The AROSE Team

Director, Chair

Deena has been a full time Non Executive Director for the last ten years, largely in global, growth stage technology businesses. Her current board roles include ASX listed ProMedicus, and the Geneva based Global Health Initiative, GAVI. Deena also chairs the International Advisory Board of the ARC Centre of Excellence on Automated Decisions and Society, based at RMIT. In addition to her technology sector board roles, Deena chaired the Australian Broadband Advisory Council (2020-2022) and has also chaired the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (2015). Previous board roles have included Infrastructure Australia and Export Finance Australia. Before her board career, Deena has worked as an in house legal counsel and as a partner at law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques followed by a ten year senior executive career as a Group Managing Director at Telstra. In 2011, Deena established Telstra’s corporate venture capital arm, Telstra Ventures.

Director, Chief Executive Officer

Leanne has over 25 years’ experience in the technology industry having held senior executive leadership positions with APC and Schneider Electric throughout Asia and the US. Leanne has a diverse mix of experience across commercial operations, product marketing, strategy, M&A, and digital and strategic transformations. These organisations provide energy and automation digital solutions for reliability, efficiency and sustainability across industry and government.

Director

Giacinta (Gia) Parish is Director of the Defence & Security Institute and Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and has held various academic and leadership roles, most recently Associate Dean, Research in the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research. In 2022 she was also a visiting researcher at CSIRO. Professor Parish has authored and co-authored around 130 international publications, with around 2600 citations, and was an inaugural Women in Technology WA ‘20 in 20’ award winner in 2018. As well as Director of UWA Defence and Security Institute she is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the UWA International Space Centre.

Director

Jim is Executive Director and co-founder of Nova Systems. In addition to his role at Nova Systems, in September 2018 he was appointed inaugural Chief Entrepreneur for South Australia by the Premier to advocate for economic growth in the State. Jim stepped down from this role in February 2021. In 2023 Jim was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List and made an Officer (AO) in the General Division for distinguished service to business, particularly the defence capability industry, to the public sector, to aviation history, and to the community.

Director

Samuel Forbes is an accomplished engineering and technology executive, with an entrepreneurial mindset. He has some 14 years’ experience overcoming the challenges of operating in remote and harsh environments. Samuel is currently the Director of The Australian Space, Automation, AI and Robotics Control complex (SpAARC); a Fugro development co-funded by the Australian Space Agency.

Director

John Curtin Distinguished Professor Melinda Fitzgerald is the Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research at Curtin University and CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia. Lindy is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, and activities to achieve the University’s strategic goals in research and IP commercialisation, including Curtin’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer funded by the federal government. Professor Fitzgerald also leads a team of researchers and post-graduate students in nationally coordinated research focused around understanding and preventing the loss of function that occurs following neurotrauma.

Director

Gabrielle Pennock is Vice President for Technology & Surface Engineering, reporting to Woodside’s Technical Services Executive. She has been working in Major Projects and leading operational teams in the energy industry for more than 20 years. Previous roles at Woodside include Project Manager for New Energy Solutions, Vice President Subsea & Pipelines and Strategy & Governance Manager for Developments. She has led global teams on numerous Subsea Tie-Back Projects and the $5bn North Rankin Redevelopment Project.

Gabrielle is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds Bachelor Degrees in Engineering (Mechanical Honours) and Science (Materials Chemistry).