Lieutenant General John Frewen (retd) served in the Australian Defence Force for over four decades. A third-generation army officer, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1986 and began his career as an Infantry Platoon Commander.

He held numerous Army leadership positions throughout his career, including Commander 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Brigade in Darwin. His operational service included Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Frewen led the initial regional military intervention force in the Solomon Islands in 2003, coordinating efforts from multiple nations to restore stability and order, with that mission becoming a model for regional cooperation and peacekeeping.

Beyond traditional military roles, he served as Principal Deputy Director of the Australian Signals Directorate and led Defence’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Prime Minister appointed him Coordinator General of Australia's National COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, helping achieve one of the world’s highest vaccination rates.

His final role in Defence was Chief of Joint Capabilities, overseeing the ADF Space and Cyber Domains and Joint Logistics Command. In this role, he consolidated all joint space and cyber forces for the first time, and also assumed responsibilities as the Defence Languages Capability Manager.

Although not a linguist himself, he is a strong supporter of language and cultural studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and two Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies. He is a graduate of the University of New South Wales, the Australian Army Command and Staff College, and the US Army War College.

Awarded Officer in the Order of Australia and the Distinguished Service Cross, he brings practical, values-driven leadership experience and a strategic focus on resilience, health preparedness, and technology’s role in national capability.