Conference Speakers

Hon Julie Bishop

The Honourable Julie Bishop served as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 until her resignation in 2018. She was the first female to hold the role as well as the first female Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, serving for 11 years.
 
As Foreign Minister, Ms Bishop was responsible for strengthening Australia’s key strategic and economic relationships with Ministerial responsibility for more than 5,000 departmental staff, 110 overseas missions as well as government agencies Australian Secret Intelligence Service and Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.

In 2014, she led the international response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, and was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    
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Under her leadership, the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper was developed, providing a comprehensive policy framework for the next decade; and the New Colombo Plan was established, enabling Australian undergraduates to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region. Within five years more than 40,000 students have participated in the Plan.

In a political career spanning over 20 years, Julie also served as Minister for Education, Science and Training, Minister for Women’s Issues and Minister for Ageing.
 
Prior to entering politics, Ms Bishop was Managing Partner of the law firm Clayton Utz in Perth.

In 2020 Julie was awarded a fisher Family Fellowship for the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs. In 2021 Julie was awarded the Kissinger Fellowship at the McCain Institute of International Leadership at Arizona State University.
 
Julie is the Chancellor of Australian National University, chair of Telethon Kid’s Institute, chair of The Prince’s Trust Australia, member of the international advisory boards of Afiniti and the Human Vaccines Project and is the Patron of Shooting Stars – an education programme for young aboriginal girls.
 
She has also established a boutique advisory firm, Julie Bishop and Partners.

The Hon Julie Bishop appears by arrangement with Saxton Speakers Bureau.
 

Hon Kevin Hogan MP

Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister; Assistant Minister for Local Government

Born and bred in Regional Australia, Kevin lives with his wife Karen and three children on a property near Lismore.

After completing an Economics degree Kevin spent over ten years in Sydney forging a successful career in finance, working for Colonial for many years as a Bond Trader.

When the time came to raise a family Kevin and Karen moved back to the Northern Rivers and Karen’s home town of Lismore.

He operated a small business and runs a cattle property and also spent time as an investment officer of an Industry Superfund.









         
Kevin has always been committed to contributing to his local community. He has served on a local council Wastewater Advisory Committee, been Vice President of his local state primary school P&C, president of the local sports club, and coached junior sporting teams.
 

Hon Jason Clare MP

Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and  Local Government; Housing and Homelessness

Jason is a member of the Australian Parliament where he represents the seat of Blaxland in Western Sydney.
He was a Minister in the Rudd and Gillard Labor Governments, where he served as Minister for Home Afairs, Minister for Justice, Minister for Defence Materiel and Cabinet Secretary.
Jason is currently the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government.

He has also served as Shadow Minister for Communications, Shadow Minister for Trade and  Investment and Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia.

Jason’s most important job though is being Louise’s husband and Jack’s dad.

      
         
  

Anthony De Ceglie         

Three-time Walkley Award winner and Editor-in-Chief of West Australian Newspapers

He first started his career as a cadet journalist in regional WA with the Collie Mail before becoming a journalist and sub editor at the Mandurah Mail.

Anthony previously worked as a reporter with The Sunday Times before becoming chief of staff and deputy editor of the newspaper and its website Perth Now.  

During a secondment to New York in 2011, Anthony helped to launch the iPad newspaper The Daily before moving to Sydney to work for The Daily Telegraph.

     

     
                                                   
In January 2019 he was appointed senior editor of The West Australian, becoming editor in chief in December that same year.

In addition to responsibility for The West Australian, The Weekend West, The Sunday Times, thewest.com.au and perthnow.com.au and the company’s 19 regional publications, Anthony has overseen the successful integration of the Community Newspaper Group and Regional Newspapers and the launch of digital subscriptions on the west.com.au

 

Christina Matthews

Christina Matthews is Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) and a former Australian cricketer.                                           

She is Australia’s most capped female Test player and holds the record for the most dismissals in Test cricket by an Australian wicketkeeper.  Christina is the only woman in Australia to hold the position of CEO of a State Cricket Association.

Christina has proven herself to be an effective and courageous leader since taking on the role of CEO at the WACA in 2012.  She has redefined the way the WACA approaches its business, introducing a strong strategic focus, commitment to community engagement, restructuring to ensure resourcing aligns with the Associations’ strategic objectives, and managing change to ensure a successful future for the organisation including moving commercial cricket from the WACA ground to Optus Stadium and the current WACA Ground Improvement Program.  Her focus has also included increasing philanthropic endeavours to drive greater diversity and inclusion within the game and partnership development, both within the sports industry and in other complementary businesses, to expand the WACA’s reach.

                       
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A significant contributor to the development of cricket, she has spent many years supporting community cricket associations and is a Life Member of the Sydney Cricket Association and the Sydney Cricket Club (formerly Balmain), Honorary Life Member of MCC (Lord’s) and the Melbourne Cricket Club and is a former member of the Board of the Bradman Foundation.  

Christina’s focus is not solely on cricket, also sitting on the Murdoch University Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Advisory Board, CEO’s for Gender Equity Board, Youth Focus board, the Board of Leadership WA and the Sports West Board. In addition to this Christina is also the Chapter Leader for the Minerva Network which is a pro bono mentoring program for elite female athletes.

Christina previously held the position of Chair of Selectors for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team and has mentored young sports women aiming to move into elite sport. Her compassion and understanding have driven a supportive culture and work environment, with a focus on wellbeing and encouraging staff to reach their potential both personally and professionally.

