Austal's company director, Chris Norman, was awarded the A.G.M. Michell Award recognizing his outstanding service in the mechanical engineering profession.
A graduate of the University of South Wales, Norman became one of the founding directors of Austal in 1987. As technical director he was responsible for the development of a new range of high speed passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries and closely involved in leading the company in its development of its renowned ride control system.