Master of Ceremonies
Amy Hubbard
Co-Founder / Director / Practice Lead, 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.
Keynote Speakers
Becky Hirst
Author, Podcaster, Founder of HeyEngage
Becky Hirst is a powerhouse in the world of community engagement. With several decades of experience across Australia and the UK, she has helped shape how governments, organisations, and practitioners connect with communities on issues that matter. As the author of the For the Love of Community Engagement and host of the globally streamed podcast of the same name, Becky is renowned for her thought leadership, deep integrity, and unapologetically human-centred approach.
From state-wide reform processes to kitchen table conversations, Becky’s approach is known for its strategic insight with down-to-earth delivery. In 2021, she was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts for her contributions to social inclusion and civic participation.
She is the founder of HeyEngage — a fresh, practitioner-led initiative delivering accessible, values-based training to organisations committed to authentic engagement.
Becky brings both fire and finesse to her work, inspiring others to lead with courage, connection and care.
Bernard Salt AM
Founder & Executive Director, The Demographics Group
Bernard Salt is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators. He has written six popular best-selling books, hosted a TV show on SkyNEWS Business called “The Next Five Years” and hosted a top-rated podcast called “What Happens Next” Bernard is also one of Australia’s most in-demand corporate speakers.
After a 20-year career as a Partner in a global advisory firm, Bernard founded The Demographics Group to provide advice to business on demographic, social and property trends. He is best known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying new social behaviours including “the goat’s cheese curtain.”
Bernard has been a columnist with The Australian newspaper for more than 20 years. His column in The Weekend Australian Magazine is highly regarded and widely read. Bernard was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours for his services to the Australian people via demography. And finally, Bernard is the person responsible for popularising the phrase “smashed avocado” … globally!
Dr Isabella GiaVulva
Community Engagement Drag Queen Participation Consultant Extraordinaire
Isabella GiaVulva premiers Off Leash – a keynote cabaret where she takes on her biggest challenge yet... local government!
In this brand-new show, she tackles the most controversial project in Greyvale City Council history: an off-leash dog park.
What
begins as a wholesome workshop quickly descends into chaos - pitting dog mums
against birdwatchers, poo-bag vigilantes against passive-aggressive neighbours,
and one furious ratepayer who just wants to talk about spending.
This is satire with teeth! As Isabella tears into the underbelly of
local government's current consultation culture. It’s messy. It’s ridiculous.
It’s democracy on a retractable lead.
Off Leash is a hilarious Keynote Cabaret that serves learning with laughter. Prepare to laugh, wince, and reflect as Isabella challenges the way we engage - and what happens when it all goes to the dogs!
Speakers
Abbie Jeffs
Director Project Communications & Engagement, Landcom
Abbie Jeffs is a strategic engagement leader with 25 years’ experience across sectors, including a decade on the front line of housing delivery. She’s passionate about making engagement more inclusive, relevant and responsive - especially in high-pressure environments.
Abbie works on complex projects where lived experience, cultural safety, and community trust matter. Her approach bridges policy and practice, challenging practitioners to rethink how engagement can stay relevant, respectful and effective when the stakes are high. Whether it’s valuing Aboriginal participation or navigating crisis-driven reform, Abbie brings sharp insight and a commitment to engagement that works for everyone.
Alistair Kingston
Board Director, Engagement Institute
During this time, he’s seen the benefits of, and become a passionate advocate for, meaningful engagement during the planning, design and delivery phases of the essential infrastructure projects and programs that support and enable our cities and communities. As a Director at Engagement Institute, Alistair looks forward to supporting the continued evolution, professionalisation and regard of engagement and its practitioners.
A resident of the Sunshine Coast, Alistair enjoys good food and wine, supports the Richmond Tigers and has a weakness for 80s and 90s pop music.
Ann Selby
Community Engagement Lead, Communications and Corporate Governance, City of Casey
Ann Selby is a seasoned Community Engagement Practitioner with over two decades of experience in local government, specialising in community development and engagement. As the Community Engagement Lead at the City of Casey, Ann supports staff in designing and delivering impactful engagement strategies across the municipality. Her leadership extends to managing an Australia-wide network of “Local Government Engagement Superstars,” where she facilitates monthly sessions to share tools, case studies, and training opportunities, fostering a collaborative and innovative engagement culture. Ann also leads the internal Engagement Experts program at Casey, focused on building engagement capabilities and empowering staff across the organisation. Her work reflects a deep commitment to social responsibility and a passion for serving the needs of the community. Known for her ability to build strong community support and strategic partnerships, Ann brings both expertise and heart to her role, consistently driving meaningful connections between local government and the communities it serves.