Outside of work, Christina loves to travel and often combines this with her passion for cycling. Her favourite destination is New York and she has completed several cycling trips in Europe.
Christina Matthews appears by arrangement with Cheri Gardiner & Associates
 

Greg Hire

Founder, A Stich in Time

As the former Perth Wildcats Vice-Captain, Greg Hire undoubtedly made a huge impact on basketball, however it could be argued his greatest contribution to our State is the work he is doing off the court.

A championship player with both the Wanneroo (now Joondalup) Wolves in the State Basketball League, and the Perth Wildcats in the NBL, Hire was named 2018 Western Australian of the Year (Youth) for his effors as an advocate for youth mental health. Hire grew up around domestic violence, drugs, alcohol, depression and a lack of positive role models and is heavily involved in community and youth sporting activities and other initiatives that aim to combat mental illness and youth suicide.

                 

                                        
     
 
     
Greg played for the Perth Wildcats from 2010 until 2019; accumulating 243 games, winning four NBL Championships as Vice-Captain and recently has represented Australia at the World Cup in 3 on 3 Basketball, winning a Gold Medal at 2020 Asia Cup.

As the founder of charity A Stitch in Time, his passion and effors are now transpiring off the court in the work he isdoing in the mental health space.
 

Gemma Tognini

Gemma Tognini is the Founder and Executive Director of GT Communications – strategic communications, a full-service corporate affairs, PR and reputation management firm. The business was established in 2003 and has successfully partnered with clients here, nationally and around the globe for 18 years.

In November 2020, GT Communications opened it’s Sydney office, to better service it’s growing suite of national client partners.

Gemma is still involved in the day to day of the business, working mainly with clients at a strategic level.

Gemma is a Telstra Businesswomen’s award winner (2014) and was a finalist again in 2017.



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 She is a leading opinion columnist with the Australian Newspaper, the West Australian, and contributes regularly to a range of programs on Sky News network, as well as radio 6PR in Perth.
 
Gemma is an ambassador for Opportunity International Australia, an organisation which assists families in developing countries to work their way out of poverty and create a new future for generations to come.  Gemma has served as a non-exec director of Surf Life Saving WA, The Salvation Army of WA and The Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Gemma Tognini appears by arrangement with Cheri Gardiner & Associates
 

Glenn Mitchell

Glenn is a former leading ABC sports broadcaster. During his 20 years with ABC Sport in Perth he became a familiar voice around the country with his commentaries on international and domestic cricket and AFL football.

He also commentated at four Olympic Games (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing), and three Commonwealth Games.

But all through this period, Glenn was a sufferer of mental illness and in early 2011 he descended into a highly depressive state that resulted in him inexplicably resigning his dream position at the ABC and making an attempt on his own life.  After overcoming his personal demons and reshaping his life, Glenn now aims to try and prevent others from enduring the torturous path he did by candidly speaking about his own journey.

 
               
Glenn Mitchell appears by arrangement with Cheri Gardiner & Associates
 

Grace Tame

After being raped and sexually abused by her maths teacher when she was just 15 years old, Grace Tame has spent the last 10 years turning her traumatic experience into being an advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse and a leader of positive change.

Recognising the injustice of Tasmania’s gag order that prevented survivors from self-identifying publicly, Grace offeed her story to the #LetHerSpeak campaign created by Nina Funnell, along with the stories of 16 other brave survivors. In 2019, she finally won the court order to speak out under her own name, making her the state’s fist female child sexual abuse survivor to do so.

              
         
 
Now, 26 and based in Hobart, Grace is dedicated to eradicating child sexual abuse in Australia, and supporting the survivors of child sexual abuse.

Her focus is around enabling survivors to tell their stories without shame, educating the public around the process and lasting effecs of grooming and working with policy and decision-makers to ensure we have a federal legal system that supports the survivors, not just perpetrators.

She is also a passionate yoga teacher, visual artist, and champion long-distance runner, having won the 2020 Ross Marathon in a female course record time of 2:59:31.

Grace is the 2021 Australian of the Year.
 

Liam Bartlett

60 Minutes reporter, award winning broadcaster and journalist

Having spent nearly 30 years working in Australian media, Liam is one of Perth’s highest profile journalists and public broadcasters.

With a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Western Australia, he has held a series of high profile positions across all three major platforms – television, radio and print.
His roles have included hosting the State-based 7.30 Report on ABC TV, news anchor at STW Channel Nine in Perth, reporting for the Nine Network’s Melbourne bureau of A Current Affair, columnist and feature writer for News Limited through the Sunday Times and the host of prime-time talkback shifts on Radio 6PR and 720 ABC Perth.

              
Liam Bartlett appears by arrangement with Cheri Gardiner & Associates
 

Convention Breakfast – Russell Ord & Shanan Worrall

Russell Ord is an internationally acclaimed photographer and has squinted down the lens at an intriguing mix of subjects over the years. He has shot magazine covers of world-class surfers and his ocean images are celebrated for simultaneously implying the cruelty and majesty of the sea.

As one of the world's leading surf photographers his unique talents culminated in his documentation of a violent twist of Indian Ocean known simply as The Right, in pursuit of a unique, career-defining angle. The hard-won image served as the focal point for his celebrated documentary called One Shot, an ABC art series on creatives.

Shanan Worrall is known as an all-round waterman; spear-fisherman, surfer, skipper and educator, his recreational and business life revolves in and around the ocean. The winner of World Surfing League's Big Wave Awards in 2017, he is not afraid to push his boundaries and has a gift of bringing those around him to a higher level of performance.

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Shanan has worked as an abalone diver in the some of the most remote and wild spots on earth, and his first-hand experiences with sharks led him to develop a groundbreaking shark deterrent business, called Shark Eyes.

Russell Ord & Shanan Worrall appear by arrangement with ICMI

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