Podcasts & Webinars

The man who started it all – Kelvin John Ross is KJR’s founder. Over 22 years ago, Kelvin had completed his PhD in safety critical systems engineering and was ready to have a crack at the “crazy entrepreneurial ideas” in his head. As the world approached the uncertainty of Y2K, KJR emerged and Kelvin’s life was never the same.

 

When it comes to KJR, Kelvin believes that “like an artist, the painting is never complete”. He is constantly examining the changing world and working with the Collective to keep KJR relevant and of value to clients. In 2020 alone, Kelvin has been deeply involved in the launch of both Queensland AI Hub – connecting Queensland’s AI ecosystem, and Datarwe – real World Data for AI enabled medical innovation, acting as Director and CTO respectively. And in recent years, Kelvin has helped to set-up IntelliHQ, a non-profit developing the ecosystem for AI innovation in healthcare where he remains a Director, is also a Director at AIkademi (The AI Academy), and co-founded the Young Women Leaders in AI program, which encourages and facilitates the development of Australia’s next generation of brilliant female minds.

Mark is an IT professional with a passion for digital culture. During the week, he leads his team at KJR through straight-talking solutions to software problems. In his spare time, he can be found crafting soundscapes and audio/visual installations that embrace technology’s propensity for playfulness and expression.

He first honed his aptitude for software innovation and assurance as a postgrad research assistant at the University of Queensland, where he went on to complete a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, focusing on language technology. It was there he befriended KJR founder Kelvin Ross and they bonded over a shared enthusiasm for fine-tuning software and risk mitigation strategies. He’s been with KJR ever since, taking a few years off to teach IT in the Middle East before returning in 2006 to open the Melbourne branch.

As CTO, Mark’s technical knowledge and lateral thinking abilities are counted on to lead critical software projects safely out of the red and into the light. And, as a world-class software risk analyst and advisor, he thrives on the satisfaction of bettering lives with technology that actually works.

Mark Pedersen is a member of the ACS Artificial Intelligence Ethics Committee.