Astrid Ruban
Principal Consultant, Social Performance – Asia Pacific, SLR Consulting
Astrid is an experienced engagement and social sustainability consultant, with a background in urban planning. With almost 20 years’ experience working with private sector clients and all levels of government, she has led the design and delivery of social assessments and engagement programs for infrastructure projects across Australia.Astrid applies a social research lens to her engagement practice to understand the values and needs of the communities in which she works. She is ‘a bit suss’ on the way that social licence terminology has been adapted and wants to see better continuity and appropriate engagement at all stages of the project lifecycle. Astrid also enjoys the data and reporting end of engagement and strives for reporting that can satisfy community and stakeholders, as well as project objectives.
Aurora Scott
Community Impact Officer, City of Melbourne
Aurora is a Community Impact Officer at the City of Melbourne, with expertise in community engagement, strategic planning and project delivery. Her current role focuses on leading engagement and education for large-scale infrastructure and transport initiatives, including the City’s strategic Parking and Kerbside Management Plan.
Her work focusses on best-practice engagement principles, demonstrated through projects like the award winning People’s Panel on Affordable Housing, a deliberative democracy initiative that brought together diverse voices to shape policy recommendations on a complex and universal issue.
Aurora is passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for communities to shape the future of their city. Her approach is grounded in collaboration, transparency, and a belief in the collective wisdom of the community.
Ayllie White
Principal Consultant, Whitelight Communications
Ayllie is an award-winning communications and stakeholder relations professional with more than 20 years experience across road, rail, renewable energy, utilities and aviation.
Over the course of her career, Ayllie has provided stakeholder relations advice to infrastructure projects worth more than $80 billion. She has worked at all stages of projects, including planning for the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project, construction on West Gate Tunnel Project, Metro Tunnel Project and M80 Ring Road Upgrade, and the commissioning and operations stage for CityLink and Sunshine Coast Airport’s new runway.
She is founder of Whitelight Communications, a boutique advisory business for the Australian transport, utilities and major infrastructure sectors.
Cath Russell
Engagement Lead - NSW, EnergyAustralia
Catherine leads complex transformation projects through strategic engagement with stakeholders, communities and those most impacted by change. She is the Engagement Lead (NSW) for EnergyAustralia where she helps to build sustainable social license, delivering genuine social impact and repairing critical relationships across two energy operating assets and three major energy projects.She has led initiatives such as siting Australia's radioactive waste facility, managing the removal of asbestos-contaminated homes, and addressing environmental concerns like the brumby population in the Snowy Mountains. Cath has navigated sensitive issues like Queensland's debt challenges and facilitated the introduction of light rail in a car-centric city like Canberra.
Carol Tu
Community Relations and Stakeholder Manager, Laing O'Rourke
Over the years she has collected a truckload of success stories she’s proud of, but she's more interested in sharing & learning from the f&#! ups, as it’s from the not-so-great experiences that we learn how to flex and grow as engagement professionals.
A bit of an engagement ‘nerd’, Carol’s general philosophy is that engagement is always good, but good engagement is not always the result. Issues are often complex, stakeholder interests diverse and decision-makers’ roles unclear – not exactly a recipe for success, but that’s ok. Being comfortable with failure gives us greater courage to make the most of those ‘pear-shaped opportunities’ that also present themselves.
Carol lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne. She loves hanging out with her family, playing with her dogs or catching up on the latest K-pop news or K-drama.
Courtney Paulsen
First Nations Engagement Manager, AGL
Dan Ferguson
Founder and CEO, Communiti Labs
Dan McKenna
Chief Executive Officer, Housing All Australians
Before taking on his current role, Dan was CEO of Nightingale Housing, an award-winning not-for-profit organisation committed to developing socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable homes. Under his leadership, Nightingale Housing set new standards for responsible development, combining design excellence, community building, and environmental stewardship. Dan played a key role in expanding the organisation’s influence and impact in the housing sector. In 2023, Dan received Monash University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his leadership and contributions to the industry.
Despite the ongoing challenges within the sector, he remains steadfast in his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, working tirelessly to create inclusive, forward-thinking solutions that address the urgent needs of Australian communities.
