The new ambassadors came from a variety of fields, from Indigenous policy, to energy, cardiac research, artificial intelligence and robotics.
“Our ambassadors are key to us securing major business events and top scientific conferences,” said BESydney board chair, Professor Mary O’Kane AC, who was NSW’s first chief scientist and engineer.
“As such, they play a pivotal role in powering the state’s knowledge economy,” she said.
The new ambassadors are Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO, Laureate Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute at the University of Technology Sydney; Kylie Hargreaves, chair of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity; Professor Jason Kovacic, director and CEO of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute; Sarah Liu, founder and managing director of TDC Global; Mani Thiru, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Andromeda Robotics, Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, professor of artificial intelligence in the department of computer science and engineering at the University of NSW Sydney, Professor Jennifer Westacott AO, chancellor of Western Sydney University and Professor Jon Whittle, director of Australia’s national scientific research agency, CSIRO’s Data61.
“The ambassadors and those attending the dinner are our network that underpins BESydney’s success, they are the giants’ shoulders we stand upon – their success is what we take to the world,” said BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith.
“We continue to see the greater impact business events contribute: knowledge sharing, foreign direct investment, talent attraction and global social impact.
“We thank our ambassadors – the changemakers of Sydney and NSW – for their incredible work and achievements driving global change for the better.
“Our people, places and purpose are the things that make Sydney what it is today, they are also the things that uniquely position us to help shape what comes tomorrow for both local and global communities,” she said.
“We believe Sydney has the intellectual capital the world needs to meet global challenges.
“Our purpose is to bring the world to Sydney to find solutions and effect a ripple of change around the globe.”
In his speech, Premier Minns shared his vision for Sydney and the broader state of NSW.
The ambassador dinner was held at ICC Sydney and attended by 380 people. The theme for the evening was “change starts here” referencing BESydney’s social impact agenda.
