Marlene Kanga

Dr. Marlene Kanga AM is an experienced leader, Chair and non-executive director, currently at Sydney Water Corporation, AirServices Australia, Standards Australia and BESydney. She was previously a board member of Innovation Science Australia, which provides strategic oversight over the Australian government’s national innovation programs, board chair and national president of Engineers Australia in 2013. She is a member of various boards involving innovation and commercialisation of new technologies and is a start-up mentor and angel investor. Marlene was President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations in 2017-2019, representing organisations from 100 nations, 30 million engineers, successfully leading the proposal for UNESCO to declare 4th March as World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development in 2019 and the review of international engineering education benchmarks to reflect contemporary needs, including greater Diversity and Inclusion, in 2021. She is Chair Designate of the international IChemE (Inst. Of Chemical Engineers UK) Safety Centre, which leads system safety approaches for industry, globally. She has led transformational approaches for diversity and inclusion in engineering and science, and is an advocate. including at the UN, on the need for more women in STEM, speaking at UN Women and the Commission on the Status of Women. She has a significant legacy of diversity initiatives in Australia and internationally, hosting the inaugural meeting of the INWES Asia Pacific Nation Network for women engineers and scientists in 2011, which has 19 thriving organisations in 2022. She is designated Co-Chair of the $44 million Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering Elevate program for women in STEM.