PRESENTERs

SYNERGY - 2017 CONFERENCE 7–9 JUNE
HILTON HOTEL BRISBANE

THE HONOURABLE
KATE JONES MP

Kate Jones is the Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism and Major Events and the Commonwealth Games in the Queensland Government.

She is passionate about ensuring access to quality education for everyone, no matter where they live.

Kate has served as Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, since the 16 February 2015, following the election of the Palaszczuk Government.

She also served as Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the Bligh Government.
Kate was elected to the seat of Ashgrove in 2015, having previously held the seat between 2006 and 2012. 

Kate worked as an advisor in the Beattie Government before entering parliament.

She attended Kelvin Grove State High School and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology and a Masters in Environmental Law at Australian National University.
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Kate lives in Ashgrove with her husband, Paul, and their two children. 

RICHARD GERVER
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Richard Gerver, author of the number one bestseller, Change:Learn to Love It, Learn to Lead It, offers a groundbreaking look into how the world is dealing with the challenge of unleashing human potential and embracing and leading change. Gerver, a former school principal and advisor to the UK Government, has taken innovation by storm. He has transitioned his global reputation for leadership in education and is now regarded as one of the most original and authentic thinkers around human leadership and organisational transformation in the world. He has been named UK Business Speaker of the Year in 2011 and has spoken at both TED and RSA events.

He now works with organisations at the forefront of global innovation and excellence, including Microsoft, Deloitte, Google, TUI, Morgan Stanley, Visa, Puig, Telefonica and Technicolor. He has also worked with some of the world’s most iconic retail organisations, including Harrods in London. His unique experience and insight into realising human potential also sees him working in elite sport, with Olympic and Paralympic coaches, EPL Soccer coaches, England Golf and professional cricket teams. He is currently working in the music industry with Universal and Decca, helping them build capacity for dramatic yet sustainable change in a fast moving market.

He still works in Education globally and is recognised as one of the most significant 
voices in the field. His first book, Creating Tomorrow’s Schools Today (Now in its second edition), has become a seminal text around the world for those engaged in the transformation of education. His reach goes from Universities through to policy makers and school leadership. He recently provided consultation to the Hilary Clinton 2016 Presidential campaign team. He is the proud recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Education from The University of Derby.

Gerver’s unique insight into our development, from infants to adults, helps us to understand the nature of our personal and professional responses to risk, change, creativity and development. His ability to connect experiences across many seemingly different environments helps people to expand their thinking and their perception of their potential.

With his trademark humour and insight, Gerver shares his experience of cultural and organisational transformation, human development and management with groups around the world. Thanks to his story and his authentic first-hand experiences, Gerver has been described as one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation. He, however, argues that his work is focused on three words; communication, empowerment and impact.
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Gerver’s highly anticipated third book, Simplicity; An Uncomplicated Guide to Success, was published in September 2016 by Capstone/Wiley.

​DOMINIC THURBON
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Dominic Thurbon is Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of international behaviour change organisation ChangeLabs, a world-renowned speaker and former Head of Research for global generational trends and business strategy consultancy Peter Sheahan Pty Ltd. 

After graduating from the University of Sydney, Dominic joined Peter Sheahan while continuing his honours thesis in political science. In this role, Dominic led the research on Peter’s new business book Flip: How Counterintuitive Thinking Is Changing Everything, which has now been published in the US, UK and throughout Asia and examines the forces of change currently reshaping the business environment. With Peter, Dominic worked through this material with clients around the world including News Corporation, Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 

In his role as Chief Creative Officer of ChangeLabs, Dominic works with partner organisations to address important social issues in areas such as health, education and skills shortages. He is currently focusing on projects to do with helping companies embrace the potential of Web 2.0 and adopt to new technologies. 
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In 2006 at the World Debating Championships in Dublin, Dominic was ranked the seventh best speaker in the world, and this year was a Grand Finalist at the World Championships in Thailand. He speaks regularly on subjects ranging from generation change to new business strategy internationally at conferences in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

RABIA SIDDIQUE

Rabia Siddique is an Australian criminal and human rights lawyer, retired British Army officer, former terrorism and war crimes prosecutor, international humanitarian, hostage survivor, professional speaker, facilitator, coach and published author. In 2006 Rabia was awarded a Queen’s commendation for her human rights work in Iraq, in 2009 was the Runner Up for Australian Woman of the Year UK and in 2014 was selected as a Telstra Business Woman of the Year Finalist and was named as one of the Westpac/Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence. Rabia was also named as one of the 2016 Australian of the Year Award finalists. 

