Professional Seminars

Topic: What Does It Take To Be A Professional Entrepreneur?

Synopsis

This seminar will focus on two key points ideas raised by this question. What are the distinctive characteristics of an entrepreneurial career and what will it take to make it a professional occupation? Some say entrepreneurs are born not made but just like professional sports there is a difference between the professional and the amateur status. Drawing on insights from the Master of Applied Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program in Australia, Dr O’Connor will outline the aspects that define an entrepreneurial career and what is needed in order to distinguish the professional from the amateur.

About the Speaker

Dr Allan O'Connor
Academic Director
Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC)
The University of Adelaide

Allan O’Connor commenced with the Entrepreneurship Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC) at the University of Adelaide in March 2008. He was formerly with the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, lecturing in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation in a number of topic areas associated with new venture strategy, evaluation and start-up. Allan’s extensive industry experience has been with the small and medium enterprise sector developing and introducing new products, entering new markets, and expanding sales and business opportunities in both established and new business environments. This experience has exposed him to the challenges of growth, innovation and entrepreneurship with engineered and manufactured goods.