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Organisational Structure

ADAS operates as a not-for-profit incorporated association on a cost-recovery basis. ADAS receives no government funding and has no paying members or shareholders.

The Scheme, particularly in relation to offshore oil and gas activities, operates under the general direction of the Federal Government Department of Industry and responsibility for the specific corporate governance and strategic oversight of the Scheme is vested in the independent ADAS Board.

Governance Arrangements

The ADAS Board acts in a policy governance role and the day-to-day administration and operations are undertaken by ADAS staff under the direction of an Executive Director.

The ADAS Board comprises of independent non-executive Directors from various sectors of the occupational diving industry, each offering particular expertise and industry experience to the Board.

These Directors are independent of management and free from any business relationship or other circumstance that could interfere with objective, unfettered or independent judgement. The Board Directors perform their duties on a strictly voluntary basis.

The Board’s role is fundamentally to create and deliver value through the effective governance of the organisation and Directors also undertake to act as a conduit between their organisations and ADAS.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Industry, the Board is required to ensure that ADAS:

  • delivers and continues to deliver its full range of diver certification functions;
  • is conducted so that its administrative, operational, training, assessment and diver certification standards, policies, procedures and practices are, and remain, at the level of best practice and result in a standard of diver certification acceptable to the Department and that enables the maintenance of the ADAS international recognition agreements.

The Board is required to report to the Department on an annual basis with respect to the finances, fees and the administration of the Scheme.

ADAS Board Membership Expressions of Interest

If you are interested in joining the ADAS Board please send your expression of interest by submitting the ADAS Board Membership Expression of Interest Form.

Current ADAS Board of Directors

Dr Stuart Cannon

Dr Stuart Cannon (Chair)

Program Leader: Maritime Surface and Above Water Combat, Australian Department of Defence

Stuart has long-standing and extensive experience in the maritime industry primarily focusing on naval architecture and engineering.  Stuart’s career began as a Graduate Naval Architect in 1986 and he went on to be a lecturer at Brunel University in London and the Australian Maritime College teaching in the areas of ship structures and engineering.  In the late 1990’s Stuart’s career began to focus on maritime engineering research and he has been instrumental in the research and development of Royal Australian Navy surface ships, and ensuring the longevity of the shipbuilding program by implementing a national research program in the Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

Currently, Stuart’s involvement in research and development continues in his role as Chief Technology Officer: Innovation and Strategic Research for the Australian Department of Defence, and he also holds a position as Adjunct Professor in Hydrodynamics and Maritime Engineering at the University of Tasmania’s Australian Maritime College.

In addition to being a chartered engineer, Stuart also holds fellowships with Engineers Australia, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, and the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering.  Stuart also gained an Executive Masters degree in Public Administration in 2021 which compliments his previous extensive qualifications in maritime engineering and naval architectural fields.

Stuart’s passion and commitment to research and strategic planning is an asset to ADAS, with extensive connections to Standards Australia and Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, and his strong involvement in the business world throughout his career.

Amanda Sordes

ADAS Executive Director

Amanda has significant experience as an occupational diver, supervisor, and diving safety industry officer. She has worked across various industries including offshore construction, onshore construction, aquarium/zoo, and scientific diving. Amanda has two Masters degrees in Environmental Protection and Management and is qualified as an ADAS Training and Assessment Manager with experience in training development and delivery, and has been a contributor to a wide range of ADAS projects. 

Her positions as Dive Officer at two Sydney universities, facilitator for the French National Convention on Occupational Diving, participation in IDRCF and EDTC meetings, and three years’ experience serving as a Director of the ADAS Board have given her a solid understanding of ADAS’s role and function both nationally and within international arenas.  

Amanda cares about all sectors of the diving community, growing stakeholder engagement, and improving diver safety. During her time as Executive Director she aims to efficiently maintain ADAS’ regulatory and MOU commitments whilst continually improving the quality and relevance of ADAS’ portfolio of services. 

Cliff Coulson-Bonner

Project and Diving Manager

Cliff is a Project and Air/Nitrox Diving Manager, with extensive experience in Oil & Gas, UXO remediation and Renewables industries.

As a Project Manager, Cliff is responsible for a Tier 1 Oil & Gas decommissioning project in Australia. As a Former Royal Navy Chief Clearance Diver & 2nd Officer in Charge of SDU2, Cliff operated for 24 years in the UK & internationally, in Management of Diving /EOD Units, Diving Supervision, Underwater Engineering, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), UXO remediation, DCIEM Experimental Diving & Submarine Escape Support.

Born in South Australia before moving to NSW and then to the UK; Cliff returned to Australia in 2002, where he has worked extensively in the Australian & International sector, as a Diving & ROV Project Manager, OGP Client Representative, Offshore Superintendent, ADAS Offshore Dive Supervisor, Health & Safety Professional & Senior UXO Supervisor/Manager.

