Space Industry Association of Australia chief executive Maria MacNamara has stepped down from the job just three months after joining the national peak body.
Ms MacNamara announced her departure over the weekend, less than two weeks out from the nation’s premier space event in South Australia.
Lisa Vitaris, who is leading the SIAA’s work on the 2025 International Astronautical Congress, will now step into the vacant role in an acting capacity.
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A serial board director and former adviser to one-time science minister Arthur Sinodinos, Ms MacNamara joined SIAA in late April to replace inaugural CEO James Brown.
At the time of the appointment, SIAA executive chairman Jeremy Hallet said Ms MacNamara would bring “crucial expertise” and a “deep global network” to the association, unlocking future opportunities.
“Maria has been at the centre of Australia’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for many years and is a respected transformational leader who brings 35 years of experience across member organisations, the public sector and global ICT,” he said in April.
In her parting remarks on LinkedIn, Ms MacNamara said her brief stint at the SIAA – the “heart of Australia’s space ecosystem” – had been “remarkable”.
“While I made the call to step down as the CEO of SIAA, I am not stepping away from the space ecosystem,” she said, adding that “there is much to be done”.
Ms MacNamara thanked “those who shared their time, frustrations, and ideas”, promising to share further “thoughts” on her experience after a period of reflection.
“Australia can make its mark, and nothing needs to stop us from having the space ecosystem become a top contributor to GDP in the next 7-10 years,” she said on Saturday.
Ms MacNamara remains CEO and co-founder of Portal Consulting, and a fellow at the University of Technology Sydney.
She will also continue as chair of the AUKUS Information Sharing Committee, a member of the Western Sydney University’s infrastructure committee, and a non-executive director on the board of startup-focused Spark Festival.
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