Research, Innovation and Commercialisation is a passionate team of professional experts supporting our researchers make brilliant discoveries and partner with business, government and not-for-profit organisations so those ideas translate into benefits for society. Key services include industry partnership and business development, grants, contracts, ethics and integrity, knowledge and technology transfer, innovation, commercialisation and researcher capability development.
Ken is an executive leader and Non-executive Director with a passion for building and growing innovative businesses driven by science, engineering and technology.
Ken’s current roles at the University of Melbourne are Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC) and Managing Director, UM Commercialisation Ltd where he is focused on developing the research business and external partnerships, diversifying sources of income, streamlining operations to improve service quality and efficiency and increasing innovation through knowledge transfer for social good and commercialisation of intellectual property.
He graduated from Cardiff University with a first-class degree in applied chemistry before spending 20 years in global executive leadership roles for BP based in the UK, New York, California and Melbourne. More recently Ken was Managing Director of the private-equity owned, hrl: technology group, a specialist engineering and testing business operating nationally and across SE Asia, before joining its board of directors as a Non-Executive Director in 2017.
Ken is also a Non-Executive Director of the Bionics Institute, BioCurate Pty Ltd and a Council Member of the Australian British Chamber of Commerce.