In a recent announcement to the public, SmartCrete CRC (SmartCrete) announced their 'delight' in welcoming the centre’s newest CEO. 

After taking great care in selecting the perfect candidate, SmartCrete has chosen Clare (Rutherford) Tubolets, to begin the big job on May 2nd, 2022. Clare commences this role as her first CEO position and as the successor to SmartCrete’s inaugural CEO, Warren South.

The one and only, Clare (Rutherford) Tubolets: First female CEO of SmartCrete CRC.

SmartCrete has outlined that Clare brings a unique set of skills to SmartCrete having extensive experience in collaborative roles in government, university and industry including current experience in grants management, research, and CRC operations.

Clare’s most recent role as Chief Operating Officer with the Food Agility CRC demonstrated her strong networking and people management skills. She has supported the securing of $86 million in government and industry investment (and $127m of in-kind support) to run research projects to improve the sustainability, productivity, and profitability of Australia’s food supply chain.

The SmartCrete Board said they "identified the alignment of the competencies Clare offers as being fundamental to the next stage of development for SmartCrete, as it transitions to implementation of strategic initiatives such as the Decarbonisation Pathways report, impact assessment and reporting on the existing research program and the evolution of the path to market for commercialisation of research outcomes," they said.

In her new role, Clare will become the fourth female CEO out of 24 Australian Cooperative Research Centres, and the first-ever female CEO of SmartCrete. Seeming to already be breaking records, there's no doubt she will bring SmartCrete to the forefront of its potential in this new chapter. 

SmartCrete received $21m funding in March 2020 under the CRC Round 21 grant funding and has since secured 48 partners, approved, and commenced 16 projects, covered 44 of their 91 milestones and invested $14m in research projects into concrete to improve engineered solutions, asset management and sustainability. Only the future can tell what else SmartCrete will achieve under Clare's governance!