Zero to Multi-Billion: Inside DroneShield and Oleg's Mastery

A Conversation with Oleg Vornik: From First Employee to Billion Dollar Company

In 2015, Oleg Vornik joined DroneShield as its very first employee. Eleven years later, he stepped down as the CEO who had taken the company from an early stage ASX listed startup to a multi billion dollar global leader in counter drone and electronic warfare technology. Few founders get to see a company through that entire arc, and even fewer are willing to talk candidly about what it actually took.

Join UNSW Founders on Monday 16 November for an evening with Oleg as he shares the leadership decisions, hard won lessons and entrepreneurial instincts that shaped that journey. He will speak to the moments that mattered most: the calls that paid off, the mistakes that taught him more than any success could, and what he believes the next generation of founders and business leaders need to know before they scale.

The evening opens with Oleg's presentation, followed by a moderated Q&A where you can put your own questions to him directly. Earlier that day, Oleg is also holding a limited number of 1 on 1 office hours with selected startup founders, giving a handful of attendees the rare chance to get his advice on their own venture.

This event is expected to be of particular interest to AGSM alumni and current students, as well as UNSW's wider community of founders, so register early to secure your spot.

• Details:

  • Monday 16 November 2026, 5:30pm to 9:00pm

  • UNSW Kensington

  • Format: presentation and moderated Q&A