Dominic Luddy
Senior Community & Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Acciona Energia
A former language teacher and marketing professional, Dominic has extensive experience both in the UK and Australia providing specialised engagement support for major transport infrastructure and energy projects, including High Speed 2, Metro Tunnel, Suburban Rail Loop and AusNet.
Frances Thiedeke
Stakeholder and Communication Director, Pacific Partnerships
With more than 30 years of professional communication experience across in-house and consultancy roles, Frances is a strategic thinker with private and public infrastructure communication experience across renewable energy including project planning and delivery experience in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland; public transport (road and rail); social infrastructure; and water and wastewater. Her roles have included governance overview and communication and engagement team leadership for PPP, alliance and traditional contracts.
Frances’ experience includes developing and delivering successful stakeholder communication and engagement strategies with infrastructure industry consultants, advisors and contractors. She brings experience across planning, design, construction and operation and maintenance project development phases.
Gabrielle Martinovich
Director, CreativePivot
I have spent most of my voluntary and professional life in and around for purpose organisations, government, stakeholder engagement and advocacy.
As a consultant I create and facilitate interactive opportunities for conversations, lead groups of all sizes toward constructive solutions and give structure and purpose to the otherwise disruptive art of collaboration. I design and deliver high quality stakeholder engagement strategies for clients who influence policy, develop agricultural land assets and support early-stage startups accelerating food and agricultural practice.
My experience includes leading government relations, stakeholder engagement, issues management and communications across joint venture operations for the Return and Earn scheme which transformed the state’s circular economy by improving recycling rates of containers and decreased recyclable waste across the state. Additionally, I have designed and facilitated community reference groups around highly contentious road and social housing projects, bringing together research, business, government and community stakeholders.
When not at my desk you will find me in nature, bushwalking, swimming in the ocean or camping by the river. An avid reader, I also love creating my own words on a page. Regular yoga sessions keep me centred and conversations over coffee energise my day.
Ilsa Colson
Chief of Staff | Executive Director Communications and Engagement, VicGrid
Ilsa Colson currently holds the dual role of Executive Director, Communications and Engagement/ Chief of Staff to the CEO at Victorian Government agency VicGrid. Her background includes executive roles in organisations including the Clean Energy Council, the Regional Rail Link Authority, the Biodiversity Council, and Zoos Victoria. She has advised Federal and State Ministers in portfolios including climate change, water, education, and mental health. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Jacinta Cubis
Facilitation Expert
Jacinta Cubis is a (fl)awesome facilitator - flawed + awesome. Jacinta helps you in two ways: she facilitates workshops, meetings, and community conversations for you, and shows you how to facilitate.
You get the results your group needs with thoughtful design and facilitation, backed by expertise Jacinta has developed over 30 years.
Jacinta brings her real self to the room so that the people in it can be themselves too. People feel safe to say what they really think, not what they think they should say.
(Fl)awesome stands out in a world where it’s hard to tell the difference between fake and real. Jacinta’s qualifications span community engagement and partnership brokering, corporate social responsibility, international relations and communications.
Jacinta lives in Narrm/Melbourne, on unceded Wurrundjeri Country. She practices yoga, trains in calisthenics, paints in her art studio, plays tennis and gets around on two wheels.
Jacob Caine
CEO, Real Estate Institute Of Victoria
Jacob Caine is interim-CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, a two-term President of the REIV, and a Director of the Real Estate Institute of Australia. He is a former Director of View Media Group, He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, an MBA from Monash University, and a Master’s in International Relations from Harvard University. He is a PhD candidate at Australian National University’s National Security College. Jacob also holds a Graduate Certificate in International Security and the Public Leadership Credential from Harvard Kennedy School, alongside several executive certificates from Harvard Business School.
James Murphy
Head of Community Engagement, City of Stirling
James Murphy is passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for connection and contribution. As Head of Community Engagement at the City of Stirling, WA’s largest local government, he sets the strategic direction for community engagement and works to ensure the City avoids being an “askh*#%”.
James led the Walking Together Local Convos initiative, which won the 2025 National Local Government Award for Cohesive Communities. He thrives on the dynamic nature of local government and previously worked as Neighbourhood Manager at the City of Canning and led placemaking at the City of Whitehorse.
