Head of Entertainment, Events & Creative, NITV, SBS

Adam originally hails from the regional town of Mildura in North Western Victoria, but has Gooreng Gooreng bloodlines from Central Queensland – the Burnett River/Wide Bay area. Adam started his media career in community broadcasting in the late 1990s, initially in radio and then moved into Television.

Adam is an experienced creative producer, director, editor, executive producer and people leader, working with teams on developing, producing and overseeing content across multiple platforms.

Adam is the Head of Entertainment, Events and Sport at NITV and oversees many productions on his large slate including Going Places with Ernie Dingo, Sunrise Ceremony and The Koori Knockout. Adam also serves on the First Nations Media Australia board.

Adam lives in the Brisbane seaside suburb of Wynnum with his partner Cherry, children Rosalia and Tully, and his two cats Keifer and Nola.

Adam is incredibly passionate about First Nations storytelling and serving the First Nations community with communications outcomes – helping maintain the longest continuing living cultures in the world.

Product Design Research Lead, ABC

I am a passionate advocate of understanding the needs of people based on ethnographic and behavioural analysis.

I oversee the design research activities across all our digital products; ABC Kids app, iview, ABC Listen, ABC News, ABC Homepage, Triple J, plus others.

I have over 15 years human sciences experience running extensive testing, ethnographic immersions, ideation and design development work globally in the consumer, technology and pharmaceutical innovation space.

When I work with designers, developers, marketers, business leaders, my key objective is to ensure the human experience is accounted for in the innovation and design process.

School of Cybernetics, ANU

Alex Zafiroglu is a professor and an ANU Futures Fellow in the School of Cybernetics, in the College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics at the Australian National University. The School specialising in research and training in the analysis of complex open systems, in generating potential future states and in implementing methods and practices for nurturing conditions, relationships, and dynamics to realise them. Alex’s current Futures research program is in the Cybernetics of Rapport and Attentiveness, exploring the multiple temporalities in our ‘here and now’ experiences with non-biological social agents and robotic systems.

Prior to joining the ANU, Alex was a Principal Engineer in Social Sciences at Intel Corporation where she spent 15 years leading multi-year research and strategic planning activities in research labs and business teams. Alex made significant contributions to the R&D and commercial development of technology across the Advanced Research, Digital Home, Internet of Things and Automotive divisions, including holding 11 patents. She has also authored multiple publications, presented at academic, regional and industry conferences and is a Board member of EPIC, the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Community.

Artistic Director, Australasian Dance Collective

Amy Hollingsworth is a multi award-winning dancer and director, based in Meanjin/Brisbane and has been described by the UK Observer as one of ‘the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage’.

Classically trained at The Australian Ballet School, she performed as a leading dancer in companies worldwide such as Rambert Dance Company, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Bonachela Dance Company, Michael Clark Company, Hofesh Shechter Company and Sydney Dance Company. With an impressive international performance and creative career spanning large-scale classical ballet and contemporary dance, Amy is a highly versatile director of dance. She has produced, collaborated on and performed in a wide range of live art collaborations, collectively driven independent work, film, documentaries, art gallery installations and large-scale music videos and tours.

Notable appointments outside of her performance career include Assistant Director of Bonachela Dance Company, Dance Director for Sydney Dance Company, Rehearsal Director for Expressions Dance Company and Creative Associate for Queensland Ballet. Amy was appointed the Artistic Director of Australasian Dance Collective in 2019. Throughout her career, Amy has choreographed numerous works – her most recent full-length collaboration with Jack Lister and The Kite String Tangle’s, Danny Harley, Aftermath drew rave reviews “From its initial blistering explosion of light, sound and movement this bold, audacious work positively thrills… Part gig, part performance, Aftermath is exceptional”.

Amy is also a sought-after keynote speaker, industry mentor and creative consultant with a deep interest in cybernetics.

Product Director, Reload Media

Amy Scott is a seasoned strategist at Reload with over 10 years of experience, working closely with our top-tier clients to revamp their digital strategies and stay ahead of industry shifts, with a strong data-driven focus. She is known for her ability to shake things up and provide fresh perspectives, making her an asset to any brand looking to reset their approach or stay competitive in the market.

CMO & Head of National Brand Experience Practice, Integral

Amy specialises in Brand, Marketing, Communications, Engagement, Customer and Digital Experience at a strategic and implementation level, particularly for organisations undergoing change and transformation. Every day she is marrying strategy, creative, intuition and data analytics to deliver marketing and brand strategies for SMEs, NFPs, Government agencies, start-ups and more.

