Liza Noonan named Chief Executive Officer at Cicada Innovations

Cicada Innovations has appointed Liza Noonan as its new Chief Executive Officer, with her tenure commencing in early November 2025.

Noonan is currently Executive Director of Innovation at Investment NSW and formerly served as Global Director at CSIRO in addition to several senior leadership positions within the organisation. Her appointment follows Cicada Innovations' history of engagement with deep tech ventures, having supported more than 400 startups and facilitated the raising of over AUD $6 billion in funding, contributing to job creation across Australia.

Her background spans global innovation roles, including stewardship of the national ON Accelerator and managing international partnerships across ASEAN and other global markets. Noonan's career has also encompassed founding Springboard Australia, a startup accelerator focusing on women-led high-growth companies, and holding senior positions within Alcatel-Lucent. She has experience working in markets including the UK, Europe, Singapore, and Australia.

Leadership transition

Katherine Woodthorpe, Chair of Cicada Innovations, commented on the appointment and the qualities Noonan is expected to bring to the role.

Liza brings extensive experience in innovation leadership, systems change and global collaboration. She has a great appreciation of the missions that deep tech founders and the public service share in trying to build a globally competitive sovereign tech economy.

Woodthorpe emphasised the alignment of Noonan's leadership trajectory with Cicada Innovations' objectives.

What unites the facets of Liza's career is a clear throughline: a commitment to building vibrant, inclusive and connected innovation ecosystems. This is work that closely aligns with Cicada's mission to grow Australia's deep tech economy and support ventures tackling society's greatest challenges. We're confident Liza will bring the right vision and momentum to lead Cicada's next stage of growth.

She also took the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of Ingrid Marsh, who acted as CEO during the transition period.

We are especially grateful to Ingrid Marsh for her steady and thoughtful leadership as Acting CEO. Ingrid's commitment and leadership have been instrumental in maintaining stability and focus during this transition.

Strategic vision

Liza Noonan described her enthusiasm about leading Cicada Innovations and outlined her views on the current and future landscape for deep tech in Australia.

Joining Cicada is an absolute career highlight, becoming the latest custodian of an organisation so deeply purpose-driven and committed to supporting deep tech founders. In 2024, two-thirds of venture deals in Australia were directed towards deep tech, so momentum and funding is flowing. But there's still work needed to position Australia globally.

Noonan discussed the nature of deep tech businesses and the support system founders require to succeed.

Deep tech requires time and patience - not only because the science is so new, but because the problem space is highly complex. As a result, founders need more than just investors; they need access to industry groups, public policy networks, regulatory guidance, and global peers.

She identified the challenges and the potential within the Australian context.

We're at a moment where Australia recognises that it holds both the natural endowments and the intellectual capital to arrest the assault on planetary boundaries, build national sovereignty in intelligent productivity and innovate to ensure the future resilience of our health system. But to realise this potential, Australia must position itself as a globally effective collective - one capable of attracting and securing the talent, customers, and capital needed to deliver at scale.

Noonan outlined her view for the company's role in the coming years, particularly regarding the Indo-Pacific region.

I believe that over the next 5-10 years Cicada can become a leading force in accelerating transformative, science-based innovation - particularly across the Indo-Pacific. We can do this by becoming the destination and community of choice for deep tech founders, and by providing the critical inputs they need to scale on their own terms. I'm excited to lead action towards this vision.

Background

Cicada Innovations operates as an incubator and support organisation for ventures in deep tech sectors, working with startups that address problems in fibre optics, space, medtech, and climate innovation. Over its 25-year operation, the organisation remains involved in fostering the Australian technology sector through incubators, training, and building community networks around science-based startups.