Meet the board

Judy’s experience includes leading policy and organisational change across a range of sectors, working on a variety of projects at any one time.

In her career Judy has worked in general medical practice, served as a member of state Parliament and been the Minister for the Environment, Government of Western Australia. She was also the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.

Judy currently chairs an advisory board at Curtin University, engaging community and industry and promoting digital transformation. She is a Board member of a national mental health not-for- profit organisation (Grow) and is actively involved in a range of other local community service organisations. She kayaks for relaxation in her spare time.

Her previous roles include State Director for the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub (a collaboration between federal and state governments); Innovation Manager for Wesfarmers (WESCEF); and Deputy Head of Operations for CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science. Kate has PhD in astrophysics and spent the first part of her research career in Chile working for the European Southern Observatory, utilising big telescopes, big data and cutting-edge technologies before moving to Sydney and then Perth.

Kate was part of the CSIRO-led team that that bid for the SKA project to be built in Western Australia and later led the transition of the ASKAP construction project into operations.

Kate values building relationships and networks and has a knack for connecting interesting people to start conversations that generate new ideas. She is passionate about STEM and skilling up Australia’s workforce for a digital and sustainable world and has a keen eye for what’s on the horizon in terms of new opportunities and challenges.

She is also a member of several Advisory Boards for universities and not-for-profit organisations and delivers lectures on entrepreneurship and innovation for the Murdoch University Business School.

Michelle Sandford is an Industry Board Advisor for the STEM education sector. She lives at the heart of the developer community and helps drive awareness and engagement as an AI influencer.

She advocates for STEM, the Games Industry and Developers. She presents at around 50 Conferences and Events around the world on Technology, Learning to Code, Open Source and Responsible AI.

Michelle judges hackathons and encourages the next generation into technology careers.

As the State Director, Paul Williams has led the Optus Enterprise business in Western Australia for the past 9 years and brings industry experience with a deep understanding of the Telecommunications and ICT needs of Enterprise and Government customers.

A strategic leader and natural motivator with a history of building and driving high performing teams throughout his career.

As well as a member of the Curtin University School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences Advisory Board Jacqueline is currently a Non-Executive Director of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.

From 2014 to 2020 Jacqueline lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Singapore, and was General Director of the O-I Glass and Berli Jucker Public Company Limited joint ventures which manufactured glass packaging in Vietnam and Malaysia for customers throughout Asia Pacific.

Jacqueline brings to a Board invaluable experience in strategic planning, cross-cultural business transformation, embedding profitable growth strategies, and excellence in stakeholder management. Jacqueline is also passionate about mentoring future generations.

In 2021 with a potential growth expansion planned including co-investment from, and shared operation with, other companies, Mike led the commercial negotiations for operations and maintenance and went on to establish and lead group operational readiness and integration for growth projects.

Prior to Roy Hill, Mike has held multiple senior leadership roles in consulting and engineering companies delivering significant value projects for global customers, always at the intersection of operations and technology.

As the State Director, Paul Williams has led the Optus Enterprise business in Western Australia for the past 9 years and brings industry experience with a deep understanding of the Telecommunications and ICT needs of Enterprise and Government customers.

A strategic leader and natural motivator with a history of building and driving high performing teams throughout his career.

The winner of 2020 Stevie® International Business Awards for Executive of the Year, 2019 Asia’s Top Sustainability Women of the Year, 2016 Singapore Management Consultant of the Year, 2016 Western Australia Multicultural Recognition Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement, 2015 Curtin Alumni Achievement Award for Community Service.

The first Asian to be elected President of United Nations Association in Western Australia (UNAAWA) and appointed board member for the WA Indigenous Tourism Council (WAITOC), Sandy is the Founding Chair of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) forum series and the ASEAN Business Alliance (ABA) that promotes trade and investment as pathways to peace and prosperity. She serves on the ASX-listed board, industry councils, and advised trade agencies in Australia and Singapore on international growth and sustainability.

A leading strategist with over 18 years’ experience, Sandy is known to devise sustainable strategies for client’s pursuit of international growth. She trains and advises executives across private and public sectors on international market strategy, corporate communication, and strategic alliances. The biggest impact of her work has been successfully achieving stakeholders buy-in, elevating client’s positioning and attracting funding for international expansion.

Prior to leading the consultancy practice in Singapore, Sandy earned a tenured academic position at Curtin University of Technology, heading undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, and has worked as Adjunct Professor in Germany, Austria and USA. Her passion in bridging learning experience with students of diverse and multicultural backgrounds has won her teaching award at the University for “Promoting Internationalization of the Curriculum & Cross-cultural Understanding” in 2005.

An active contributor in education and economic empowerment, Sandy is appointed the Ambassador for the Australia Day Council, Valuing Children Initiatives, GameChanger Awards that promotes STEMM education, State Director for the Australian Harvard Women (AHW), and working group member of the Special Olympics World Games. She has represented Australia as a delegate at the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN HQ in New York, and served as Special Rapporteur for Youth Workers at the 105th International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva.  Her passion in connecting business with philanthropy helped raise funds for UN Women, Special Olympics Australia & Homeward Bound. In 2020, she was awarded the Australia Community Citizen of the Year by the Governor of WA for her contribution to the industry locally and abroad.

He is a visiting scholar at the Harvard University and also a Board of Director of the Indo-Asia Digital Health Centre for Innovation and Commercialisation. He is co-founder of Medivitals Pty Ltd and Advisor to Lifeguard Health Networks (USA) and SPEQS (Australia) . He has been the National Research Director of the Australian e-Health Research Centre.

