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Simon Hanson
SME Engagement Director at CSIRO
Professional Background
Simon Hanson is an esteemed professional in the field of innovation and research partnerships, currently serving as the Director of CSIRO's SME Connect team. His leadership facilitates crucial connections between Australian start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the research sector, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in driving innovation and business growth. Under Simon's guidance, the CSIRO SME Connect team has excelled in its role as the National Delivery Partner for key initiatives within the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources' Entrepreneurs' Programme. These initiatives include Innovation Connections and Incubator Support, reflecting Simon's commitment to fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Australia.
The CSIRO SME Connect team has a nationwide presence, with representatives strategically positioned in major Australian cities such as Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Townsville. This widespread network not only amplifies the impact of their programs but also ensures that support is accessible to SMEs across the country.
In addition to overseeing the SME Connect team, Simon also manages initiatives such as the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) STEM⁺ Business Fellowship Program and the CSIRO Kick-Start program, both of which provide invaluable resources and support for emerging businesses. These programs are vital in bridging the gap between research institutions and industry players, fostering collaboration that leads to meaningful innovation.
Education and Achievements
Simon's academic credentials lay a strong foundation for his career in business and innovation. He studied for his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at the prestigious University of Melbourne, specifically through the Melbourne Business School. This advanced education equipped Simon with the strategic thinking and leadership skills necessary for his current role. Additionally, he holds two Bachelor's Degrees from the University of Adelaide: one in Economics and another in Law. This diverse educational background enriches Simon's understanding of economic principles and legal frameworks that underpin successful business operations and negotiations.
Professional Experience
Prior to his current role, Simon has held various influential positions within CSIRO. As the Director of Business Development & Commercial for CSIRO Services, he played a crucial role in driving the commercial strategies that align with CSIRO's mission to deliver impactful research and innovation. His experience as the Business Development and Commercial Director for the Environment sector of CSIRO demonstrates his versatility and ability to adapt to different areas and challenges within the organization. This breadth of experience showcases Simon's commitment to fostering growth and pushing the boundaries of what is possible through research and innovation.
With a deep expertise in relationship development among research organizations, universities, SMEs, major corporations, and government entities, Simon has been instrumental in building bridges that foster collaboration and create opportunities for innovation. His skills in management, business development, contract negotiation, and technology commercialization further amplify his contributions to the research sector.
Achievements
Simon's notable achievements within CSIRO and the broader landscape of Australian innovation include leading his team through vital partnerships that have resulted in enhanced funding avenues for SMEs and bolstered the research landscape. His understanding of funding programs that support research, innovation, and commercialization has positioned him as a key player in assisting SMEs to navigate the often complex environment of research partnerships.
Simon’s work exemplifies the goals of the CSIRO – maximizing the impact of research in driving social, economic, and environmental benefits for Australia. His ongoing efforts to connect start-ups and SMEs with valuable research assets and expertise signify a dedication to empowering businesses to reach their fullest potential. With a passion for innovation and a commitment to collaboration, Simon Hanson continues to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and researchers alike in the pursuit of knowledge and advancement in their respective fields.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.