Chairperson, GroWQ

BNatResEcon, BA, MBL, MAICD

Anna has over 20 years’ experience as a leader in agriculture, natural resource and change management. Currently, Anna and her husband, Andrew manage Isis Downs, a large cattle and goat station in Western Queensland for Consolidated Pastoral Company. She is the Chair of GroWQ and the Isisford Sheep and Wool Show, a Director of the RACQ Foundation and holds executive positions on several other community groups in and around Isisford. Anna is committed to helping rural Queensland improve resilience through growing leadership capacity.

Head of Product, REA Group

April is an austistic, ADHD product and engineering leader with over a decade of experience leading product teams. In 2021 she was featured in the Global Top 100 Emerging Engineering list, and more recently has launched an online career hub dedicated to neurodivergent professionals.

April is extremely passionate about driving neuroinclusive practices across organisations in addition to her passion for product and engineering, and loves applying universal design principles to build environments where everyone, regardless of neurotype, can thrive.

Head of Product, Askable

Ash Ivory is the Director of Product at Askable. Most days you will find Ash asking the hard questions in an easy way, splitting hairs over good user experience (don’t worry, they studied graphic design), dodging gender norms (they’re openly queer), helping their product team to find and solve the right problems (Ash is passionate about building a great product), up skilling the office in brewing coffee (coffee, err, that’s all). Oh, and riding their motorcycle (it’s basically meditation).

Most days Ash is known for their contagious grit and dry sense of humour (it says most days because we all have an off day here or there). They love lending a hand wherever possible to generate new experiences, acquire new skills and most importantly to get the job done. When Ash is not thinking about the product at Askable, you’ll find them taking photos mostly of their motorcycle and landscapes, in a non-wanky way.

AI Ethics Specialist, Google Research Australia

Ben Hutchinson is a Senior Researcher in Google’s Research Centre for Responsible Artificial Intelligence. His research areas cover artificial intelligence, data practices, fairness and bias, accountability and transparency, and system reliability and safety. His varied approaches to research include learning from social sciences and from best practices in diverse technical fields to inform the responsible development of AI systems. Prior to joining Google Research, he spent ten years as a software engineer building Google products, and he uses this background to communicate across research and engineering disciplines. Since mid-2020 Ben has been living and working in Sydney once again, and paying increasing attention to regional AI concerns. He has degrees in linguistics and pure mathematics, and a PhD in Natural Language Processing.

Group Paid Media Manager, Virgin Australia

Ben Will is currently the Group Paid Media Manager at Virgin Australia. With over a decade of experience in paid media and marketing analytics, Ben has worked across various regions of the world managing performance marketing for advertising agencies and different brands. He joined Virgin Australia in 2016 and is now responsible for overseeing the paid media strategy for Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer to drive revenue growth, brand building and member engagement.

Advisor, Microba Life Sciences

Blake is an entrepreneur with a passion for health, technology and wellness.

Blake was the Founding CEO of Microba Life Sciences Ltd, an Australian biotechnology company which listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2022 with a market capitalisation over $100m. In partnership with globally recognised scientists, Mr Wills spun the company out of the University of Queensland in 2017. Today Microba is a recognised leader in gut health technology and distributes products in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Australia. In addition to distribution, it has built strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical, nutrition and genomics companies.

Today he acts as an advisor to a number of scale-up technology companies focussed on the health and technology sectors. Earlier in his career, Blake worked for an ASX listed company and funds management firm in Sydney. Mr Wills is well-educated with three degrees from one of Australia’s leading Universities including a Masters of Business and First Class Honours Degree in Finance.

Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Queensland Government

Chris is a globally experienced senior executive with a successful 25-year track record leading, growing, transforming and advising technology, telecom, utility, energy, services and software organizations including multi-nationals and start-ups. Chris specializes in digital enablement and transformation, customer experience, operations improvement and technology innovation. Chris has an Honours degree in Electrical Engineering from UTS and has completed studies in Governance at AICD and Digital Strategy & Transformation at MIT.

Global Head of Marketing, Flight Centre

As Flight Centre Global Head of Marketing, Clint is responsible for all marketing efforts across Canada, United Kingdon, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Known as a progressive marketing leader, he prioritises innovation, data analysis, creativity and people development to holistically solve problems and deliver impactful results now and for the future.

CEO, Threadicated

Danielle Johansen is the founder and CEO of Threadicated. She has revolutionised the personal styling industry by combining cutting-edge AI technology with a team of expert stylists who have helped thousands of clients across Australia discover their unique clothing style and had it shipped to their doorstep. Danielle is passionate about innovative online retail and helping clients find their confidence to feel their best.

