States (Florida), reflecting that market’s strategic importance to AVA’s future growth, while continuing to lead the Company’s global operations.
Chairman David Cronin
“Importantly, Bryant’s appointment reflects the Board’s conviction that the United States represents AVA’s single largest strategic growth opportunity. We have established a very respectable presence across the US market and Bryant’s appointment significantly strengthens our ability to capitalise on that momentum while continuing to expand globally.”
“Bryant is not simply joining AVA to manage the business. He is joining to accelerate growth. We believe his experience building high-performing commercial organisations, combined with AVA’s differentiated technology and outstanding people, provides a compelling platform to create significant long-term value for our shareholders.”
Why the timing matters — AVA’s pivot to commercial execution
The appointment marks a shift from an investment and build phase toward commercial execution and market expansion. Over recent years, AVA has invested heavily in strengthening its technology platforms and expanding its product portfolio.
The Company is now entering a phase focused on commercial execution, market expansion and increasing shareholder value.
During FY2026, AVA continued to expand its US presence, securing projects spanning airports, critical infrastructure, defence-related applications and national security environments. The Company also strengthened its engagement with the US Federal ecosystem while advancing opportunities across corrections, energy infrastructure, communications networks, data centres and subsea cable protection.
The Board believes Bryant’s extensive executive leadership experience, commercial expertise and deep understanding of the US market position AVA to accelerate its next phase of growth while continuing to expand across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Bryant Henson, CEO
“Demand for protecting critical infrastructure has never been stronger. Governments and commercial organisations around the world are increasing investment in protecting borders, energy infrastructure, communications networks, transport assets and data centres. AVA has developed highly differentiated technologies that are exceptionally well positioned to address these growing security challenges.”
Understanding AVA’s critical infrastructure security business
AVA describes itself as a global provider of technologies and services that protect critical and high-value assets and infrastructure. The Company operates through three business segments, each addressing a distinct security need.
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Detect — ‘smart’ fibre optic sensing systems for security and condition monitoring across perimeters, pipelines, conveyors, power cables and data networks
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Access — high-security biometric readers, security access control and electronic locking products
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Illuminate — illuminators, ANPR cameras and perimeter detectors
These technologies serve security-conscious commercial, industrial, military and government clients. The sector is seeing rising global investment in protecting borders, energy, communications, transport and data centres, giving the Company exposure to a broad range of end markets.
AVA’s border protection panel appointment, secured just weeks before Henson’s hire was announced, placed the Company’s fibre optic sensing platforms inside the Australian Government’s sovereign procurement framework for an initial five-year term to June 2031.
Remuneration aligned to shareholder value
The Board has structured the CEO’s remuneration to align reward with both annual operating performance and long-term shareholder value creation. The material terms of the employment agreement are summarised below.
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | US$350,000 per annum |
| Location | Florida, United States |
| Commencement | 24 August 2026 |
| Employment Term | Ongoing (no fixed term) |
| Short-Term Incentive | Target up to 65% of Base Salary (weighted 70% EBITDA / 30% Revenue); US$68,250 guaranteed for FY2027 |
| Outperformance Incentive | Up to an additional 30% of Base Salary |
| Long-Term Incentive | 14,554,954 Options vesting equally over four years, subject to approvals |
The Long-Term Incentive (LTI) is intended to reward the creation of sustainable shareholder value rather than short-term share price movements. Vesting requires continued employment, achievement of annual earnings per share (EPS) performance hurdles determined by reference to Board-approved budgets, and satisfaction of a market performance hurdle.
The market performance hurdle requires the Company’s daily VWAP to equal or exceed the applicable Target Price over 60 consecutive trading days. The tranche structure is set out below.
| Tranche / Year | Exercise Price | Target Price |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Closing price, first trading day following commencement | — |
| Year 2 | A$0.125 | A$0.125 |
| Year 3 | A$0.250 | A$0.350 |
| Year 4 | A$0.250 | A$0.600 |
Vested Options are exercisable until five years after the Grant Date. The grant remains subject to the Company obtaining all necessary shareholder, corporate, regulatory and ASX approvals.
For investors, the structure ties reward to both sustained earnings growth and meaningful share price appreciation, aligning the CEO with long-term shareholders.
What comes next for AVA
The road ahead centres on accelerated US commercial execution, continued global expansion across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, and strategic partnerships. Chairman David Cronin noted the Company is entering a new phase where commercial execution, market expansion and strategic partnerships become the primary focus.
Henson commences on 24 August 2026, subject to receipt of Australian Directors ID. The Board has stated its conviction that AVA’s differentiated technology, combined with Henson’s commercial leadership, provides a compelling platform to create significant long-term value for shareholders.
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