Jenni Lightowlers is the Executive Dean of Business and Law at Deakin University, a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow and a founding Partner of Francis Abourizk Lightowlers Lawyers. She is considered one of Australia’s leading advisors to Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) and works for research, innovation and commercialisation entities and universities (in both Australia & the South Pacific).
As Executive Dean, Jenni sees one of her important roles as facilitating engagement across the Business and Law Schools for collaborative research and teaching opportunities, both with a view to creating impact and delivering on the Faculty’s mission to “be a catalyst for positive change”. Indeed, the areas in which the Faculty operates are ripe for collaboration across the University more broadly. An additional focus is working with Faculty to understand career opportunities for both staff and students, including identifying market gaps which will create job opportunities over the next 5-10 years.
Jenni was recognised by the International Law Office/Lexology in 2015, 2016, and 2017 as one of the world’s leading lawyers in life sciences, and in IAM 2022 as a Global Leader in intellectual property. She advises across diverse sectors including health, biotech, IT, cyber, defence exports, mining, government, and education.
She has advised on some of the most complex technology and R&D projects ever to have taken place in Australia including space law and remote sensing regulatory frameworks. Her advisory roles include the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, Sovereign Manufacturing of Composite MaterialsCRC, Marine Bioproducts, Cyber CRC, University of the South Pacific and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
Jenni holds an Honorary Doctorate from Deakin University for her services to research and commercialisation in Australia, Arts and Education qualifications (UWA), Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Master of Laws (University of Melbourne). She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
