Marlene Kanga AO FTSE FREng is an Australian engineer, entrepreneur, and diversity activist, who was awarded Queens Birthday honours in 2022.
[1] She was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia for her substantial service to Engineering, particularly as a global leader and role model to women to professional organisations, and to business.
She was formerly a non-executive director of the Hearing Cooperative Research centre and a board member of Asialink, Innovation Australia and the NSW Smart Sensor Network.
She was Chair of the Department of Industry Science and Resources, R&D Incentives Committee, the largest government support program for industry-led R&D in Australia, from 2013-2019.
[13] The program aims to increase the participation of women in STEM and is being delivered by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
When describing her work, the 2017 president of Engineers Australia commented, "In what has been a very male dominated forum, Marlene's clarity of vision and purpose won through".
She says: "This recognition is very important, especially as a role model for young people and women and girls, to consider engineering as a career that makes a positive difference for our world.
What companies need to do is bring women back after they start a family, giving them flexible working and job-sharing opportunities.