Meet Ben Sorensen

Ben can attest to the fact that being naturally innovative does not always result in a linear career path.  After 20 years, Ben has held 11 different job roles. Discover what his unique experience has taught him about the strategies, models, leadership styles and cultures that define brilliance in Australian business.

THE 4 MUST HAVES FOR ACHIEVING INNOVATION’S POTENTIAL

Ben Sorensen is a Business Development and Commercialisation Manager at CSIRO’s Data61 – Australia’s data innovation network. He is charged with aligning purpose, leadership, strategy and culture to create new value and seed new industries. Ben discusses how experiential learning from his varied career brings something different to the table and that, to a certain extent, he’s now hired for what his mistakes have taught him.

Innovation takes many forms and all the textbooks will tell you it’s very complex. But defining innovation is actually simple: it’s doing something differently for better outcomes. Ben Sorensen is keen to add a few subtle provisos here – whether we’re talking a sole trader, multinational, research organisation, government agency or a city, fundamentally that entity has a purpose to solve problems, create new value and to take ideas forward.