Hancock to lead Scitech

The  chief executive of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce has been appointed to succeed Alan Brien as chief executive of Scitech.

Scitech chairman Tony Joyner said today that Deborah Hancock would take the reins as CEO when Mr Brien retires next month.

“Deb is an experienced, energetic and passionate CEO who brings a wealth of leadership and executive management experience from both the private and public sectors,” Mr Joyner said.

“She is also a clear thinker and a straight shooter.”

Mr Joyner said Ms Hancock had a strong track record of engaging with government, business and the community to grow businesses and make a difference.

“The next few years will be an exciting time for Scitech. Building on the great work of the team led by the highly regarded outgoing CEO Alan Brien, we are looking to do more, and to build on our great brand,” he said.

“And of course we have to move to a new home sometime in the medium term. Ms Hancock’s experience and qualities are perfectly suited to meet these challenges.”

Mr Brien announced his plans to retire in May, having served in the role for 17 years.