Steven Brown graduated from a Bachelor of Commerce in Banking and Finance in 1996 from the University of Canberra. Steven's journey through University resulted in his immediate appointment with Ausindustry. Steven is now a Director of Economic Futures Australia a consulting firm working in the interface of government, research and business leaders to help drive the knowledge economy.

Family support and the specialised Banking and Finance degree brought Steven to UC having commenced his degree in Newcastle. Graduation from UC proved to him that the journey is often more important than the destination and he says, "My UC degree had propelled my career before I had even finished the course."

During one of the last subjects Steven completed at UC, they had a guest lecturer from Ausindustry. Completing an assignment on the subject of this lecture provided the insight and context to get a job assessing finance arrangements for Ausindustry. "They explained the complex system for Research Development Syndication, a complex structured finance arrangement based on the Research and Development tax concessions to fund large R&D projects," Steven recalls.

During Steven's time at Ausindustry he helped uncover a major tax loophole that saved hundreds of millions of dollars for the taxpayer. "My career was up and running and my UC learning experience was directly responsible," he says.

Steven missed his graduation ceremony as he was in the US helping design a new venture capital program for the Commonwealth Government, known as the Innovation Investment Fund (IIF). "I don't have a picture of me wearing the gown and hat but my degree is framed and hangs proudly in my office," he says.