Directors Forum | National HR Summit Australia

8:00 AM

Registration opens
9:05 AM

Opening remarks from the Chairperson

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.
9:15 AM

Welcoming remarks from the Event Partner

Sarah McInerney

General Manager, People & Culture
Origin Energy

Sarah McInerney

General Manager, People & Culture
Origin Energy

After beginning her career in the Human Resources industry over twenty years ago in London, Sarah worked across a range of recruitment, business partnering and consulting roles before moving back to Sydney in 2010. Since joining, Sarah has played a pivotal role in shaping Origin Energy’s People & Culture strategy. Her comprehensive understanding of the industry and dedication to employee development have been instrumental in her contributions. As Origin’s General Manager of People & Culture she now leads the focus for organisational development, remuneration, benefits, IR/ER, culture, change, diversity and inclusion strategies.
9:20 AM
The future of HR – looking at 2030 and beyond

In this session, hear how emerging trends are affecting your workforce and how HR can lead during disruptive times.
- HR jobs of the future – what skills will we need in five years?
- Trends in workplace flexibility – where are we heading?
- Future of work and changing employee expectations
Bec Donnelly

VP, People
SiteMinder

Bec Donnelly

VP, People
SiteMinder

Bec Donnelly is a passionate HR leader with a love for tech and helping teams scale for success. With extensive experience across the full HR spectrum, Bec believes deeply in people-driven business strategies and creating high performance teams. Since joining SiteMinder in 2019, she has partnered with the company’s executive team as a trusted advisor and is currently acting Chief People Officer, holding the fort for the second time as the company’s existing CPO enjoys the second addition to their family. She has also overseen the company’s HR operations, talent acquisition and organisational development during periods of high growth; and in 2021 led the global team’s readiness journey to one of the most successful IPOs that year. Bec has supported the opening of four new international offices during her time and, most recently, led the in-sourcing of the company’s fast-growing team in Manila.

Before joining SiteMinder, Bec was the HR Manager for Commonwealth Bank’s Digital area and, prior to that, she helped grow the Organisational Development capability at ASIC where she launched the Commission’s EVP and first annual Women in Leadership Award and Indigenous cadet program.

Bec has over 15 years experience in HR and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult Education, with a major in Human Resource Development, from the University of Technology Sydney.
9:50 AM
Transforming the leadership mindset

We’re seeing an evolution of leaders in the workplace today, with a shift to non-linear leadership development paths. How are companies shaping their leaders to invest in their growth and development?
- How can we build accountability and self-motivated learning in leaders?
- Rethinking leadership development programs with flexible and personalised options
- Navigating the balance between flexible working and fostering valuable connections at work
Jodi Sampson

Chief People Officer
Nanosonics

Jodi Sampson

Chief People Officer
Nanosonics

Jodi is the first Chief People & Culture Officer to be appointed for Nanosonics, an Australian based global Company with the vision of Infection Prevention For Life through transforming infection prevention practises and introducing innovative technologies that deliver improved standards of care. During her time in the role, Jodi has developed and led people strategies to enable the transformation and growth of the global workforce and has a passion for building leadership capability and creating a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone experiences a sense of belonging.

Willow Davoren

Senior P&C Business Partner
Nanosonics

Willow Davoren

Senior P&C Business Partner
Nanosonics

Willow brings a wealth of business partnering experience, having spent over 15 years in HR roles across a range of industries, including telecommunications, media, tech, education and most recently in medical devices at Nanosonics, an Australian based global company. Willow is a values-lead authentic HR professional and has a passion for developing programs that deliver improved engagement and leadership accountability.

