History Made: Dr. Katherine Woodthorpe to Lead DeepTech Incubator Cicada

By electing Dr. Katherine Woodthorpe to serve as its first female chair, Cicada Innovations, a deep tech incubator with headquarters in Sydney, has created history. Andrew Rothery, a qualified non-executive director (NED), is replaced by Dr. Katherine, who took over for him after nearly eight years in the role.

Dr. Katherine has considerable expertise with over 30 years of experience in commercializing inventions across a variety of industries, including environmental science, renewable energy, and healthcare.

She has served as a director for prestigious scientific institutions as the Antarctic Science Foundation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

Since the company's inception as ATP Innovations, when Dr. Katherine served as an important advisor, Cicada Innovations has been associated with her.

Sally-Ann Williams, CEO of Cicada Innovations, stressed the importance of Dr. Katherine’s appointment and the crucial role that women play in deep tech and STEM. For the nation's technical future, Dr. Katherine emphasized the significance of encouraging women to pursue STEM fields.

Considering that women hold only 23% of senior management positions in STEM fields, Dr. Woodthorpe's selection is an important step in the right direction.

The outgoing chair, Andrew Rothery, acknowledged that women are underrepresented in STEM leadership positions and complimented Cicada Innovations for promoting women's participation in deep tech and STEM.

Dr. Katherine’s leadership at Cicada Innovations represents an important historical step toward a more inclusive and varied future. Cicada Innovations is still dedicated to promoting innovation and assisting entrepreneurs.