2025 Speakers
Jason Clarke
He’s developed and taught courses in Logic, Problem Solving and Innovation for Melbourne Business School, Mt Eliza Business School, the Australian School of Entrepreneurship, the Stern Business School of New York and the Ben Gurion Business School of Israel.
But since 2000 he’s been a freelance thinker-for-hire, offering creative and lateral thinking services for organisations struggling to embrace innovation and change. His clients include just about every kind of enterprise, from plucky little start-ups to national and global corporations, from communities and not-for-profits to State and Local Governments. Today he’s a regular international speaker and one of the most sought-after creative minds in Australia.
But he’ll tell you he’s just a Plumber of the Mind, the guy you go to when your head gets clogged.
Stephen Scheeler
He is the former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, where he guided Facebook’s rise from quirky start up to media and technology titan. Working with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s Silicon Valley leaders, his tenure at Facebook saw the ANZ business – including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp – become one of the most successful Facebook markets in the world.
Today, he is founder of The Digital CEO, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and Executive-in-Residence at the Australian Graduate School of Management. He is also co-founder and CEO of Omniscient – the world leader in using A.I. to decode the human brain. Omniscient is often called “the OpenAI of the brain”.
As a speaker, Stephen has appeared on the highest-profile keynote stages – including TEDx and SxSW Austin.
He has spoken to or advised the likes of Google, PwC, EY, Deloitte, Westpac, Macquarie Bank, Citibank, Mastercard, American Express, Toyota, Oracle, Telstra, Seek, Qantas and the Australian Government. He is a frequent media commentator on data, A.I., technology and the future of business & society, and a member of the Australian Prime Minister’s Knowledge Nation 100, top innovation leaders in Australia.
David Speers
David Speers is the host of “Insiders”, the ABC’s flagship political program, where he interviews leading political figures and explores the big issues each week with an expert panel.
David also writes political analysis each week for ABC news online, appears across TV and radio platforms and filed an inside account of the unfolding coronavirus economic crisis for Four Corners.
He joined the ABC in 2020 after 19 years as the Political Editor of Sky News Australia.
David has won two individual Walkley Awards for interviewing, along with a number of other Walkley, Logie and Kennedy Awards for his journalism. Last year he also won the Press Gallery Journalist of the Year Award.
David spent 20 years working from the Canberra Press Gallery, serving 3 years as Gallery President and 15 years on the board of the National Press Club.
Kenn Beer
Principal Engineer, Safe System Solutions
Kenn is a Registered Professional Engineer, accredited Senior Road Safety Auditor, transport planner, trainer and assessor. He has over 20 years’ experience in road safety engineering, planning, policy and strategy development.
Kenn is one of Australia’s most active Safe System practitioners and trainers, and has delivered many diverse projects, including: safety strategies for local and state government; business cases for TAC; Road Safety Audits and Safe System Assessments. Kenn was co-lead for the 2020 update to the Austroads Guide to Road Safety series.
Ken Beer will Australia’s pathway to Vision Zero – zero deaths, or serious injuries – on Australia’s roads by 2050.
Damon Ehlers
Chief Executive Officer, Novoplan
Damon is the co-founder and CEO of Novoplan, the provider of the market leading infrastructure contribution system for local governments across the country. He is a highly experienced infrastructure planning professional and a passionate advocate for the role that an efficiently functioning local government infrastructure delivery framework plays in the supply of housing and economic growth of our cities and regions.
REGIONAL FORUM SPEAKERS
Bernard Salt AM
Bernard Salt AM is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators. He has written six popular best-selling books, hosted a TV show on SkyNEWS Business called “The Next Five Years” and hosted a top-rated podcast called “What Happens Next”.
Bernard Salt is also one of Australia’s most in-demand corporate speakers.
After a 20-year career as a Partner in a global advisory firm, Bernard founded The Demographics Group to provide advice to business on demographic, social and property trends.
He is best known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying new social behaviours including “the goat’s cheese curtain.”
Bernard has been a columnist with The Australian newspaper for more than 20 years. His column in The Weekend Australian Magazine is highly regarded and widely read.
Bernard was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours for his services to the Australian people via demography.
And finally, Bernard is the person responsible for popularising the phrase “smashed avocado” … globally
Kenn Beer
Principal Engineer, Safe System Solutions
Kenn is a Registered Professional Engineer, accredited Senior Road Safety Auditor, transport planner, trainer and assessor. He has over 20 years’ experience in road safety engineering, planning, policy and strategy development.
Kenn is one of Australia’s most active Safe System practitioners and trainers, and has delivered many diverse projects, including: safety strategies for local and state government; business cases for TAC; Road Safety Audits and Safe System Assessments. Kenn was co-lead for the 2020 update to the Austroads Guide to Road Safety series.
Ken Beer will Australia’s pathway to Vision Zero – zero deaths, or serious injuries – on Australia’s roads by 2050.
Jenny May AM
Commissioner, National Rural Health
Professor May’s vast and extensive knowledge working across Australia and internationally has provided multiple opportunities to contribute through research on health workforce matters. She now calls Tamworth home and has had the incredible privilege to live and work with her doctor husband and family in a number of remote and regional location's.
Professor May holds fellowships with RACGP and ACRRM and has extensive experience in clinical practice, research, education and rural health advocacy. In 2016 she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas, as a general practitioner, member of professional medical groups, and as an educator.
With over 35 years of working and supporting rural, regional and remote health care, her appointment as the third National Rural Health Commissioner has been widely welcomed.
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