He’s the founder of KereKere, a small Melbourne coffee shop with a big heart, recognised with a City of Melbourne Lord Mayor’s Commendation for its contribution to community life. James also founded Oswald + Co, a community-spirited practice, and created the Full Cup Philosophy workshop, helping people build small habits that enrich communities.
Jason Elsegood
Owner and Director, Cross Cultural Consultants and Chair, Engagement Institute First Nations Advisory Committee
Jason is an Aboriginal man born and raised on Larrakia Country in Darwin. With over 30 years of experience, Jason has dedicated his career to working with and for First Nations people in a community development context and facilitating community engagement. Jason is deeply passionate about creating real opportunities and driving successful outcomes for First Nations people, businesses, and their communities.
Jay Gleeson
Manager Communications Business Partnering, Development Victoria
Jay Gleeson is a seasoned communicator with 20 years’ experience spanning various sectors, including emergency services, roads, telecommunications, energy, marine, digital services, property development, and civic infrastructure.
Jay’s focus is on building genuine, strong relationships with key stakeholders to help projects succeed and policies come to life. He currently works at Development Victoria, operating at the intersection where housing policy meets the realities of property development.
Jo Weeks
Chief Communications and Customer, Department of Transport and Planning
Jo Weeks is an experienced communications and customer
executive who specialises in building high-performing teams that deliver
exceptional organisational and community outcomes. As Chief Communications and
Customer at the Department of Transport and Planning, Jo leads the customer
strategy and strategic communications agenda, driving initiatives that improve
the customer experience across Victoria's transport and planning systems and
strengthening public trust through clear, consistent, and engaging communication.
Jo has previously led communications and engagement on some of Victoria’s most
high-profile infrastructure projects, including EastLink, Peninsula Link, and
the state’s $110 billion Big Build program. She thrives in complex and
high-pressure environments, drawing on her deep expertise in engagement and
strategic communications to manage challenging issues, build trusted
stakeholder relationships, and shape the public conversation.
Jonathan O'Brien
Lead Organiser, Yimby Melbourne
Jonathan O'Brien is the Lead Organiser of YIMBY Melbourne, Australia's foremost abundance policy organisation. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of long-form policy journal Inflection Points, and a Queensland Literary Award–winning writer and publisher. He is a 10% pledger with Giving What We Can.
Kate Eskdale
Executive Consultant - Communications and Engagement, RPS
Kate Kernaghan
Director, Factotum Communications
Kate started her career in the NSW public sector before launching Factotum Communications in 2020. Along the way, she picked up a toolkit spanning communications, engagement, events, government relations and media.
These days much of her focus is on all things water-policy, infrastructure and delivery in regional communities - designing engagement that works with passionate people and complex stakeholders.
Armed with an Executive MBA, a mentoring role with the Australian Water Association and a seat on the Engagement Institute Advocacy Committee, Kate is focused on what’s next: better practice, stronger voices and continual improvement.
Kirsty O’Connell
Co-Founder and Director, I2S (Institute for Infrastructure in Society) and Director, The Engagement People
With more than 25 years’ experience on more than $20 billion in projects, Kirsty is one of the nation’s leading infrastructure engagement, communications and strategy professionals.
Kylie Cochrane
Principal, Engagement and Change Advisory, Aurecon
IAP2 Honorary Fellow and global engagement leader, Kylie has 30 years’ experience in communication and stakeholder engagement. She specialises in helping clients to maintain and regain their social licence through mitigating social risk and managing community outrage.
Kylie was the Global IAP2 Chair from 2017-2022 and was on the Australian IAP2 Board from 2011-2021.
She currently chairs the Australian National University’s Advisory Board for the Institute for Infrastructure in Society (which oversees the NextGen research into community engagement trends).
Over the last decade Kylie has built Aurecon’s Communications and Stakeholder Engagement business to one of the leading communications and engagement businesses in ANZ.
Kylie has been engaging with First Nations communities for more than 20 years.
Laura Stewart
Engagement Expert | Co-Founder and Impact Strategist, PATHMAKER
Laura, a seasoned strategy and stakeholder engagement professional and leader, boasts over 18 years of experience in consulting and infrastructure. Her distinguished career is marked by a proven proficiency in orchestrating intricate stakeholder, and strategic engagements. She partners with clients to address intricate challenges, translating stakeholder input into people-centred strategies that mitigate risks, strengthen relationships, and drive meaningful outcomes.
