Anne Simmons

Professor Anne Simmons AM

BE(Hons), MBiomedE, PhD, FTSE, FIEAust

Anne Simmons is a biomedical engineer who has held senior corporate executive, academic and university administrative roles, and is now Chair or member of the board of a philanthropic foundation and a range of Government committees focussed on medical devices and innovation.

Anne was a senior executive with the Nucleus Group, Australia’s internationally recognised medical devices innovator. She then joined UNSW where she was Head of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Pro Vice Chancellor Academic Excellence before being appointed UNSW’s first Provost. As Provost, she was responsible for the strategic and day to day operations of one of Australia’s largest educational institutions, including the management and delivery of research and educational activities in the faculties and affiliated institutes across multiple campuses.

Anne brings a deep knowledge of the higher education sector, basic and applied research, innovation, commercialisation, corporate leadership, stakeholder management and government liaison.  She also has extensive experience in commercialisation, strategy, finance, governance and private/public sector collaborations, as well working on diverse boards, panels and committees.  

Anne is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). She was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in 2013 for services to biomedical engineering.