Program Manager – Deadly Innovation, Department of Tourism, Innovation & Sport

Duncan is an Aboriginal man of Palawa heritage and holds a Bachelor of Education from Queensland University of Technology. He leads the Deadly Innovation Strategy, a cornerstone of the Queensland Government’s $755M Advance Queensland innovation agenda that sets the framework for engaging with First Nations businesses, innovators and communities focused on self-determination and empowerment. In this role, Duncan works with and alongside First Nations communities to drive new commercial opportunities and jobs to ensure a focus on economic participation and wealth creation, particularly in the new and digital economy.

Duncan also holds the position as Special Advisor, First Nation Economic Participation with the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. He works closely with his policy and corporate colleagues to ensure the inclusion of Indigenous Participation through procurement and infrastructure grants.

Head of Paid Media, Muscle Nation

Emilio is a unique blend of a results-driven performance marketer with a keen eye for creative strategies. With experience in hyper-growth startups like Hismile, where he served as the Advertising Manager, Emilio has successfully executed key brand moments and managed budgets in the eight-figure range.

Currently, he leads the paid efforts at Muscle Nation, a thriving Australian supplement and apparel brand.

Digital Engineering Practice Lead, SMEC

Dr. Erezi Utiome is a passionate Digital Engineering leader, a licensed Project Management Professional, and is dedicated to transformative change within organisations and across Industry. Currently, he leads Digital Engineering (DE) and Transformation within SMEC’s Urban and Energy Business Unit.

Erezi’s unique blend of strategic leadership, clear communication, and thought leadership are critical to unlocking digitally enabled project success. Over the past decade, he has undertaken research and worked in digital delivery, advisory and enablement, successfully delivering digital solutions for major Infrastructure and Energy clients across ANZ.

Erezi is truly passionate about nurturing teams, fostering digital transformation, and leveraging the power of Digital Engineering as a driving force for change. He consistently delivers within fast-paced and complex, project and client environments in a way that is people-empowering, process-optimised, and technology-enabled. His current work centres around leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Business Process Modelling, and lean thinking to foster continuous improvement and to drive business-minded change.

As an early adopter of AI/ML-driven solutions for project planning and delivery, Erezi firmly believes in the power of technology to address the unique challenges of our rapidly evolving global community in a manner that is human-centred and ethical.

Fredy Lievano has over thirteen years of experience leading technical teams and developing software solutions, giving him a deep understanding of how to use these abilities to positively impact teams and organisations. While working in a diverse mix of businesses and projects, Fredy has developed a rich skillset to lead and grow high-delivery teams empowering individual contributors to do their best.

In recent years, he has joined the Australian Web Industry Association as a board member, where he helps drive innovation and best practices in the national web space.

Senior Data Science Manager, Entain Australia & New Zealand

Dr Gerald Hartig is responsible for leading the Data Science activities of Entain Australia & New Zealand. The goal of our Data Science capability is to maximise the value of Entain’s data, and to delight and entertain our customers in a responsible and sustainable way. We work across all aspects of the business to identify pain points and deliver end-to-end solutions that increase profit & customer satisfaction and decrease operational risk. Prior to joining Entain he has had a diverse career across various industries, sectors and countries, always focussed on digital transformation. On weekends he tries to find new ways of hurting himself by trail riding on an Electric Unicycle (EUC).

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSIRO

Hashini received her PhD in Human-Centered Computing and Artificial Intelligence in 2022 from Monash University, Australia. She holds a BSc. Eng. Honours in Computer Science from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

Her PhD research involved detecting patterns of anxiety using wearable technologies to support the future design of intelligent and clinically-meaningful assistive mobile mental health technologies. She also has a background in designing and developing robotics and electronics-based educational toolkits for children and disability communities.

Hashini’s broader research interests focus on discovering impactful human-centred AI technologies for multiple domains through domain exploration, user modelling based on human biosignals, designing intelligent and adaptive interfaces, and employing AI techniques in an explainable manner. Currently, as a postdoctoral fellow of the CINTEL FSP (Collaborative Intelligence Future Science Platform) and Robotics and Autonomous Systems group of CSIRO, Hashini is researching how to support human and robot teams to maintain situational awareness at an optimal level throughout a dynamic mission, so that humans and robots can collaborate better.

