Kate Cornick

Kate Cornick is the CEO of LaunchVic, the Victorian Government’s $60 million startup initiative.Kate is passionate about the role of innovation in our economy and society more broadly, and has considerable experience in technology innovation across start-ups, academia, corporates and government.Most recently, Kate led the development of human resources technology start-up Rision Ltd, creating new products, partnerships, sales and ultimately a listing on the ASX.Kate previously held positions at the University of Melbourne including Director of Industry Engagement and Innovation, Executive Director of the Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES). She also co-led the establishment the Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications - a joint venture between the University of Melbourne, Victorian State Government and global telecommunications giant Alcatel-Lucent.Kate’s is a telecommunications engineer, and was involved in policy development for the NBN. She has held the positions of Senior Telecommunications Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and has also worked as a General Manager at NBN Co.Kate Cornick undertook her PhD in optical telecommunications at the University of Melbourne and, as part of her studies, spent time at AT&T Research Laboratories, USA.