KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Professor Rufus Black – Vice-Chancellor & President of the University of Tasmania
Rufus holds degrees in law, politics, economics, ethics, and theology from the University of Melbourne and Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. His research and writing have been published widely, including by Oxford University Press and Routledge. Most recently, he was a coauthor of Ethics at War (Routledge 2024). He has also authored a number of major public reports for the Australian Government, drawing on his expertise in ethics, management, and strategy.
Rufus’s work on economic issues and his commercial experience has included being a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he worked on strategy, organisation, and public sector issues in Australia and Asia, being a Board Member of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, a Board Member of Innovation Science Australia, and a Director of the national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
Rufus’s educational and social sector experience includes being President of Museums Victoria, the Deputy Chancellor of Victoria University, Strategic Advisor to the Secretary of Education in Victoria, the founding Chair of the Board of Teach for Australia, a Director of the New York-based Teach for All, a Director of the Cranlana Foundation, and a Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Rufus’ work for government on matters of Defence and Security has included conducting the Black Review into Governance and Accountability in the Department of Defence, Co-Leading the Prime Minister’s Independent Review of the Australian Intelligence Community, being a member of the Afghanistan Inquiry Implementation Oversight Panel.
Bob Brown – Former Green Leaders & Environmentalist
Bob Brown was born and educated in rural NSW and worked as a doctor before becoming the face of the campaign to save the Franklin River in 1982.
He was elected to the Tasmanian state parliament in 1983 and during his tenure most notably advocated for gun law reform, gay law reform and achieved the expansion of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
In 1996 Bob was elected to the Senate, where he led the national debate for 16 years on issues including climate change, democracy, preventative healthcare, conservation, and human rights.
Bob resigned from the Senate in June 2012 to establish the Bob Brown Foundation, a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting action campaigns for the environment in Australia and our region. He is a published author and acclaimed photographer.
Bob lives in Tasmania with his partner Paul and when he gets the chance, enjoys photography, bushwalking, poetry, and philosophy.
Sophie Handford – Councillor & Activist
Sophie Handford is a 23-year-old Councillor, activist from Kāpiti, New Zealand.
Sophie founded School Strike 4 Climate in Aotearoa NZ and went on to coordinate the movement which mobilised 170,000 people across the country in September of 2019, united for climate justice.
She then ran for Council at the age of 18 and was elected as one of Aotearoa’s youngest Councillors, onto the Kāpiti Coast District Council. She’s now chairing its Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee.
PANEL SPEAKERS
Daniel O’Halloran – Commercial Director, COS
Daniel is a highly experienced Commercial Executive, specialising in leading the strategy and deployment of leading B2B Product and Service Providers. Currently leading Australia’s largest locally owned and run B2B product provider, Daniel has led his teams to enable hundreds of top tier Government and Commercial customers achieve First Nation and Minority Business Expenditure Targets whilst achieving bold goals in Net Zero supply solutions. Holding leadership roles across diverse industries and market conditions for 27 years, Daniel offers a developed ability to understand market needs whilst passionately influencing and educating suppliers and buyers to harness the immense power of their Supply Chains to contribute to the goals of equal outcomes for all Australians whilst shifting the dial on single use plastic and greenhouse gases.
Zetty Brake – Manager – Modern Slavery Unit, University of Sydney
Day-to-day Zetty works with stakeholders to identify and address modern slavery risks across the University’s supply chain and operations and contributes to modern slavery risk management best practice and thought leadership. Before the University of Sydney, Zetty was a Senior Manager of Environmental and Social Risk for Macquarie Bank where she led global human rights and modern slavery programs and provided subject matter expertise on business and human rights matters. Zetty has lived and worked in Thailand, Mongolia, and Australia, and has seen firsthand the challenges institutions face when operationalising human rights and sustainability goals. Outside of work Zetty is a keen hiker and netballer, art lover and is completing her PhD researching modern slavery.
Ralph Fallows – Head of Sales, Social Traders
An individual with a drive to build communities working professionally with businesses, governments and social enterprises and voluntarily in the not-for-profit sector as a Chairman, Non-Executive Director, Committee Chair / Member, Mentor and Volunteer. Ralph leads the acquisition of new business and government members for Social Traders, the only certifier of social enterprises in Australia and the connectors with business and government members. He is a passionate and results focused leader with experience across several geographies, industries, sectors, categories and functions with specialist expertise in manufacturing, sales, facilitation, coaching, mentoring, consulting and community development.
