Speakers

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	Dr Rebecca Michael Chief Executive Officer Queensland Transport & Logistics Council The QTLC is the peak freight, transport and logistics industry body in Queensland, providing advice to government and industry stakeholders on the development, planning, regulation and operation of freight and logistics transport, infrastructure and services in Queensland. Since commencing as CEO in February 2012, Rebecca has delivered a number of key initiatives to support the efficient movement of freight in Queensland including the QTLC Freight Future Forum, North Coast Line Rail Forum, Import Export Logistics Chain Study, Freight Smart Grants and Strengthening Queensland Supply Chain report, while also contributing to broader transport reform and supply chain efficiency through a number of submissions and activities. Prior to her role with the QTLC, Rebecca occupied the role of Principal Advisor Infrastructure, Economics and Regional Development within the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) for a number of years. A key focus of her portfolio was the development of freight and heavy vehicle policy related to strategic asset management, road pricing reform and heavy vehicle regulation. She also developed and managed a suite of initiatives aimed at improving the sustainability of resource activities in Queensland as underwritten by the seminal “Supporting Queensland’s Resource Regions” framework which Rebecca authored. During her time with the LGAQ, Rebecca was also instrumental in developing a post disaster framework for the coordination and implementation of regulatory requirements and procurement and delivery arrangements to local governments. In her current and previous roles in government, Rebecca engages with government and industry on a number of diverse research, transport, infrastructure and economics projects that focus on improving supply chain outcomes that benefit Queensland.

	Jack Archer General Manager, Policy and Research Regional Australia Institute Jack leads the Regional Australia Institute’s research program and policy development work, building on his previous work on major regional reforms related to water, climate change and industry development. Originally from Paterson in the lower Hunter Valley of NSW, Jack now lives in the hills west of Canberra and has farming interests in Northern NSW.

	Margaret Blade Chief Executive Officer RDA Brisbane Margaret commenced with RDA Brisbane in July 2010. Previously she was the Partnership Broker Manager for Worklinks Inc, where she established a team in the Logan and West Moreton regions which developed school-business-community partnerships under the Federal Government’s National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions. Prior to that, she worked for 14 years in the role of Executive Officer of the former Greater Brisbane Area Consultative Committee (ACC), where she facilitated and oversaw funding to community and economic development projects across Brisbane, Logan and Redlands; planned, implemented and managed projects in small business assistance and Indigenous training and employment, and organised activities to build community capacity. Margaret has a Master of Professional Studies from the University of Southern Queensland and she serves as Secretary of the Queensland State Practitioner Network of Economic Development Australia.

	Mr Hugh Durrant-Whyte Chief Executive Officer NICTA Hugh Durrant-Whyte received the B.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of London, U.K., in 1983, and the M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Systems Engineering, from the University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., in 1985 and 1986, respectively. From 1987 to 1995, he was a University Lecturer in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Oriel College Oxford. From 1995-2010 he was Professor of Mechatronic Engineering at University of Sydney where he led the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems (CAS). In December 2010 Hugh took up the role of CEO of NICTA. Hugh has been awarded two Australian Research Council (ARC) Federation Fellowships, in 2002 and in 2007. His research work focuses on robotics and distributed sensor networks and he has published over 350 papers. His work with industry includes major robotics and automation projects in cargo handling, surface and underground mining, defence, unmanned flight vehicles and autonomous sub-sea vehicles. He has also co-founded three successful start-up companies. Hugh has won numerous awards and prizes for his work including the ATSE Clunies Ross Award, IFR/IEEE Invention and Entrepreneurship Award, the NSW Pearcey Award, and four IEEE Best Paper prizes. He was named Professional Engineer of the year (2008) by the Institute of Engineers Australia Sydney Division and NSW Scientist of the Year (2010). He is an IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Distinguished Lecturer (2006-10). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (FIEEE), a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA), and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

	Professor Roy Green Dean University of Technology Sydney Business School Roy Green is Dean of the UTS Business School at the University of Technology Sydney. Roy has degrees from the University of Adelaide and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Research Fellow, and he has worked subsequently in universities, business and government in Australia and overseas, including Dean of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management and the Business School at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Roy has advised and published widely in the areas of management and workplace innovation as well as industry policy and trends in business education. He has also undertaken a range of projects with the OECD, European Commission and Enterprise Ireland. In recent years, Roy has chaired and participated in the Australian Government’s Innovative Regions Centre, CSIRO Manufacturing Sector Advisory Council, NSW Manufacturing Council, Enterprise Connect Advisory Committee and ABS Innovation Reference Group. He was co-author of a Business Council of Australia/ Society for Knowledge Economics report in 2006 New Pathways to Prosperity: A National Innovation Framework for Australia, he conducted the Australian Government’s review of the textile, clothing and footwear industries in 2008 Building Innovative Capability and led Australian participation in a major global study of management practice and productivity in 2009 Manufacturing Matters for Australia – Just how productive are we? In 2012, Roy contributed to the Prime Minister’s Manufacturing Taskforce report Smarter Manufacturing for a Smarter Australia and was co-author of a research report on productivity for the McKell Institute, Understanding Productivity – Australia’s Choice. He is currently leading an 18 month Australian Government funded project by the Australian Business Deans Council on the future of management education and a project on public sector innovation for the Institute of Public Administration Australia. He is also a member of CSIRO’s newly established Australian Design Integration Network, and he was recently appointed to the new Manufacturing Leaders Group and to Sydney’s Global Talent Hub Advisory Body.

0	Steven Koch Executive Director, Skills and Employment Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment

	Russell Mason Chief Executive Officer RDA Sunshine Coast Russell Mason’s 25 year career in the tourism and recreation industry has included several senior management positions such as Senior Manager at Parks Victoria, General Manager, Skyrail-itm, and CEO of Tourism Sunshine Coast. Russell is an active member of on numerous industry boards and has been a director of Australian Association of Convention Bureaux and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council. Russell has several university degrees including a Master of Business in Tourism Development, Bachelor of Business and a graduate certificate form the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Russell also sits on the AICD Committee for the Sunshine Coast and is recognised by the Australian Marketing Institute as a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM).

0	Brent Moore Executive Officer for East Asian Growth Markets Austrade Brent Moore is Executive Officer for East Asian Growth Markets, covering 14 markets, 25 Austrade offices, 230 staff and more than 2 billion consumers. Prior to joining Austrade, Brent worked for DAFF’s International Division in Canberra and Beijing, working on East Asian agricultural trade negotiation and cooperation. He has consulted for the European Union on trade sustainability and worked in the federal Agriculture minister’s office. Brent has degrees in Commerce (International Business) and Arts (Chinese) from Deakin University, complemented with language studies in Nanjing and Qingdao. He is currently completing a master’s degree in International Business and law at Sydney University.

	Professor Max Standage Chair SEQ Regional Development Initiative Professor Standage has held a number of senior management and leadership positions at Griffith University, including Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost with responsibilities for the Health and Science Academic Groups and the Quality and Community Partnership portfolios. His particular interests are in strategic planning of university campuses, commercialisation of university research, knowledge precincts, the development of knowledge intensive industries and the role of universities in community engagement and social inclusion. He is the current Chair of Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast, and was also Chair of Regional Development Australia Logan & Redlands prior to that.

0	Mathew Thomas Project Manager (Economics) Qld Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning