Over a 20-year career, Professor Bala Venkatesh has played a major role in the development and establishment of academic intensive care medicine in Australia through outstanding contributions to education and research. He is recognised as a leading basic science and clinicianresearcher in intensive care medicine, and led international clinical trials that have had a substantive impact on patients. He was instrumental in establishing the College of Intensive Care Medicine. As President of the College, he led the agenda in addressing various social issues relevant to training such as bullying and harassment, gender balance and tackling capacity to train.