Willow holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management.
10:30 AM

Morning tea and refreshments break
11:00 AM
How to drive employee engagement further

In today’s competitive job market, it can be a struggle to attract and retain top talent. This session explores the strategic alignment of employee values with corporate engagement initiatives. In this session you’ll learn about:
- Origin’s approach to a value-led employee engagement strategy
- Striking a balance between trends and listening to your people
- Utilising employee benefits to their full potential
Sarah McInerney

General Manager, People & Culture
Origin Energy

Sarah McInerney

General Manager, People & Culture
Origin Energy

After beginning her career in the Human Resources industry over twenty years ago in London, Sarah worked across a range of recruitment, business partnering and consulting roles before moving back to Sydney in 2010. Since joining, Sarah has played a pivotal role in shaping Origin Energy’s People & Culture strategy. Her comprehensive understanding of the industry and dedication to employee development have been instrumental in her contributions. As Origin’s General Manager of People & Culture she now leads the focus for organisational development, remuneration, benefits, IR/ER, culture, change, diversity and inclusion strategies.
11:30 AM
LEGAL UPDATE: Understanding your risk and developing your strategy in the new world of industrial relations

This session will provide key insights to assist as your business adapts to the industrial relations reforms.
- Your new relationship with the Fair Work Commission
- The rise of the union movement and worker advocacy
- Restrictions on contracting – ‘same job same pay’ outsourcing, casuals, fixed term contracts
- Employers in the spotlight – penalties and sexual harassment
Luis Izzo

Managing Director
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Luis Izzo

Managing Director
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Luis oversees ABLA’s Sydney and Melbourne Workplace Relations teams and has over 15 years’ experience practicing as a specialist employment and industrial relations lawyer.

Acting only for employers or employer associations, he is well regarded in the industry for providing comprehensive and practical legal services for complex matters. This has included the conduct of investigations involving numerous allegations from multiple complainants; handing of workforce-wide underpayment claims; a judicial review application before the Full Court of the Federal Court; and being a lead employer advocate in test case proceedings relating to annual leave provisions and penalty rate provisions in over 100 modern awards.

In the public sector, Luis has previously been the principal legal advisor on department-wide enterprise agreement negotiations for the AFP and ATO.

Luis is regularly recognised by peers and clients as an expert in this field and was named a leading practitioner in employment law for the 2023 Doyles’ Guide.
12:15 PM

WORKSHOP: How to influence decision-making in the C-suite

Securing buy-in from C-level leaders is critical to driving HR strategies. This session will discuss how HR leaders can overcome challenges to effectively contribute and influence others at the C-level.

Deborah Howcroft

Vice President Organisation Development and Corporate People Team
Bluescope

Deborah Howcroft

Vice President Organisation Development and Corporate People Team
Bluescope

Deb Howcroft is a senior business executive with experience in both the Australian and international markets. Deb has successfully worked in organisations that are complex and have required strong leadership and influence to achieve desired outcomes. Deb’s primary focus is on the management of change and development of people within businesses to achieve strategic objectives.

With a corporate background Deb currently holds the role of Vice President Global Organisational Development and Corporate Advisory for BlueScope Steel Limited. Prior to this Deb held the role of Executive General Manager Group Organisational Development for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (2014-2018). Deb also worked internationally and locally for the Vodafone Group as Global Director of Organisational Capability for Vodafone Group Limited (2005 – 2008) and Director, People and Brand, Australia for a period of 5 years.

Deb has also worked for many years in a consulting capacity, some of her clients included Origin Energy, NBNCo, Coles Group, Telstra, CBA and NRMA. Working with these clients has ranged from HR strategy, alignment of people practices with organisational strategy, facilitation of groups to achieve outcomes; and coaching individuals to successfully influence the organisation to appropriate agendas.

Throughout her career Deb has led business turnarounds, been involved in start ups and has worked within corporate centers to affect the changes required to align businesses with customer needs. Deb’s key skills are in providing clarity to strategic thinking and being able to break this down into effective operational plans that achieve results. This combined with her commercial and customer understanding, and ability to identify and manage risk, enable her to provide leadership needed both directly, and indirectly, to help businesses and individuals define, and successfully implement change.
1:00 PM

Networking lunch
2:10 PM
Nurturing the employee experience with psychological safety

