Cicada Innovations CEO Sally-Ann Williams joins AusOcean board

Not-for-profit marine conservation organisation AusOcean is pleased to announce that that experienced STEM advocate and innovation expert Sally-Ann Williams has joined the board of AusOcean.

Ms Williams is CEO of Cicada Innovations, Australia’s pioneering deep tech incubator building companies solving the world's most pressing problems through science and engineering. Before joining Cicada Innovations, Ms Williams spent more than 12 years at Google as an Executive Program Manager on the engineering team leading work on R&D collaborations with universities, startup and entrepreneurship engagement, and pioneering work on CS & STEM education including building world first collaborations delivering national transformation.

AusOcean combines the best of science, technology, research and innovation to bring solutions to life that will help and assist our oceans. It’s this intersection of technology and science unlocking and creating solutions for good that drives AusOcean forward and draws Ms Williams to the role.

“By unlocking foundational capabilities of accessible technology and applying them in cross disciplinary ways we can create immediate impact and scalable opportunities to help our oceans and help our planet," says Ms Williams. "AusOcean has led the way in bringing citizens, science and technology together and I’m excited to help scale that vision with the team."

Alan Noble, Founder and CEO of AusOcean, says:

"Sally-Ann joins AusOcean at an exciting time and I’m incredibly thrilled to be working with her again. She brings a wealth of experience both in her non-executive board and strategic planning roles. AusOcean is entering an exciting new phase as we plan for and develop our first physical facility. Over the next five years we also plan to roll out our student-led citizen science school program, Network Blue, to dozens of new schools around Australia - and beyond. Sally-ann’s deep experience with educational and outreach programs will prove invaluable."

AusOcean (the Australian Ocean Lab) was founded in 2017 by Alan Noble and his late wife Susan Myers. Susie’s passion for the ocean and commitment to both preservation and unlocking the awe that lies within for everyone is at the heart of AusOcean’s vision and mission. This life long commitment to helping oceans and bringing the stories of our marine world to life lives on in the work of the organisation and beats in the heart of each team member. 

BACKGROUND - Sally-Ann Williams

As the CEO of Cicada Innovations Ms Williams leads Australia’s pioneering deep tech incubator building companies solving the world's most pressing problems through science & engineering. Cicada Innovations has nurtured hundreds of visionary deep tech innovators to validate, commercialise and scale high impact technologies globally across MedTech, HealthTech, AgTech, FoodTech, Clean Energy, AI, Manufacturing 4.0 and more.

Prior to joining Cicada Innovations she spent over 12 years at Google as an Executive Program Manager on the engineering team leading work on R&D collaborations with universities, startup and entrepreneurship engagement and pioneering work on CS & STEM education including building world first collaborations delivering national transformation.

Ms Williams has been involved in driving national engagement and change strategies in innovation & entrepreneurship, Computer Science and STEM education as a member of the COAG STEM Partnership Forum and contributed to the foundation of StartupAUS, a non-profit with a mission to transform Australia through technology entrepreneurship. She has led several cross sector working groups to drive change both in policy and cultural transformation needed to grow a thriving technology driven economy, and served on 4 University Industry Advisory Boards in the engineering and computer science departments.

Ms Williams is an experienced Non Executive Board member currently serving on the boards Cicada Innovations, Biz Capital and AusOcean, an environmental not-for-profit organisation with a mission to help our oceans through technology. She has also been a Non Executive Director of World Vision Australia and Fishburners. She is an advisor to several state and national working groups on tech and innovation and is a mentor and advisor to several industry and university incubators and accelerators including Startmate.

Ms Williams is a frequent keynote speaker on topics such as Deep Tech, technology transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, inclusion, business development, commercialisation and transformation.

BACKGROUND - Alan Noble

AusOcean was founded by Alan Noble in 2017. Alan is an electrical and electronics engineer by training who has spent his entire career working with computers and software technology, having lived and worked on several continents and founded software companies in Silicon Valley and Australia. He is passionate about our oceans and spends every available moment in or on the water. Alan's goal in founding AusOcean is to develop and apply technology for the good of our oceans.

He is also a founder and director of StartupAUS, a director of the South Australian Museum, an Adjunct Professor in Computer Science at The University of Adelaide and a Fellow of Engineers Australia. Previously he was head of engineering for Google Australia and served on several national advisory boards, including advising the Chief Scientist of Australia, the Australian Information Commissioner and the Government 2.0 Taskforce. He was a contributor to the Engage Report and the Australian Entrepreneurs Guide.

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