Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District welcomes new General Manager and new Chair!
Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District (Connect MPID) is excited to announce the appointment of Dr Rob Stokes as the new Chair and Davor Jozic as the new General Manager this week.
Davor brings over 10 years of experience in economic and innovation ecosystem development to the organisation, with extensive links across Australia's innovation, R&D and start-up communities.
Davor comes to us from the NSW Government, where he led on a range of initiatives including the Western Sydney Startup Hub, Westmead HealthTech Hub, Tech Central Scaleup Hub, economic development strategies and stakeholder engagement in his role as Director of Innovation Ecosystems for innovation districts
Previously Davor gained experience across key government agencies including NSW Treasury, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and the NSW Department of Trade & Industry.
Professor Rob Stokes is an urbanist and recognised thought leader on sustainable urban development at Macquarie University and brings a wealth of experience to Connect MPID.
Currently serving on the Australian Government Urban Policy Forum and as Chair of Faith Housing Australia, Professor Stokes was the first ever Minister for Public Spaces, and Australia’s first ever minister for Active Transport.
Dr Stokes also served as NSW Minister for Planning, Cities, Infrastructure, Transport, Education, Environment and Heritage in a political career spanning more than 15 years. He created Placemaking NSW as an integrated mixed-use developer and land manager and created the Greater Sydney Parklands to integrate and expand urban parks.
He is passionate about opportunities to create new forms of urban governance and championed the development of legislation and funding to support the creation of Community Improvement Districts.
Dr Stokes is a regular columnist on cities and planning and has written more than 20 articles in referred books and journals. A qualified lawyer, Rob has read sustainable urban development at Oxford and completed a PhD in planning law under a Commonwealth Scholarship. Rob also serves on the Board of the Hillview Foundation Australia and works as an ESG advisor.
Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District and its members are excited to welcome Professor Stokes and Davor to lead the organisation into a new era and work with stakeholders to continue to grow Macquarie Park as an economic and innovation powerhouse with improved community and place outcomes.