Problem Solving and Decision-Making Course

Adjunct Professor Leila Alem brings 25+ years of experience in partnering with industry to solve complex problems and deliver impact in a range of industries. Her expertise includes designing award-winning digital products and new customer experiences leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, Wearables, AR/ VR and MR and using Design Thinking, Lean Start-up and Agile methodologies. She has over 10 years of experience in entrepreneurship, building new innovation programs and practices to drive client engagement. Her corporate entrepreneurship experience includes the government and consulting sectors. 

Leila has an extensive experience in teaching at undergraduate, Master and corporate levels both in Australia and overseas. Her subjects include innovation, entrepreneurship, lean startup, design thinking, system thinking, technology disruptors etc. She has taught in the award-winning UTS Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation, in the University of Sydney Master of Design and UTS executive MBA. She won the 2013 NSW State Innovation Award in R&D and was a finalist for The Women Infotech Outstanding Career Achievements Award in 2015.

Leila holds a PhD is in Artificial Intelligence and is a member of the National AI Think Thank. Her research draws on real industry challenges to explore novel ways of working, learning and collaborating using AI, VR, AR and IOT. She has 150+ peer-reviewed publications and is the editor of books and international journals in the next frontiers of Human-Computer Interaction.

Leila is currently an Adjunct Professor in Human-Computer Interaction at UTS. She was Principal Consultant at Thoughtworks, a global innovation consulting firm, for 2 years and Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO for 23 years.

Trena empowers leaders to lead with purpose.

With an international executive career spanning Australia and the USA, Trena has led billion-dollar P&Ls, managed global teams of over 400, and driven strategic growth across multiple industries. She brings more than 20 years of senior leadership experience to her work with business leaders navigating complexity and transformation.

A highly respected thought leader in strategy, leadership, governance and risk management, and women’s advancement, Trena is regularly engaged to design and deliver programs for organisations such as the University of Sydney Business School, the American Australian Chamber of Commerce, UNSW Australian Graduate School of Management, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Mastercard, and Discover Global Network.

She is an experienced presenter of business leadership programs, including governance and risk Management, leadership, and strategic planning and management.

Trena is a qualified Company Director and maintains an active board portfolio, providing governance and strategic oversight in both commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and CEO Magazine, and she is a multi-award winning businesswoman, and best-selling author of Decoding Global Growth: How successful companies scale internationally.

Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts (Education) and a Bachelor of Education (Deakin University), a Graduate Diploma in Management (UNSW AGSM), and the General Management and Leadership Program (Harvard Business School).

Her mission? To inspire courageous, strategic leaders to grow with clarity, act with impact, and lead with purpose.