Associate Professor Catherine Ball, ANU
Dr Catherine Ball appears by arrangement with Saxton Speakers Bureau
Dr Catherine Ball is a scientific futurist, speaker, advisor, author, founder, 
executive producer, executive director, company director, and charity patron working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education and environmental needs. Catherine also likes to create businesses and champion movements, collaborate with peers, and advise game-changers.
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 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and likes to demystify emerging tech.
Having been called a ‘social architect’, Catherine likes to connect people from different backgrounds across common themes. A champion of diversity and inclusion, Catherine believes we need points of difference to truly innovate and curate the changes we want to see in the world. 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.
Current Work:
Catherine continues to support Australia as being the world leader in the advancement of 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.
Currently, Catherine is the 2020 patron of the Tech Girls Movement, a #SheFlies ambassador for Girl Geek Academy, and a mentor and advisor to the CEO of New York based Women Who Drone, as well as a mentor to the #SuperstarsofSTEM project by Science and Technology Australia.
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 Schmidt Ocean Institute, which operates the first year-round philanthropic research vessel in the world, and 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 Queensland with her husband and two sons.
Awards and Honours:
- 2020 Analytics Insight Worlds 50 Most Renowned Women in Robotics Award
- 2018 Global Contribution to UAV Industry award from Shenzhen UAV Industry association
- 2017 AFR’s BOSS Magazine True Leaders Game Changers
- 2017 Women in Leadership Awards – Finalist Innovation Category
- 2016 Financial Review & Westpac 100 Woman of Influence
- 2016 Top 25 Women in Robotics List
- 2016 Courier Mail QBM Magazine: 25 Influential Movers and Shakers of Queensland
- 2015 AFR’s BOSS Magazine Young Executives of the Year Winner
- 2015 National Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Corporate and Private Award
- 2015 Queensland Telstra Business Women’s Awards Winner
- 2015 Queensland Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Queensland Corporate and Private Awards Winner.
- 2015 Innovator of Influence at Innovation Week
- 2015 Courier Mail Q Magazine: Queensland 50 Best and Brightest
On, and New Zealand's Funniest Home Videos, his very public life started when he joined the band Kal-Q-Lated Risk in 1967 as lead singer. After a stint in the army in the 1970’s Ian went on to complete an LLB degree from the University of Otago before setting up Taylormade Media, a television production company in 1989.