As Executive Director, Future Industries, Kirsten is a member of the CSIRO Executive Team. In this role, she leads CSIRO’s research and development in Agriculture and Food; Human and Animal Health and Biosecurity; and Manufacturing. She also has responsibility for CSIRO’s Services Business Unit.
Kirsten is a respected leader in technology and innovation, with a career spanning 30 years in the US, UK and Australia. Prior to joining CSIRO, she was Head of Innovation, Sustainable Operations at BHP, where she had global responsibility for bringing together innovation and technology to drive material improvements in key sustainability-related challenges.
Her previous positions include Director of the Founder Institute, an entrepreneur training and start-up launch program, State Manager for the Australian Institute of Company Directors and CEO of the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia.
Kirsten actively supports the innovation ecosystem through Non-Executive Director and advisory board roles, as well as mentoring, and enjoys helping entrepreneurs commercialise their ideas.