He has been a Professor at the Lions Eye Institute and University of Western Australia and was a Senior Research Fellow with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). He obtained Senior Fulbright Fellowship to work at the School of Medicine, Stanford University. He also worked at Norwegian Radium Hospital and the University of Oslo, Norway. He has published over 200 papers, written 4 books and has a patent portfolio of over 37 patent applications. One of his inventions, EyeSCan device, is being used by NASA at the International Space Station to check the health of the Astronauts.

He has considerable experience with start-ups, commercialisation, IP/ Patents and regulatory applications (e.g. FDA and TGA).  He was Western Australian of the Year Finalist in 2015 for his contribution to medical science and enabling affordable eye care delivery around the world. Professor Yogesan pioneered research on the development of an eye test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. He was awarded Achiever of the Year  in 2018 for his contribution to Innovation and ICT industry and for the development of artificial intelligent based diagnosis of eye diseases. He won inventor of the year awards for developing a low cost easy-to-operate ophthalmic imaging device and computer-aided vision testing systems.

He has a multidisciplinary background medicine, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, hardware development and public health which gives him the ability to look at problems from many different perspectives and “think outside of the box”.

AVI designs, develops and builds solutions for deployment in harsh, remote and critical environments including the most sensitive military, mining, transport and security applications, all requiring trusted zero-fail operational performance.

Tony is relentless in the pursuit of expanding AVI’s capabilities to meet customer requirements and align with industry advancement, achieving this by committing to highest quality standards and the independent ability to adjust direction based on market forces and technology developments. Tony is instrumental in driving AVI to advance a notable sovereign, industrial manufacturing capability for Australia thus reducing Australia’s dependency on international suppliers and imports.

The success of the business can be attributed to capital reinvestment strategies; employing a specialist team of experts; and Tony’s dedicated focus on addressing the future needs of customers and potential market sectors, both locally and on a global scale.

In line with AVI’s success, Tony continues to support and contribute towards global Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts with his involvement in Pacific Endeavor exercises worldwide; assistance with communications solutions for Government Services; and by forging relationships with on-the-ground organisations.

Exacting standards and a quest for large scope solutions manifest in Tony’s work ethic and willingness to seek input from key stakeholders, shaping his vision for AVI’s future.  Tony is not one to seek the limelight either in his personal or professional life, he would rather be found actively getting a job finished than to be talking about it.

A 23 year veteran as a Commissioned Engineer Officer in the Royal Australian Navy and as a submariner, together with some 15 years’ experience in a variety of commercial businesses and industry, Toff is uniquely credentialed to contribute and assist in shaping the strategic initiatives of the School as it navigates through contemporary issues of importance across a variety of sectors that will inform the School’s planning now and into the future.

While in the Navy Toff served operationally in the Middle East twice for which during one operation he was awarded the US Bronze Star from the US Army for meritorious service to the reconstruction campaign in Iraq in 2004. In 2000 Toff was a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in that year’s Australia Day Honors List for distinguished and sustained service to naval engineering. Toff retired from military service as a Navy Captain in 2007.

Toff is a local of WA and together with his wife Rosemary of 34 years, he calls Safety Bay home.  A father of two adult sons one of which is a paramedic in Perth and the other a ballet dancer in the Netherlands, Toff now enjoys the independence of being a freelance management and strategic consultant specializing in Defence and Executive levels of businesses.

“She is one of the founders of CORE Innovation Hub, Australia’s first co-working, collaboration and innovation hub network focused on resources and energy, with sites in the Perth CBD, The Pilbara and South Australia. CORE builds innovation ecosystems and infrastructure and has recently been appointed to activate and operate the new Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct in Neerabup (The AARP), 40km north of Perth.

The AARP is being developed as a world-class facility to help companies, universities and government, locally and globally, test, develop and apply autonomous, advanced robotic and remote operations technologies.

Tamryn has worked on international collaboration and innovation initiatives for the European Union and the European Patent Office in in Brussels and Beijing, in diplomatic and trade roles; and on a number of industry-research initiatives out of Western Australia including the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project and data science and technology projects for the resources and energy sector.

Tamryn has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Master of Marketing from The University of Western Australia.”

Robert has a strong Data & Analytics background with more than 15 years’ experience in healthcare data management and analytics and more recent experience in AI applications in Healthcare.

He is currently a member of Silverchain’s senior management team and Director of Data Strategy, and previously worked as General Manger Data & Analytics at HBF Health where he delivered a substantial Data transformation program.

Robert holds a Master’s Degree in the Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors.

She is currently Managing Director and CEO of Argenica Therapeutics (ASX:AGN), an early stage biotechnology company developing novel neuroprotective therapeutics for stroke and other types of brain injury, and co-founder and Chair of medical device start-up Inspiring Holdings.

Liz is passionate about the life sciences industry and an dedicated advocate for building life science and STEM capability in Australia.

Theo has previously worked for the federal government and has also managed a portfolio of business clients as a commercial banker. Theo holds a Graduate Certificate of Cybersecurity and is an accredited SANS Security Awareness Professional.

“Brought up between the small Isle of Mull in Scotland and the East End of Glasgow, Eleanor went on to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Areo-mechanical engineering. This led to a lucrative role within Dell Technologies with extensive experience within the tech industry.

After becoming increasingly concerned with the negative impacts of climate change, she pursued a PhD at Curtin University, travelling to the other side of the world to do so.

Her time within private business and within the university gives her a unique outlook and perspective on the work being undertaken within the EECMS.”

In 2021 with a potential growth expansion planned including co-investment from, and shared operation with, other companies, Mike led the commercial negotiations for operations and maintenance and went on to establish and lead group operational readiness and integration for growth projects.

Prior to Roy Hill, Mike has held multiple senior leadership roles in consulting and engineering companies delivering significant value projects for global customers, always at the intersection of operations and technology.