Two Australian scientists with distinguished careers in genetics and molecular biology have taken up a seat on the federal government’s peak science and technology advisory council.
Professor Archa Fox and Associate Professor Jeremy Brownlie have been appointed to the National Science and Technology Council over the past six months, according to recent disclosures to federal Parliament.
The pair have been appointed on a three-year term, replacing award-winning mathematician, Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger, and molecular geneticist, Associate Professor Jeremy Brownlie.
The council, which is chaired by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, provides scientific and technological advice to government. Science minister Tim Ayres, chief scientist Tony Haymet and CSIRO chief Doug Hilton are also members.
Five of the six scientific experts that sit on the council at any given time have now rotated in the last 18 months, with Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, Professor Reuben Bolt and Professor Mark Hutchinson joining last year.
The Senate disclosure also reveals four new appointments to the Rail Industry Innovation Council. All seven Australian Space Agency Advisory Board places remain unfilled, as reported by InnovationAus.com earlier this year.
The Bureau of Meteorology has a new chief executive and director of meteorology Stuart Minchin, who spent five years as the director-general of the Pacific Community, a science and technology development organisation.
Former BOM chief Andrew Johnson departed last month after nine years in the role. In his final years, Dr Johnson had several fiery clashes with senators over a heavily outsourced tech overhaul, known as ROBUST.
Christopher Wren has started as the Australian Information Industry Association’s new general manager of policy and media. He replaces Siew Lee Seow, who joined SAP as industry advisor for the public sector in August.
Mr Wren has worked as head of advocacy and policy — and later head of advocacy, policy and strategic communications — at Australian Sugar Manufacturers and as a senior adviser of the Australian Trucking Association since June 2023.
AI factory startup Firmus Technologies, which last month raised $330 million, has appointed Kirsty Godfrey-Billy as its new chief financial officer and Grant Dempsey as chair.
Ms Godfrey-Billy has spent the last six years as the CFO of Xero and before that worked at PwC New Zealand, while Mr Dempsey is a serial board joiner and currently sits on the boards of Megaport, IFM Investors and the a2 Milk Company, among others.
Former chief of the Australia Army, lieutenant general Rick Burr, has been named the new chair of the Defence SA Advisory Board. Former chair, vice admiral Russ Crane, has stepped down after 14 years on the board.
Bernie White, a former senior leader on Australia’s AUKUS submarine program, has been appointed as the new head of future business, APC at deep tech startup Silentium Defence.
Former Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has joined the board of Brighte, the consumer-focused green lender backed by Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes.
The Queensland government has appointed Malcolm Roberts and Susan McNeil as chair and deputy chair of the independent regulator, the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA), respectively.
Dr Roberts is a former Australian Productivity Commissioner and has previously served as QCA chair, while Ms McNeil is a practicing barrister specialising in commercial law, the government said.
The Queensland government has also named Julian Simmonds as the new CEO of Economic Development Queensland. Mr Simmonds was recommended by the board of Economic Development Queensland.
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