2018 - The Indo-Pacific Era in Space

Governor of Western Australia

The Honourable Kim Beazley AC is the 33rd Governor of Western Australia. Prior to being installed as Governor on the 1st May 2018, Mr Beazley had dedicated almost three decades to a career in Federal Parliament, representing the WA seats of Brand and Swan. In 2009, Mr Beazley was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to defence and international relations, and as an advocate for Indigenous people, and to the community.

The Honourable Mark McGowan MLA is the 30^th Premier of Western Australia. Under his leadership the State Government is focussed on creating and securing jobs for Western Australians, delivering quality education and health care and delivering the METRONET public transport vision. In the McGowan Labor Government’s first year in office, Mr McGowan has introduced significant reforms such as amalgamating government departments from 41 to 25 to drive change across the public sector. He has also driven State-wide job creating initiatives such as Infrastructure WA, which sets out a new approach to long term infrastructure planning and WA Industry Link - to give WA businesses more opportunities to tender and apply for government work.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate; Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

Penny is the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. In 2013, Penny was appointed Leader of the Government in the Senate. After the change of Government, she was appointed the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Penny is the first woman to hold both these roles.

Senator Reynolds was elected to the Australian Senate in 2014 and is a passionate representative for her state of Western Australia.  She has more than 20 years’ experience at the national political level working for Ministers, Members of Parliament and the Liberal Party of Australia.  Senator Reynolds served for 29 years in the Australian Army as a Reserve Officer, in a wide range of part and full time appointments. Senator Reynolds is pursuing new defence and space industry opportunities for WA, innovation, gender equality and federation reform.

Head, Australian Space Agency

Dr Clark is currently Head of the Australian Space Agency and a director of Rio Tinto, CSL Limited and CARE Australia. She is a member of the Australian advisory board of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Dr Clark recently chaired the Expert Working Group into the Review of Australia’s Space Industry Capability. She was Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) from 2009 to 2014.  Prior to CSIRO, she was a Director at NM Rothschild and Sons (Australia) and was Vice President Technology and subsequently Vice President Health, Safety and Environment at BHP Billiton from 2003 to 2008.  

Chair, Perth USAsia Centre and American Australian Association Limited

The Honourable John Olsen AO is currently the Chairman of the American Australian Association Limited. Olsen concluded his three year appointment as Consul General in New York in April 2009 following an appointment as Consul General in Los Angeles from 2002 until 2006. With nearly seven years in the United States, Olsen has had the unique experience of living and working both on the west and east coast of America. Prior to his diplomatic postings, he had a distinguished parliamentary career as Premier of South Australia from November 1996 to October 2001.

Former Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs 

Julie Bishop is the former Minister for Foreign Affairs in Australia’s Federal Government. During her time as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister Bishop oversaw the single largest expansion of Australia's overseas diplomatic presence in 40 years, introduced the New Colombo Plan to support Australian undergraduate students to study and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific region, and established the innovationXchange within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to develop bold and creative solutions to long standing development challenges.

Professor Klinken is a leading Western Australian medical research scientist, highly regarded for his work in advancing the understanding of genes involved in leukaemia, cancer and anaemia. His many research achievements include the discovery of a gene that suppresses the growth of tumours. After obtaining his PhD from The University of Western Australia, he undertook research at the US National Institutes of Health in Washington and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne. Read more

Member for Brand
 

Kwinana-born Madeleine King was elected to Federal Parliament in 2016 and promoted to the front bench of the Shorten Opposition on 28 June 2018. She is the Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs; Shadow Minister Assisting for Small Business and Shadow Minister Assisting for Resources. Ms King, who was admitted as solicitor and barrister to the Supreme Court in 1998, has strong personal links with her House of Representatives seat of Brand, which includes nearly 100,000 electors and the towns of Rockingham and Kwinana. She was Chief Operating Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre from 2012-16. In her leadership of the Perth USAsia Centre, Ms King helped to bring a unique Western Australian perspective to the international discussion on Australia’s role in the emerging Indo-Pacific region

Director, Space Technology and Policy at Nova Systems; former NASA Astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander

Pam Melroy is a retired Air Force test pilot and former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle commander. She was commissioned in the United States Air Force and served as a KC-10 copilot, aircraft commander, and instructor pilot. Melroy is a veteran of Operation Just Cause and Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm, with over 200 combat and combat support hours. Selected as an astronaut by NASA in December 1994, Melroy reported to the Johnston Space Center, Texas, in March 1995. She flew three missions in space and is one of only two women to command the Space Shuttle. Colonel Melroy retired from the Air Force in 2007, and left NASA in August 2009.