IMDEX’s commitment to cultural transformation has been deliberate and intentional, shifting from achievement-oriented to innovation and people-oriented. This culture was created to support a global leadership commitment to building a psychologically safe work environment. In this session, Kiah will share how simple initiatives can have a global impact, including the following:
- Workplace support mechanisms that truly make a difference to employee wellbeing
- Practical measures that contribute to psychological safety
- Authentic and meaningful actions that promote a culture where trust, fairness and inclusion as part of its DNA
Kiah Grafton

Chief People Officer
IMDEX

Kiah Grafton

Chief People Officer
IMDEX

Kiah is Chief People Officer at IMDEX, a fast-growing global mining-technology company with its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia, but offices in 20 countries and operations in every major mining jurisdiction in the world.

Before being appointed CPO in 2021, Kiah was IMDEX’s Executive General Manager of Human Resources, responsible for fundamentally transforming the People & Culture strategy, capability, and role within the business.

She contributes to IMDEX’s business success through her growing roles in strategy, organisational capability, ESG and communications.

Kiah has multi-sector experience, having held leadership roles in national and global organisations in the resources, banking, consulting, and not-for-profit sectors.

She is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and routinely advises IMDEX’S board and potential investors.
2:50 PM

Speed networking

Expand your network, make connections, and meet fellow delegates in a structured networking session.

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.
3:10 PM

Afternoon tea and refreshments break
3:40 PM
PANEL: Learning and development to engage remote workers

How can companies deliver effective learning experiences for a hybrid workforce? This session will discuss strategies for employees to capture learning opportunities both in and out of the workplace.
- What learning initiatives are best delivered face-to-face versus virtually?
- Encouraging a learning culture for time-poor and burnt-out employees
- Tips on delivering L&D programs on a budget
- How to secure buy-in for L&D initiatives
- Measuring the ROI of L&D investments
Moderator

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.

Panellists

Karlie Cremin

Managing Director
DLPA

Karlie Cremin

Managing Director
DLPA

Karlie has worked extensively with businesses large and small to formulate and implement strategy, and equip leaders with the ability to lead effectively for 20 years. Karlie has assisted businesses in re-designing processes and procedures, implementing best practice and re-designing entire business models. These efforts are supported through effective training and development activity to ensure the workforce is equipped to deliver the strategy, whilst ensuring an optimal employee experience.

Karlie has predominantly worked in the construction sector, as well as a suite of other industries from finance to car rental. Through her efforts as a consultant, Karlie has supported businesses as they have gone from $10 million turnover to $50 million. Karlie’s academic qualifications have groundings in commerce, law with a focus on employment law, and business administration and finance.

Gillian Davie

Chief People Officer
Bravura

Gillian Davie

Chief People Officer
Bravura

An ASX C-suite executive and Non-Executive Director spanning over a 25-year career.
Gillian holds a rare combination of experience in rapid growth businesses, turnarounds, transformation, crisis management, acquisition (acquiring and being acquired), and how to successfully lead teams through these events.

This experience was gained in domestic and international businesses in the Financial Services, Technology and FMCG / Retail sectors.

She is also an experienced Board member, Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Gillian is passionate about the role HR plays in helping people (and business) to see what is possible and the change required to achieve that.

Sarah Herring

Regional Head of Learning and Development Asia Pacific
Moët Hennessy

Sarah Herring

Regional Head of Learning and Development Asia Pacific
Moët Hennessy

With a passion and curiosity for human behaviour, learning, and talent development, Sarah has dedicated her career to discovering and applying evidence-based learning and behaviour theory to build inclusive learning cultures, strong leadership capability, and high performing teams.



Spanning over 20 years of experience across multiple industries. Sarah love of learning is evident in her continued search and contribution towards new research and practices in the field. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organisational Leadership and postgraduate degrees in Human Resource Management, Applied Positive Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, and Applied Coaching.



