With his keen ability to turn under-performing companies into stock-exchange stars, Robin Levison CA FAICD (Graduate Certificate in Management ’03, Graduate Diploma in Business Administration ’04, Master of Business Administration ’10) has been a bright light in the business world for many years.

But his latest venture will see him propelled even closer to the heavens – the Moon and Mars, actually.

PPK Group Ltd, the ASX-listed company of which he is Non-Executive Chair, has just won the Boeing/Advance Queensland-sponsored Sustainability in Space pitch competition.

“PPK Group leads the world in the development, manufacture and commercialisation of Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs) and we have recently branched into advanced aerospace material technology,” he said.

BNNTs are considered the world's strongest and most advanced fibre. Their ability to withstand extreme temperatures offer significant material benefits in aviation, space travel, power generation, batteries, and defence systems.

“We showcased the potential role that boron nitride nanomaterials could play in interplanetary travel and the protection of space hardware and radiation shielding for space travellers, and were rewarded to see another company headquartered in Queensland being recognised for its scientific R&D breakthroughs.

But how did his inner-city company make such a leap?

Before transitioning to the resources and technology sector, Levison had enjoyed a stellar career in the financial services industry, holding senior positions in KPMG, Barclays Bank and Merrill Lynch, where he advised on capital raising, acquisitions and the listing process.

Then in 2005, having just completed his Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, he took his own advice and became Managing Director and CEO of Industrea Limited (ASX:IDL), a company specialising in mining products and services, which was ultimately sold to US conglomerate General Electric Company (GE) in 2012 for $700 million. Levison served as GE Mining’s Global Director Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions during the post-acquisition integration phase.

Soon followed Ignition Equity Partners Pty Ltd, an equity funding and corporate advisory firm investing in property, IT, retirement living, Fin Tech and the mining sector, and with investments in a number of companies including PPK Group Ltd – which is where he now focuses much of his attention as Non Executive Chairman.

“PPK Group determined that supporting the underground coal industry would not create the best value for our shareholders in the long-term and so we distributed our mining assets to existing PPK shareholders,” Levison said.

“We then focused on the commercialisation of technology opportunities, which in the main had the initial research and development work undertaken at universities (UQ, Deakin and Monash).

“PPK also invested in more advanced technology opportunities, such as Australia’s largest ballistic armour manufacturer and Australia’s largest privately owned on- and off-grid battery manufacturer.”

Hence the move into space technology.

But outer space is not PPK Group’s only technology venture: analysing traffic is another interest that came about thanks to UQ.

“On behalf of PPK Group, I was introduced to Advanced Mobility Analytics Group (AMAG) via UniQuest when AMAG’s lead researcher and CEO Professor Simon Washington was based in the School of Civil Engineering before leaving to manage and direct AMAG full-time,” Levison said.

“By taking the financial and commercialisation risk, PPK Group has managed to create jobs, enable verification and development of university ‘science projects’, and brought them to real-life – from a 3-person team with one client in a UQ lab to a 30-strong global AI software company spread across 5 countries.”

Via UniQuest, UQ now holds shares in AMAG, with PPK Group being the largest and controlling shareholder. 

And, of course, there is Levison’s own scholarly achievement, with 3 separate qualifications being completed.

“The MBA, which I studied part-time at night while working full-time, was transformational to my business success,” he said.

Robin Levison has always been “very enthusiastic about Brisbane and Queensland and its place globally and in the community”, as he stated in Contact in 2013.

And this definitely extends to UQ.

“I had the benefit myself of a scholarship to a private high school that would otherwise have been unattainable," he said.

“And so, in 2020, we founded the Levison Family Scholarship Endowment – to encourage and support undergraduate students in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law experiencing financial hardship.”

The (perpetual or ongoing) scholarship is worth around $4,500 per year for up to 4 years for each student.

The family – including daughters Hannah (Bachelor of Business Management ’14) and Ella (Bachelor of Business Management ’17) – are also members of the Dean’s Society, and sponsor and support many events and causes in the Faculty.

In fact, PPK Group has just sent a position description to the UQ Business School for an intern position currently available.

“We need to strengthen our bonds to boost UQ’s global reputation, and I’m seeing really good progress being made in that area with the new UQ facility on Queen Street in the Brisbane CBD helping create interaction, as well as the BEL Alumni events held in other major capital cities around the world.”

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