Former CEO SVForum to Head up Bay Area Office for Australian R&D Agency, CSIRO.
SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Former CEO SVForum Susan Lucas-Conwell has today been appointed Executive Vice President of US operations based in San Mateo, for Australia’s national science agency CSIRO.
“Being at the forefront of innovation on behalf of an Australian Institution with global reach is an exciting challenge, and one that defines my passion of bringing excellent science to the innovation forefront that is Silicon Valley”
With over 5,000 scientists and engineers spanning aerospace, biotechnology and data analytics, CSIRO is a leading global research and development organization.
Lucas-Conwell spent six years as CEO of SVForum, the Bay Area’s largest not-for-profit for technologists and entrepreneurs. She joins CSIRO after several years with Corporate Innovation at Siemens and KLA-Tencor. She is an Advisory Board member at healthcare company Tiatros.
CSIRO will open an office in San Mateo at the end of September. This will mark its formal entry into the US market building on its current US customer base which includes Boeing, NASA, Google and Intel.
CSIRO’s physical presence in the US aims to drive more research and innovation collaboration with global and US partners, provide new insights for Australian industry, commercialize new innovations and support private partners SMEs and universities to grow new US and global markets.
CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said Lucas-Conwell’s appointment was an important step for CSIRO and Australia. “CSIRO has decades of experience bringing world-class, cutting-edge science and solutions to iconic US companies like Boeing & NASA, so we’re thrilled to have someone as experienced and passionate as Susan Lucas-Conwell expanding our US connections from our first US office.
“Global is a core pillar of CSIRO’s strategy 2020, and I’m proud to be committing us to a physical presence in the US to deliver world leading science and breakthrough innovation across industries from energy to space, environment to manufacturing, food and agriculture to health and biosecurity, and anywhere Australian innovation can make a difference to the world,” said Marshall.
CSIRO, named as Boeing supplier of the year, developed a simple and effective ‘spray and leave on’ re-coating technology that has been applied to over 800 of Boeing’s new commercial aircraft, resulting in multi-million dollar cost savings. CSIRO also operates Australia’s Deep Space Communication Complex on behalf of NASA, which supported the Apollo mission to the moon.
Lucas-Conwell has extensive leadership experience as a global business executive recognized for her successful track record of driving innovation, building strategic relationships and accelerating revenue growth.
“Being at the forefront of innovation on behalf of an Australian Institution with global reach is an exciting challenge, and one that defines my passion of bringing excellent science to the innovation forefront that is Silicon Valley,” said Lucas-Conwell.
Company: CSIRO
Job: Country Director
Cand: Lucas-Conwell, Susan
Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170919005600/en/CEO-SVForum-Head-Bay-Area-Office-Australian
