Kernot Memorial Medal Oration
2026 Kernot Memorial Medal Oration
Date: Thursday 22nd October
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
6:00pm: Canapés and networking
6:30pm: Formalities commence
Location: The Forum, Melbourne Connect (700 Swanston St Carlton, VIC 3053)
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology is delighted to announce Samantha Read FRACI GAICD BEng (Hons) as the recipient of the 2026 Kernot Memorial Medal, in recognition of her distinguished contributions to engineering and their impact across industry and public policy.
From advancing manufacturing capability and sustainability initiatives to influencing policy and regulatory reform, Samantha's leadership has made a lasting contribution to Australian industry.
The 2026 Kernot Memorial Medal will be presented to Samantha Read, followed by the Kernot Memorial Medal Oration.
About the Oration
Shaping Australia's Future Through Engineering
What does it mean to succeed as an engineer?
Is success the moment an idea is proven in the laboratory? When a product leaves the production line? When it reaches the customer, or when the numbers on the balance sheet turn positive?
These are important measures. But they are not the whole story.
The true measure of engineering leadership is the impact we create: the industries we strengthen, the problems we solve, the capabilities we build, and the legacy we leave behind.
Australia stands at a defining moment.
We are navigating an unprecedented convergence of industrial, environmental and economic change: the transition to a lower-emissions energy system; the emergence of the circular economy; increasing pressure on critical supply chains; rapid technological transformation; and a policy environment that will shape Australia's industrial competitiveness for decades to come.
At the centre of these challenges, and the opportunities they create, are engineers. Because engineers are not merely building what comes next. We are helping determine what comes next.
Drawing on more than three decades of leadership across the chemicals, renewable fuels, automotive and manufacturing sectors, Samantha Read will explore the interconnected nature of Australia's industrial future: how energy, resources, manufacturing, technology and supply chains are increasingly inseparable; how the transition to a more circular economy can create new sources of value and capability; and how engineering leadership can help Australia turn disruption into opportunity.
This Oration will offer a practical and forward-looking perspective on the role of engineering leadership in Australia's next chapter, and a call to action for engineers to step confidently into the decisions that will define our industrial, economic and environmental future.
About the Orator
Samantha Read is a remarkable non-executive director, business leader and former CEO whose 35-year career has spanned the chemicals, plastics, renewable fuels, automotive and steel sectors.
Recognised for her distinguished leadership at the intersection of industry, engineering and public policy, Samantha has played a significant role in modernising Australia’s industrial chemicals regulation, advancing circular economy policy development, strengthening sovereign manufacturing capability, supply chain resilience, and championing biofuels. She currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the ARC Training Centre for Sustainable and Green Economy Manufacturing, Deputy Chair of The Fair Co, Non-Executive Director of the Battery Stewardship Council, and member of the Federal Government’s Advisory Committee for the Environmental Management of Industrial Chemicals.
Having recently left Chemistry Australia where she was CEO for 12 years, Samantha continues her passion of supporting the next generation of Australian industry leaders as a Mentor with Monash Business School’s Creative Destruction Lab program. Her contributions have been recognised through a Monash University Distinguished Alumni (Engineering) Award and Fellowship of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.