Henrietta Tan Joins SmartCrete CRC as Head of Strategy and Sustainability

This July, Henrietta Tan joins SmartCrete CRC to help power our net-zero agenda.

We caught up with Tan to learn more about her background, what her appointment means for our decarbonisation mission, and a new initiative taking shape: the Concrete Sustainability Alliance.

From Standards to SmartCrete

Tan spent more than 7 years at Standards Australia, where she worked across multiple roles.

These included project manager, program manager, and, most notably, engagement manager for the building and plumbing sectors—a role she held for 4 years and describes as her favourite.

“That was very exciting because we were always trying to achieve big things in standards for the net benefit of the Australian community,” Tan says.

“One achievement I’m proud of was our initiating a project focused on prefabricated and modern methods of construction. It meant working closely with the Australian Building Codes Board and industry—it took a long time to get off the ground.”

Tan also contributed to the evolving landscape of concrete and cement standards, especially through her stakeholder engagement work.

“What I loved most was bringing different voices together—particularly those that are often left out of the conversation. It’s so important to understand the range of perspectives and impacts across the industry.”

With deep experience across construction and stakeholder engagement, Tan is a natural fit for SmartCrete CRC’s mission to advance concrete innovation for a sustainable future.

“I think the work SmartCrete is doing now—and planning for in the future—is critical for decarbonising the built environment.”

The Road Ahead

Five years into SmartCrete CRC’s lifespan, Tan will lead strategy and sustainability in close collaboration with CEO Clare Tubolets.

“Completing our current projects and planning how we can drive impact from research findings will be a key focus,” Tan says.

The CRC’s work to date has supported technical innovation and pathways to decarbonisation, however it has also revealed systemic challenges and limitations impeding the concrete sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

While we’ve made progress on the technical front, market barriers remain—like the absence of risk-sharing frameworks and a need for performance-based standards and procurement policies.

“Certainly there’s been a lot of good headway towards decarbonisation made, but right now, there are still more questions than answers.”

This is why we are setting up the Concrete Sustainability Alliance to continue the work of decarbonising concrete when SmartCrete CRC closes in 2027.

The Concrete Sustainability Alliance takes the learnings from our CRC to address the sector’s emissions challenges more holistically—through a systems-based approach.

Tan’s role involves aligning the sector’s 3 key stakeholder groups of industry, research, and government.

“Everyone is impacted—not just the manufacturers and suppliers. It goes much broader than that. We have a whole village to draw on.”

The North Star

With the concrete sector’s commitment to reaching net-zero enshrined in our Pathways Report and taking shape through Concrete Sustainability Alliance’s cross-sectoral collaboration, what once seemed an idealistic dream now looks achievable.

But how do we get there?

“It’s about taking as many stakeholders along on the journey as possible,” Tan says.

Concrete Sustainability Alliance will expand and accelerate SmartCrete CRC’s work by engaging the full concrete ecosystem to deliver a coordinated, collaborative and systems-based program of decarbonisation innovation.

The Alliance will serve as an independent government-backed innovation program, investing in projects that tackle major barriers to decarbonisation of the concrete ecosystem.

“It’s going to take determination and a great deal of collaboration.”

“A lot of energy and passion has already gone into it, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that.”

Interested in participating in the Concrete Sustainability Alliance? Connect with us at info@smartcretecrc.com.au.