Ben Law

Diving Manager / Diving Responsible Person (DRP) – Subsea 7 Australia & APAC
Vessel Operation Manager – Seven Pegasus DSV

Ben has 30 years’ experience in commercial diving and associated operations, he completed his air & saturation diving qualifications in the early 1990’s and worked extensively in the North Sea, but also with assignments in both the Middle east and Asia.

Starting his diving career with Rockwater Ltd in 1992 Ben has experience in all aspects of commercial diving including renewables, offshore Oil & Gas and was also privileged to work on many salvage projects for government operations such as Kursk, Estonia Ferry as well as military asset recovery.

Ben has held various position since finishing diving himself, Project Manager, Operations Manager, Contracts & Commercial Manager and is currently Diving & Vessel operations manager for Subsea 7.

Ben is second generation diving in his family, with his father being on the first commercial diving course ever ran in Scotland, a combined family history in diving of over 60 years.

Mike Pascoe

Owner/Director/Diver Trainer

Mike has 15 years experience in commercial diving, supervision, and project management of inshore and offshore sectors around New Zealand and the South Pacific, including a 4-year seabed mining project off the west coast of New Zealand where he assisted in the development and operation of diver and remotely operated geotechnical drilling systems.

Mike Holds a Diploma in Outdoor Education, Diploma in Hyperbaric Operations, and Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, he is a current ADAS Training and Assessment Manager (ATAM) and has been involved in occupational diver training since 2014.

He is actively involved with ADAS and other industry working groups to develop quality internationally recognised training programs including the development of New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funded certificate courses.  He is a representative across multiple stakeholder platforms including the Australian SF17 Standards Committee and the Worksafe New Zealand DIAG (Diving Industry Advisory Group), and has most recently worked on the development of ADAS Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) pilot technician training programs, and approval of two new ADAS training centres located in Singapore and Spain.

Mike is a consultant to the Ministry of Defence and New Zealand Navy for Dynamically Positioned (DP) Diving and ROV systems and has recently opened a new privately owned occupational diver training facility in New Zealand.  

Dr Susannah Sherlock

Anaesthetic Specialist and Hyperbaric Physician

Dr Sherlock began her medical career as an anaesthetist, gaining entry to the Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZCA) in 1998, then went on to complete an Advanced Diploma in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine with ANZCA in 2018.  Since that time, Dr Sherlock has been a practicing hyperbaric physician in private practice and is also a senior anaesthetist with several major Australian hospitals.

In addition to her hospital and private practice work, Dr Sherlock is also a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Queensland.  She has an interest in examining and teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate levels, and has a special interest in simulation and crisis management. She has also convened and founded an annual course for General Practitioners to increase their diving and hyperbaric medicine knowledge.

Dr Sherlock is a member of several national and international collaborative groups involved in research, with one research topic being the use of hyperbaric therapy for long COVID.

Along with her medical work, Dr Sherlock has also been an examiner and hospital accreditor with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) for the last 15 years.  She is also the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) committee Chair, and a sub-committee member for the Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Committee of ANZCA which approves formal qualifications in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine.

Dr Sherlock is passionate about safety in diving and hyperbaric medicine, and about crisis prevention and management. She is a tireless promotor of safety in anaesthesia and hyperbaric medicine, and in the hyperbaric industry as a whole.

In her spare time, Dr Sherlock enjoys diving recreationally and spending time with her husband who is a retired Royal Australian clearance diver.  She also enjoys the occasional Tiger Moth biplane wingwalking experience and was the first Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Australian certified wingwalker.

Edwin Tan

Managing Director – Hydropro Pte. Ltd

Edwin Tan started his career in the diving industry as a naval diver with the Republic of Singapore Navy in 1983 and subsequently became a qualified Clearance Diver in the Royal Australian Navy. Soon after, he obtained vigorous training in commercial diving, including his attendance in ADAS courses in New Zealand, and established his position in the industry. Today, he is the Managing Director of Hydropro Pte. Ltd.

Throughout his 38 years of experience, Edwin has risen through the ranks and made a significant impact in the diving industry. Edwin founded and chaired the Commercial Diving Association (Singapore) between 2010 and 2014, which led to the transformation of old diving practices to a system that operates under strict regulations today.

Edwin is also a member of the commercial diving workgroup, which played a significant role in appraising the Workplace Safety and Health Guideline for Inland/Inshore Commercial Diving that is to be published in 2021.

Edwin offers a wealth of insights with his experiences within the Southeast Asian diving industry and hopes to introduce these ideas to the ADAS Board of Directors. Through his involvement in ADAS, Edwin aims to continue raising the standards for training and qualification for diving in Southeast Asia, focusing on that of the ship husbandry industry.

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