May 16 2007
The Australian Nano Business Forum (ANBF) has announced the appointment of Dr Ian Birkby as the Board Member to represent its NSW Chapter. Dr Birkby who was nominated by the NSW Chapter of the ANBF, and elected unanimously by the ANBF Board, will take up his position immediately.
Dr Birkby is the founder and CEO of AZoNano, the world’s premier information service for nanotechnology stakeholders. AZoNano.com (the A to Z of Nanotechnology) was formed in 2003 using the already proven and successful AZoM.com internet portal and technology platform. AZoM.com currently attracts over 1,100,000 visitor sessions/month and is the premier on-line materials destination. AZoNano attracted 351,000 visitors in March 2007.
In addition to his familiarity with the online opportunities for new technologies, Dr Birkby brings considerable materials and manufacturing industry expertise to the Board. He is a Materials Scientist, with a PhD from the University of Leeds. His undergraduate degree is in Engineering Metallurgy. From 1987 to 1999 he was the Managing Director of Dynamic-Ceramic Limited, which manufactures advanced ceramics for wear and corrosion resistant applications. He negotiated the sale of Dynamic-Ceramic to Bomanton International, an advanced materials group in 1997.
The CEO of the ANBF, Ms Tina Rankovic welcomed Dr Birkby to the Board “We are pleased and excited that Ian is joining the ANBF Board. We believe that he will provide complementary skills and experience to the existing Board”. She also commented that “This is a significant milestone for the ANBF, in that more than 80% of ANBF’s inaugural members now are represented at the Board level”.
Dr Peter Binks, an existing Director on the ANBF Board, welcomed Dr Birkby “Ian is an outstanding strategist and manager, and has been a driving force behind the development of Australian nanotechnology since 2003. He has a national perspective, and will make a great contribution to the ANBF in its role leading industry to capitalize on the opportunities provided by nanotechnology”. Mr Brian Power, Chairman of the ANBF also noted “Ian Birkby is joining a first class team. It is a pleasure to welcome him on board”.