Alumni Profiles

Chris GRIGSBY

• Graduated :

  1973

Military Service History

1969-71 CMF  3 RNSWR Canberra

1973 OCS Portsea (Scheyville wing)

1974 3 Fd Rd Townsville

1975 -1976 B Sqn 3 Cav Regt (Corps transfer)

1977-78 1 RTB Kapooka (PL Comd)

1979 A Sqn 2 Cav Regt Sydney Sqn 2IC

1980 Resigned

1984 Army Reserve Melbourne

1997 -2000 CO 4/19th PWLH Regt

2000-2001 Instructor Staff College

2002-2019 Deputy Director Office of Reserve Service Protection VCDF Group

Aug 2019 Retired from Army Reserve

Decorations & Awards

Reserve Forces Decoration

Gold VCDF Commendation

Silver VCDF Commendation

Family

Married 44 years to Amanda and have three adult children.

Qualifications

Civilian Employment

Description

Regular Army

Graduated to RAE but always wanted Armour so Corps transferred in Dec 1974. Could never understand water reticulation! Three years in Townsville initially with 3 FER then walked across road to B 3 Cav Sqn.

Two great years as Tp Offr and Tp Comd 3 Tp and as snotty nosed 2LT won Champion troop in 1977 much to the annoyance of Vietnam Vet Captains in 1 & 2 Tp.

Married Mandy, the girl I met on a blind date for a Scheyville dining in night in 1974, and still going strong nearly forty years later. Two boys and a girl complete the family.

Army Career Mgnt in Canberra found my career mgnt dart on the floor and posted me to Kapooka as Pl Comd for two years. Great experience and put through seven platoons with my mate Dave Hurley. (Name dropper!) 1979 saw me promoted to dizzy heights of Captain as 2IC A Sqn 2 Cav in Sydney. By then peace had broken out and I got bored and left the Army in 1980.

Civilian career

I talked my way into Tooths Hotels as Area Manager in 1980 and enjoyed the industry covering a slice of NSW. In 1982 got too big for my boots and landed job as Manager of Australia Square in Sydney with Lend Lease and quickly realised I did not have the commercial experience. Bailed before they got rid of me!  To build up capital Mandy and I then bought a mixed business in Greenwich, Sydney. Worked seven days a week for nearly three years to build grub stake and then sold out and moved to Melbourne to buy our first home.

Once settled in Melbourne went to RMIT at night studying marketing and after a number of years buying real estate for the Vic Govt to feed the family landed my first marketing/promotions role. Continued through a number of financial services industries as marketing manager and did an MBA. Have now been with Defence Health Ltd as Head of Business Relationships for nearly ten years and hopefully will retire from here in three years time.

Army Reserve

In 1984 rejoined the Reserve and have been soldiering ever since. Had usual round of Reserve postings including trip to the US as Prince of Wales’ Award winner culminating in 1997 as CO 4/19 Prince of Wales’ Light Horse for three years. Too old to be promoted to my level of incompetence and since then have had terrific job at half colonel as Deputy Director of Office of Reserve Service Protection. To assist in this investigative role I did a Masters in Dispute Resolution and also a Diploma in Investigations. Been doing this for over 17 years and just received final extension that will see me soldier on in this role till retirement in 2019. Other interests? I was President of Beaumaris RSL for 7 years which has been very demanding as we worked our way through redevelopment at a new site. Retired as Head of Business Relationships Defence Health Ltd in 2017 but was asked to stay on part time as CEO of the Foundation. Expect this to carry on till about 2021.