The AROSE Team

Director, Chair

David Flanagan is a geologist with more than 25 years’ experience in the mining and mineral exploration industry. He was previously the founding Managing Director of Atlas Iron Limited, where he oversaw the company’s growth from a junior explorer to an ASX Top 50 company.

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 Chairman, Executive Director and co-founder of Nova Group. He is a former air force fighter pilot and test pilot and a graduate of the Royal Air Force Empire Test Pilots’ School. Amongst other qualifications, he holds a Master of Business Administration, a science degree majoring in physics and has completed the Harvard Business School OPM Executive Education Program. Jim is active in several business forums and is a director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, AmCham and Australian Naval Infrastructure.

Director

Linda Dawson is a senior executive with more than 25 years’ experience working in large Australian and multinational organisations across the resources and utilities sectors. Over Linda’s career she has led corporate services, community development, human resources, health safety and environment, corporate affairs and operational functions. Linda currently works for the Department of Jobs Tourism Science and Innovation in the Western Australian Government, as Deputy Director General Industry Science Innovation.

Director

Linda is a Chartered Accountant and business professional with experience in industry and practice.  Currently, she is the Business Executive for the Scarborough Development at Woodside Energy and has experience in Corporate Finance Executive Positions. She is a member of the Western Australia Regional Council and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand; a Director of the Westerman Jilya Institute and has Board experience on a number of not-for-profit organisations.

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.

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.

Program Director | Mining Engineer

Finance Director & Company Secretary

Director - Space Programs

Marketing Manager

STEM Strategy Secondee

Program Delivery Lead

Administration & Marcom Co-ordinator