Brand Marketing Lead, Uber Eats

Isaac Lai is currently the Brand Marketing Lead for Uber Eats, Taiwan. He is also the Lead Digital Marketing Instructor at General Assembly Australia teaching the next generation of digital marketers the power of brand and digital working in unison. Prior to his appointment at Uber & General Assembly, he was an award-winning strategy director specialising in digital, content and brand and loved the process of turning business challenges into creative solutions for high profile brands across the globe such as McDonald’s, TikTok, Netflix, Colgate and more.

Group CEO, Baidam Solutions

Baidam Solutions, founded by Jack Reis, is a leading IT company that is making waves in the tech industry. With a focus on providing cutting-edge solutions to businesses and organisations, Baidam Solutions is dedicated to leveraging the power of technology to protect valuable Australian assets and data.

But that’s not all. Baidam Solutions is also committed to fostering future Indigenous talent in the tech industry. With a mission to empower Indigenous Australians to become leaders in the technology space, Baidam Solutions is making a real difference in the lives of young people across the country.

Through partnerships with local schools and universities, Baidam Solutions is helping to bridge the digital divide and provide access to technology and IT resources to communities that may not have had these opportunities in the past. By working closely with Indigenous leaders and organizations, Baidam Solutions is also helping to ensure that the voices and perspectives of Indigenous Australians are heard and valued in the tech industry.

Under the leadership of Jack Reis, Baidam Solutions is quickly becoming a leader in the tech industry, known not only for its innovative solutions and cutting-edge technology but also for its commitment to creating positive social change. With a focus on both profitability and social impact, Baidam Solutions is proving that business and technology can be powerful tools for change, and that with the right vision and leadership, anything is possible.

Head of Brand & Product Marketing, RACQ

Jarrod has over 19 years experience in the marketing and digital media industry and worked on well known brands like QUT, the Brisbane Lions and RACQ. He is passionate about digital marketing, content, leveraging data, and behavioural economics opportunities for marketing.

An advocate for customer centricity, Jarrod believes having a deep understand of the customer and the drivers of their behaviours allows businesses to create positive customer experiences at every stage of the customer journey.

Jarrod has been an instructor for ADMA’s Digital Marketing courses since 2018 and spoken at a range of industry and events and conferences.

Associate Professor, The University of Queensland

Jen Jen Chung is an Associate Professor in Mechatronics within the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Queensland. Her current research interests include perception, planning and learning for robotic mobile manipulation, algorithms for robot navigation through human crowds, informative path planning and adaptive sampling. Prior to working at UQ, Jen Jen was a Senior Researcher in the Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL) at ETH Zürich from 2018-2022 and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Oregon State University researching multiagent learning methods from 2014-2017. She completed her Ph.D. on information-based exploration-exploitation strategies for autonomous soaring platforms at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics in the University of Sydney. She received her Ph.D. (2014) and B.E. (2010) from the University of Sydney.

General Manager, Critical Technologies Hub, Department of Industry, Science & Resources

Jessica Foote is the General Manager of the Critical Technologies Hub in the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Jessica has over 15 years experience in social policy and Indigenous Affairs in Commonwealth and state government. She is an experienced collaborator across government and with national, state and community stakeholders. Jessica led development of the Commonwealth’s first Implementation Plan under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and designed the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme. Jessica has led Commonwealth-state reform efforts on land and native title, housing and local decision-making. Jessica has worked across the Northern Territory, in Canberra and is now based in Brisbane. Jessica studied Law and Political Science at the University of Queensland and the ANU. Jessica became the General Manager of the Critical Technologies Hub in June 2023

Queensland Chief Entrepreneur

The Chief Entrepreneur is the flag-bearer for innovation and entrepreneurship in Queensland. From helping founders take their first steps to get their business off the ground, to working with government and industry to identify valuable problems that can be solved with innovation, to connecting talent to companies and creating a supportive environment.

Julia Spicer has been appointed as Queensland’s fifth Chief Entrepreneur. Julia works with regional communities across the country on a range of projects, with the focus on identifying needs in business and implementing creative solutions to address them.

Market Director – Urban Communities, SMEC Australia

Kate Drews is the Director of the Urban and Energy Business Unit within SMEC, a global professional services engineering and design firm. With more than 25 years’ experience in the property, construction and infrastructure sectors, she has held several senior leadership roles and is currently a Director on the Board of Consult Australia, the peak industry body for design, engineering and advisory firms in Australia. She is the Focus Area Leader for Sustainability for Surbana Jurong which involves supporting clients through the energy transition across the built environment.

Kate is a well-respected voice in the industry and is sought after for her leadership insights and strategic and commercial acumen and industry knowledge. She has considerable experience delivering complex infrastructure for public and private sector clients. She has been the Project Director for over $3B in private, Commonwealth and State Government projects in the property, energy, transport, Defence, aviation and justice sectors.