Sarah is currently building capability and a culture of learning as the Regional Head of Learning and Development, Asia Pacific for Moet Hennessy where she drives not only the L&OD strategy but also DEI.
4:30 PM

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

In this interactive session, delegates will discuss key HR challenges covered at the conference and develop action points to implement change.
4:40 PM

Day one ends

8:45 AM

Registration opens
9:25 AM

Opening remarks from the Chairperson

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.
9:35 AM
Harnessing diversity of thought to drive better outcomes

In times of constant change and uncertainty, how do you support people to thrive? It’s important to create an environment where people can be their authentic selves and bring their unique strength to the table. Tapping into the full cognitive resources within organisations not only helps drive performance, it supports intrinsic motivation and engagement. With the right conditions, leaders can create an environment that increases creativity, improves decision making, and in turn, drives organisational performance.
- How to foster a culture and an inclusive environment where people empowered to be their authentic selves
- What is cognitive diversity and why it is so important to leverage in turbulent times
- Unlocking individual talent and unleashing performance in a muti-national business
Ruth Muller

Chief R&D Officer
Suntory Oceania

Ruth Muller

Chief R&D Officer
Suntory Oceania

Ruth Muller, Chief R&D Officer and Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Suntory Oceania, boasts 24 years of FMCG experience. She champions consumer-centric product development and future-focused strategies. Her leadership has steered initiatives like the introduction of rPET packaging, launch of V Refresh, and introduction of Suntory Boss Coffee into the Oceania market.
Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, Ruth has played a key role in building the strategy to ensure what is being done is meaningful and impactful. This includes sharing learnings from her lived experience with neurodivergence, and how that has helped shaped her as a leader.

Aimee Sherer

Learning Capability Manager
Suntory Oceania

Aimee Sherer

Learning Capability Manager
Suntory Oceania

Aimee Sherer, Suntory’s Learning and Capability Manager, drives global development programs to unlock individual talent potential. Specialising in leadership, she prioritises advancing female leaders and leveraging personal strengths for business success. With diverse experience from roles in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, Aimee integrates insights from these markets to help unleash everyone’s greatness through identify their unique talents.
As a speaker, facilitator, mentor and coach she has a reputation for being supportive yet direct when it comes to calling leaders and teams on behaviours that are limiting their performance or getting in their way.
10:15 AM

FIRESIDE CHAT: Improving productivity and accountability within a remote workforce

The hybrid environment and a diverse range of jobs can make it challenging to track productivity and maintain accountability within teams. In this session, hear how BGIS is rethinking how it measures productivity of its teams.

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.

Sarah Novelli

Executive Director, People & Culture – APAC
BGIS

Sarah Novelli

Executive Director, People & Culture – APAC
BGIS

Sarah Novelli is the Executive Director, People & Culture at BGIS. Having worked in HR leadership roles for over 10 years, Sarah is particularly passionate about developing and executing People Strategies which align with and achieve business goals. Sarah holds a Master of Legal and Ethics, specialising in Industrial Relations and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Human Resources Management. With a strong interest around people analytics and benchmarking, Sarah provides counsel to all levels of leadership around retention, strategic talent management and future capability. Sarah also holds a passion for Diversity & Inclusion, working as an advocate for D&I across various areas.
10:45 AM

Morning tea and refreshments break
11:15 AM
WORKSHOP: Managing the use of AI in your workforce

It’s essential for HR leaders to ensure employees are using ChatGPT and other AI tools responsibly and effectively to mitigate risks. This session will discuss how to manage the use of AI at work.
- Drafting robust policies and clear guidelines to manage the use of AI tools
- Ethical and legal considerations for mitigating potential risks
- Monitoring employee usage of AI tools
Jason Portelli

Founder & Managing Consultant
Tech Pathfinder

Jason Portelli

Founder & Managing Consultant
Tech Pathfinder

Jason is a speaker, Podcast host, and technology evangelist who has worked in the HR tech world for over a decade.

With hands-on experience across Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, and the UK, he has built and led teams across many aspects of the HR tech space, and his people-centric approach allows him to guide and motivate them to great outcomes for his team and clients. His experience has helped him play an integral part in the growth of tech businesses from start-up to ASX listing and beyond.

