RPAS 2025 Speaker Bio

Rob Sharp

Chief Executive Officer

Airservices Australia 

The Board appointed Rob Sharp Interim Chief Executive Officer in July 2024 with the Chairman confirming his appointment to a four-year term on 24 January 2025. He joins Airservices with over 25 years of senior executive experience in the aviation and transport sectors. Rob Sharp holds a Bachelor of Business, and has had an extensive involvement with academia, including as an adjunct professor at Curtin Business School, member of the John Grill Centre Advisory Committee at Sydney University and Governor of the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering at Sydney University. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Chartered Accountant, a Companion of Engineers Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Prior to joining Airservices, Rob Sharp most recently served for two years as Secretary for Transport for NSW leading 30,000 employees, delivering daily transport services and operations across the state including roads, rail and ferry operations. Rob Sharp headed Virgin Australia Airlines for two years, leading 8,000 employees, and was responsible for all aspects of the airline business. Key achievements included an insight-driven customer focus, strengthened international alliances, and operational excellence underpinned by digital strategies. Rob Sharp was CEO of Tigerair for 4 years, rebranding the airline, delivering a turnaround strategy and repositioning the business. He started his transport career with Qantas Airways, working across strategy, commercial and operational roles including responsibility for airline strategy and innovation, major transformational programs, technology developments, and global airport infrastructure and operations logistics. Rob Sharp commenced his career with Price Waterhouse, specialising in Infrastructure including construction and mining, and high technology. He was Operations Director for a successful start-up technology company, Hypertec Research, growing the business by 50% pa, developing Australia’s largest technology exporter at the time.