I am a Brisbane-based visual artist, a painter. I am also a (remote) PhD student (Curtin University, Western Australia) undertaking creative practice-led research examining increasing military interest in the electrommagentic spectrum [EMS]. Additionally, I am an honorary research fellow in the School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland. I completed my Master of Philosophy (research-M.Phil) in 2017.

VP Corporate, Australia, NTT

Bio Coming Soon

CEO, Vald

Laurie Malone is VALD’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder. After beginning his career as a litigation lawyer, Laurie now leads a global business with more than 250 employees across six divisions with offices in Australia, the United States and United Kingdom.

Co-founded with Sam James in 2015, VALD’s original product was the NordBord Hamstring Testing System, which was launched in January 2016. Since then, VALD has developed and acquired the world’s most comprehensive range of human measurement technologies used by a diverse range of clients across the elite sport, allied health and tactical industries.

Laurie has led VALD through all of its major milestones, including the expansion of the product suite to include ten proprietary systems and the proliferation of VALD’s offering across the globe. As VALD’s CEO, he is responsible for creating and driving the successful development and commercialisation of VALD technology to the company’s core markets.

Llew is a leading Australian serial startup entrepreneur and investor that has foundered and exited to ASX entities over his 24 year investing, digital and marketing career.

Between 2006 and 2016, Llew was the Founder and Managing Director of The Reload Group, one of Australia’s largest digital & eCommerce marketing agencies. Llew built the Reload business to 90 staff and 300 clients located in offices throughout Brisbane, London and Manila. From 2016 to 2022 as Chair, he oversaw the global governance function and Reload’s sale to Hardie Grant Media.

From 1999 to 2006 Llew was co-Founder of leading Queensland web, eCommerce and digital agency Alfresco, that was sold to a consortium led by the ASX listed STW Group.

Llew is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) for the Bentleys Carefactor Aged Care Tech Global Accelerator and is the former EiR for the Muru-D Accelerator and Activate+ programs at River City Labs.

Llew is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), holds a BA from the ANU, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders (FIML).

Portfolio company board positions: YouPay – Chair of the Board and Non Executive Director, VAPAR – Board Observer, Submarine – Advisory Board

CEO/Founder, SiteSee

Lucio has changed the way digital twins are used in phyiscal infrastruture. After founding SiteSee, which is recognised as the worlds leading AI Digital Twin for infrastructure, it is Lucio goal to digitise the world’s critical and complex Infrastructure. His curent focus is building the worlds first complete digital twin ecosystem to intergrate 3D digital twin, AI, Engineering, EME and BIM into a cohesive customer focus solution.

Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Kmart Group

Experienced thought leader across Diversity & Inclusion. A demonstrated history across all areas of Diversity & Inclusion including Gender Equity, Accessibility Employment of People with Disability, Health & Well-being, Flexibility, Culture, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, Learning and Leadership.

In my early career I practiced as an Occupational Therapist (Community and Access) and now a People and Organisational Capability leader graduating from Deakin University.

CEO and Founder, Clinials

Maree Beare is a sector leader in HealthTech, Femtech and Biotech innovation. CEO and founder of two health tech companies, Wanngi and Clinials.

Her mission is for Australia to become the hub of conducting clinical trials globally and to achieve this by enabling a fast and efficient access process for consumers to participate in clinical trials.

Maree’s work with Wanngi has been recognized by Forbes, placing Wanngi in the top 50 women-led startups disrupting HealthTech and listed in the 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 as a Femtech leader in healthcare

Clinials is listed in the Top 10 AI Trends in Healthcare for 2023 by StartUs Insights

Professor and Chair in Digital Economy, QUT

Marek, a Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School, brings robust Silicon Valley experience as a former Senior Director at SAP’s Palo Alto Innovation Lab, where he led global innovation teams. His career spans continents with roles such as Research Manager for SAP’s Machine Learning Lab in Singapore, Global Research Manager for SAP’s User Experience program, and Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. Marek’s upcoming book, “Digital Minions, AI and the new economy of algorithms,” is coming to your bookstore in early 2024. Away from the tech world, he loves long-distance trail running.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Griffith University

Dr Martina Barzan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with over 8 years of research and clinical expertise in paediatric orthopaedics. As a key member of the Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering (Griffith University), she is at the forefront of advancing personalized digital twin technology for children with bone deformities. Collaborating closely with orthopaedic surgeons from various Queensland Hospitals and leading medical device companies, Martina’s groundbreaking work involves developing and utilizing digital twins to inform virtual surgery planning and create 3D printed surgical guides.

