Ken Jefferd in

Ken Jefferd

Commander · DISC type D
Board and Investment Committee Member at Tin Alley Ventures
📍 Greater Melbourne Area, Australia

Ken is the Managing Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Melbourne, where he leads a team of 300 professionals. With a first-class degree in applied chemistry, he spent 20 years in global executive roles at BP before applying his experience to growing science and technology-driven enterprises.

Described as values-driven, open, and authentic, Ken is passionate about building innovative and purposeful businesses. He is known for his ability to connect with people, listen actively, and foster an inclusive and customer-focused culture. His leadership is frequently highlighted as a key strength in professional recommendations.

He successfully led HRL Technology Group out of administration, resulting in a 9X return for investors upon its sale to private equity.

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Experience
28 Years
Current Role
Board and Investment Committee Member
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
Greater Melbourne Area, Australia
Personality Overview

How Ken shows up

Candid & Clear
Strong-Willed
Impact-Driven

They respond better to strong and respectful interactions. They like to stay in control of the negotiation or defining of the terms. They are less concerned about the product and more about its potential impact.

Priorities

Topics Ken cares about

Research Commercialisation
His current role involves translating university research into real-world impact. He recently appeared on a podcast titled, "Turning Billions of Research Investment Into Commercial Success. "
Venture Investing
Serves as a Board and Investment Committee Member for Tin Alley Ventures, a $120m venture capital fund focused on the University of Melbourne's innovation ecosystem.
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Career

Work history

12-2022
Board and Investment Committee Member
Tin Alley Ventures
7-2022
Managing Director
University of Melbourne
5-2020
Non Executive Director
BioCurate Pty Ltd
2-2019 - 1-2023
Council Member
Australian British Chamber of Commerce
1-2018 - 2-2023
Non Executive Director
Bionics Institute
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
2014 - 2014
BP CFO Excellence Exec Development Program
The Wharton School
2008 - 2008
BP Sales and Marketing Exec Development Program
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

D

Dominance (D)

Dominance (D) reflects how goal and task oriented a person is, and their ability to accomplish results irrespective of how demanding the circumstances might be. Those scoring high tend to be motivated by winning, competition, and success.

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