Adjunct Professor Robert Christiansen

CITATION

Chancellor,


Adjunct Professor Robert Christiansen has almost 50 years of international experience in entrepreneurship and technology translation, including more than two decades of fostering innovation within Australia and the state of Queensland. 

He spent 25 years working internationally in the technology sector, primarily in the United States, where he helped found two technology start-up companies, before returning to Australia in 1998. Adjunct Professor Christiansen was a general partner of the Sydney-based venture capital firm Allen & Buckeridge until 2006, when he co-founded and became Managing Director of Southern Cross Venture Partners – a position he continues to hold today. 

Under his leadership, Southern Cross Venture Partners has become one of Australia’s largest technology venture capital firms, investing in more than 40 early-stage Australian technology companies.

Alongside his career achievements, Adjunct Professor Christiansen has made a substantial contribution to the Australian community over the past 22 years, donating his time and expertise as a member of a number of pro-bono boards and advisory panels. This includes a longstanding and extensive affiliation with the University, including as a current Adjunct Professor and member of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience’s Advisory Board, as well as Chair of its Translation and Industry Engagement sub-committees. 

Adjunct Professor Christiansen has also previously served as a member of the UQ Ventures iLab Accelerator Advisory Board and the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Industry Advisory Board. In the UQ Business School, he judged the “Enterprize” start-up competition for nine years and was the ‘Executive in Residence’ in 1998. 

Outside of UQ, Adjunct Professor Christiansen has been a member of the Queensland Government’s Smart State Council and Science and Innovation Advisory Council.  In 2015, he was selected by the Knowledge Society and the Office of the Australian Chief Scientist as a member of the ‘Knowledge Nation 100’. In 2018, he received a ‘25 Year Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award’ from the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. 

Adjunct Professor Christiansen’s depth of experience in entrepreneurship and the international technology sector has provided significant benefit not only to the University, but to Queensland and to Australia. 

Chancellor, I present to you Adjunct Professor Robert Christiansen, Bachelor of Economics and Diploma in Information Processing of this University and Diploma of Financial Services of the Australian Financial Markets Association, for the award of Doctor of the University honoris causa, bestowed by the Senate of The University of Queensland. 

Media

https://stories.uq.edu.au/contact-magazine/2022/celebrating-a-venture-capital-pioneer/index.html

Awards

Doctor of University honoris causa
2022