One of Mary-Anne's great skills is bringing people and organisations together so they can achieve great things. Some dynamic examples of this include:

• Teaming up with the ABC to kick-start National Science Week and pioneer a science-week model that has been copied around the world.
  
  
• Mary-Anne created countless opportunities for business growth, synergies, training and advice during the ICAN innovation festival, and tailor-made events that enabled international specialists to advise both industry and government sectors.
  
  
• Forging a 13-year partnership with the British Council that enables British talent to be showcased via festivals and extensive media coverage and Mary-Anne to cost-recover speakers ranging from Lord Robert Winston and Sir David Bellamy to the late author Douglas Adams and vacuum cleaner baron James Dyson.
  
  
• ActewAGL's extensive 14-year partnership with the Australian Science Festival is a multi-award-winning one that has provided the festival with everything from staff to cocktail parties, cash and mentoring.