Canva’s long-term chief financial officer, Damien Singh, has left the company after nearly 8 years, with the graphic design giant yet to name a replacement. His departure appeared to catch many by surprise last week when he broke the news to members of the Canva team on Monday, February 5. “As we move towards the… Read more »
Grok Ventures, the private investment fund of Atlassian cofounder Mike Cannon-Brookes, has named global asset management executive Tan Kueh as CEO, joining chief investment officer Jeremy Kwong-Law. Cannon-Brookes said that Grok is entering a new phase of growth, having refined its investment strategy to make a bigger impact on addressing the global climate challenge. “Having… Read more »
Sydney-based startup hub Tank Stream Labs has teamed up with recruitment firm The Nudge Group to make it easier for startups to find talent. The joint venture is hoping to create more affordable, tech-based solutions to finding the talent startups and scale-ups need. Tank Stream Labs CEO Bradley Delamare said that alongside an understanding, developed… Read more »
The founding CEO of The Tech Council of Australia (TCA), Kate Pounder will step down from the role after three years at the end of next week. TCA chair Robyn Denholm paid tribute to Pounder for launching and cementing the lobby group as a critical industry body and raising the profile of the tech sector… Read more »
The cofounder of Stake, Matt Leibowitz, has resigned as CEO, having led the digital broker since its launch in 2017. He will move to executive director and continue to work on the platform’s product and business strategy. Leibowitz will be replaced by the company’s new chief commercial officer, Jon Howie, who joined the business in… Read more »
Jessy Wu, one of the most articulate, insightful and outspoken people in Australian venture capital, has been appointed partner at AfterWork Ventures. She was the first hire at the three-year-old VC, joining in 2021 as an Investment Manager and Head of Community. Founding partners Alex Khor and Adrian Petersen praised Wu as an irreplaceable team… Read more »
Chris Vein, the self-confessed American “Australophile” and former White House, and World Bank executive who became CEO of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) following its most turbulent period, is stepping down after 18 months in the role. ACS announced it “regrets” that Vein will retire at the end of the year for personal/health reasons. “As… Read more »
Science & Technology Australia’s CEO Misha Schubert has resigned after four years at the helm to lead a newly formed industry superannuation lobby group. The former journalist, who had helped champion and improve the visibility of women in the tech sector, will become inaugural CEO of the Super Members Council of Australia (SMC) in February.… Read more »
Technology industry association ACS will have its second female president in a decade with the current NSW Branch Chair, Helen McHugh stepping into the role for 2024-25. McHugh replaces Dr Nick Tate as part of the organisation’s rotation rules, elected by a member vote this week. “As the peak body for Australia’s IT profession, ACS… Read more »
On Friday, OpenAI’s high-flying chief executive Sam Altman was unexpectedly fired by the company’s board. Co-founder and chief technology officer Greg Brockman was also removed as the board president, after which he promptly resigned. In an unexpected twist, talks began today about potentially reinstating Altman in some capacity following an outpouring of industry and investor… Read more »
CSIRO venture capital fund Main Sequence Ventures has bolstered its leadership team with Cochlear chair Alison Deans signing on as a venture partner. Deans, who is also on the boards of Ramsay Health Care, staffing management scaleup Deputy and ASX-listed envirotech scaleup Calix (ASX: CXL), and is a former Westpac and IAG director, previously ran… Read more »
Macquarie Technology Group cofounders David and Aidan Tudehope have been honoured as the 2023 Pearcey Medallists for their life’s work in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. The annual awards, named after the late ICT industry pioneer Dr Trevor Pearcey, celebrated their 25th anniversary by inducting engineer Professor Jean Armstrong and WiseTech Global founder… Read more »
Silicon Quantum Computing founder Professor Michelle Simmons has won the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for her pioneering work in the cutting edge sector. The awards were announced by prime minister Anthony Albanese, with scientists working in biotechnology and teaching also recognised. It’s a lucrative win for Simmons, who receives $250,000 as part of the… Read more »
Cicada Innovations has appointed Dr Katherine Woodthorpe as its new chair, the first woman to lead the board in the 23-year history of the Sydney-based deep tech incubator. The non-executive director (NED) replaces Andrew Rothery after nearly eight years in the role. Dr Woodthorpe has more than three decades of experience in commercialising technologies across a broad… Read more »
As lists go, LinkedIn’s annual compilation of Australia’s top 20 startups is certainly a conversation starter. The find-a-job social media site has trawled through its own data, looking at four key parameters, including employee growth, jobseeker interest and how well startups lured talent away from LinkedIn’s own “Top Companies” list, to select crypto-based online gaming marketplace… Read more »
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