Maria MacNamara is stepping down as CEO of Australia’s peak space industry body.

The Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA), which works closely with government to advance the national space economy, announced Ms MacNamara’s appointment less than four months ago saying she brought expertise, a deep global network and the ability to unlock opportunities locally and overseas.

But in a LinkedIn post over the weekend Ms McNamara said she had made a decision to step down from SIA, although she intended to remain active in the space sector.

“While I made the call to step down as CEO of SIAA, I am not stepping away from the space ecosystem,” she said.

She said much needs to be done and nothing needs to prevent the space ecosystem becoming a top five GDP contributor in the next 7-10 years.

Ms MacNamara thanked everyone who had shared their ‘time, frustrations and ideas’ with her across Australia, India and the US.

“I will reflect on what I have learned and share my thoughts soon,” she said.

Ms MacNamara joined SIAA after a term as the Director of Government Affairs and Innovation Strategy at global ICT infrastructure company Kyndryl.

Maria has previously been CEO of Advance.org, Australia’s diaspora organisation, and has held senior roles in the federal and NSW governments.

Government News has sought comment from SIA.