Australian scientist and engineer Mary O’Kane has commenced her role as independent director and chair of the Board of strategic event bidding organisation Business Events Sydney (BESydney).
Her term will last for three years.
This is the second time she is sitting on the BESydney Board, previously serving a nine-year term as an independent director during her time as the inaugural NSW chief scientist & engineer (2008-2018).
With a professional and academic career spanning working as a computer engineer undertaking pioneering research in artificial intelligence to the University of Adelaide vice-chancellor and serving as member or chair on many government and private sector boards and committees, O’Kane brings an extraordinary breadth and depth of experience in the innovation, research, higher education, energy, ICT, public policy and development spheres to the BESydney Board.
O’Kane is currently chair of the NSW Independent Planning Commission and continues to advise universities and governments in Australia and around the globe, having been a reviewer for European innovation agencies including the FFG, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency and VINNOVA, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems.
She joins the Board after completing her most recent of several reviews for the Australian government, and the Australian Universities Accord, which was tasked with making recommendations to deliver a higher education system that meets the current and future needs of the nation.
