Board of Directors & Executive

CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr Sue Barrell is a highly accomplished executive, science leader, chair and director, committed to delivering highly valued outcomes for society and the environment through the application of science, technology and data.

After a long career with the Bureau of Meteorology, Dr Barrell retired as Chief Scientist in August 2018. Sue is Chair of Australia’s Marine National Facility Steering Committee and a Member of the University of Technology Sydney’s Council, and a Board member of Australian Research Data Commons and Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute.

Dr Barrell was awarded an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in January 2022. Dr Barrell was awarded Laureate of the 2022 IMO Prize from the World Meteorological Organisation and was honoured for her leadership of the international weather, water and climate community.

BOARD MEMBER

Ms Virginia Deegan is Executive Director, Infrastructure at the University of Adelaide. She has also acted as Chief Operating Officer. Virginia is a qualified accountant and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Previous to this role Ms Deegan was General Manager at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Ms Deegan is currently a member of the SuperSA Board and SA Health Audit and Risk Committee and was formerly a Director of LifeCare; a Member of the State Procurement Board (SA); SA Community Housing Authority; Central Adelaide Local Health Network Governing Council and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Ms Deegan is also Chair of the SUPL Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

BOARD MEMBER

Professor Virginia Kilborn is Swinburne's inaugural Chief Scientist, working to further education, research, policy and equity at Swinburne and beyond. Virginia’s research background is in radio astronomy, where her research interests include tracing galaxy evolution by studying the neutral hydrogen gas in galaxies. Virginia has held a range of leadership roles at Swinburne including Dean of Science, before taking up the role of Chief Scientist in 2021.

Virginia is an enthusiastic educator and has taught into the Swinburne Astronomy online program and helped to instigate Swinburne's new and innovative space education programs. She undertakes numerous public outreach opportunities including STEM talks and programs for schools, and space and astronomy outreach with the general public. Virginia is active in the Australian Astronomical community and is current Chair of the Academy of Science National Committee for Astronomy. Virginia is co-founder of the WATTLE Women in Leadership program for the university sector.

BOARD MEMBER

Professor Andrew Peele is Group Executive Nuclear Science and Technology and Director of the Australian Synchrotron at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). He is an Adjunct Professor at La Trobe University with research interests in x-ray imaging.

Andrew has served as President of the Australian Institute of Physics and the Asia-Oceania Forum for Synchrotron Radiation Research and is currently a Board Member of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute.

BOARD MEMBER

Professor Tim Senden is a graduate of Australian National University (ANU). He is currently the Director of Research at the School of Physics at Australian National University.

Professor Senden’s interests revolve around the investigation of surface phenomena at the nanometre scale and, has branched into applications of micro-X-ray Tomography to porous and granular materials.

BOARD MEMBER

Professor Trenti is the Director of the Melbourne Space Laboratory in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne (Australia). He leads the Australia-Italy Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal (SpIRIT) CubeSat mission, the first satellite funded for development by the Australian Space Agency.

Professor Trenti is an expert in a broad range of astrophysics research areas and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, primarily based on - or related to - observations with space telescopes (Hubble and JWST).

BOARD MEMBER

Mr Campbell Olsen has had a long career in Private Equity and operational management in the mining industry. In 2014 Mr Olsen established Arete Capital Partners, a resources-focussed private equity and advisory firm that specialises in a “hands-on” approach to its investments.

Mr Olsen is Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. He is CEO of the Management Team of Stawell Gold Mines and South Stawell Gold. He is also a Non-Executive Director for ASX-listed North Stawell Minerals.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Professor Linda O’Brien is a highly experienced senior executive, Board director and consultant who has successfully delivered operational, transformational and strategic initiatives within the academic and community sectors. With a background in education, research, information management, technology, leadership, management and governance, Professor O’Brien brings a unique breadth and depth of experience to her roles.

Her passion is to unlock the power of data to create public value, in research and education and across government and the community sectors, driving innovation, productivity improvements and improved policy outcomes.

CHIEF SCIENTIST

Dr Garrett has over 30 years of post-doctoral experience working at major synchrotron facilities in the United States and Japan, in addition to the Australian Synchrotron.

Dr Garrett has extensive international linkages with synchrotron and other nuclear science institutions, particularly in Asia.

Richard holds an Honorary Associate Professor appointment at the Australian National University. At the time of his retirement in June 2023 Richard served as Senior Advisor, Strategic Projects at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Richard was recently appointed Science Director of the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, which will host the first direct detection dark matter experiment in the Southern Hemisphere.

SUPL FACILITY & LABORATORY MANAGER

Ms Kim Mintern-Lane began her professional career as a crime scene investigator and, over 18 years with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), built an expertise in forensic science leadership and practice, supporting AFP national operations. She provided her scientific expertise to the design of a new forensics facility for the AFP in Melbourne.

Ms Mintern-Lane grew up in Stawell and is enjoying her return to the community to manage the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory.

COMPANY SECRETARY

Ms Leanne Fisher has over thirty-five years’ experience as a company secretary, director and governance professional. Ms Fisher has supported and provided advice to senior management in a number of roles including government ministers. She successfully won a bid for Australia to host a World Summit for administrative professionals in 2006, where she formed an international advisory committee, of which she was Inaugural Chair.

Ms Fisher is or has been a director of various organisations in the private and public sectors, in both Australia and internationally (including USA, UK and New Zealand).