Megan Clark | |
---|---|
![]() Megan Clark in 2010 | |
Head of the Australian Space Agency [1] | |
In office 15 May 2018 –28 January 2021 | |
Preceded by | New Office |
Succeeded by | Enrico Palermo |
Chief Executive of the CSIRO | |
In office 1 January 2009 –19 November 2014 | |
Preceded by | Geoff Garrett |
Succeeded by | Larry Marshall |
Non-exec Director of Rio Tinto Group | |
Assumed office November 2014 [2] | |
Personal details | |
Born | Megan Elizabeth Clark 1958 (age 65–66) |
Nationality | ![]() |
Spouse | Trent Hutchinson |
Alma mater | University of Western Australia Queen's University |
Occupation | Geologist |
Megan Elizabeth Clark is an Australian geologist and business executive,former director of the CSIRO,and former head of the Australian Space Agency. [3]
Clark was educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College,Perth. Clark was awarded a BSc (Hons) in Economic Geology at the University of Western Australia in 1981,and a Doctorate in Economic Geology at Queen's University,Kingston,Ontario in 1987.
She began her career as a mine geologist and subsequently worked in mineral exploration,mine geology,R&D management,venture capital and technical strategy areas with Western Mining Corporation. Clark also worked in a corporate venture fund with Advent International in Boston. [4] [5]
She was then a director of Rothschild &Co (Australia) and was Vice-president Technology and subsequently Vice-president Health,Safety,Environment,Community and Sustainability with BHP from 2003 to 2008. [6] [7]
Clark was a member of the prime minister's Science,Engineering and Innovation Council,as well as the prime minister's Taskforce on Manufacturing. She is also a commissioner on the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change,a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. [8] [9] [10]
In 2009 she was appointed Chief Executive of the CSIRO,making her its first female chief executive. [8] [11] [12] Under her leadership CSIRO was credited for a number of new ventures,including wireless research. [13] [14]
Since 2014,she has been a non-executive director of Rio Tinto. [12] As a Rio Tinto board member,she began serving as chairman of the Sustainability Committee in May 2016,and has become a member of the Remuneration Committee with effect from 1 May 2016. [15]
Clark was one of the Directors of Rio Tinto in May 2020 when the mining company deliberately destroyed the Australian Aboriginal sacred site at Juukan Gorge –the only inland site in Australia to show signs of continuous human occupation for over 46,000 years. Ten months after the event,and following a significant protest vote against Clark,with more than a quarter of shareholders voting against her re-election, [16] she admitted to feeling regret,saying "it is hard to even explain the level of hurt and shame that we feel and the shame that I personally feel." [17] The Rio Tinto board noted in response to the vote that "Rio Tinto acknowledges that the reduced vote for Dr Clark's re-election compared to previous years reflects the fact that,as chair of the Sustainability Committee at the time that the rock shelters at Juukan Gorge were destroyed,Dr Clark shares accountability for the failings in the areas of communities and social performance that led to those events occurring." [18]
On 14 May 2018,it was announced that she would head the Australian Space Agency,after leading the 2017 review into Australia's space capabilities. [19] [20]
In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List,Clark was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC),for "eminent service to scientific research and development through fostering innovation,to science administration through strategic leadership roles,and to the development of public policy for technological sciences". [21] [22] [23]
Clark is married to Trent Hutchinson who is also a graduate of Queens University. [24]
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications.
Rio Tinto Alcan is a Canada-based mining company. Headquartered in Montreal,Quebec,it is a subsidiary of global mining conglomerate Rio Tinto. It was created on 15 November 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto's Canadian subsidiary and Canadian company Alcan.
Rio Tinto Group is a British-Australian multinational company that is the world's second largest metals and mining corporation. It was founded in 1873 when a group of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto,in Huelva,Spain,from the Spanish government. It has grown through a long series of mergers and acquisitions. Although primarily focused on extraction of minerals,it also has significant operations in refining,particularly the refining of bauxite and iron ore. It has joint head offices in London,England and Melbourne,Australia.
Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (KUC),a division of Rio Tinto Group,is a mining,smelting,and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan,Utah. Kennecott operates the Bingham Canyon Mine,one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon,Salt Lake County,Utah. The company was first formed in 1898 as the Boston Consolidated Mining Company. The current corporation was formed in 1989. The mine and associated smelter produce 1% of the world's copper.
The Hamersley Range is a mountainous region of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The range was named on 12 June 1861 by explorer Francis Thomas Gregory after Edward Hamersley,a prominent promoter of his exploration expedition to the northwest.
Paladin Energy Ltd is a Western Australian based uranium production company.
An Australian Aboriginal sacred site is a place deemed significant and meaningful by Aboriginal Australians based on their beliefs. It may include any feature in the landscape,and in coastal areas,these may lie underwater. The site's status is derived from an association with some aspect of social and cultural tradition,which is related to ancestral beings,collectively known as Dreamtime,who created both physical and social aspects of the world. The site may have its access restricted based on gender,clan or other Aboriginal grouping,or other factors.
Michael Gerard L'Estrange is an Australian academic and former public servant. He is the former Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University,in Canberra. L'Estrange had earlier served a long career in the Australian public service including as a diplomat and as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Simon Vincent McKeon is an Australian lawyer,businessman,philanthropist,and sportsman. He has been chancellor of Monash University,and non-executive director of Rio Tinto,Spotless Group,and National Australia Bank. He is retained by Macquarie Bank Melbourne as a consultant and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD). On 25 January 2011 he was named the 2011 Australian of the Year.
Robin John Batterham is an Australian scientist specialising in chemical engineering. He was the Chief Scientist of Australia from 1999 to 2006.
The Brockman 4 mine is an iron ore mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,60 km (37 mi) north-west of Tom Price. The mine,located near the existing Brockman mine,was opened in 2010. The mine is fully owned and operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore,which owns many mines in the area. The mine is serviced by the Boolgeeda Airport.
Sam Walsh AO is an Australian businessman who was elected to the Mitsui &Co board as a non-executive Director on 21 June 2017. Prior to this he was chief executive officer (CEO) of London-based mining company Rio Tinto Group,from 2013 to 2016.
Ian Geoffrey Gould is a former Chancellor of the University of South Australia (2008–2015) and former Managing Director (Australia) of Rio Tinto Group. Gould is considered to be one of South Australia's most influential people.
Gary J. Goldberg is the President,CEO and Director of Newmont Mining Corporation,positions he has held since March 1,2013. He joined the Newmont Board of Directors at the same time.
Jean-Sébastien Dominique Francois Jacques is a former chief executive officer of Rio Tinto Group. He succeeded Sam Walsh in July 2016. He was succeeded by Jakob Stausholm in early 2021.
Simon Thompson is a British investment banker and business executive. He is the current chairman of the Rio Tinto and was the former chairman of:Tarmac Group and Tullow Oil. He serves as the chairman of 3i.
The Australian Space Agency is an agency of the Australian Government responsible for the development of Australia's commercial aerospace industry,coordinating domestic space activities,identifying opportunities and facilitating international engagement that includes Australian stakeholders.
The Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (AHA) is a law in the state of Western Australia governing the protection of Aboriginal cultural sites. The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 was intended to replace the Act from 1 July 2023 but was revoked after only five weeks of operation.
Juukan Gorge is a gorge in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,about 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tom Price. It was named by the daughter of Puutu Kunti Kurrama man Juukan,also known as Tommy Ashburton,who was born at Jukarinya.
Enrico Palermo is an Australian mechanical engineer,businessman and the Head of the Australian Space Agency. He was the former President of The Spaceship Company,which develops and manufactures spaceplanes for Virgin Galactic,and the former Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Galactic,whose VSS Unity is undergoing flight trials to become the world’s first passenger spaceplane.
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