Jason is the founder of Tech Pathfinder, a consulting firm helping guide clients to better outcomes from their people software. An avid user of AI technology, he takes a risk-based, people focused approach to using AI within a workplace setting.
12:00 PM
CASE STUDY: Driving performance through reward, recognition and rest

With a competitive talent market, high delivery expectations and limited budgets, companies need to think differently about how to motivate talent to achieve results. How are companies thinking about reward, recognition and rest as drivers of performance?
- Examples of reward, recognition and rest initiatives for a diverse workforce
- Rethinking the total rewards strategy
- Implementing a modern approach to motivation
Kama Ghosn

Chief People Officer
NobleOak

Kama Ghosn

Chief People Officer
NobleOak

Kama has over 20 years’ experience working in start-up, M&A/ transactional and change oriented environments with diverse experience across a range of industries and most of her career spent in ASX listed organisations with a heavy focus on reward, governance, data and cultural change.
12:40 PM

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: Creating bonus and incentive schemes

In this interactive session, delegates will participate in structured discussions on tailoring and drafting reward schemes.

Moderator

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.
1:00 PM

Networking lunch
2:10 PM
PANEL: Engaging the next generation of talent

Gen Z employees have a different set of expectations from other generations in the workforce. From remuneration, wellbeing, to growth opportunities, hear how top companies are engaging and retaining their Gen Z workforce.
- What are the key factors that define a great place to work for Gen Z?
- Providing non-traditional career pathways and growth opportunities
- Creating opportunities for on-the-job training and collaboration in a hybrid setting
Moderator

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.

Panelists

Kama Ghosn

Chief People Officer
NobleOak

Kama Ghosn

Chief People Officer
NobleOak

Kama has over 20 years’ experience working in start-up, M&A/ transactional and change oriented environments with diverse experience across a range of industries and most of her career spent in ASX listed organisations with a heavy focus on reward, governance, data and cultural change.

Jodi Paton

Chief People Officer
HOYTS Group

Jodi Paton

Chief People Officer
HOYTS Group

Jodi joined The HOYTS Group in 2013 in a newly formed role heading up the People, Performance and Culture function. She is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team with a primary focus on partnering with senior leaders and key business stakeholders in building organisational capability and employee engagement to foster a learning culture in a high-performance environment. Her remit includes HR, Recruitment, Learning, Payroll, Health, Well-being & Safety and ESG. Jodi has been invited to speak at various conferences and participate on panels, and her team has been awarded the AHRI Award for Technology.

Jodi holds a Master of Organisational Development and Training, a Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology (Sport), a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is on the Employer Leadership Group for Workplace Giving Australia. She is also accredited in LSI 360, 360 Profiler Report Interpretation, DiSC and McQuaig.

Prior to joining The HOYTS Group, Jodi held positions in Learning & Development and HR for Jones Lang LaSalle and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Elise Ward

Chief People Officer
Prospa

Elise Ward

Chief People Officer
Prospa

Elise is currently the Chief People Officer at Prospa – a growing FinTech with a purpose to unleash the potential of every small business. In her role, she has responsibility for the design and delivery of our people strategy. A passionate strengths coach, Elise has more than 15 years’ experience in delivering progressive people and culture strategies across start-ups and multinational organisations. Prior to joining Prospa, Elise led the People & Culture team for Canadian-based technology company Elastic Path Software and has held senior HR roles at Samsung and Tabcorp.

Elise has a Bachelor of HR Management from Macquarie University, a Graduate Certificate in Change Management from AGSM at UNSW, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
3:00 PM
Intersectionality – how to cultivate a thriving, diverse workplace

Discover the transformative power of applying an intersectional lens in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Learn how embracing diverse identities can drive innovation, enhance talent retention and offer a competitive edge. Join us to unlock actionable insights for fostering a thriving, engaged workforce and securing commercial success.
- Understanding and integrating the concept of intersectionality into workplace policies and culture
- How intersectionality enhances talent attraction and retention
- Achieving competitive advantage through intersectionality
Prabha Nandagopal

Founder
Elevate Consulting Partners

Prabha Nandagopal

Founder
Elevate Consulting Partners

Prabha is a distinguished human rights and discrimination lawyer with over 18 years of experience, specialising in workplace culture reform, and the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. As the founder of Elevate Consulting Partners, she is dedicated to driving positive social change through intersectional approaches.

