Dr Marlene Kanga AO FTSE FREng FAICD
Engineer, entrepreneur and diversity activist
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) is delighted to recognise the exceptional accomplishments of Dr Marlene Kanga AO FTSE FREng FAICD throughout 2023.
Dr Kanga is an engineer with decades of experience leading peak bodies and applied science organisations including the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, Engineers Australia, Airservices Australia and the Sydney Water Corporation. She was appointed as an International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in September, making her the only female engineer in Australia to receive this prestigious honour. The RAEng fellowship comprises the most distinguished engineering researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders in the UK. With a mission to leverage engineering’s power to construct a sustainable society and foster an inclusive economy, the Royal Academy boasts a community of around 1,700 eminent engineers, including approximately 100 international Fellows.
In recognition of her commitment to promoting women in STEM, Dr Kanga was in June bestowed the esteemed Ada Lovelace Medal for Outstanding Woman in Engineering by the University of New South Wales. This award acknowledges Dr Kanga’s leadership and influence on the engineering landscape, both in Australia and internationally. Particularly recognised were her significant roles as the former President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations and former National President of Engineers Australia, along with her board memberships in major Australian organisations in water, energy, aviation and innovation, and her position as Chair of the international IChemE Safety Centre.
In another significant achievement, Dr Kanga received the prestigious Christian Josef Willenberg Medal at the opening ceremony of the World Engineers Convention held in Prague in October. This award, named after the founder of the world’s oldest engineering school – the Engineering Estate School founded in Prague in the then Czech Kingdom in 1707 – is presented by the Czech Association of Scientific and Technical Societies.
In addition to these accolades, a tunnel boring machine for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail project was named in honour of Dr Kanga. The machine – TBM Marlene – was unveiled at the Orchard Hills Station site in August, recognising Dr Kanga’s global leadership in engineering and her role as a trailblazer for women in her field.
In her capacity as a board member of Endeavour Energy, Dr Kanga signed the agreement to deliver the transmission network for the first renewable energy zone in Australia. Endeavour Energy, in collaboration with Madrid-based companies Acciona and Cobra, officially committed to delivering the first 6 Gigawatt renewable energy zone. This strategic partnership will design, build, operate, and maintain the transmission network for the New South Wales Government’s pioneering Renewable Energy Zone, situated in the Central West Orana region.
Dr Marlene Kanga
AO FTSE FREng FAICD
Dr Marlene Kanga is a recognised leader of STEM organisations in Australia and internationally, is currently a non-executive director of Sydney Water Corporation, Air Services Australia, Standards Australia and BESydney, and was previously leader of Innovation Science Australia and Chair of the Department of Industry and Science R&D Incentives Committee (the largest government support program for industry R&D) and various boards involving innovation and research commercialisation. She is a mentor for start-up boards and a director of iOmniscient Pty Ltd which has developed artificial intelligence for video technologies. She is Chair-designate of the international Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Safety Centre, advancing process safety engineering practice around the world.
Marlene was the 2017-2019 President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), an affiliate of UNESCO and the peak body for professional engineering institutions with some 100 national and continental institutions as members, representing more than 30 million engineers. She was National President of Engineers Australia in 2013.
Marlene has been a champion for diversity initiatives for nearly 20 years. She was Chair of Engineers Australia’s National Committee for Women in Engineering, leading initiatives such as the Year of Women in Engineering in 2007 and introducing the Career Breaks Policy for Chartered engineers in 2008. At WFEO, women gained greater visibility and participation during her term as President and she initiated the international GREE Award for women engineers. She leads initiatives for women in STEM at UNESCO and the UN. A former Vice-President of the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists, she hosted its inaugural Asia Pacific Nation Network meeting in 2011 that has grown successfully to 19 organisations for women in engineering, including more than 10 that were established since 2011.
As WFEO President, Marlene led the successful proposal to declare the 4th of March World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development by UNESCO, the only international day for engineering. She also led the review of the international engineering education benchmarks which underpin mutual recognition of engineering qualifications by the International Engineering Alliance, including contemporary values such as diversity and inclusion in consideration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Marlene is an Honorary Fellow of IChemE, a Foreign Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology and an honorary fellow of the engineering institutions of New Zealand and India. She was the 2018 Engineers Australia National Professional Engineer of the Year and received the 2019 CHEMECA Medal for contribution to chemical engineering in Australia and New Zealand. She has been listed among the 100 engineers making a contribution to Australia in the last 100 years as part of Engineers Australia’s Centenary celebrations in 2019, among the Top 100 Women of Influence and one of the Top 10 women engineers in Australia. She is a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her leadership of the engineering profession.