The cutting-edge digital twin technology developed by Martina and her team enables precise surgical corrections for complex bone deformities, resulting in 30% reduction in surgical time compared to traditional methods. Moreover, the use of the technology led to 35% improvement in post-operative walking function compared to pre-operative, enhancing patients’ quality of life.

With a PhD in Biomechanics and a Master’s in Bioengineering, Martina possesses the knowledge and business instincts to drive innovation and deliver value for patients and the orthopaedic industry.

Associate Professor, Business Development, The Trade Desk

As Associate Director for Business Development at The Trade Desk ANZ, Matt leads a team providing strategy and driving growth across a diverse mix of agencies and clients in NSW and QLD, activating campaigns on the open internet across the globe.

With over 12 years of media and marketing experience, both in Australia and the UK, Matt has a broad and diverse understanding of the industry. His experience spans across Print, Digital, TV Creative solutions, High impact Ad Networks and Ad tech. This has led to a profound interest in omnichannel strategies and the symbiotic relationship between channels when driving towards a singular business outcome.

Matt’s passion lies in utilising data and measurement to create strategies linked to both established and emerging marketing theories, to drive efficiencies across the entire programmatic spectrum.

Design Manager, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

MC Monsalve is an accomplished Design and Product leader with a passion for creating solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of customers. With a keen understanding of the balance between business needs and customer experience, MC has a track record building high performing design teams, who create award winning products and experience. With years of experience leading design teams across various industries, including finance, insurance, and media, MC is now fortunate to work at the ABC, the most trusted provider of high-quality Australian News and Entertainment. At the ABC, MC is focused on building engaging, rich, and personalised digital experiences that reflect the company’s commitment to delivering superior content to its loyal audience. Constantly curious about the changing landscape of tech and design, especially when it comes to AI, and understanding the impact on customer needs, MC is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that make a meaningful positive difference in people’s lives.

Head of Content, LADbible

Mel is currently Head of Content at LADbible Australia; managing multi-disciplinary teams across editorial, social, video, production and creative strategy. Mel and her team have achieved phenomenal editorial and social success since launching in 2019; and to date, LADbible Australia is ranked #1 in Facebook views and #2 in Facebook engagements in the world. Mel is based in Sydney, Australia; and over the last decade, Mel has worked for major digital media publishers including The LifeStyle Group, Yahoo! and Allure Media.

Research Fellow – Human Trust in Collaborative Intelligence Systems, CSIRO

Melanie is a social psychological researcher in the Collaborative Intelligence (CINTEL) and Responsible Innovation Future Science Platforms at CSIRO. Melanie engages in interdisciplinary research investigating the nature and function of human trust in collaborative intelligence systems. These systems will enable humans and machines to work together in ways that complement the strengths of each.

Previously, she explored questions of harm and ethics in a range of applied contexts, including systematic review and experimental evaluation of interventions to improve gender equality and recruiting practices in the Victorian Government. As an Emerging Scholar of the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding at the University of North Carolina, she conducted survey and experimental studies to uncover factors contributing to political polarisation and social intolerance in the United States.

Melanie is interested in finding practical and impactful pathways for insights from the social sciences, and social psychology in particular, to inform the development, deployment and evaluation of novel technologies.

Director (Business Transformation), Translink

Mick has over 20 years experience in the Queensland Government, with most of that time being involved in identity policy. Mick is currently a the Director (Business Transformation) on the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) project to deliver a Digital Licence and Queensland Digital Identity.

Mick’s role sees him having responsibility for the legislation, policy and strategy for the program. This is an innovative program that will see Queensland’s digital licence align to the International Standard for mobile Driving Licences (ISO 18013-5) and Queensland’s digital identity with the Commonwealth’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework.

Security and privacy protections are key to driving trust and uptake in the Digital Licence, and Mick is keen to share his insights on how TMR are doing this.

Digital Transformation Manager Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Morgan has been working with technology in the Gallery, Museum, Archive and Museum (GLAM) sector for nearly 15 years and collaborating with institutes across Australia. Morgan’s work focuses leveraging technology to create meaning from Collection data, and improve the way museums can embrace digital to improve the way they do their work.

Senior Director Business Development, Ginkgo Bioworks

Natalie Curach is leading the Australian operations of Gingko Bioworks – a Boston based synthetic biology company. Synthetic Biology integrates design principles and digital technologies for the engineering of biology. Natalie has been at the forefront of the growth of Synthetic Biology in Australia commencing with the establishment of the Synthetic Biology Research Priority at Macquarie University and led the Synthetic Biology investments for Bioplatforms Australia. Natalie was Chief Scientific Officer at Eden Brew for its founding year. She was instrumental for the creation of the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and co-authored the Australian Government’s Synthetic Biology infrastructure investment plan.

