Alison Deans

Director Westpac Group, Cochlear, IAG, kikki.K Holdings

Alison has more than 20 years’ experience in senior management and strategy consulting roles focussed on e-commerce, media and financial services in Australia. During this time, Alison held a number of senior executive roles including as the CEO of eCorp Limited, Hoyts Cinemas and eBay, Australia and New Zealand. Most recently, she was the CEO of the technology-based investment company netus Pty Ltd, which was acquired by Fairfax Media Limited in 2012. Alison was a Director of Insurance Australia Group Limited from February 2013 to October 2017 and an Independent Director of Social Ventures Australia from September 2007 to April 2013.

Alison is currently an Investment Committee member of the CSIRO Innovation Fund (Main Sequence Ventures) and a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company.

Andrew Gregory

Chief Executive Officer, McDonald's Australia

Andrew Gregory joined McDonald’s as a 19-year-old crew member while completing a Bachelor of Economics. He joined the corporate team and worked his way up through the business in finance and development. In 2010, Andrew became Vice-President, Development Officer in Japan and, subsequently, Senior-Vice-President, Chief Restaurant Support Officer. In 2012, Andrew relocated back to Australia as Chief Financial Officer and took over as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2014.

David Hill

Chief Operating Officer, Deloitte

As Chief Operating Officer, David is responsible for ensuring Deloitte has a world-class operating model to support and enable our partners and staff to provide the highest quality client service. David has previously led Deloitte’s national mid-market business, Deloitte Private as well as Deloitte’s national M&A Transaction Services business. David is passionate about leadership and empowering and developing the partners and staff of Deloitte to realise their full potential with the firm.

Dave Curran

Chief Information Officer, Westpac Group

Dave was appointed Group Chief Information Officer in September 2014. Dave has almost thirty years of experience with proven expertise in IT and financial services and the implementation of large, complex projects. Dave has been on the Board of the Westpac Bicentennial Foundation, a $100 million scholarship fund with exclusive focus on Australian education and leadership since 2015. Before joining Westpac, Dave spent ten years in senior roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Before joining CBA, he spent sixteen years at Accenture, where he was a Partner, primarily consulting on financial services.

Deborah Hutton

Founder, Balance by Deborah Hutton

Deborah Hutton is a household name and one of Australia’s most recognisable and best-known media personalities in Australia with extensive experience hosting television programs. For more than 10 years Deborah was an editor at Australian Women’s Weekly and as a savvy businesswoman, Deborah launched both her range of homewares “Living with Deborah Hutton”, with Kmart and her own brand of Optical eyewear.

In 2012 Deborah became Founder and publisher of ‘balancebydeborahhutton’ a digital channel and online community created to help women connect with coaches and experts who offer practical advice towards living a happier, healthier more successful life.

Gail Kelly

Former Westpac Group CEO Westpac Group

Gail served as CEO of Westpac from 2008 to 2015, and prior to that was CEO of St.George Bank from 2002 to 2007. In 2008, these two banks came together under her leadership in the largest in-market merger in Australian financial services. By the end of her tenure, the Westpac Group was the country’s 2nd largest bank and 12th largest in the world, in terms of market capitalisation.

Jack Delosa

Founder & CEO, The Entourage Education Group

Jack Delosa, author and Australia’s leading entrepreneur under 30, is the dynamic young Australian who went from a start-up business to a leader for future and existing entrepreneurs in just 8 years.

Jack is now regarded as one of Australia’s leading entrepreneurs under 30, and is the author of the book, UnProfessional: How a 26-year-old university dropout became a self-made millionaire.

Today Jack’s focus is on educating and developing a new breed of entrepreneur through his two business education institutions, The Entourage and MBE Education, which have a combined membership base of 30,000 business owners, and climbing He has also contributed to the development of the curriculum at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship in South Africa – educating entrepreneurs where they are needed most.

Jo Horgan

Founder & CEO, Mecca Cosmetics

Jo Horgan is the Founder and Co-CEO of MECCA Brands. Horgan founded Melbourne-based Mecca Brands in 1997 with the first Mecca Cosmetica store in South Yarra. Today, Mecca Brands has 25% share of the prestige beauty market, with a footprint encompassing over 80 stores around Australia and New Zealand in the form of four unique retail destinations: Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Maxima, MECCA, and mecca.com.au.

John Eales AM

Former Wallabies Captain

John Eales is one of Australia's all-time rugby greats. He took part in two successful World Cup campaigns; captained the Wallabies in memorable victories including the 1999 World Cup; led Australia through four successive Bledisloe Cup wins and two successful seasons of Tri-Nations fixtures. An inspirational leader and business man through both his actions and his relentless determination. John's sense of fair play and genial nature made him one of the most respected figures in the game, and an extraordinary ambassador for sport and Australia. Today John inspires and instructs leaders by focusing on the importance of coaching, teamwork and culture within corporations and the necessity for faith in the abilities of team members, particularly in times of change, in order to remain composed in the face of aggressive competition.

