Swinburne Industry Research Advisory Committee

Ross is an Independent Director, Executive Mentor and respected industry leader having held senior executive roles with leading multinational companies BASF and BOC included General Manager and Managing Director roles in Asia, Australia and Europe.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering by Swinburne University of Technology in 2016 and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  He has a Master of Science from Cranfield Institute of Technology (UK) and a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Liverpool (UK).

Ross understands the importance of science-based industries to a sustainable future and brings an international and multi-cultural perspective to SIRAC. He’s an optimist and believes that, working collaboratively, business, the University and research sectors together can create solutions to large, complex societal challenges.

Dr Amanda Caples BSc Hons PhD GAICD is Victoria’s Lead Scientist, a ‘catalyst’ responsible for working across the Victorian Government to identify opportunities for economic outcomes by building relationships between business, the research sector and government. Amanda brings to the role broad experience in technology commercialisation, public policy development and governance of public and private entities. 

Amanda joined the Victorian public service in 2002 as the inaugural Director of Biotechnology and subsequently was appointed as the Executive Director Science and Technology and Deputy Secretary Sector Development and Programs to drive the state's science agenda. In these roles, Amanda has led the development of industry sector strategy plans, delivered research-led health initiatives, regulatory and legislative scientific reforms and established international business development and research alliances. 

Amanda has worked with Commonwealth agencies on national science and innovation policies and programs, including the Australian Synchrotron and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme.

David Chuter is CEO and Managing Director at the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC), joining in 2016. He is an experienced senior executive with a strong industry record in leading strategic business growth, operational management and change in the manufacturing sector and has more than thirty years of international manufacturing experience, with previous positions as CEO of MHG Asia Pacific from 2014, and a member of the Futuris Automotive executive leadership team from 2001.

David is a member of Australia’s Industry 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing Forum, responsible for the research and innovation and digital business models workstreams. He is a Director of the CRC Association and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

David holds a first-class Honours Degree in Manufacturing Engineering and Management from the University of Bath (UK), and is a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Peter is Chair of SmartSat CRC, Chair of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network, Co-Chair of the 2026 Spatial Industries Transformation and Growth Agenda, Board member of the Public Sector Mapping Agency Ltd, and is a member of the Council of Charles Sturt University. 

Peter has been involved with the spatial and space industries for over 30 years, created several companies and managed an industry cluster of over 100 companies translating applied research into commercial outcomes. 

Peter is an Honorary Fellow of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute and a life member of the International Society for Digital Earth. He has a Doctorate of Business Administration (RMIT University), a Masters of Applied Science (University of New South Wales) and a Bachelor of Forest Science (University of Melbourne).

Michel is the current CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, the state’s independent infrastructure advisory body.  He started his career at Deloitte, and held senior finance positions at Bollore Group and Keolis, prior to becoming CEO of Yarra Trams and then joining the Calibre group to create and lead its Transport Infrastructure business.  

Michel is a graduate from the EDHEC Business School in France, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He also completed the Advanced Management Program from the Harvard Business School.

In 2017, Michel was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Technology from Swinburne University in recognition of his contribution to shaping infrastructure in Victoria.

He is passionate about education and sees bridging public, private and research sectors through SIRAC as a way forward to find new solutions to new problems.

Elaine is co-founder and former CEO of Blamey Saunders Hears, a hearing aid and telehealth company, which she led to be the world leader in teleaudiology and to significant award recognition.  

She led Blamey Saunders’ to winning the Australian Good Design of the Year Award, with the Australian designed and manufactured Facett™, a self-fit, modular hearing aid.  The company was the first to successfully develop and implement a model of blended remote and direct hearing care. 

Elaine is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Innovation Precinct at Swinburne, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Bionics Institute, on several other Boards in the innovation and technology space, and a mentor of several start-ups. 

Elizabeth is currently the CEO of AIPM. She has spent over 20 years in senior executive roles in financial services and has 17 years board experience, including 6 years on AXA’s unit trust company board, and is currently on the board of the Population Health Research Network. Other blue-chip companies she has worked for include MLC, ING, Prudential and Unilever.  
 
With over 8 years’ experience in the health and medical research sector, for the past three years Elizabeth has been focusing on transitioning the health industry to the new digital era. As Bid Manager for the Digital Health CRC, she shaped, promoted and sold the vision of the CRC. 
 
Elizabeth has led staff and stakeholders across Australia, and has extensive leadership and management experience including five years as a CEO and Managing Director of Research Australia, a not-for-profit, member-based advocacy body, representing the interests of 160 organisations across Australia. 

Ben is Senior Partner at Strategic Project Partners, a tier 1 management consultancy with leading capabilities in the Education and Government sectors. He has more than 15 years of experience in corporate and consulting environments, and is an expert in education, research and innovation. 

Ben is a recognised industry and innovation precinct expert having acted as Senior Advisor to State Economic Development, Federal industry, and international precincts. He has helped Universities to expand their partnerships and economic activity, and improve strategy, decision making, and operations, and he has also led development of intellectual property related to industry strategy, precinct development, partnerships, as well as commercial costing and profitability within Higher Education. 

Ben is passionate about establishing major international partnerships across borders as a means to capitalise on Australia’s innovative capacity and capability.

Fred Ashbury, BA (Hons), MA, PhD is Chief Scientific Officer at Viecure, and is one of the company’s founders. He is responsible for identifying, consolidating and codifying the evidence base of leading cancer agencies and organizations in standard of care and precision oncology so the VieCure artificial intelligence platform, including its smart EMR, can provide real-time considerations to oncologists at point-of-care to optimize patient success. 

During his career, Fred has held senior positions in the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Cancer Care Ontario, the Alberta Cancer Board, OpTx Corporation, BridgeSite Clinical Research, PWC and Intelligent Improvement Consultants.  He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (ex officio board member), the American College of Epidemiology, and the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, and is the Editor-in-Chief, Supportive Care in Cancer.

Fred received his doctorate from York University, is an Adjunct Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada and the Department of Oncology, University of Calgary, and has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and major reports.

Ian is a passionate and experienced practitioner in innovation and collaboration, and these were the driving motivators behind his initiative to establish the iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre.

Has spent most of his working life developing and delivering innovation in real-world environments, with particular achievements in manufacturing, biotechnology, and transport.

His leadership of iMOVE draws on sixteen years of experience in managing multi stakeholder collaborations and over forty years of activity in technology innovation.

Ian is interested in a wide range of subject matter and creates value by identifying useful connections. He has a Bachelor degree in science and an MBA, and is the inventor on two families of patents.