ADIA 2026 Academic of the Year: Creating excellence in defence industry

Molloy took home the back-to-back win after winning the Academic/Researcher of the Year award in 2025. The following is a transcript of Molloy’s speech from the Awards night:

Good evening, everyone. It is wonderful to be back again. Thank you so much for this incredible honour! To be recognised by a community I admire and respect means a lot to me.

While this award has my name on it, it reflects the many colleagues, Defence personnel, industry partners, researchers, mentors and students who have challenged me, inspired me and shaped my journey. I would like to thank the team from UNSW and Defence Trailblazer here today, as well as to the Australian Army Research Centre and defence industry who I have a privilege to collaborate.

Receiving this Award for Excellence reminded me of something simple: You don’t have to be excellent to start – but you have to start to become excellent!

I often talk about lessons learnt in active conflicts, but being here tonight, I have been reflecting on a few lessons that have guided me over the years. They are lessons that I continue to remind myself of every day. Perhaps some of them might resonate with you as well.

First, lead with courage and curiosity.

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Starting a new project or making a decision to act is the most challenging. We can think we have a plan, but in fact, the world we live in has changed and present us with problems that have no textbook, no model solution and no perfect answer. Uncertainty.

Many of you, like myself, have already navigated complex challenges, led people through uncertainty, and made decisions where there was no perfect answer.

That experience is invaluable. Yet the strategic environment is changing faster than ever.

Emerging technologies, evolving threats, geopolitical uncertainty and new ways of warfare require more than experience alone. They require the willingness to keep questioning assumptions, exploring new perspectives, learning to learn and adapt fast, and embracing innovation.

The most successful people I have worked with – from military leaders to researchers and industry innovators – have one thing in common: They never stop asking questions.

Not because they know little.

But because they understand how much there is still to discover.

Courage enables us to make difficult decisions. Curiosity ensures those decisions remain informed, adaptable and forward-looking.

Second, invest in people as much as you invest in capability.

Platforms, systems, technology, AI matter.

But our greatest strategic advantage has always been – and will be – people.

The organisations that thrive are those that create cultures where people can think differently, challenge respectfully, collaborate openly and continue growing.

Leadership today is not simply about delivering capability. It is about developing the next generation of leaders, building trust across Defence, industry and academia, and creating environments where innovation can flourish, where people can flourish, not being burnt out.

The legacy we leave will be measured by the people we inspire, the partnerships we build, and the institutions we strengthen for those who follow.

Finally, never underestimate what remains possible.

Many of the technologies transforming defence today were considered unrealistic only a decade ago. Autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, human-machine teaming and rapidly evolving defence innovation ecosystems remind us that the future is shaped by those willing to imagine it before others can see it.

As senior leaders, you are uniquely positioned to influence not only today’s decisions, but the future direction of Australia’s defence capability and sovereign defence industry.

The opportunities ahead are significant.

So continue to challenge convention. Continue to champion innovation. Continue to invest in people.

And continue building a defence ecosystem that is more resilient, more collaborative and more prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. Because leadership is not simply about responding to the future. It is about creating it.

Remember the most effective way to do it is just do it!

Have a passion in your profession, because passion is the fuel behind a successful career.

There are many ways to measure success and excellence. Titles. Awards. Promotions.

But none of them compare with knowing that because of something you did ... someone is safer ... someone has greater opportunity ... or our nation is better prepared. That is impact. And that is success.

So let me finish where I began:

You don’t have to be excellent to start – but you have to start to become excellent. Thank you for this Excellence Award!

Dr Oleksandra Molloy is a senior lecturer in human factors and aviation safety and the Lead of the Human Factors Research at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Robert Dougherty

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.