Michele Barry, Chair, Engagement Institute

With over 20 years’ experience in engagement, strategy and transformation across a number of sectors, Michele brings a wealth of experience in Public Health, Emergency, Human Services, Local and State Government, and Executive leadership.

Michele has an academic background in Health Promotion, Public Health and Business Administration and is passionate about engagement and reaching new segments to create and deliver better outcomes.

Andrew Coulson, Head of Practice & Strategic Relationships, Open Point

Andrew is an experienced community engagement specialist with 18 years' experience on the front line of the practice in the UK and Australia and now has over 6 years' experience in digital community engagement. With senior experience in consultation, collaboration and communication across various public participation roles in local and state government, housing and charity, Andrew is also the instigator of an annual Global Community Engagement Day.

Andrew is now Head of Practice and Strategic Relationships at Open Point, working with both current and potential customers using Social Point and Open Point products. Personally, Andrew has adopted the Adelaide Crows as his local team and is a well-known chocoholic.

Amy Hubbard, Co-Founder & Director, Capire

Amy Hubbard is one of Australia’s most recognised and creative stakeholder and community engagement specialists. Amy delivers community engagement training, undertakes formal evaluations, and is a highly regarded and skilled facilitator.

She has worked extensively with state and local governments on significant infrastructure, urban renewal, and public policy projects in Australia and overseas.

Amy developed the renowned Capire Engagement Triangle which has been used by thousands around the world. She runs regular webinars and Learning Labs and authored many of Capire’s popular publications including tool kits and guidelines.

Jennifer McDonnell, Senior Associate, Capire

Jen has experience in consultation, stakeholder engagement, and conflict resolution across sectors like renewable energy, water, transport, and disaster recovery. She has led complex projects, managing stakeholder relationships and community expectations.

Jen is skilled in designing and facilitating engagement processes, bringing a strategic and empathetic approach.

She has delivered facilitation and conflict resolution training across Australia and is passionate about working with communities, including trauma-impacted groups, to build capacity and support future planning.

Kylie Cochrane, Principal, Engagement and Change Advisory, Aurecon

A global engagement leader, Kylie has more than 30 years’ experience in communications and stakeholder engagement, helping clients to maintain and regain their social licence through mitigating social risk and managing community outrage.

Kylie is highly regarded for her expertise and a leader within the industry. She understands the unique pressures and priorities of government infrastructure and has worked on most of the major transport, energy and water infrastructure projects which have shaped Australia, driving better community and stakeholder outcomes including T2D, Northern Transmission Line, Murray Darling First Nations water governance and more.

Kylie was the inaugural chair of the Australian National University Advisory Board for the Institute for Infrastructure in Society (which oversees the NextGen research into community engagement and social risk).

She was in the chair role for five years and still participates on this board. She was the Global Chair of the International Association of Public Participation (the professional association for the engagement industry) from 2017-2022 and she is currently the Engagement Institute’s representative on the International IAP2 board. She was on the Australian IAP2 Board from 2011-2021. And in 2022 Kylie was named one of three inaugural Honorary IAP2 fellows across Australia and New Zealand.

Kylie was the founder of Women in Transport – a professional networking body in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for women in the infrastructure industry and the men who support them.

Kylie has been a partner at Aurecon for almost 15 years. She built Aurecon’s Communications and Stakeholder Engagement business from a single person to one of the leading engagement and change businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Over the last decade the Aurecon Engagement and Change team has won more than 30 coveted industry awards including the IAP2 International Engagement Project of The Year, the National Women in Construction Innovative Team award, and Consult Australia’s Gold Excellence Award.

Leanne Robb, Engagement Consultant, Open Point

Leanne Robb is a highly experienced and results-driven Community Engagement Consultant with a proven track record of delivering successful engagement initiatives for a diverse range of clients. With over 17 years of experience as a senior community engagement practitioner within the Government and Private Sectors, Leanne combines strategic thinking with a passion for community empowerment to drive meaningful connections between organisations and their stakeholders.

Leanne’s expertise spans traditional, contemporary, and digital engagement methodologies, allowing her to leverage a wide range of tools and techniques to reach diverse audiences. She is now the Engagement Consultant at Open Point and is passionate about supporting Organisations to meaningfully engage with their communities, giving people a voice in decisions that affect their everyday lives. Leanne is a qualified IAP2 trainer.

Melissa Martin, Corporate Communications Manager | Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Flinders University

Melissa is a communication and engagement leader with around 15 years of experience helping organisations build trust, shape reputation and communicate clearly. She currently heads up corporate communications at Flinders University, leading executive, internal and strategic communications across the university.

Before joining Flinders, she led high-profile communication and engagement work across the South Australian public sector, advising Ministers and executives, leading award-winning teams, and helping drive major environmental and community campaigns. 

Outside work, she’s usually at the gym, chasing her toddler, attempting to meal prep, or quietly maintaining her status as a wrestling fan.

Mercedes Ramsey, Associate Director, Engagement and Change Advisory, Aurecon

Mercedes is a leading consultant in the transformation, change management and engagement profession. Bringing 17+ years experience as a public servant and consultant to local, state and federal government and their contractual partners, Mercedes specialises in engagement and change in government and regulatory environments.

Mercedes thrives in politically sensitive and high-stakes environments, applying her unique combination of legal and psychology qualifications to understand both risk and human behaviour. Mercedes is passionate about working with organisations to design and implement successful transformations and teams who lead them, particularly in relation to major projects or in response to complex reform. She has partnered with clients around Australia to establish new organisations, redesign existing departments and examine the culture and ways of working that optimise these structures.

Mercedes has led change management teams in the support of major projects and complex system implementations. Mercedes leads the South Australian Engagement & Change Advisory practice for Aurecon. This has her leading engagement, change management and organisational design projects that underpin some of the state’s critical infrastructure investments. Prior to Aurecon, Mercedes led engagement, transformation and policy advisory projects for KPMG and was a senior public servant for Commonwealth Government, including the National Disability Insurance Agency and Attorney-General’s Department.

Sarah Hill, Associate, TSA Riley

Steve Dangerfield, Business Lead Strategy and Engagement,TSA Riley

Steve Dangerfield is a highly experienced stakeholder engagement specialist with over 30 years in community relations, risk communication, and mediation across government and consultancy. He has led engagement on complex, politically sensitive and high risk land development and critical infrastructure projects, helping build community trust and support in challenging environments. He brings deep expertise in the water sector and regional infrastructure projects, supported by a practical, relationship driven approach that consistently delivers strong outcomes. A proud South Australian, Steve is passionate about Adelaide, enjoys gardening (don’t get him talking about lawns), staying active, travelling, and spending time with his wife Annie and three girls.

Tim Saul, National Lead for Communications and Stakeholder Engagement,TSA Riley

Tim Saul is the TSA Riley National Lead for Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. He joined TSA Riley after eight years at NBN Co, where he held senior roles across corporate affairs and strategy. During this time, he was a regular media spokesperson, worked closely with remote communities across the APY Lands, Alice Springs and Arnhem Land to deliver connectivity, and led communications through the 2019–20 bushfires. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years in engagement roles with the Environment Protection Authority, SA Water and DIT, supporting major projects including rail upgrades and the Seaford line electrification. Outside of work, he has three active kids and spends most weekends on the sidelines, coaching sport or being a “taxi driver”. You may recognise his voice from his hobby as a SANFL football commentator.