Prabha’s notable roles include senior positions at the Australian Human Rights Commission and leading the national inquiries into immigration detention and children in detention. Her innovative work on the Independent Commonwealth Parliamentary Review, the National Music Industry Review and the cultural review of EY Oceania underscores her expertise in addressing workplace sexual harassment and discrimination.

Recognised for her contribution to implementing a positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment, Prabha was named a woman to watch in leadership by Women’s Agenda in 2024. Holding degrees in Law and Psychology from the University of Adelaide, Prabha’s career is marked by her commitment to challenging systemic issues and fostering inclusivity.
3:35 PM

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

In this interactive session, delegates will discuss key HR challenges covered at the conference and develop action points to implement change.

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura Applebee-Jones

Partner and Co-Founder
Fifth Frame

Laura has spent 16 years studying human behaviour and consulting across performance improvement, operations and people issues. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology and accreditations in a number of leadership and organisational culture assessment tools.

Laura’s primary focus and experience is in leadership assessment, development and coaching; large group facilitation; culture and values assessment and organisational behaviour change.

Whilst working across a wide range of industries including healthcare, transport, retail, energy, utilities and entertainment,

With a passion for learning and education, Laura holds positions on the Management Boards of both a community run not-for-profit Preschool and her local OOSC/ Vacation Care Centre.
3:45 PM

Directors Forum concludes
3:50 PM

Grand Prize Draws

Expo Passport Grand Prize

Collect all exhibitors’ stamps on the Expo Passport for the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize!

Workshops All Star Grand Prize

Attend all workshops for the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize!

Sponsor Prize Draws

Visit the exhibitors to join prize giveaways!
4:00 PM

Event concludes

Day 1

Day 2

8:00 AM

Registration opens

9:05 AM

Opening remarks from the Chairperson

Laura Applebee-Jones

9:15 AM

Welcoming remarks from the Event Partner

Sarah McInerney

9:20 AM

The future of HR – looking at 2030 and beyond

Bec Donnelly

9:50 AM

Transforming the leadership mindset

Jodi Sampson

Willow Davoren

10:30 AM

Morning tea and refreshments break

11:00 AM

How to drive employee engagement further

Sarah McInerney

11:30 AM

LEGAL UPDATE: Understanding your risk and developing your strategy in the new world of industrial relations

Luis Izzo

12:15 PM

WORKSHOP: How to influence decision-making in the C-suite

Deborah Howcroft

1:00 PM

Networking lunch

2:10 PM

Nurturing the employee experience with psychological safety

Kiah Grafton

2:50 PM

Speed networking

Laura Applebee-Jones

3:10 PM

Afternoon tea and refreshments break

3:40 PM

PANEL: Learning and development to engage remote workers

Moderator

Laura Applebee-Jones

Panellists

Karlie Cremin

Gillian Davie

Sarah Herring

4:30 PM

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

4:40 PM

Day one ends

8:45 AM

Registration opens

9:25 AM

Opening remarks from the Chairperson

Laura Applebee-Jones

9:35 AM

Harnessing diversity of thought to drive better outcomes

Ruth Muller

Aimee Sherer

10:15 AM

FIRESIDE CHAT: Improving productivity and accountability within a remote workforce

Laura Applebee-Jones

Sarah Novelli

10:45 AM

Morning tea and refreshments break

11:15 AM

WORKSHOP: Managing the use of AI in your workforce

Jason Portelli

12:00 PM

CASE STUDY: Driving performance through reward, recognition and rest

Kama Ghosn

12:40 PM

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: Creating bonus and incentive schemes

Moderator

Laura Applebee-Jones

1:00 PM

Networking lunch

2:10 PM

PANEL: Engaging the next generation of talent

Moderator