Conference speakers available to be interviewed include:

International Speaker: Åse Lunde, Managing Director, Lunde Risk Reduction, Topic: Crisis Management

Natural disasters such as the Queensland floods and recent floods in New South Wales have raised questions about effective crisis management and post crisis recovery. As a senior crisis and disaster management professional Åse can discuss ways of increasing business and organisational resilience in Australian and international contexts.  Åse has more than 23 years of broad crisis and disaster management experience.

Suzanne Mercier, Managing Director, Liberate Leadership Topic: Skirting Leadership: Why Many Talented Women Won’t Step Up!

Current debate about mandatory quotas for women on company boards has raised questions about why women aren’t moving into leadership roles at the same pace as men.  Suzanne can discuss the strategies needed to identify and remove the barriers faced by women at all levels. Suzanne was the first woman on the Board of Directors at George Patterson Advertising and focuses on consulting to create sustainable businesses.

Professor Mara Olekalns, Professor of Management - Negotiations, Melbourne Business School Topic: Empowerment through Negotiation

In today’s global world Australian businesses looking to expand into international markets, negotiating better deals for multiple parties will become crucial. Mara can speak about the strategies used to improve the process of negotiation and its outcomes. Mara’s research on negotiation has been published in leading, international magazines.

Mariette Rups-Donnelly, Specialist Coach in Presentation & Public Speaking, Powerhouse Presentation Topic: Be Noticed, Be Heard, Be Clear

Even when women are invited to the board room table, often they aren’t heard. Mariette can speak about tactics women can use to get heard in meetings and presentations in board meetings. It’s not about being loud, it’s about getting noticed through words and body language. She creates programs and workshops for senior executives, corporations, business owners and professional speakers.

Julia Palmer, Networking Strategist and Chief Executive, Business Networking Academy, Topic: Invest In Your Network and Reap Your Rewards

Having the right networking strategy can allow women to promote their business by leveraging relationships instead of aggressive selling. Julia can speak about developing strategies to create and manage viable business relationships. Julia presents on methods of networking and is currently Channel 7 “Kochie’s Business Builders Networking Expert”. 

Dr Suzy Green, Clinical and Coaching Psychologist (MAPS), Topic: Positive Psychology

Women in the workplace can struggle to recognise their key strengths and use them to develop leadership skills. Suzy can discuss strategies to help women identify their “signature strengths” and build on them to advance their careers. Suzy is the co-founder of the Positive Psychology Institute and writes a regular “stress-less” column for Women’s Health magazine.

Air Commodore Robert Rodgers, Director General Personnel – Air Force. Topic: A View From the Top: Organisations of the Future

Large organisations are often criticised for their inability to progress and introduce change effectively. Air Commodore Rogers can speak about the challenges of leading a large organisation and facilitating organisational change. He has held various leadership roles in the Australian Air Force and currently supports its workforce developments worldwide.