With an impressive 30-year career in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a Logistics Officer, 12 years in the Active Reserves, and over 10 years of commercial experience supporting global operations for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Australian Federal Police, and United Nations, Mark Leatham’s lived experience makes him a compelling advocate for empowering veterans to thrive through education.
Mark’s rich service history spans significant operational roles, including at the USAF HQ in the Pentagon, contributions to the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Kabul, and his involvement at the Australian Joint Task Force HQ in Baghdad. He has also undertaken diverse postings across various Australian bases and in South-East Asia.
“My transition from Defence was very challenging,” Mark says. “I spent three of my final four years either deployed overseas or travelling interstate between work and home. With three children, two going through their teenage years, I felt like a non-functioning father and husband, especially having to play the ‘bad cop’ every time I came home.”
“Despite strong career promotion opportunities, I made the decision to resign in 2009. Within three months I was home, no longer serving, transferring to the RAAF Active Reserves, and for the first time since I was 18, was out of uniform and looking for a civilian job.”
Still committed to service, Mark assumed the role of Director for the ADF Adaptive Sports Program in his capacity as a RAAF Reservist, dedicating himself to supporting military personnel in adaptive sports and leading Team Australia’s participation in the US DoD Warrior Games events. Around the same time, he became a Soldier On participant.
“I reached out to Soldier On immediately,” he says. “No longer a part of the ADF, I initially felt a sense of loss of purpose and tribe. While I was able to secure a Defence Industry position relatively quickly, Soldier On provided a safe space for connection and engagement with fellow veterans. Seeing the valuable service offerings firsthand made me want to contribute towards the success and growth of Soldier On.”
Seeing Soldier On’s impact within the veteran community, Mark began actively supporting activities and events in and around Canberra. His engagement with Soldier On’s leadership inspired him to explore how he could further assist the organisation through fundraising, donations, corporate support, and support for local and regional events.
Within weeks, he secured his initial Defence Industry employer as a Soldier On Pledge Partner and continued to recruit more as he advanced his corporate career. Notably, one of these companies provided all the work laptops and IT system integration for Soldier On’s first HQ in Crace, ACT. Mark also personally sponsored tables at the inaugural Soldier On Ball, volunteered at events in Canberra, and completed several fundraising activities along the way.
In 2014, Mark faced a significant personal challenge: major lower back surgery resulting from his time in service. As part of his rehabilitation, he embraced long-distance running, setting an ambitious goal to complete a marathon. Six months post-surgery, he accomplished his first half-marathon, and a year later, he completed his first (and only) full marathon. Mark’s determination extended beyond personal achievement; in typically selfless style, he leveraged his marathon journey to raise funds for Soldier On, with his campaign generating nearly $15,000 through both runs.
From 2009-2020, Mark worked for a range of Defence Industry companies. At each one, he became an active advocate in their Corporate Social Responsibility programs and promoted the benefits to veterans and their families by donating to Soldier On and supporting their events. Thanks to his drive and passion, those companies all became Pledge Partners of Soldier On, and most continue to be active partners. Mark and Soldier On remain grateful for the commitment and contributions from Toll Group, Fujitsu Australia, RXP Services, and GRA (now a part of Accenture).
Mark co-founded Frontline Labs in 2023. An ACNC-registered not-for-profit charity, Frontline Labs delivers a veteran-led vocational training program for current serving members, veterans, and their spouses, focusing on self-employment and business setup as post-service career options. Frontline Labs originated from Innoclub, another ACNC-registered not-for-profit charity that supports and accelerates start-ups. In 2022, Mark met with Innoclub to discuss the potential of their program for veterans. “In Australia, the benefits of veteran self-employment and business ownership are not being realised despite the opportunities that exist for transitioning and former ADF personnel,” he says. Mark saw an opportunity to offer 21st-century solutions to better serve the veteran community, assisting with their transition to civilian life and promoting long-term health and purpose. Ultimately, from that meeting, Frontline Labs was born.
The organisation, which operates without government funding, currently employs two full-time and two part-time staff funded by the Campsie RSL Group. In its first year, Frontline Labs became an Education Partner of Soldier On, with 30% of its Veteran Entrepreneur Training course graduates being Soldier On participants. This partnership only continues to grow, supporting Soldier On participants in achieving their post-service career goals and celebrating their business successes.
Frontline Labs’ flagship product, the MBA-style Veteran Entrepreneur Training course, aligns with nationally recognised units of competency and qualifications, providing veterans the opportunity to pursue their own paths to success like Mark has. In his full-circle journey from participant to Education Partner, Mark has remained committed to providing valuable services that help veterans reintegrate into civilian life, contributing to the national supply chain, and the growth of the veteran business economy.
“It has been a pretty successful journey on many levels, and a great source of personal pride,” Mark says. “As our courses continue to grow, we are aiming to increase our staff numbers, targeting new employees from the veteran community, especially the partners of current serving members and veterans.”
Through Frontline Labs, Mark continues to champion the veteran community, showing first-hand that with determination and support, veterans can thrive in their post-service lives.
