Curriculum Vitae
Ellen Ceklic, PhD
AI Leader · AI Strategy, Governance and Leading AI Teams
Professional profile
PhD-qualified AI and data leader with more than 20 years in regulated, high-stakes environments. I set the strategy, own the governance and lead the cross-functional teams that turn complex data into commercial products and sound decisions. My experience spans mining, health, public safety, philanthropy and government, with senior direction on agentic AI, large language models and responsible AI.
Areas of expertise
Experience
2025 – 2026
Perth, WA
Director, Data & AI · Erity (Mining)
- Owned AI and data strategy across the Erity Group.
- Led a cross-functional ML, computer vision and full-stack team.
- Set AI governance and lifecycle standards; directed agentic AI builds.
2020 – 2025
Perth, WA
Manager & Principal, Data Science · Minderoo Foundation
- Led data science strategy and analytics for evidence-based decisions.
- Built and ran a foundation-wide data roadmap and capability program.
- Embedded ML and predictive modelling into core programs; managed the team.
2019 – 2020
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Data Science Manager · Elm (Consulting, Middle East)
- Built and led an all-female ML team delivering machine learning models for national digital platforms.
- Turned mixed data into models for real-time, intelligence-led decisions.
2017 – 2019
Perth, WA
Senior Data Scientist · WA Police
- Built ML and statistical models for child-protection and road-safety.
- Translated model outputs into clear actions for executives.
2010 – 2016
Perth, WA
Data Linkage Manager · WA Health
- Established secure, scalable healthcare data systems with government.
- Directed statewide health data engineering, modelling and integration.
- Introduced reproducible pipelines and governance adopted across agencies.
- Led data governance, quality assurance and ethics review.
2003 – 2010
Perth, WA
Statistical Analyst · Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Produced national reporting and analytical models from large datasets.
- Delivered predictive frameworks for research, policy and planning.
- Supported trend analysis and large-scale data processing.
Education
PhD, Applied Machine Learning & Predictive Analytics
Curtin University, with St John Ambulance Service
Graduate Certificate, Intelligence Analysis
Charles Sturt University
Graduate Certificate, Human Factors Engineering
Charles Sturt University
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Curtin University
Certifications
Certified AI-Empowered SAFe® Agilist
Scaled Agile, Inc.
Advanced Machine Learning in Python
Codemaster Institute
Advanced Linked Data Analysis
University of Western Australia
Base SAS Programmer Certification
SAS