In October 2014 Rabia received a standing ovation from 1700 people at her TEDx talk entitled “Courage Under Fire” where she spoke about the power we all have as individuals to create the change we wish to see in this world. In March 2015 Rabia was nominated for the WA Women Lawyer of the Year Award, was used as a case study at the most recent UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York and was nominated as the Professional Speakers Australia (PSA) Keynote Speaker of the Year - and will be headlining the PSA National Convention in April 2016.  

Rabia’s best selling memoir “Equal Justice” was published in 2013 and is currently in it’s sixth reprint.  An Australian/British feature film based 
on Rabia’s book is currently being developed.  She has appeared in various Australian, UK, South East Asian and Middle Eastern media and print publications and has appeared as a guest at several Australian Writers Festivals.
  
Rabia uses her unique, personal and powerful story in an emotional, and entertaining keynote address to shine a light on issues relating to ethical and authentic leadership, resilience and diversity. She has an international following with clients including Westpac Bank, Qantas, the national human resources institutes in both Australia and North America, Coca Cola, Lion Pty Ltd, Iluka Resources, various local, state and federal government departments as well as several not for profit and charity organisations.  Rabia is also an effective and results driven facilitator, executive coach and mentor.

She has earned an international reputation as a powerful, transformative and unforgettable
inspirational/motivational speaker, as well as a committed and passionate human rights advocate. 

Rabia speaks English, French, Spanish and Arabic, has run the London marathon for charity, undertaken human rights and community aid work in the Middle East, South America, United Kingdom and Australia, and is a mother to young triplet boys, her biggest and most rewarding challenge yet! ​​

ROB NAIRN ​

Rob is Executive Director of the Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA Ltd) and Adjunct Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University. He has extensive experience in metropolitan and regional Senior High Schools in Western Australia particularly in low socio economic areas. Rob is passionate about developing exemplary leadership to provide high quality secondary education to all young people no matter what their geographic, social or personal circumstances.

​Rob is Director Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), Director Principals Australia Institute (PAI Ltd), Chair Edith Cowan University Applied Health Research Centre Advisory Board, Director Asia Education Foundation (AEF) Advisory Board, Executive member International Confederation of Principals (ICP)., Member The Smith Family Principal Advisory Board and Committee Member Safe Schools Coalition Advisory Board.

PATREA WALTON

A commitment to the vision of every student succeeding has driven Patrea Walton on a career-long journey in Queensland education, which began at a chalkboard in Surat State School and has included service as a school teacher and principal, as Chief Executive of the former Queensland Studies Authority, and now as Deputy Director General responsible for the operations and performance of Queensland State Schools.
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With responsibility for more than half a million students, 1,236 schools and staff from Tagai to Tallebudgera, Patrea knows that great student outcomes are built on a foundation of empowered principals. 
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In 2016, Patrea’s outstanding contributions to education were recognised by the Queensland branch of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, who awarded her with the Certificate of Excellence in Educational Leadership.  She was also awarded the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) CEO Diversity Champion Award, which recognises an organisational leader who exemplifies commitment to employee empowerment and excellence in workplace diversity.

BERNARD SALT

Bernard Salt is a leading futurist, commentator, author, analyst and advisor to business and government on consumer, culture and demographic trends. A partner of KPMG Australia, based in Melbourne, Bernard holds Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts degrees and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of the Australian Institute of Management and an Affiliate of Chartered Accountants.

His first best-selling book The Big Shift (Hardie Grant 2001) predicted a surge in the demand for lifestyle and residential property underpinned by the imminent retirement of the baby boom generation. His second book, also a best-seller, is The Big Picture: Life, work and relationships in the 21st Century (Hardie Grant 2006), and was followed by Man Drought: And other social issues of the new century (Hardie Grant 2008), a quirky and immensely popular book that not only attracted global media attention but catapulted new terminology into the Australian lexicon.

