Effective 1 August 2026, Australian defence industry executive Ben Hudson has joined CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP a.s. ("CSG") as a member and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors
Global defence and industrial technology group CSG has announced a change to its Board of Directors. Effective 1 August 2026, defence industry veteran Ben Hudson has joined the CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP a.s. ("CSG") Board of Directors as a member and Vice-Chairman. His appointment reflects the continued internationalisation of CSG’s leadership team and the growing strategic importance of land defence systems and technological innovation to the Group’s future development.
Over the past several years, CSG has transformed from a regional industrial group into one of the world’s leading defence manufacturers. Following a series of strategic acquisitions across Europe and the United States, the Group now employs more than 14,000 people and operates on multiple continents. This transformation has been accompanied by the development of an increasingly international senior leadership team.
“Ben Hudson is a highly experienced executive who brings extensive international leadership experience from some of the world’s leading defence companies. Throughout his career, he has managed major international programmes, contributed to the development of advanced defence technologies, and overseen their introduction into service with NATO and allied militaries. His appointment to the CSG 's Board of Directors reinforces our ambition to build a truly global company led by world-class executives with international experience, while further strengthening our ability to achieve sustainable long-term growth in global markets,” said Michal Strnad, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of CSG.
Ben Hudson brings more than three decades of experience in the global defence industry to CSG. He joined the Group in June 2026 as the Chief Executive Officer of CSG Land Systems, while also assuming the role of the Group’s Chief Technology Officer. He is responsible for the strategic development of land defence capabilities across the Group, its technology strategy, research and development, and fostering innovation throughout CSG’s companies.
Hudson joined CSG from Hanwha, where he was the Chief Executive Officer of Hanwha Europe, UK and Australia. Prior to this, he served in various roles including as the Group Chief Technology Officer of BAE Systems plc and Global Head and CEO of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer in the Australian Army. Throughout his career, he has led complex programmes for customers around the world across every operational domain—from land systems and air to maritime, space and cyber.
“CSG represents a unique combination of industrial strength, technological expertise and the ability to execute strategic objectives at speed. As a member of the Board of Directors, I look forward to contributing to the Group’s next phase of global growth, advancing its technological capabilities and further strengthening CSG’s position among the world’s leading defence companies,” said Ben Hudson.
Ben Hudson is not the only internationally recognised executive to have recently joined CSG’s leadership team. Earlier this year, the Group welcomed Jason Monahan a senior executive from General Dynamics, who unitl recentley was the CEO of GDLS-Canada, Thomas Berge Nielsen, former Chief Executive Officer of Global Business at Rheinmetall, former Northrop Grumman and Raytheon executive David Jacobs, and capital markets expert Peter Russell, who previously held senior roles at J.P. Morgan, Avast and Rentokil Initial. At the same time, the Group strengthened the leadership of its companies with the appointments of Tom Winney, formerly of KNDS, Rheinmetall and BAE Systems, and Alexander Rüstig, former CEO of German ammunition manufacturer RWS. The arrival of these senior executives underlines CSG’s ability to attract top leadership talent in the global defence industry.
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