[Job portrait] Margaret Law, Chief Technology Officer at Naval Group Pacific

15 March 2021 Innovation Corporate social responsibility International Story

“I have worked at Naval Group Pacific since October 2019 in the role of Chief Technology Officer. In this capacity I lead the Centre of Excellence (CoE) being established in Australia. This is very exciting as there are only two other CoE outside France.

Prior to that, I spent two years with Naval Group Australia as a part of the Australian Industry team, looking at local capabilities for the Future Submarine Program.
In terms of my broader career, prior to joining Naval Group Pacific I spent 12 years at ASC, focusing on research and development. In one of my later roles, I established a science and technology outreach program at ASC, developing a program of work, engaging with research organisations and academics to develop technology and sustainment solutions.

At Naval Group Pacific, the Australian Centre of Excellence is still growing. We are working on a broad and diverse portfolio of activity, while trying to develop the processes by which we identify, evaluate and begin a project and then how we monitor and execute.

My role is to establish a portfolio, to support both Naval Group’s global strategy and the local Australian requirements, while laying the ground-work for current and future research collaboration.

Our most recent focus has been to launch the International Research Lab. A joint initiative between CNRS, IMT Atlantique University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Flinders University and Naval Group.

Besides being able to work on world leading projects, the best thing, and what attracted me to this role, is the opportunity to engage with a broad range of  both within Naval Group and external collaborators. Helping those individuals succeed and take their passion and translate that into a realistic, tangible outcome is incredible. It’s really invigorating to work with people who are so passionate about their chosen research field.

The Naval Group Pacific portfolio is also incredibly diverse, from energy systems to artificial intelligence, no two days are the same and that’s what keeps it really interesting.

I enjoy the challenges that come from helping research teams and individuals engage with industry to bring their life’s work together. I’m very fortunate to be in a role that gets to see projects from beginning to conclusion. Being able to stand back and look at something that the team helped bring to fruition – there is no better feeling.”