SPEAKERS
Adam Tavasz
Transformation Lead, Data Analytics – University of Tasmania
Alex Fransen
Sustainability Coordinator – University of Technology Sydney
Alice Hill
Sustainability Project Administrator – University of Sydney
Andrew Wilks
Director, Sustainability – Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington
Brittany Vermeulen
Sustainability Coordinator – Western Sydney University
Caitlyn Pasquali
Transport Planner – Movement and Place Consultants
Carla Alzamora
Change Manager, Sustainability – The Australian National University
Dr Carmen Primo Perez
Sustainability Manager, Strategic Analysis and Reporting – The University of Tasmania
Dr Catherine Elliott
Sustainability Manager (Experience & Engagement) – University of Tasmania
Dr Charlotte Blythe
Carbon & Sustainability Communications and Engagement Manager – Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Dr Chloe Lucas
Education for Sustainability Coordinator – University of Tasmania
Corey Peterson
Chief Sustainability Officer – University of Tasmania
Danielle McCartney
Head of Sustainability – University of Technology Sydney
Debbie Hindle
Wellbeing Specialist – University of Tasmania
Emma Holland
Sustainability Program Lead – University of Sydney
Fien Van den Steen
Student – University of the Sunshine Coast
Fred Gale
Head of Discipline, Politics and International Relations – University of Tasmania
Dr Graham Wood
Senior Lecturer – University of Tasmania
Jeff McClintock
Community Garden Coordinator – University of Tasmania
Jess Taylor
Project Coordinator – ACTS
Julie O’Brien
Senior Advisor, Sustainable Development – RMIT University
Kat Carrick
Sustainability Compliance Lead – University of Sydney
Kim White
Food Security Coordinator – University of Tasmania
Knowles Tivedale
Managing Director – Movement & Place Consulting
Lars Roberts
Community Gardener – University of Tasmania
Laura Minchella
Sustainability Program Lead – University of Sydney
Laura Ripoll-Gonzalez
Lecturer – Erasmus University, The Netherlands
Leena Tirrul
Officer Assistant Project Support – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka- University of Otago
Linda Stevenson
Senior Manager, Sustainability – RMIT University
Lucy McKenzie
Head of Sustainability – Auckland University of Technology
Lulu Meehan-Welham
Senior ESG & Sustainability Advisor – Monash University
Madeleine Culp
Engagement Specialist, Sustainability – University of Sydney
Mary Gill
Waste Officer – University of Tasmania
Mylene Turban
Sustainability Engagement Manager – University of New South Wales
Nicholas Roberts
Sustainability Officer, Asset Management & Operations – University of Sydney
Paul Sparks
Director of Sustainability – Diadem
Pierre Le Mestreallan
Project Engineer (Electrification) – University of Tasmania
Pii-Tuulia Nikula
Associate Professor – Eastern Institute of Technology
Raveena Grace
Sustainability Engagement Coordinator – University of Melbourne
Ray O’Brien
Tumuaki – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, University of Otago,
Reece Moors
Director, Office of the Vice-Chancellor – Victoria University of Wellington
Rhiannon Boyd
Chief Executive Officer – ACTS
Rhonda Thomson
Pou Hapai – Senior Adviser – Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Robert Hortle
Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow – University of Tasmania
Ruth Oliver
Net Zero Policy & Programs Manager – Monash University
Sandy Murray
Lecturer Food, Nutrition and Public Health – University of Tasmania
Scott Smith
Technical Director, Sustainable Buildings – Beca
Shane French
Senior Sustainability Coordinator – Monash University
Shirley Phan
Sustainability & Wellbeing Coordinator – Monash University
Sue Hopkins
Manager, Environmental Sustainability – University of Melbourne
Suellen Smosinski
PhD candidate – University of Tasmania
Dr Tatiana Pinedo Rivera
Senior Process Engineer & Sustainability Leader – Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, ANFF, Monash University
Tim Millbank
Professional Experience Placement Lead – University of Tasmania
William Van Ausdel
Head of Sustainability – Flinders University
Ysobel Cranfield
Engagement Specialist – University of Sydney