Francine Lavan

I have more than 17 years of experience with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR), managing and delivering Australian Government programs, including grants to support industry development, R&D, and commercialisation. After completing my degree in chemical engineering (2000), I worked for a few years as a university tutor while conducting academic and industry-led research. One of my early career highlights was delivering a paper at the 6th World Congress of Chemical Engineering, an experience that intensified my enthusiasm for innovation. In February 2023, I left the APS to join Pathfinder Consulting Group. Pathfinder helps Australia's most innovative companies access capital, complement it with government grants and incentives, connect to new networks and optimise their innovation strategies. As Pathfinder's senior manager, I'm dedicated to helping our clients access government grants and incentives to assist them to innovate and grow. Throughout my career, I've been privileged to work with people from industry-leading Australian companies, developing world-first technologies. For the 12 years before joining Pathfinder, I held executive-level roles across compliance, litigation, communications, and industry engagement for the R&D Tax Incentive program. One of my notable achievements was leading DISR's work with the Tech Council of Australia to develop guidance on software development activities under the program. I'm highly skilled at understanding complex scientific and technical information, and an expert in interpreting and applying R&D Tax Incentive legislation to identify eligible R&D activities. I also thoroughly understand Australia's research and innovation landscape, supported by master's degrees in public policy (2009) and applied innovation and entrepreneurship (2014). My professional strengths include: -Expert in the interpretation and application of legislation -Superior capacity to understand technical and scientific information -Exceptional ability to communicate complex information and ideas Specialties: Legislative Interpretation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Industry Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Commercialisation, Financial Analysis, IP Management, Government Policy and Program Delivery, People Management, Contract Management, Problem Solving, Process Improvement, Project Management