Samantha Read
Role: Investigator
Site: CDL-Melbourne
Stream: Prime
As an accomplished Director, CEO and engineer, Samantha has unique and diverse experience spanning more than 30 years across the chemicals, plastics, renewable fuels, automotive and steel industries. She is renowned for her strategic thinking, partnership development and business transformation capability, as well as her deep industry and supply chain knowledge.
Prior to joining Chemistry Australia, she was CEO of the Biofuels Association of Australia and held senior Executive Director roles at GM Holden and General Motors Australia. Her Non Executive Director and external advisory roles have included industry peak bodies and universities, as well as government, regulatory, health, scientific, governance and skills organisations. Samantha has worked across Australia and the Asia Pacific and collaborated internationally.
Samantha commenced her career at BHP, working in research, strategic planning and manufacturing roles.
Samantha is a passionate advocate for Australian industry and its significant contribution to Australia’s economic health and community wellbeing, providing skilled and high value STEM jobs, investment and new technologies to meet our future challenges. Samantha has chaired and contributed to numerous government and industry boards and committees focused on policy development and implementation to drive growth and investment in Australian manufacturing.
Samantha has a long-held interest in supporting diversity and inclusion and is committed to developing the next generation of Australian industry leaders, having recently launched the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council for the Australian chemistry industry. Samantha actively mentors women and is a member of Chief Executive Women.
Samantha holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and Graduate of the AICD. In 2015, she was honoured as the Distinguished Alumna for the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University and was a finalist in the 2014 Telstra Business Women’s Awards.