Leslie Chong

CEO, Imugene

Leslie Chong has over 17 years of experience in leading clinical and department development in oncology. Most recently, she was the clinical operations program lead for the approved MEK inhibitor in cell-signalling targeted therapy, cobimetinib/Cotellic. Prior to Genentech, Ms Chong was one of the clinical operation head at Exelixis, in development of 14 compounds and molecules. She has also been a member of the clinical operation department at GSK and PPD.

Leslie believes that early development and research innovation has the ability to bring transformative medicine to patients in need.

Mia Freedman

Co-founder, Mamamia Women’s Network

Mia Freedman is the co-founder and creative director of Mamamia, a Women's Media Company with an audience of millions. The former Editor in Chief of Australian Cosmopolitan, she has also been Editor in Chief of Cosmo, Cleo and Dolly.

Mia regularly appears on television as a panellist and commentator. She has been recognised as one of Australia's Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review. She has been an outspoken advocate for female entrepreneurs, women in business and has been an advocate for causes as diverse as body image and domestic violence. She has been named one of Australia's Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review.

Nick Randall

Chief Revenue Officer, Tribe

An experienced business leader with 20 years in marketing and media, Nick joined TRIBE in 2018, transitioning from his position as Commercial Director at podcast startup, Whooshkaa, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the platform’s sales and content marketing. Nick has also held National Sales Director at Macquarie Media, and National Sales and Marketing Director at Fairfax Radio Network, plus various senior roles at Southern Cross Austereo. He has also won a number of industry awards including a Gold and a Silver Spike and Direct Grand Prix at the Spikes Asia 2015 awards.

Phillip Godkin

General Manager, Specialist Finance, Westpac Group.

Phillip was appointed General Manager, Specialist Finance within Westpac’s Business Bank in April 2017. Phillip’s portfolio comprises a number of specialist finance businesses including auto, equipment, trade and invoice finance.

Throughout his 20-year career with the Westpac Group, Phillip has held several senior leadership positions across business banking, corporate banking and financial markets.

 Prior to joining Specialist Finance, Phillip was General Manager of the St. George Business Bank, which saw him lead across auto finance, SME, industry, property, and invoice discounting. He has also held roles in Westpac Institutional Bank, including Managing Director, Equities and Managing Director for Europe and America.

Simon Cant

Co-Founder & Managing director Reinventure Group

Simon Cant is a Co-Founder and Managing Director Reinventure Group. Simon has spent his career working on innovation, both through venture and corporate innovation.

As an innovation specialist at CANTT Associates and before that ?WhatIf! Innovation, with a focus on disruptive innovation, he advised clients such Tennis Australia, UBS, NAB, Suncorp, AMP, Fairfax, News Limited and APN News & Media and Transport for NSW. Prior to that he worked with entrepreneurs, in both commercial start-up’s, at TiNSHED Angel Group and social ventures at Social Ventures Australia.

Steven Persson

CEO The Big Issue

Steven, a social entrepreneur, has worked in the non-government organisation sector for more than 30 years and holds a qualification in education for the disabled. He has held the position of CEO for a number of medium to large not-for-profit organisations providing services such as housing, employment, personal care and case management across a wide range of social needs. Steven also has vast experience in the profit sector, running his own business for several years.

Steven has been the CEO of The Big Issue since 2005 and was also the Executive Director of the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup, hosted by The Big Issue.

Tim Fung

CEO & Co-founder, Airtasker

Tim is CEO and co-founder of Airtasker - a trusted community marketplace for people and businesses to outsource tasks, find local services or hire flexible staff in minutes - online or via mobile. Tim is also a founder and director of Tank Stream Labs – a co-working space and entrepreneurial community located in the heart of Sydney CBD.

Prior to starting Airtasker, Tim was a founding team member and investor in mobile startup amaysim, playing a key role in strategy and capital raising. He is a founder and director of several web startups, including online custom shirt design business Joe Button, and motorsport event management group Circuit Club.

Tony Mahar

Chief Executive Officer, National Farmer's Federation

Tony Mahar joined the National Farmers Federation (NFF) as General Manager, Policy and Manager, Economics and Trade in July 2012, and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in March 2016. Tony brings an excellent understanding of policy development and the food and agribusiness sectors, having joined NFF from the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC). As the Director for Sustainable Development at the AFGC, Tony was responsible for driving the response to key economic and sustainability challenges facing the industry. Prior to this, Tony was the Assistant Director of Food and Horticulture Industry Policy at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he managed industry policy, international trade and market access issues.