He has since written The Big Tilt: What happens when the boomers bust and Xers and Ys inherit the earth (Hardie Grant 2011), which scopes the big questions of where Australian society is headed in the decade ahead, and Decent Obsessions: Why It’s Okay to Sweat the Small stuff (Melbourne University Press, 2013), a rollicking journey through the manners, the mores and the minutiae of modern life. His latest work, More Decent Obsessions: The Small Things That Tell the Big Picture (MUP, 2014), takes readers on a playful yet insightful journey, moving forwards to the 2030s and looking back to the 1960s, examining life, manners and mores to sketch a bigger picture of modern life in Australia.

Bernard has directed and authored a number of global studies for KPMG International including ‘Beyond the Baby Boomers’ (2007) and ‘The Global Skills Convergence’ (2008), both of which attracted global media coverage. In 2010 he produced KPMG’s Future Focus report aimed at business and government and which looked at development options for Australia in the 2010s.
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A highly sought-after commentator by media and the business community, Bernard appears regularly on radio and television programs including A Current Affair, Business Sunday, The Today Show, SBS Insight, Today Tonight and 60 Minutes.

LUCY CLARK

Lucy Clark is a journalist and author with 33 years’ experience in newspapers, magazines, and websites in Brisbane, Sydney, London and New York. She was the editor of the news and opinion website The Hoopla, and is currently senior editor with Guardian Australia. She is the author of Beautiful Failures, released by Random House.

CARMEN LAWRENCE

After training as a research psychologist at the University of Western Australia and lecturing in a number of Australian universities, Dr Lawrence entered politics in 1986, serving at both State and Federal levels for 21 years. She was at various times W.A Minister for Education and Aboriginal affairs and was the first woman Premier and Treasurer of a State government. She shifted to Federal politics in 1994 when she was elected as the Member for Fremantle and was appointed Minister for Health and Human Services and Minister assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women. She has held various portfolios in Opposition, including Indigenous Affairs, Environment, Industry and Innovation and was elected national President of the Labor Party in 2004. She retired from politics in 2007. She is now a Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia where she is working to establish a centre to research the forces driving significant social change in key areas of contemporary challenge as well as exploring our reactions to that change. The centre will also seek to expose for public discussion the processes most likely to achieve social change where that is a desired objective.

John edwards

John Edwards has always been fascinated with the beauty of the human mind. He began his working life as a research metallurgist. He has worked as a teacher and department head in schools; in state, national and international curriculum development roles; and has written books and textbooks for schools. Through his extensive university career he has been one of the leading research grant recipients in cognitive science in Australia.

John’s research began in his own classrooms which led to publications in the areas of the direct teaching of thinking and what are children thinking whilst teachers are teaching. He has explored areas including: how people think; what tests really test; ways to measure the intellectual demand of learning; how to generate successful change in organisations; innovation and creativity; leadership; internally-driven transformation of schools; and creating productive feedback environments.

John is Managing Director of Edwards Explorations, an Australia-based company concerned with exploring and developing human potential. He has worked inside many leading Australian and international companies, and sporting organizations, to research and deliver powerful cultures of learning.
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Dr Edwards is one of the few international researchers to turn his research into award-winning practice in education, in business and industry, and in high performance sport.

steve francis

Steve Francis is an expert in the complexities of leading effective schools. In November 2016 Steve was recognised by Educator magazine as one of the top 50 most influential educators in Australia. He is the author of four books and the creator of the Happy School program. Over 600 schools subscribe to receive Steve’s weekly articles and use them to boost staff morale and reduce teacher stress. This innovative program has been  extended to certify schools that are “Employers of Choice”.

Steve also developed the Survey My School instrument to assist schools to measure and improve school culture and the Survey My Class instrument to gather formative feedback from students to teachers and to help school leaders drive school improvement.
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Steve is passionate about work – life satisfaction and keeping things simple.

robyn rosengrave

Robyn is the Executive Director, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, State Schools - Performance, State Schools Division, Department of Education and Training (DET).

Robyn has extensive curriculum development expertise and is responsible for a diverse portfolio across Prep to Year 12.   Her portfolio currently includes the implementation of the Australian Curriculum, Early Years intervention and monitoring, Junior Secondary, Senior Schooling, VETis, STEM, Global Schools Framework and the State Schools improvement agenda.
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Robyn is an experienced professional educator having tutored at Griffith University in the Education faculty, and has significant experience as a teacher and administrator in both the state and independent schooling sectors.  Prior to her current role at DET, Robyn spent eight years in curriculum design and development.