Meet Taylor
Saab is committed to supporting veterans and ADF partners. We understand the value they bring to the business through their learned skills, experience and attitude to drive the organisation forward.
Meet Taylor Cowell, an Associate Project Manager with Maritime. Before joining Saab, Taylor was a Rifleman in the Australian Army and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. After discharge from the Army, he returned to work in Afghanistan, as part of the diplomatic security operations at the Australian Embassy in Kabul.
How long have you worked for Saab?
I joined Saab late last year, so just over 7 months now. I work within the Maritime Hardware Group, primarily supporting the Anzac class projects.
Tell us a bit about your background and career before joining Saab?
Originally from Melbourne, I joined the Australian Army at 18 years old as a Rifleman. After completing basic and initial employment training, I was posted to the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, which was newly established in South Australia. In 2012, I was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Advisor Task Force - 1 and was fortunate to have operational experience across several provinces, a highlight of my military service.
After discharging from the military, I returned to work in Afghanistan, spending several years in diplomatic security operations at the Australian Embassy in Kabul. Working in Kabul was a great experience. I had the opportunity to lead a large multilingual and multinational workforce of Australian, Indian and Afghan nationals. At the end of 2019, I transitioned back to Australia to formalise the skills and experiences gained during military service by completing a Bachelor of Project Management at the University of Adelaide.
Before starting at Saab, I worked in several project-focused roles in the State Government, management consulting, defence industry and a project management consultancy. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling with my wife and our dog Ruby, reading and eating good food.
Another passion of mine is continuing to help support the needs of serving and ex-serving defence personnel.
What's a professional accomplishment you are most proud of?
I don't have a stand-out experience across my professional roles. However, during my time with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, I enjoyed the opportunity to be the jurisdictional lead for South Australia, undertaking a significant cross-portfolio and cross-jurisdictional project focused on supporting a richer evidence base and enabling the delivery of integrated services for this unique cohort.
More recently, I was privileged to be appointed to the South Australian Veterans' Advisory Council, where I am fortunate to provide strategic advice to the Veterans' Affairs Minister to help drive better outcomes for the South Australian veteran community.
What was your experience transitioning from active service to Saab/civilian life?
Since transitioning in late 2015, I have been fortunate to work in several
I feel privileged to be working in an organisation committed to supporting serving and ex-serving defence personnel and their families.
roles across industries. I found that leveraging the skills and experiences gained during service helped me to adapt and work within these dynamic environments. Joining Saab has been an incredible experience.