Industry Advisory Committee
Mr Bahay Ozcakmak
Director
Corporate strategy expert with extensive experience including CEO and director level roles in the energy and resource sectors. Currently Bahay is a director of several mining focused companies, including Consolidated Potash Corporation and executive director of Lions Bay Capital Inc., Montan Mining Corp’s largest shareholder.
Dr Aaron William Thornton
Senior Research Scientist
Mr Peter Bury
Director - Strategy, Innovation and Research Company Secretary
Ms Karen Rouse
Chief Executive Officer
Karen commenced as WaterRA CEO on the 21st November 2016. She has a BSc Hons in Geology from the UK and a Master of Environmental Management from Adelaide University. She has extensive experience in environmental impact assessment, design and development strategies and planning. Karen has worked in the water industry since 1998, when she joined SA Water. Her most recent role there was Source Water and Environment Research Manager, and Assistant to South Australia’s Special Advisor on International Water Opportunities.
Dr Aaron William Thornton
Senior Research Scientist
Dr Aaron William Thornton is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO. Specialising in Mathematics, Dr Thornton is at the forefront of his field, in developing many novel and innovative solutions across materials, engineering, computer science, machine learning and biology. Uniquely bridging the gap between fundamental science, research and industry, Dr Thornton has led several commercial projects and a vehicle for launching new products. He has conducted training in Silicon Valley with Venture Capital experts across the clean tech and artificial intelligence landscape. Dr Thornton’s research has been published in Nature, Energy & Environmental Science and other high profile journals. He has established a commercial relationship with Air Liquide and multiple academic relationships as a Visiting Scholar with the University of California Berkeley, Chimie ParisTech, Hanyang University, University of Cambridge UK and the National Technical University of Athens. Dr Thornton has also served as the President of the Membrane Society of Australasia 2014-2017 and is currently leading the launch of a start-up company MOFWORX.
Mr Peter Bury
Director - Strategy, Innovation and Research Company Secretary
Peter joined the Assoictaion in 2001. Peter is responsible for supporting industry growth, diversity and competitiveness through strategy, policy and development of the Strategic Industry Roadmap, gas policy and innovation programs. He provides specialist policy and technical advice for, and on, the chemistry industry, strategic partnerships with government, industry, research, academia and community. As the Chemistry Australia Company Secretary, he provides advice to the Board and CEO on strategy, governance, risk and industry development. Peter represents Chemistry Australia members on the Australian Academy of Science National Committee for Chemistry, the Green Chemical Futures Board, the Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing Board, the Chemical and Plastics Manufacturing Innovation Network Board and the Global Plastics and Environment network. Peter is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Peter has a diverse background with more than 37 years experience in the automotive, materials handling, industrial and agricultural film, association management and emergency services sectors. During this time his responsibilities have included: manufacturing engineering; marketing and sales; plant management; environment, health and safety, research and development, recycling, national issues management and strategic development. In addition to his industry work, Peter is an officer and operational firefighter with the Country Fire Authority.
Dr Hung Pham
R & D Manager
Dr Pham completed his Ph.D. from the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University and a Master of Intellectual Property Law from the University of Technology Sydney. He has over 20 years of research and development experience at CSL Behring, a global biotechnology leader, with manufacturing facilities around the globe for production of life-saving medicines required to treat human diseases.
Dr Pham has been leading and managing the development and implementation of advanced technologies for production of protein therapeutics from proof of concept to preclinical, scale-up manufacture and technology transfer to production. He is also responsible for providing on-going scientific support for the registration and production of therapeutic proteins. His current focus is driving change through innovation, in collaboration with academic centres and industry partners for the development and implementation of breakthrough technologies for production of life-saving medicines.
Dr Nicholas Low
Chief Executive Officer
Nicholas is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of 2D Water Pty Ltd in Melbourne, which aims to develop next generation desalination membrane. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Monash University and completed his postdoctoral research in the Centre of Advanced Separations Engineering, University of Bath, UK in 2017. Specializing in advanced membrane manufacturing and membrane applications such as reverse osmosis and nanofiltration, Nicholas has published over 40 articles and has been granted 2 patents in the field of membrane technology. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University and has been recently selected as a participant of the 2018 Young Social Pioneers program run by the Foundation for Young Australians.
Dr Dharma Dharmabalan
General Manager
Dharma has worked in the water industry in Australia for in excess of 28 years and is currently serving at TasWater as General Manager, System Performance and Major Projects. He holds many degrees in the fields of Civil Engineering, Environmental, Hydrology, Computing and Water Systems Risk Management Philosophies from universities around the world.Dharma is a past Director for Water Research Australia and Director with the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination. He holds Adjunct Professorship’s with Victoria and Deakin Universities and is a registered Auditor for Drinking Water Management Systems and Recycled Water Management Systems and Skill examiner with RABQSA International.