David is the CEO of the Space Environment Research Centre in Canberra, Australia. David has 25 years of experience in the communications and defence sectors with a significant portion of his career spent specialising in satellite communications. David has held senior positions with several satellite operators, including Intelsat and PanAmSat, with roles encompassing sales team management, systems engineering and space systems development.

Executive Director, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)

In August 2006, Peter became Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Western Australia and was appointed Inaugural Director of the new International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in 2009. Peter is Deputy Chair of the Australian and New Zealand SKA Coordination Committee, he has published over 300 research articles and became WA Scientist of the Year in 2012. He was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2013. Read more

Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan is Senior Fellow and Head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at Observer Research Foundation. She is also a senior Asia defence writer for The Diplomat. Dr. Rajagopalan joined ORF after a five-year stint at the National Security Council Secretariat (2003-2007), where she was an Assistant Director. Prior to joining the NSCS, she was Research Officer at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. She was also a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Politics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan in 2012.

Brett Biddington is the director of the Institute for Regional Security, a Canberra-based ‘think tank’, and also of the Space Environment Research Centre. (SERC).  He led the team that delivered the International Astronautical Congress, in Adelaide in 2017. Previously he was a member of Cisco Systems’ global space team and before that an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) specialising in intelligence, security and capability development.   His responsibilities in the latter role included sponsorship of space projects and the Jindalee Over-the-horizon Radar Network (JORN) project.

Kazuto Suzuki is Vice Dean and Professor of International Politics at Public Policy School of Hokkaido University, Japan. He served as an expert in the Panel of Experts for Iranian Sanction Committee under the United Nations Security Council from 2013 to July 2015.  He has contributed to the drafting the Basic Space Law of Japan, and serves as a member of Sub-committees of industrial policy and space security policy of National Space Policy Commission.  His recent work includes Space and International Politics (2011, in Japanese, awarded Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities), Policy Logics and Institutions of European Space Collaboration (2003) and many others.

Professor Dawn Freshwater was appointed Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Australia on 16 January 2017. Prior to that, she served as the University’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (SDVC) and Registrar for a three-year period, followed by few months as Acting Vice-Chancellor. In her leadership capacity, Professor Freshwater has championed and led a number of initiatives, including leading the University’s major reform. She has also led the recruitment of 50 leadership Chairs, implemented a zoning approach to professorial careers, has been responsible for the successful achievement of a University Athena Swan award and for creating a strategy for equality and inclusion. 

CEO, Perth USAsia Centre

Professor L. Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre, a position he assumed in January of 2014. He was previously Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, a Senior Fellow and Associate Director of the Program on Conflict Resolution at The Atlantic Council of the United States and prior to that Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America. Read more

Director of the International Council of Science (ICSU) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)​

Mazlan obtained a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and became a lecturer at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 1981. Seconded to the Prime Minister’s Department in 1990 to set up and head the Planetarium Division, which subsequently became the Space Science Studies Division in 1993. Appointed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as Professor of Astrophysics in 1994. Appointed Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria in 1999. Returned to Malaysia to become the founding Director General of the National Space Agency (ANGKASA) beginning July 2002. Attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP169) at Harvard Business School in 2005. Resumed post as Director of UNOOSA in December 2007 upon retirement from Malaysian Civil Service. Appointed Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) in June 2009. Retired from the United Nations in Dec 2013. Appointed Project Director, Mega Science 3.0 at Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) 2014-2016. Became Professor Emeritus at UKM in 2015 and was a Fulbright Scholar at the George Washington University 2015-2016. Elected Senior Fellow of ASM in 2016. Currently the Director of the International Council of Science (ICSU) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) since 2017.

