Cicada Spotlight: Julie Autuly
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up close to the beautiful and sometimes snowy Pyrenees mountains in France. As a result, I have always been an outdoor person; but cities suit me too, as I can fulfill my second passion: experimenting all kinds of food and finding the "best ___ " in every place I go.
I have engineering degrees in both Physics and Space, from Toulouse. I chose Physics probably because of my need to understand how things - everything works. And I chose space as to me, space is unarguably the coolest thing.
I had the chance to start my career with CNES (the French Space Agency) and support the local space ecosystem in their transformation, through the creation of a community. Then, I made a move to the European Space Agency in Rome - Italy, to work with an amazing team of engineers, scientists, and space enthusiasts. We were looking at transforming Earth Observation with new tech, but also through innovative partnerships and a stronger European ecosystem.
As I was looking for my way back to Toulouse, I landed on a job ad from Airbus... in Australia. I have spent the last 2+ years working in Brisbane, on commercial and military aircraft in project management roles. Finally, I am joining this amazing Cicada team to put all my energy and passion for space at the service of the Hub and its people, and I am ready for take-off!
Fun fact: No, I am not from Paris. No, I have never lived there. No, I don't like cheese.
What are you going to be working on at Cicada and how will it help our community?
I am going to be working as Program Manager on the National Space Industry Hub, aimed at creating "the perfect mix" with a strong industry and a vibrant community.
The deep tech community on its whole will benefit from it, as they will discover how both worlds are strongly interconnected and can unlock a lot of opportunities for one another. What we do in Space can help us on Earth, and what we do on Earth can help us in Space!
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to that you would recommend to others.
Currently reading:
- Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez. A good book that makes you take a step back to at least acknowledge the bias in everything we think, perceive, create and build.
Currently re-re-re-watching:
- The Bureau. French spy-intelligence TV show, by far my favorite of all times, and available for all on SBS On Demand
- New Girl, when I need a feel-good watch.
