Keynote speakers

Tuesday 22 November - 9:30am

Associate Professor Catherine Ball

Catherine is a scientific futurist, speaker, advisor, author, founder, executive producer, executive director, and company director working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education, and environmental needs. Catherine also likes to create businesses, champion movements, collaborate with peers and advise significant changes. A sought-after voice across the start-up, futurist and tech world, Catherine works globally across a wide range of projects, from creating documentaries and world-leading conferences and events to advising on the use of novel approaches (e.g., drones) across environmental and humanitarian projects.

Catherine is a proponent of community engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and likes to demystify emerging tech. Having been called a ‘social architect,’ Catherine likes to connect people from diverse backgrounds across common themes. A champion of diversity and inclusion, Catherine believes we need points of difference to innovate and curate the changes we want to see truly. Working to protect the natural environment and empowering all members of society through mutual education are core aspects of the projects Catherine chooses to spend her time and energy on.

Catherine continues to support Australia as the world leader in advancing ethically driven technological applications. Industry 5.0 is emerging, with society and community at the heart of how we operate and curate emerging trends and capabilities. Catherine is the only Australian on the International Advisory Board of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which follows her work as a judge on the Ocean Discovery XPrize. A proud #SheFlies ambassador for Girl Geek Academy, a mentor and advisor to the CEO of Women Who Drone, and a regular mentor to many rising stars across the STEM fields in Australia and abroad, Catherine believes in actively paying it forward.

An Associate Professor at the Australian National University and Honorary Associate Professor at the 3AI Institute, Catherine is leading national conversations around technology and its place in the current and future challenges in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Catherine’s latest business ventures include the internationally renowned World of Drones and Robotics Congress, established in Brisbane in 2017 and the free community resources of World of Drones Education, established in 2018. Catherine is a board director for Aviation Australia; and is on the international advisory board for the Ocean Impact Org, a not-for-profit ecosystem for businesses working towards a healthier ocean. Catherine holds a BSc Honours (Environmental Protection) and a PhD (Spatial Ecology, Descriptive and Predictive Statistics) from the University of Newcastle- upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom. Catherine lives in Brisbane with her husband and two sons.

Wednesday 23 November - 10:15am 

Dr Ivano Bongiovanni

Ivano is a researcher, consultant, author, and speaker whose work focuses on the managerial and business implications of Cybersecurity.

A Lecturer in Information Security, Governance and Leadership with the UQ Business School and a member of UQ Cyber, Ivano helps business leaders and executives make evidence-based decisions in cybersecurity. With a professional background in risk and security management, Ivano’s work bridges the gap between technical cybersecurity and its repercussions across organisations. He has advised ministers, policy-makers, board members, and senior executives on strategies, governance structures, policies, and training programs for effective cybersecurity management. Ivano is also an experienced facilitator in the fields of Design Thinking and Design-Led innovation, having run since 2015 more than 60 design-led workshops and longer projects for public and private sector organisations.

Prior to UQ, Ivano worked as a Research Fellow with the Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow) and a Postdoctoral Fellow with the PwC Chair in Digital Economy (QUT). In this role, he advised public and private sector organisations in their transition into the Digital Age. Ivano obtained his PhD from QUT in 2016, with a thesis on safety and security management in Australian airports. His academic career includes stints with Bocconi University and SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan), where he worked as a faculty member and consultant for three years. He also worked as a Deputy Venue Security Manager at the XX Winter Olympic Games - Turin 2006 and as a Police Officer for the Italian Ministry of Interior. Ivano has a double MSc in Management of Public Administrations and International Institutions (Bocconi University, Milan) and International Security (Sciences Po, Paris).

A father of one and an eager snowboarder, Ivano loves soccer, American football, and writing novels and poems.