Heidi Du Clou (Phd) Email & Phone Number

Brisbane City, Qld, Au

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The Industry Services Business Unit is the key interface between SRA and its industry partners, and local productivity services and extension providers. The Industry Services Business Unit exists to create tangible impacts for industry and is the primary pathway through which SRA converts research and development investments into tangible benefits at the farm and mill. The overarching objective of the business unit is to build strong relationships with industry, develop an SRA-wide understanding of district-level productivity gaps and risks, and apply existing research as a basis for creating solutions/ tools/ products and services to generate industry productivity gains or manage risks to production.The purpose of the Manager Industry Services Operations is to oversee the delivery of current NIR, chemistry and pathology services to industry, improve and modernise these services and develop new profitable service offerings. The Manager Industry Services Operations works closely with the Manager Research Translation, Scientists, District Managers and the Executive Manager Innovation and Commercialisation.Key responsibilities include: • Delivering industry services including running laboratories and developing technology watch.• Managing the budget and profitability of services.• Managing existing services with an emphasis on innovation and quality.• Identifying new service opportunities.• Developing new and profitable scientific services.• Building strong and trusting industry relationships.

Brisbane, Australia

This role requires the professional, technical and operational leadership of projects and project operators involved in research, development and adoption projects relating to milling efficiency and technology for the sugar industry. These projects involve sugarcane, sugar products, bagasse, soil and nutrients and provide measurement, process improvement, technical solutions and several analytical services to the sugar industry. Key elements of this Senior Chemist role include: • Developing new or improved processes, technologies and/or infrastructure• Developing methods that create opportunities to add value or new by-products for the industry• Developing new and innovative methods that limit product loss in the field and the factories• Devising innovative strategies/methodologies/tools to facilitate research in areas of crop agronomy, soil chemistry, soil nutrition and sugar technology• Providing scientific project leadership, resourcing, safety and budget management• Reporting outcomes to clients, and where applicable, initiate patenting or intellectual property protection• Collaborating with other Team Leaders, internal staff and external institutions to develop relationships and integrate research programs• Monitoring the workplace by inspections, observations and receiving feedback from employees• Providing input into the strategic leadership of the research and development program

Auckland, New Zealand

• Performed independent and specialist analytical work• Participated in, led, carried out and completed special development projects• Actively identified and investigated developments or procedures to improve efficiency, productivity and profitability of the laboratory• Ensured that new or modified quality control procedures were in place and documented• Reviewed, provided technical development advice and implemented improvements to current methods• Checked, evaluated and provided scientific verification for analyses• Documented, revised and assessed the analytical methods used in the laboratory • Wrote and validated analytical methods for the laboratory• Provided training on new methods and instrumentation for Technicians and Analysts• Signed off reports for the appropriate disciplines• Maintained knowledge in analytical chemistry with an emphasis on food, dairy, pharmaceutical actives, contaminants and nutrients• Delivered consultancy and advice on matters on specialised areas to both internal and external customers• Operated, maintained and carried out troubleshooting of laboratory instrumentation at high levels• Ensured that all staff members were appropriately trained in skills and competencies to achieve their key responsibilities and performance indicators• Participated and contributed to health and safety continuous improvement initiatives

Durban Area, South Africa

• Lectured chemistry topics to Sugar Technologists• Mentored MSc Chemistry and final year Sugar Technology students• Worked with various instruments • Completed a PhD, with thesis entitled “Characterisation of extracellular polysaccharides produced from a sugarcane fungal pathogen”As Research Officer (Research & Development):• Actively identified and formally proposed new research projects• Core research areas included new products and biopolymers• Effectively coordinated and managed research project operators, analyses, and tasks to deliver outputs under deadline• Interpreted complex data and communicated results effectively• Delivered high-quality papers at international conferences• Unravelled the structure of a novel polymer cultured from a microbial pathogen of sugarcane and identified niche applications from its physical propertiesAs Research Officer (Analytical, Quality, and Method Development):• Effectively managed the Chemical Laboratory (instrumentation, chemicals, students, and analysts)• Had authority to procure new laboratory instruments (i.e., plan, source, motivate, budget and sign-off)• Was responsible for improving, evaluating, and/or replacing routine analytical methods used by the Analytical Laboratory• Trained and developed Analytical Supervisors• Validated accredited chemical analysis methods and assisted with internal and external audits• Instrumental in developing new chemical analysis methods for the Industry• Adept at troubleshooting, calibrating, and maintaining various laboratory instruments• Successfully engaged and communicated effectively with internal and external customers and stakeholders• Liaised with external customers to plan, execute, and report on ad-hoc consulting analyses

Durban Area, South Africa

• Successfully established the analytical techniques for complex carbohydrate biopolymer structure elucidation at the Institute• Developed a carbohydrate mass spectral library for the Industry• Presented as MSc dissertation on the above, which was awarded cum laude and recommended for conversion to a PhD• Instrumental in founding several new biopolymer-related research projects

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Chemistry

Awarded on 27 January 2017, conferred on 05 April 2017.

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc) - Honours, Chemistry, Top Student

Postgraduate responsibilities included: Class representative for BSc (Honours), Chemistry. Laboratory demonstrator and marker.

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc), Pure And Applied Chemistry, Cum Laude

National Senior Certificate, Matriculated With Full Exemption