Larry Marshall FTSE, FAICD, FAIP
Dr. Larry R Marshall
Chief Executive of the CSIRO
In office 15 January 2015 – 30 June 2023
Preceded by	Megan Clark
Succeeded by	Doug Hilton
Personal details
Born	Larry R. Marshall Sydney, Australia
Education	Macquarie University ( Ph.D)

Larry R. Marshall FAICD FTSE is an Australian CEO, author and innovator who invented and commercialized the "eyesafe laser" enabling lasers to be used safely around humans, ^[1] and the semiconductor green laser which cures blindness in diabetics. ^[2] He founded 6 tech companies in the USA, delivered two IPOs ^[3] and is the longest serving CEO of the CSIRO, departing June 2023. ^[4] He currently Chairs American Chamber of Commerce, and Fortescue Innovation. ^[5]

Born in Sydney Australia, he graduated from Macquarie University in 1988 with a PhD in physics, ^[6] doing research with J. A. Piper on Nonlinear Optics & Lasers. ^{[7] [8]}

In the United States he researched parametric oscillators, ^[9] diode laser-pumped solid-state lasers, ^[10] fiber lasers, ^[11] and laser stabilization. ^[12] Marshall published 100 papers. ^[13] He invented the "eyesafe laser" for LIDAR, ^[1] the single-frequency solid-state blue laser for submarine imaging, ^[14] the highest efficiency frequency-doubled laser, ^[15] UV 289nm laser for detection of biological weapons, ^[16] the intra-intra-cavity OPO for widely tunable IR medical lasers, ^[17] and the semiconductor green laser for Ophthalmology. ^[2]

Following his PhD work, Marshall lived in the United States where he spent time at Stanford University, founded 6 startups over 26 years, ^[18] and registered 20 US patents ^[19] which were the basis for his startups. ^[20]

He was Australian Top 10 Digital Entrepreneur, ^[21] one of Australia's 10 most influential people in Tech, ^[22] an inaugural STEM Champion of Change, ^[23] & co-founded the following startups & VC Funds:

Light Solutions (CEO) invented semiconductor green laser curing blindness in diabetics, merger with Iris Medical created Iridex IPO’d on Nasdaq. ^[24]

Iriderm invented laser to treat Telangiectasia, was acquired by Nasdaq:CUTR ^[25]

AOC (Chair) created Optoelectronics for Cable TV, now public company in China ^[26]

Translucent (CEO, Chair) invented Silicon laser, formerly thought impossible, acquired by ASX:SLX, share price rose 10x post acquisition. ^[27]

Lightbit (CEO) invented optical chip enabling Telecom across USA in a single hop, acquired by Corelux. ^[28]

Arasor (MD, co-Chair) enabled wireless HD streaming video while Netflix was still mailing DVDs, IPO’d by Marshall ^[29]

Venture Capital firms Main Sequence, ^[30] Blackbird, ^[31] The Renewable Energy Fund, ^[4] Southern Cross Venture Partners. ^[32]

He is a Federation Fellow, ^[33] a Fellow of AICD, ^[34] AIP, ^[35] and FTSE. ^[36]

He is a published author, a book "Invention to Innovation" which teaches scientists to build companies, ^[37] and sits on the boards of ASX:FMG, ^[38] ASX:NAN, ^[39] ANU, ^[40] Great Barrier Reef Foundation. ^[41]

Marshall’s vision was for CSIRO to become an innovation catalyst to solve "Australia's Innovation Dilemma" he cites as a life mission. ^[37]

He reversed CSIRO’s 30y decline, created $10B more value that any prior CEO, and took CSIRO 80% of the way to Net Zero. ^[42] He doubled the female leadership of CSIRO, and credits Diversity for doubling the value created by CSIRO annually, ^[43] doubling the morale of its staff & their safety, and doubling its public Trust making it the most trusted iconic brand in Australia. ^[44]

He narrowed CSIRO’s focus to solving Australia’s 6 National Challenges: Health, Environment, Food, Energy, Future Industry, & National Security. ^[45] He created a National Missions program to solve these challenges, but opposite to EU Missions which are funded by government, his are funded primarily by Industry. ^[46]

He led CSIRO’s first acquisition, NICTA & created Australia’s largest AI group Data61; ^[47] created the ON Program, a National science accelerator that outperformed the famous US iCorps accelerator; ^[48] and raised the first VC Fund in Government, Main Sequence, now a $1B fund supporting scientist CEOs. ^[48]

Marshall was subject to intense political criticism throughout his leadership of CSIRO:

When he was announced as CEO, he was asked about his inspiration for innovation, and cited the lengths farmers go to for water, including dowsing : "When I see that as a scientist, it makes me question, 'is there instrumentality that we could create that would enable a machine to find that water?"

Australian Skeptics awarded him Bent Spoon award for "the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". ^{[49] [50]}

In 2016, CSIRO deployed a water detection device as described by Marshall, and mapped underground aquifers, but the Australian Skeptics refused to withdraw their award. ^[51]

His narrowing of CSIRO’s focus required a 350 person reduction, including 60 climate scientists which drew intense criticism from scientists & the Australian Labor Party, & Greens, ^[52] including: ^{[53] [54]}

              3,000 signature petition from scientists across 60 countries ^[55]

              7 senate hearings ^{[56] [57]}

              Editorial in New York Times titled “Australia turns its back on climate science” ^{[58] [59]}

              50+ articles by Peter Hannam criticizing the changes ^[60]

              2016 election promise by Labor to reverse Marshall’s changes ^[61]

              Intense Public criticism of Marshall by famous scientists John Church, ^[62] Tony Haymet, ^[63] Andy Pitman, ^[64] and Senators Kim Carr, Janet Rice, Whish-Wilson said his position was "untenable", "his strategy failed", and he was "going down in flames". ^{[65] [66] [67]}

It was later shown that Marshall did not cut funding to climate science, but the prior leadership lost $20M of funding before Marshall arrived. ^[68] Despite the initial redundancies, Marshall grew CSIRO by 1,000 people, its first growth in 30y. ^{[42] [43] [44]}

In the midst of climate criticism, media reported he was being sued by angry shareholders in Arasor, which he had left 10y earlier. ^[69]

Marshall took Arasor public in 2006, and exceeded revenue expectations in 2006 and 2007, ^{[70] [71]} making ASX:ARR one of the most successful tech IPOs of that time. ^[72] He left in 2007 and 5 years later in 2011 all the Directors were named in a speculative lawsuit launched by a litigation fund International Litigation Partners. ^{[73] [74]} In a failed claim it had been alleged that Arasor's Directors produced misleading prospectuses. ^[75] The case gained notoriety when it failed to show misstatements and was rejected, ^[76] but then plead market based causation ^[77] which does not require either damages or specific misstatements. ^[78] The case was closed in 2018 with no actions against any director, ^[79] but one of the plaintiffs was subsequently sued over "inflated claims". ^{[80] [81]} International Litigation Partners was itself sued by the Australian Tax Office for tax evasion, ^[82] and its founder Paul Lindholm charged with resisting arrest. ^[83]