Professor Matthew Bailes is the Director of OzGrav, the ARC Centre of Excellence for gravitational wave discovery and an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow. He explores the Universe at its most extreme, from relativistic stars such as neutron stars and black holes that require the use of Einstein's general theory of relativity to be understood, to the mysterious Fast Radio Bursts, enigmatic flashes of radio waves from the distant universe with an unknown origin. His team builds supercomputers to process data from the world's largest radio telescopes and to search for gravitational waves - a new window on the Universe.

Head, Remote Sensing and Satellite Research Group, Curtin University

Professor David Antoine heads the Remote Sensing and Satellite Research Group at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. He is also a senior research scientist at the Marine Optics and Remote Sensing group of the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche in France. His research interests include marine optics, bio-optics, radiative transfer and their application to satellite ocean colour remote sensing, including atmospheric corrections and modelling of oceanic primary production from satellite ocean colour. Among many community services, Antoine has served as chair (2007-2009) of the ocean group of the French space agency (CNES) scientific committee, and as chair (2010-2014) of the International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG). He has also been a member of the European Space Agency’ Earth Science Advisory Committee, and is a current member of the steering committee of Earth Observation Australia (EOA).

Director of Finance and Administration, ASTROSCALE 

Ai Makino is the Director of Finance and Administration for ASTROSCALE and manages support functions, including corporate development, accounting, finance, auditing, investor relations, legal, human resources, and day-to-day operations. Along with CEO Nobu Okada, Ms Makino conducted legal and financial auditing to successfully raise US $53m of capital.

Professor Simon Driver is an Astronomer based at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia. He leads an international team of over 100 scientists studying the evolution of mass, energy, and structure in the Universe. He is a regular user of space telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope, and is currently working with both NASA and ESA to help develop ground-station support for deep space missions from Western Australia.

President, The Spaceship Company (TSC), Virgin Galactic
 

Enrico joined Virgin Galactic in 2006 and as TSC’s first employee led TSC’s establishment from a business plan concept to a thriving spaceship manufacturing operation today with over 450 employees spread over a large campus in Mojave, California – the first dedicated engineering, manufacturing and flight test enterprise in Virgin Group.

 

Ashleigh Gillon is anchor of LIVE Now on Sky News, which broadcasts live out of the Perth Bureau. Ashleigh spent five years working in the Canberra Press Gallery as political reporter, regularly anchoring the Agenda political programs. In 2016 she was part of the team recognised with a TV Week Logie Award and Walkley Award for excellence in journalism for coverage of the Federal election.

Australian Indigenous Performer, Writer and Musician

Dr Richard Walley OAM is a Nyoongar man of the South-West region. Richard has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal and two honorary doctorates for his contribution to the promotion of Nyoongar Culture and the Arts. In 2010, Richard received the ‘Citizen of the Year’ Award in the ‘Indigenous leadership’ category of the Celebrate WA Awards. A fluent speaker of Nyoongar language, Richard continues to push boundaries, whilst always focussed on the bigger ‘community’ picture of Culture, Arts and Environment.

Dr Sarah Pearce is Deputy Director of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, which runs astronomy and space facilities across Australia, including the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory and the ASKAP telescope in WA.  She leads CSIRO’s involvement with the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project and was Australia’s science negotiator for the international treaty that will govern the SKA. Sarah also leads CASS's new Space Research Programme. This includes the CSIRO Centre for Earth Observation, which co-ordinates activity in EO across CSIRO and manages CSIRO's share of our new national facility, the NovaSAR satellite.

Professor of Planetary Sciences, Curtin University
 

Phil Bland is Professor of Planetary Science at Curtin University. His research is focussed on the origin and evolution of the solar system. Previously the Director of the Impacts & Astromaterials Research Centre at Imperial College London, he came to Western Australia in 2012 to establish the Desert Fireball Network (DFN) with funding from an Australian Laureate Fellowship. In 2015, Bland formalised a partnership between NASA and Australia in planetary, space, and exploration science, giving Australian scientists access to NASA mission concept development. In 2017, Bland secured a contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems to modify the DFN for precision satellite tracking. In 2006, Asteroid ‘1981 EW21’ was renamed ‘(6580) Philbland’ in recognition of his contributions to planetary science and has been invited to participate on numerous space mission science teams with NASA, ESA and JAXA.

