CSIRO has appointed Kirsten Rose as deputy chief executive, around six months since her short stint as acting chief executive.
Ms Rose has more than 25 years of senior technical and innovation experience across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. She has served as CSIRO’s executive director for future industries from Perth since August 2020.
She is concurrently a governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, a director of Pilbara Ports, and WA state advisory council member of think-tank Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Before joining CSIRO, Ms Rose was mining giant BHP’s head of innovation and sustainable operations.
Her industry experience will complement CSIRO chief executive Dr Doug Hilton, whose background is in molecular biology and as a senior executive of medical research organisations.
Dr Hilton described Ms Rose as “an extremely well-respected leader and advocate for the power of innovation and technology to create prosperity for Australia”.
Ms Rose will begin as deputy chief executive on May 20.
The South Australian government also appointed a new chief scientist. Professor Craig Simmons, a specialist researcher in groundwater, will simultaneously remain in his role as pro vice-chancellor for the University of Newcastle’s college of engineering, science and environment.
Professor Simmons has previously served as an executive director for mathematics, physics, chemistry, and earth sciences at the Australian Research Council (ARC), pro vice-chancellor (strategic research projects) at Flinders University, and foundation director of the ARC National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training.
The state government has also appointed Professor Emeritus Ian O’Connor as higher education independent advisor to support the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.
University of Wollongong vice-chancellor and president Professor Patricia Davidson is stepping down after a three-year stint as the first female and alumna in the role. An expert in healthcare and education, Professor Davidson said she is “eager to continue her research in the care of people living with chronic and complex conditions and advocacy for global health”.
She noted that as the university develops its new strategic plan and reaches its 50th anniversary, “now is the right time to pass the baton to the University’s sixth vice-chancellor and president”.
Lorraine Maxwell (Chiroiu), the former chief executive of industry representative group AusBiotech, will begin as the chief executive of The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) on May 1.
Ms Maxwell joins the industry representative group for manufacturing technology suppliers and users to replace incumbent Shane Infanti, who retires after 25 years in the job. Ms Maxwell spent 15 years at AusBiotech, serving as chief executive between July 2018 and December 2023. She has also been chair of CSIRO’s manufacturing business unit advisory group since July 2021.
WA Health’s next director-general will be Dr Shirley Bowen. She will vacate her role as the North Metropolitan Health Service’s chief executive when she joins the state’s largest public sector agency in May. Dr Brown has previously served as chief medical officer of the Australian Capital Territory and the University of Notre Dame Australia’s dean of the school of medicine.
The Western Australian state government also announced it would appoint a new investment and trade commissioner to be based in Singapore. This will be established at the cost of $4.4 million in the next state budget.
Two new directors have been appointed to the board of Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia. They are Associate Professor Corey Tutt, the founder and chief executive of Indigenous STEM outreach organisation Deadly Science, and Veronica Jamison, a senior healthcare executive who is currently chief executive of community-owned aged care organisation Shepparton Villages.
Sydney-based quantum technologies firm Q-CTRL has appointed Vince McBeth as its Principal Business Development Defense and Public Sector to oversee business development in the United States and the United Kingdom. Mr McBeth has previously served in several senior roles in the American government’s Defense system, including as a White House Fellow to President George W. Bush.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated that Kirsten Rose had been appointed as the inaugural CSIRO deputy chief executive.
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