The National AI Centre’s founding general manager Stela Solar has joined the Australian arm of multinational consulting and services giant Accenture as its managing partner for data and AI, less than a month after leaving the public service.
Ms Solar, who will be based in Sydney, is also the firm’s Health and Public Service lead, Generative AI Market lead, and AI Transition lead.
Ms Solar spent nearly three years as the head of the federal government’s National Artificial Intelligence Centre (NAIC) but left the role earlier this month after the organisation was transferred out of the CSIRO and into the Industry department.
The Accenture appointment marks Ms Solar’s return to the private sector, having spent more than 10 years as a senior sales executive at Microsoft in the US before joining the NAIC.
She is no longer co-chair of the international Commonwealth Artificial Intelligence Consortium, and no longer an industry advisory committee member for the Monash Data Futures Institute.
The Net Zero Economy Authority’s inaugural chief executive is David Shankey, the former deputy director-general at the Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works, where he led development of the 10-year Energy and Jobs Plan.
New South Wales information commissioner Rachel McCallum has left the organisation to take on the role as the state’s electoral commissioner. Appointed as acting Information Commissioner is Chris Clayton, the current chief operating officer and assistant Ombudsman within the NSW Ombudsman’s Office.
Australian defence startup DroneShield has made four senior appointments, including Space Industry Association non-executive director and former LeoLabs managing director Terry van Haren as vice-president of strategy. Mr van Haren was formerly Australia’s air and space attaché to the United States.
The former head of Australia’s F-35 program Kym Osley and the Army’s former Commander for Forces Command Fergus McLachlan have joined DroneShield as strategic advisers, while Kacey Lam-Evans has been appointed head of government affairs. She moves from her current role as partner at Defence industry lobbyists Pyne & Partners.
Melbourne-based high-powered laser manufacturer AIM Defence is expanding its international footprint, with the appointment of Evan Digby as director of its Canadian subsidiary. Mr Digby was formerly a software engineer at Microsoft.
AIM has also appointed Jenelle Frewen to the newly-created director of strategic initiatives role. Ms Frewen is a former adviser to Malcolm Turnbill during his time as Communications minister and subsequently served as a senior executive officer for the eSafety Commissioner before a three-year stint at Precision Public Affairs.
CDC Data Centres chief executive Greg Boorer is stepping down from his role as chair of the Australian Information Industry Association’s ACT and Federal council after 13 years. His last day will be Tuesday, when a new chair will be elected at the annual general meeting.
The new chair of BioTech firm Microbio is Paul Brennan, the former chief executive of CSIRO biomaterials spinout Polynovo. Microbio’s new chief operating officer is Neil Verdal-Austin, the former chief executive of MedTech business Somnomed.
Last week, University of Melbourne Associate Professor Giuseppe Barca and his team won the Association for Computing Machinery’s Gordon Bell Prize, which is considered the equivalent of a ‘Nobel Prize’ for high performance computing.
The federal Industry department has appointed Rachel Besley as general counsel for corporate and information law. Meanwhile, the new head of the strategic policy divsion is Jose (Ray) Marcelo.
Opposition leader in the Senate Simon Birmingham has announced he will retire from politics by the end of the year, rounding out 17 years in parliament. Currently shadow minister for Foreign Affairs, his last ministerial position was Finance, between 2020 and 2022.
University of New South Wales AI Institute Professor Toby Walsh will provide independent validation for the age assurance technology trial being undertaken by Age Check Certification Scheme on behalf of the federal Communications department.
NBN chief executive Ellie Sweeney, a former chief executive and chief operating officer of Vocus Group has been appointed to the NBN Co board. Meanwhile, Kevin Russell will become interim chair for six months from the start of next year. Nerida Caesar will also join the board next year.
Central Queensland University has appointed Professor Hurriyet Babacan to lead its regional workforce development research cluster.
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