Program Leader, National Space Development Program, Philippines

Dr. Rogel Mari Sese is the Program Leader of the National SPACE Development Program of the Philippines. He finished his undergraduate degree in Applied Physics from University of the Philippines Los Banos, Masters in Physics at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and Doctor of Philosophy in Physics at University of Tsukuba, Japan. He is the main advocate and prime mover in pushing for the legislation of the Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy and creation of the Philippine Space Agency. He also serves as the Focal Person for the Philippine Space Science Education Program (PSSEP) of the Science Education Institute (SEI) of the DOST. Currently he is a University Research Fellow of FEATI University.

Vice Director General, Vietnam National Space Center

Mr. Vu Viet Phuong is currently the Vice Director General of Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). In VNSC, he is in charge of engineering and spacecraft technology development and Deputy Chairman of Vietnam Space Center Project Management Unit which is one of the most important national projects for the research and development of space science and technology in Vietnam.
 

Research Ambassador, Curtin University, Space Science and Technology

Renae is passionate about showcasing the significance of science, space research and raising the profile of STEM to the public and policymakers alike. As Research Ambassador at Curtin University, Renae leads the engagement strategies, policy advocacy and international relations for the Space Science and Technology group. These initiatives build upon the coordination of Fireballs in the Sky – the multi-award winning outreach and citizen science arm of the Desert Fireball Network and the growth of the Australian Planetary Science community with NASA through the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.

Alliance 21 Fellow, United States Studies Centre

Anthony is an engineer and lawyer who focuses on space policy and strategy.  He co-authored Australia’s most recent space policy (“Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy”) and was Australia’s representative to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. He recently spent time in Washington DC as an Alliance 21 Fellow focused on US – Australia space cooperation.  He is currently a Manager at strategy consulting firm Bain & Company. Anthony holds a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Bachelors of Laws and Civil Engineering from the University of New South Wales. He has researched at George Washington University in Washington DC and lectured at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow.

Chief Science and Technology Manager, Woodside Energy

Neil has been Woodside’s Chief Science and Technology Manager since 2007, the culmination of an International oil and gas career, that started with Shell in production, and engineering roles working in North Sea (Aberdeen), Brunei, Oman and Australia. He has a passion for solving important problems with step change innovation by building self-motivated communities who want to make a difference – at Woodside this is called the FutureLab model. Neil originates from Leeds, Yorkshire, UK, and graduated From University Of Manchester with Honours Degrees in Engineering and Management in 1986.

Executive Director, Singapore Space & Technology Association

Lynette Tan is a co-founder and Executive Director of the Singapore Space & Technology Association (SSTA). Established since 2007, SSTA is a non-profit, non-government that serves as the business federation for the local growing space community in Singapore.  It provides business match-making, networking platforms, technical training for the industry and Lynette also oversees the mentoring of start-ups and adopting new technologies into the sector, for example AI and Blockchain for space. Another key mission of SSTA, which Lynette is extremely passionate about, is to promote the interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, in particular to grow talents for the space industry.

Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company, Perth

Naveen Unni is the managing partner in McKinsey & Company’s Perth office. He has worked at McKinsey for over 15 years, the last 6 of which have been as a co-founder of the Perth office and growing it to ~40 people over this period. A leader in the electric power and organisation practices in Australia. His passion is in helping organisations sustainably transform themselves in the face of disruptions. In the past few years, he has led engagements with multiple organisations across sectors - electric power, mining, retail, infrastructure – helping them deliver significant performance improvements (usually, 2-3X their expectations) and create organisations with a stronger culture and capabilities.

Vice President, Prelude, Shell Australia

David Bird is the Vice President, Prelude, for Shell Australia, responsible for the flagship project, Prelude Floating LNG. David has been with Shell for 19 years, in a variety of asset management, project & commercial roles, working in several locations around the world such as the USA, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, France and the Netherlands. David, originally from Adelaide South Australia, holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, UK and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA. He is a Fellow and Chartered Engineer of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.