Dr. Larry R. Marshall
Early life and education
Dr Larry Marshall was born in Sydney and studied physics at Macquarie University in the early 1980s, where he worked on blue green lasers under professor of physics, Jim Piper.
In 1987, Piper introduced Marshall to the American physicist and then dean of research at Stanford University, Bob Byer, who was in Australia on a lecture tour. At Byer’s suggestion, Marshall went to Stanford, where he wrote up his thesis on laser physics.
Dr Marshall has more than 100 peer reviewed publications and conference papers, holds 20 patents, has founded six successful US companies in biotechnology, photonics, telecommunications and semiconductors, and has served on 20 boards of high-tech companies operating in the US, Australia and China.
He is a member of the Accelerating R&D in NSW Advisory Committee (ARDAC), a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and ex-officio member of the National Science and Technology Council.
Time at CSIRO
Larry Marshall held the position on Chief Executive Officer from 15 January 2015 to 30 June 2023. He succeeded the CSIRO’s first female chief executive Megan Clark.
Dr Marshall steered CSIRO through a rapidly changing scientific environment. A period of much scientific promise amid global turbulence, particularly through the COVID pandemic.
At the end of his term in June 2023, Dr Marshall was CSIRO’s longest serving Chief Executive in the past 50 years.
Among his many initiatives, Dr Marshall led the creation of the CSIRO Innovation Fund – Main Sequence Ventures. Since it was founded, Main Sequence Ventures has helped to build 42 deep technology companies, creating more than 1,200 technology jobs.
Shortly after joining the agency, Dr Marshall helped develop the CSIRO ON program, a national science accelerator. ON has supported 3,314 researchers from 52 Australian research organisations, leading to 66 new companies, which have raised $114.6m in investment capital and $115.8m in grants.
In 2020, Dr Marshall led the establishment of CSIRO’s Missions program, bringing together research agencies, universities, industry, government and community to tackle urgent and complex problems facing the country.
Launched Missions include: Hydrogen, Future Protein, Drought Resilience, Trusted AgriFood Exports, Ending Plastic Waste and the Towards Net Zero Mission.
Education
| 1989 | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Macquarie University |
| 1984 | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| 1983 | Bachelor of Science (Macquarie University) |
Honours and awards
| Federation Fellow | |
| Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) | |
| 2016 | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) |
| Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) |