Natalie conducted her PhD on recombinant protein production in filamentous fungi, has a Graduate Diploma in Business Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Natalie has been invited to present at numerous international meetings and is well published in peer review journals and thought leadership papers such as for the World Economic Forum. Natalie has worked as a scientist in biotechnology research within startups, university and government laboratories before transitioning into business development, leadership roles and Directorships in building a thriving startup and biotechnology ecosystem in Australia. Natalie recently served as President of the Synthetic Biology Australasia Association and Co-Chair of the Global Biofoundry Alliance.

Navinda is the Research Director of the Cyber-Physical Systems Research Program (Robotics, Computer Vision and Distributed Sensing Systems) at CSIRO’s Data61. He was the Principal Investigator and project leader for the CSIRO Data61 team that competed and won the US$1million second place prize at the DARPA Subterranean Challenge finals in September 2021.

Navinda initiated and led legged robot research within CSIRO since 2011, an activity that has grown into a world-class R&D capability within the organisation. Before stepping into the Research Director role, he led the Robotics and Autonomous Systems group and also conducted research in legged robot navigation, perception and control with multi-legged robots with a focus on navigation in complex unstructured environments.

Navinda joined the CSIRO as a Postdoctoral Fellow soon after receiving his PhD in Engineering from The Australian National University in 2009. For his PhD, he conducted research in underwater robotics as a team member of the Serafina project which developed swarming technology for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
He is a senior member of the IEEE, and was the Chair of the IEEE Queensland joint chapter for Control Systems/Robotics and Automation Societies during 2020-2021. He is also a member of the ACM, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at both Queensland University of Technology and University of Queensland.

Head of Office of Purpose, Fujitsu

Nicole, a proud Wiradjuri woman, serves as the VP, Purpose, People & Culture at Fujitsu Asia Pacific. She plays a lead role in supporting Fujitsu’s people and customers to experience the company’s purpose – “to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation”. In her role, Nicole leads a team that collaborates across the business to practise Fujitsu’s global values of Trust, Empathy and Aspiration to create an inclusive environment delivering sustainable impact.

Since joining Fujitsu in April 2021, Nicole has led the realisation of Purpose in Practice by championing and driving transformative changes across Fujitsu’s sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social impact programs. Fujitsu has signed its first renewable energy power purchase agreement; a gold award for the Australian Workplace Equity Index; and supported the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community’s digital transformation journey with its new Service Centre.

Nicole brings to this role almost two decades of diverse leadership experience in Australia and across the Asia Pacific in government and international affairs. After graduating from the Queensland University of Technology, Nicole began her career by joining the Oodgeroo Unit as an associate lecturer in Indigenous health and education. `

Co-Founder, Lyro Robotics

Dr Nicole Robinson is a Co-Founder of LYRO Robotics. LYRO Robotics is a deep-tech robotics company that builds and deploys intelligent pick and pack robots for order fufillment using state-of-the-art computer vision, deep learning and robotic systems. She has completed a PhD in Human-Robot Interaction, and has led multi-disciplinary research teams to evaluate and improve the quality and success of human-robot teamwork.

CEO, NTT Sports

Peter is the CEO and co-founder of TwinLabs.ai, a sports technology startup born out NTT ‘s pioneering work at the Tour de France and other major sports events, delivering IoT based real time Digital Twins.

Previously, Peter was Senior Vice President within NTT’s global New Ventures and Innovation team focussed on delivering strategic innovation projects, particularly in the Sports industry working with event organisers, governing bodies, sporting teams and venue operators around the world.

He has led NTT’s technology partnership with the Tour de France since 2015, overseeing the implementation of multiple new innovations for the sport of cycling, including live rider tracking, real time analytics, an event digital twin, machine learning predictions, and new digital and social media platforms, all designed to revolutionise the Fan experience of the Tour de France and support the complex event operations.

Peter has been working in the technology industry for over 25 years across a broad range of roles and industries and is a recognised industry expert in all things data.

Director, Gadens

Robert has extensive experience in the information technology industry. He has over 20 years of IT, corporate/commercial and construction experience gained in private practice, in-house roles and directly within the IT industry.

Robert worked for a global IT systems integrator for 12 years in a number of executive roles and was responsible for the delivery and ongoing maintenance of a mission-critical IT project and related services to State government.

