Former top NSW bureaucrat Simon Draper began as head of the federal Industry department this week, ending its five-month stretch without a permanent leader.
Mr Draper is replacing Meghan Quinn, who was promoted to Defence secretary in May.
He arrives at a key moment for the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources as it ditches its goal for tech jobs, redesigns its startup program and thrashes out its remaining AI policy duties.
The Prime Minister seized the lead on AI policy in July with his own dedicated office for the technology, but DISR is still responsible for capturing wider benefits through business adoption and certain industry-led AI research efforts.
The University of Newcastle will farewell Vice Chancellor Alex Zelinsky in February after eight years in the top job.
He announced his retirement this week and plans to remain in the city, saying the university’s research commercialisation trailblazer initiative and I2N startup accelerator are among his top achievements.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has begun its hunt for a chief information officer amid significant work on its backend.
DEWR’s tech stack is under scrutiny after one component contributed to years of incorrect and illegal support payment cancellations and ahead of more reforms to employment services.
The department’s CIO role — which is also the CISO — is performed by its first assistant secretary, Enterprise Technology Division. DEWR is fielding applications until October 15.
Speaking of CIOs, the national science agency has found its next one in Luke Forsyth, a former cybersecurity lead at Big Four consultancy Deloitte.
He began at the CSIRO this week, iTnews reports, and replaces Jamie Rossato, who departed back in February for Orica’s CIO job.
Tom Minchin, the CSIRO’s head of IT services, had been acting CIO in the interim.
Elsewhere at the science agency, the managing director of its advisory arm CSIRO Futures, James Deverell, announced on Friday will be his last day after almost 14 years in the role.
Jaclyn Aldenhoven has been made the permanent executive director, Fostering Innovation, in Investment NSW after acting in the role for the last year. It also means she formally departs the state’s Office of the NSW chief scientist and engineer.
Trade and Investment Queensland this week welcomed Jens Tampe as principal trade & investment officer (Biomedical & Life Sciences), Health, Innovation & Technology.
Former comms lead for the digital platforms industry group Digi, Tahlia Davies, has landed at jobs platform Indeed as its government relations and public policy lead.
Digi’s former boss Sunita Bose departed in August to lead the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
The AI and Google Cloud consultancy ArgentEdge founded earlier this year by Glenn Irvine has added Alan Key as chair of its board of director.
Mr Key, who has also taken a stake in ArgentEdge, was a founder and longtime managing director of IT services firm Dialog Information Technology.
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