Brisbane, QLD — General Management
Gavin North
General Manager — Engineering, Manufacturing & Defence-Sector Operations
Twenty-plus years turning multi-entity, technically complex businesses into disciplined, profitable operations — from ISO 13485 medical device manufacturing scaled to $12M in two years, to Defence-funded capability programs and multi-currency trade finance across a $45M group.
Profile
Operator first, strategist by necessity
I run complex operations end to end — production, supply chain, trade finance, quality systems, HR and finance — with full P&L accountability, not from the sidelines of a strategy deck. Across manufacturing, media and retail businesses, my mandate has consistently been the same: bring discipline to growth, and bring growth to underperformance. In one struggling division I took EBITDA from -9% to +12% over two years through overhead rationalisation and vertical integration of sales — the pattern I look to repeat wherever I land.
At RJS Tech Group I hold full operational and financial leadership across six manufacturing and engineering brands. Within that role I built PPE Tech from a standing start to $12M+ in annual revenue within two years, scaling to 60+ staff on 24/5 manufacturing under ISO 13485 medical device compliance. I've personally led the business case, technical scope and stakeholder engagement behind over $1M in Defence industry grants, and operate comfortably within ASDEFCON-aligned delivery, governance and security expectations — I am eligible to obtain and maintain an Australian Government security clearance.
My background started in the classroom, not the boardroom — teaching senior Maths and Science before moving into IT infrastructure and web systems, then business operations. That technical grounding still shows up in how I work: I get close to the systems, the data and the shop floor, not just the numbers on the report.
The domain this site sits on, solit.com.au, is the name of the IT consultancy I founded and ran from 2000–2009 — the starting point of a career now spent scaling the businesses behind it.
Experience
Track record
- Full P&L and operational leadership across six divisions — WoodTech, PPE Tech, Metal-Tech, Rogers Industries Group, Whitelaw Engineering Machinery and Prestige Precision Tools.
- Built PPE Tech from startup to $12M+ annual revenue in two years, scaling to 60+ staff on 24/5 manufacturing under ISO 13485 medical device compliance.
- Secured $1M+ in Defence industry grants — leading business cases, technical scope and stakeholder engagement; operate within ASDEFCON-aligned delivery and governance environments.
- Administer Letters of Credit, trade finance facilities and FX risk across international suppliers; own import/export compliance and customs documentation.
- Direct annual, quarterly and monthly consolidated group reporting; lead refinancing, financial modelling and banking relationships.
- Govern ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 quality management systems — internal audits, corrective actions, certification renewals.
- Own government tenders, panel selection, R&D project oversight and tax incentive/grant programs.
- Full P&L accountability across strategic planning, budgeting, staff management and performance reviews.
- Negotiated sponsorship/partnership contracts and major customer commercial agreements.
- Directed FX, trade finance, and stock purchasing/forecasting; led an ERP and EDI system migration and integration.
- Took the business from a position of insolvency back to sustained profitability, growing headcount to 25 full-time staff.
- Built and led the company's first website (2000) and its successors, maintaining #1 position in Australian fishing & boating content online for 12 years.
- Owned IT infrastructure end to end — network, security, budgets, vendor management — and led migration to a purpose-built premises.
- Founded and ran an IT consultancy supporting small and medium businesses with IT audits, 1/3/5-year technology planning, bookkeeping and project delivery.
- Taught senior Maths, Science and ICT; built and commissioned a school's science computer laboratory and network from concept to delivery.
- Awarded Education Queensland's Schooling 2001 Award for contributions to integrating learning technology into education programs.
Capabilities
Core expertise
General & P&L Management
Multi-entity, multi-site leadership with full commercial accountability — strategy, budgeting, and consolidated group reporting.
Trade Finance & Import/Export
Letters of Credit, FX risk management, international procurement, customs compliance and logistics.
Quality & Regulatory Compliance
ISO 9001 & ISO 13485 systems ownership across medical device and precision manufacturing environments.
Defence & Regulated Manufacturing
ASDEFCON-aligned delivery experience, Defence grant funding and governance, security-clearance eligible.
Systems & ERP Integration
Pronto Xi, NetSuite, Unleashed, HubSpot — business-wide technology change embedded into everyday workflows.
Strategic Growth & Turnaround
Restructuring, EBITDA turnaround, acquisitions, government tenders and grant programs.
Affiliations
Industry engagement
- Ai Group Queensland
- Australian Foundry Institute — World Foundry Organisation
- Engineering IRG — Manufacturing Skills Queensland
- PPE Tech Supplier Panel (QLD)
Education
Qualifications
- Bachelor of ScienceUniversity of Queensland
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons.)Queensland University of Technology
- Postgraduate Diploma of EducationUniversity of Queensland
Contact
Let's talk
Open to General Manager and senior operations roles across engineering, manufacturing and Defence-adjacent industries. Based in Brisbane, open to travel. References available on request.