Derek Rogers Hall of Fame

Diona is a business owner and practicing consultant in the agribusiness consulting company, Rural Directions Pty Ltd. She is also a director of a large scale corporatised family farming business, Pareta Farms Pty Ltd. Both are located in the mid north of South Australia. Diona holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agriculture.  Prior to her consulting role, Diona spent over a decade working in a variety of research and development positions, principally within the grains industry.

Diona’s consulting role includes project design, delivery and management, business systems development and design and commercialisation of new products and services that add value to the Rural Directions Pty Ltd client base and to the business itself. The outcome is to provide practical solutions for agribusiness managers that result in business improvement.

The motivation to complete the Master of Science and Technology Commercialisation (MSTC) was to increase knowledge and skills so that products and services could be more efficiently delivered to the client base. It was also to increase commercial outcomes resulting from research and development projects.

The MSTC provides materials and tools that are readily applied. Course work requirements can be tailored to the immediate work situation. Deliverers have industry experience and use networks to invite guest speakers who provide valuable insights. The course addresses all key aspects of the commercialisation process. For those wishing to improve commercialisation and business development outcomes it provides practical mechanisms to do so. The MSTC is highly recommended.

Graeme Robertson is an experienced technology professional having specialised in the global semiconductor and ICT industries for over 10 years. He has successfully completed several system-on-chip (ASIC) design projects for major semiconductor companies including Motorola, Freescale Semiconductor and Intel Corporation within Australia, Europe and the USA. Throughout his career, Graeme has been an integral team member, team leader and mentor within international technology design groups and is the recipient of numerous internal awards recognising his significant contributions. He has also consulted to VPs and senior managers on intellectual property re-use methodologies, design processes and improvements in project and technical management.

Graeme holds a Bachelors degree in Electronic Engineering with Honours in Electronic Systems; a Masters degree in Microelectronic Engineering, for which he was a recipient of a Victorian Government Chipskills scholarship; and recently completed the Masters degree in Science and Technology Commercialisation (Advanced) within the ECIC at Adelaide University. In 2009 he was awarded third place within the entrepreneurs challenge (eChallenge) with "Choice Touch Systems" and won both the Vroom and Piper Alderman prizes for commercialisation.

As an engineer, Graeme is passionate about creating new products and working at the forefront of technology. While studying for his technical Masters degree he was 'infected' with the entrepreneurial dream of Dr. Tom McKaskill and he now hopes to start and run his own technology-based company. Much of Graeme's current drive comes from after working overseas and seeing first-hand how often technically proficient Australian researchers and engineers fail to capitalise on the commercialisation of their technology. For this reason, Graeme decided to enrol in the MSTC program within the ECIC and help fill this commercialisation gap to take Australian knowledge and expertise to the world.

The MSTC offered by The University of Adelaide provides unique insights into Science and Technology based business development and investment. The program fosters entrepreneurialism at all levels, and the qualification provides a leading edge in today’s competitive marketplace.  If you are looking to develop practical insights and tools ranging from rapid screening techniques, to business planning and venture development, then this course is for you.

Ty has a track record of entrepreneurial activity in Australia, starting in his teenage years and stretching as far abroad as sub-Sahara Africa. He has been a founding member and Director of start-up ventures in Wholesale, Manufacturing, ITC, Biotech and Cleantech industries.

Ty was a recipient of a Business Initiatives for Graduates scholarship and graduated at the top of his class in the MSTC program with the highest aggregate score. He has won numerous academic awards and prizes including the Derek Rodgers prize in commercialisation and the National John Heine Entrepreneurial business planning and investment pitch competition. Ty’s academic qualifications include a Master of Science and Technology Commercialisation and he is currently completing his MBA, in addition to a Master of Professional Accounting.

Ty has recently been appointed as South Australian Investment Manager by the Trans Tasman Commercialisation Fund (TTCF).

Brad Carr is a Director of Portfolio Solutions at NAB. Focusing on NAB’s Corporate & Institutional client segments, Brad is responsible for optimising the bank's portfolio of loans and market derivatives transactions and managing the bank's risks, particularly in the environment of market disruption and increased regulation post-Basel and through the Global Financial Crisis. Previously, Brad had worked in NAB’s Credit Bureau, as a banker to Small Business clients, as a Business Project Manager in NAB's Payments & Cards division, as well as leading the development of online-based tooling and knowledge-bases for NAB's Technology Projects.

Brad completed his MSTC in 2006, winning the Derek Rogers Prize in Commercialisation for his research project on Bank Lending to Start-up Ventures, examining how Banking practices and Debt-finance products fit with the profile of new enterprises. As some Australian banks now start to look at how they might similarly package Debt and Equity finance for their clients, Brad will find the insightful learnings from his MSTC serve to position him well for his career.

Brad is pleased to recommend the MSTC course to aspiring entrepreneurs, developers and investors alike: “It is a stimulating program that covers a breadth of key elements to the Commercialisation process, but its greatest strength is its highly practical nature. I think it’s a very ‘real-world’ educational experience.”