Robert has advised on general corporate and commercial matters for major law firms in London and Sydney.

Robert specialises in advising on complex IT projects – from procurement inception through to contract award, project delivery through to the operate and maintain phase, as well as privacy matters and cyber incident compliance and response.

Chief Scientist, AE Studio

Technical Design Manager, UAP | Urban Art Projects

Sean is a computational designer and educator with experience working across industry & academia in the design & construction industry. He has a professional background grounded in innovation, working at the cutting edge of technology and design, and has experience developing large-scale 3D printing for construction, robotic fabrication applications for permanent building structures and large-scale construction applications in augmented reality.

Sean is the Technical Supervisor at Urban Art Projects, where he leads the Technical Assist team responsible for the problem solving and design development support critical to transforming an artist’s vision into reality. A multi-disciplinary design team, the team consists of digital artists, game designers, mechanical engineers, robot operators and product designers, providing artists with broad expertise to assist in realise their works.

Manager – Product and Digital Experience, Sime Darby

Steve Jacobsen is an experienced digital leader and passionate design thinker with over 20 year’s experience in product strategy, strategic visioning, and product delivery. Throughout his career, he has successfully built and led product and design teams, guiding them through digital and organisational transformations resulting in the creation and delivery of sustainable, market-leading, and commercially successful digital products and services for ambitious organisations worldwide. In his current role as the Head of Product & Digital Experience at Sime Darby, he integrates the worlds of Product and Design, championing true product innovation to deliver meaningful customer and business outcomes by placing digital at the heart of the customer and employee experience.

Research Academic
School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
University of Queensland

Senior Systems Engineer, Boeing Defence Australia

Taylah Griffin, Gangalu mob, works as a Senior Systems Engineer at Boeing Defence Australia. She is fiercely passionate about Indigenous STEM engagement and volunteers a lot of her time in this space, including sitting on the Board for DeadlyScience and mentoring young mob. Some of Taylah’s achievements have been: guest hosting Triple J’s Science Hour with Dr Karl, winning a 2021 CSIRO Indigenous STEM Achievement Award, and being a 2022 National Science Week ambassador.

Regional Digital Director, Australia New Zealand, AECOM

Tim Wark is the Regional Digital Director for AECOM Australia New Zealand and a member of the Australia New Zealand Executive Team. In this role he is responsible for leading the digital strategy for this region covering both internal digital transformation initiatives as well as growing market-facing digital offerings and commercialisation of new products. He has over 25 years experience in technology research and development and commercialisation in both the public and private sectors focussing on a range of domains such as environment, transportation and health. Tim holds a PhD in Computer-Science from the Queensland University of Technology and was formerly a Visiting Scholar at the University of California Berkeley. When he’s not taxi-driving teenagers to sports-events he loves to get out on the mountain bike, which has so far only required him to visit an emergency department once!

Senior Vice President of Therapeutics, The University of Queensland

Professor Munro has over 25 years’ research and development experience, including with multinational biopharmaceutical company Amgen. During this time which included the role of Executive Director leading a global team, Professor Munro played key roles in the translation of molecules from research, through clinical trials, regulatory approval, and global licensure. This included a diverse range of programs spanning novel biologics, small molecules, nucleic acid-based, cell-based and gene-based therapies across multiple therapeutic areas.

As Senior Vice President of Therapeutics at Microba Life Sciences, Professor Munro leads the Company’s therapeutic strategy to progress its drug development programs and pharma partnering engagements. Prior to joining Microba, Professor Munro held several leadership roles in Australia including Director of the National Biologics Facility (NBF), Program Director of the CEPI funded Rapid Response Vaccine pipeline, Director of the ARC Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation (CBI) and Senior Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) at the University of Queensland. Professor Munro completed postdoctoral studies in cell biology and developmental genetics at Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge and has a PhD in Protein Biochemistry from the University of Queensland.

Waveney is a Brisbane based singer/songwriter & a proud South Sea & Birri Gubba descendant. Music is her full time job currently travelling the world with international sensation Pub Choir.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Edify Medical

Yupin Robson is an Australian university graduate with an MBA and a MSc. Yupin has worked in the Healthcare industry since 1999 within global corporations for both Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices. She is considered to be an accomplished, analytical and results-oriented professional with an outstanding 20+ year track record of medical sales and marketing experience within the Australian and APAC region.

Peers have described her as a natural people person who is passionate about leadership and culture. Yupin possesses a strong business acumen, coupled with compelling research skills, and a proven track record of successfully developing and transforming complex global sales and marketing businesses.