Profile - Chief Operating Officer

Qualifications:

B.Sc. (Hons), University of Sydney, 1974; Ph.D. (Physics), University of Sydney, 1979

Current appointment:

Chief Operating Officer of CUDOS(2003-present)

Employment history:

Process Development Manager, JDS Uniphase Sydney (2000 - 2002;)

Leader, Optics and Surface Science Discipline, CSIRO Telecommunications and Industrial Physics (1996 - 2000);

Program Manager, Optical Technology, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics (1988 - 1996);

(From 1994-2000, classified as CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist.)

Group Leader, Length Standards, CSIRO DAP (1986 - 1988);

Research Scientist, CSIRO DAP (1984 - 1986);

Research Associate, National Research Council Canada (1981- 84);

Post Doctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia (1979-80).

Major awards:

Senior Fulbright Scholar 1997 (one of two awards over all disciplines in Australia each year);

CSIRO Medal 1999 (member of RTA Road Crack development team)

Professional Association:

Chair, AIP Bragg Medal and AIP Walsh Medal (2002);

Councillor, Australian Optical Society.

In previous years, President of Australian Optical Society and Chair, NSW branch of Australian Institute of Physics.

Expertise:

Walsh has over twenty years. experience in research and research management in academic, government laboratory and industrial environments. He has had an active research career in optics and photonics but his principal responsibility over the past fifteen years has been in research management, where he has managed research groups of between 45 . 60 people. His responsibilities have included budget planning and management, business development, strategic planning and HR issues including hiring, firing and staff promotions. His management potential was recognised through selection in the first ever intake to the CSIRO Leadership Development program in 1991. Walsh has direct expertise in photonics R&D and manufacturing through two years working with JDS Uniphase as the Process Development Manager. He was responsible for up to twenty people in a range of areas including fibre Bragg grating product reliability, FBG packaging, grating writing development and fibre evaluation. Dr Walsh has strong links to the Australian optical community, including all the researchers in CUDOS, through his involvement with the Australian Optical Society and as a senior optics researcher.