Manufacturing Skills Queensland gets a new chief executive in July with the appointment of Rebecca Andrews, who moves from her current role as the head of the Australian Industry Group’s Queensland operation after four years.
Ms Andrews brings with her more than 25 years of economic development experience. Prior to joining Ai Group, she was at the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business and Training as deputy director-general.
Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ) has Brett Kapernick as interim chief executive since June 2022. Mr Kapernick had moved from his role as deputy chief executive and general manager of business strategy at the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.
MSQ’s board first met in December. MSQ chair Michael Glover welcomed Ms Andrews’ appointment, stating “Ms Andrews’ extensive leadership experience and expertise in economic development makes her an invaluable asset to MSQ.”
Former cyber ambassador Tobias Feakin has launched his own geopolitical and technology advisory company Protostar Strategy. Some of the firm’s specialisations will be in Geopolitical Awareness, Anticipatory Policy Strategies, Frontier Technology Strategy, and Digital Diplomacy.
Dr Feakin spent six years as Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, with Critical Technology attached to the title in the final three.
As reported by InnovationAus.com, the federal government’s new National Cyber Coordinator is Air Vice-Marshall Darren Goodie, who starts in the role on July 3. Mr Goodie has served in the Australian Defence Force for 30 years.
The Australian Society for Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation has officially launched. It is being led by president Dr Brandon Carp, who last year founded the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program and in 1997 founded business to business healthcare platform provider Unified Healthcare Group.
The new chief executive of CSIRO will be molecular and cellular biologist Professor Doug Hilton, who is currently director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), from September 29. As reported by InnovationAus.com, he has spent nearly four decades at WEHI, with the last 14 years spent as director
The new National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission chief information officer is Michael Kardaris. Mr Kardaris moves from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry.
A new Skills Commissioner has been appointed in South Australia. Cameron Baker will serve a five-year term beginning in July when he leaves his role as a senior consultant in skills and labour at the National Transport Commission. There have also been ten other appointments to the South Australian Skills Commission, each to serve a two-year term:
- Helen Gibbons – Director (Early Childhood Education), United Workers Union
- Louise Nobes– CEO, KIK Innovation
- John Chapman – Former Small Business Commissioner
- Leonie Boothby – CEO, Regional Development Australia Barossa Gawler Light Adelaide Plains
- Andy Keough – Managing Director, SAAB Australia
- Ian Horne – CEO, Australian Hotels Association
- Michael Luchich – State and Territory Director (SA and NT), Optus
- Adrienne Nieuwenhuis – Commissioner, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
- Stuart Gordon – SA Assistant Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
- Robyn Verrall – South-East farmer (Founder, Bully’s Meat), 2022 SA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Winner
The 14 organisations that are members of the Australian Jet Zero Council was announced on Wednesday in a bid to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector. It is chaired by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
The Brisbane Airport Corporation and BP hold rotating seats – representing the Airports and the Major Sustainable Aviation Fuel sectors respectively – that will be reappointed on an annual basis. The full list of industry sectors and member organisations are as follow:
- Airline: Qantas Airways, Regional Express, Virgin Australia
- Airport: Brisbane Airport Corporation
- Aviation Fuel: Australian Institute of Petroleum, Sustainable Aviation Fuel Alliance of Australia and New Zealand
- Major SAF Projects: BP
- Manufacturing: Airbus, Boeing
- Research and Development: CSIRO
- Finance and Investment: Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
- Regional: Regional Aviation Association of Australia
- Defence: Department of Defence
The new chair of state-owned Hydro Tasmania is Richard Bolt, who starts on July 1. Mr Bolt is a principal at consultancy firm Nous Group and has extensive experience across the Victorian public service, including a four-year stint as the secretary of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport, and Resources.
Five new diplomatic appointments were announced last week, including confirmation that Australia’s high commissioner to India will be current high commissioner to Germany Phillip Green. The first consul-general in Bengaluru, India is career officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Hilary McGeachy, while the next consul-general in Makassar, Indonesia is career officer Todd Dias.
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