Swinburne Industry Research Advisory Board

Ian is a passionate and experienced practitioner in innovation and collaboration, and these were the driving motivators behind his initiative to establish the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre. 

Ian has spent most of his working life developing and delivering innovation in real-world environments, with particular achievements in manufacturing, biotechnology and transport. 

His leadership of iMOVE draws on 16 years of experience in managing multistakeholder collaborations and over 40 years of activity in technology innovation. 

Ian is interested in a wide range of subject matter and creates value by identifying useful connections. He has a bachelor degree in science and an MBA and is the inventor of two families of patents.

Amanda is Victoria's Lead Scientist, a role that aligns and connects Victoria’s science, technology and innovation capability with business needs and with government’s economic development activities. 

Amanda is a founding Non-Executive Director of Breakthrough Victoria Pty Ltd, a $2 billion commitment to invest across the biotechnology, agrifood, clean economy, advanced manufacturing and digital sectors.

Amanda is Chair of mRNA Victoria's Scientific Advisory Group accelerating the development of an mRNA innovation ecosystem for research, industry and public health purposes. She is also Chair of the Victorian Quantum Technology Network to advance teaching and research in quantum technologies.  

Amanda has led the development of industry and science and innovation policy in Victoria since joining the Victorian Public Service in 2002 as the inaugural Director of Biotechnology. During this time, she has delivered major policy reforms, a range of programs and global partnerships, and landmark initiatives. 

Amanda is experienced in clinical trials, regulatory affairs, business development and licensing through prior roles with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. 

Ben is Senior Partner at Strategic Project Partners, a tier-one management consultancy with leading capabilities in the education and government sectors.

He has more than 15 years of experience in corporate and consulting environments, and is an expert in education, research and innovation.  

Ben is a recognised industry and innovation precinct expert having acted as Senior Advisor to State Economic Development, Federal industry, and international precincts.

He has helped universities to expand their partnerships and economic activity, and improve strategy, decision making and operations.

He has also led development of intellectual property related to industry strategy, precinct development, partnerships, as well as commercial costing and profitability within higher education. 

Sarah joined Microsoft in 2015 and has held a range of technical leadership roles across the organisation, supporting both local and global teams. In 2021, Sarah was appointed as the Chief Technology Officer for the Enterprise Commercial team.

In this capacity, her role is to support the development of Microsoft’s industry strategy across retail, manufacturing, energy and telecommunications, as well as bringing innovation and insights to commercial customers, helping them plan for the future.

Prior to Microsoft, Sarah served in the Australian army, followed by a decade travelling the world and working across a broad range of industries in both Europe and the Middle East. She has supported think tanks, built custom business applications and attended ballet for a living. 

Margaret is an experienced health professional with extensive experience in senior leadership roles.

Professional roles have included CEO Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare), Executive Director of Health Services Policy and Commissioning at the Victorian Department of Health and COO at Mind Australia.

She is Chair of the Institute of Forensic Medicine Council. Other Board Director appointments include Colac Health, HealthShare Victoria and Mind Australia. In 2023, she was awarded an OAM for her services to mental health.

Sue is the Chair of Robotics Australia Group and on the Advisory Committee to the Federal Government for the National Robotics Strategy.

An expert in emerging technologies, she led the development of Australia’s robotics roadmaps, outlining how robotics and automation will impact every sector of the Australian economy. 

She is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, a member of Chief Executive Women, an Adjunct Professor at QUT and a member of the Kingston AI Group.

Sue was recognised by SME on their global list of "20 women making their mark in robotics and automation" in 2021 as an outstanding contributor to the drone and robotics industry (2020) and as a Superstar of STEM by Science & Technology Australia.

Dr Alessandra Monerris Belda is Director, Space-enabled Services and Science at the Australian Space Agency. Alessandra leads a team responsible for concept development of space technology that enables critical services, as well as space sustainability and science initiatives.

Prior to this role, Alessandra was Satellite Operations Manager at the Bureau of Meteorology and held various positions in tertiary education.

Alessandra holds a master and PhD in telecommunications engineering (remote sensing) and has over 15 years’ experience working in the space sector, spanning satellite applications, calibration and validation of Earth observation missions, space communications and space exploration.

Lillian’s career has spanned the commercial, strategic, political and regulatory spheres of the energy sector across industry and government. She is a recognised renewable energy sector leader, having been identified in The Australian's Top 100 Green Power Players in 2023. 

As Infrastructure Development Manager in AusNet’s commercial transmission business, Lillian works with renewable energy and storage developers to identify investment opportunities for the renewable energy infrastructure needed to underpin the rapid transition of Australia’s energy system.

She is also a Non-Executive Director of the Clean Energy Council, the peak body for the renewable energy industry. Lillian previously held roles at the Clean Energy Council, Origin Energy, the International Energy Agency and in the Federal Government.

She holds a Master of Green Management, Energy and Corporate Social Responsibility from Bocconi University in Italy and a Bachelor of Business (First Class Honours in Economics and Finance) and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Biliana is a seasoned executive with a rich background in various industries, including financial services, technology and quantum technology.

Spanning more than 25-year career, she has held leadership roles across large organisations, boutique firms and start-ups in Australia and globally.   

Biliana is currently the Strategy and Corporate Development Lead at Quantum Brilliance, a full-stack quantum technology company, where she directs strategic corporate and partnership initiatives. 

She is also the Co-founder and Director of Quantum Women, a not-for-profit organisation with a vision to see every woman working in quantum technology achieve their full professional potential. 

Prior to Quantum Brilliance, Biliana led strategic engagement at QuintessenceLabs, an Australian quantum cybersecurity company. 

Prior to that, she led the development and implementation of Sydney Quantum Academy’s engagement strategy with technology partners, enterprises, start-ups and government, harnessing Australia's quantum ecosystem. 

Biliana’s broad spectrum of experience across different sectors provides her with unique insights, ensuring a holistic approach to decision-making that considers multiple perspectives and the ever-evolving global landscape. 

She holds an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and a BBA degree from Pace University. 

For over 20 years, Dr Zipper has had senior leadership, commercial, business development and marketing roles primarily in scientific research organisations, including over 15 years in CSIRO. 

This includes previous roles in four CSIRO research divisions and business units, two Cooperative Research Centres, the polymer industry and a professional services firm. 

Currently, Dr Zipper is Director, CSIRO Manufacturing Business Unit. Prior to that, he has held a number of different roles in CSIRO, including the Director for the CSIRO Services Business Unit for five years. 

He has experience in business management, research management, science leadership, research portfolio management, strategic capability planning, business development and commercialisation experience in research organisations. 

He also has experience in a range of research areas and sectors including chemicals, materials, mining and minerals processing, polymers and composites, metal production, manufacturing, service industries, packaging, aerospace and automotive. 

He has an academic background in materials science and engineering with an emphasis on engineering materials, materials characterisation and materials processing. He has over 30 publications including national and international journal papers, conference papers, conference abstracts and chapters for books on materials science and engineering.