Laura specialises in evidence-based communication and engagement, developing clear and actionable methodologies that provide valuable insights to guide decision-making and support transformative change. Specialising in messy, complex problems that are hard to define, challenging to align, and tricky to solve, but offer the most value when resolved. Laura's passion lies in crafting evidence-based strategies that revolve around stakeholders, communities, and customers.
Leanne Robb
Engagement Institute Trainer | Community & Stakeholder Engagement Consultant, Social Pinpoint
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 Social Pinpoint and is passionate about supporting Organisations to meaningfully engage with their communities, giving people a voice in decisions that affect their everyday lives.
Leisa Prowse
Director, Leisa Prowse Consulting
Leisa has more than 30 years of experience in community and stakeholder engagement, and social impact assessment. With more than 300 projects under her belt, Leisa understands complex and contentious projects in the transport, resources, energy, water, education, health, property and government sectors, and the challenges they face.
Leisa has successfully managed sensitive and complex stakeholder and community issues, helping clients to achieve stronger project outcomes. Her genuine curiosity and flexible approach allows her to quickly get to the heart of an issue, so that she can leverage her experience to deliver practical and cost effective advice.
Leisa is tertiary-qualified in both town planning and communication. This rare combination of skills enables her to meaningfully engage with a range of stakeholders at different technical levels, while ensuring that the results of engagement processes can be readily incorporated into technical studies.
Leisa has a strong track record in communicating complex technical concepts in plain English in material intended for a community audience. Leisa has also held roles where she was responsible for the final review of government documents, providing publication approval.
Leisa understands people and their issues, and has worked with a range of stakeholders from landowners to legislators. She has worked with communities in urban, regional and remote areas across Queensland and Australia, and stakeholders representing a range of cultural groups.
Leisa is skilled at facilitating discussions with individuals and groups ranging in size from five people to 5,000. She has proven experience conducting productive meetings with groups that are hostile or outraged.
Leisa is a Fellow of the Engagement Institute and Engagement Institute Licensed Trainer, delivering IAP2 Australasia courses, reflecting her commitment to best-practice engagement processes.
Lisa Ilott
Director | Principal Consultant, Roundtable Engagement and Communications
Lisa is co-founder of Queensland-based Roundtable Engagement and Communications, an agency specialising in engaging with regional communities in the infrastructure, resources and utility sectors.
With almost 20 years’ experience in stakeholder and community engagement, Lisa specialises in infrastructure planning and construction projects, primarily across Queensland and Victoria. Lisa has significant experience in project planning, from corridor and route selection through to Social Impact Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments.
Having worked as a consultant as well as in-house for Queensland Government agencies and Tier One contractors, Lisa brings a wealth of experience to major project delivery. Lisa is passionate about developing inclusive consultation programs, with a particular focus on regional and First Nations communities.
Louise Crossman
Political Strategist
Louise is a government relations consultant with more than two decades of experience working across government as a political adviser and public servant.
Louise has a deep understanding of the political and policy landscape at both the Federal and ACT levels. She was an adviser to Andrew Leigh, Julie Collins and Ed Husic during the Rudd-Gillard Government and has held senior positions in the ACT Barr Labor Government, including as the Senior Planning Adviser to the then-Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister Mick Gentleman.
During her extensive career Louise was responsible for delivering a number of major national reforms that required the agreement and consensus of all states and territories. She is regularly called on for her campaigning experience and has been central to a number of state, territory and federal elections.
Louise was the first elected President of the ACT branch of the Labor Party and a former Labor candidate. Louise has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University, and Masters of Employment Relations from Griffith University.
Lynne Welch
Community Engagement Manager, Homes NSW
Lynne cites her lived experience (which includes 8 years living in a tribal community in the Indian Himalayas), as a catalyst for her passion and expertise in thinking outside the box and finding creative ways to involve people in decision-making processes.
With a background in community development and a deep commitment to social justice, Lynne brings a unique blend of empathy and expertise to her work - inspiring people to have a say in the decisions that have the potential to impact them... even if their voice shakes.
In her free time, Lynne dabbles in creative social media pursuits to stay relevant and impress her 9-year-old son who constantly reminds her that young people are the future.
Makaore Wilson
Engagement Institute Māori Advisory Chair | Pou Tikanga/Māori Customs Lead, Aurecon
He has worked for over 15 years in cultural leadership and engagement roles, supporting various organisations to embrace innovations in both te ao Māori (the Māori Worldview) and in digital technology – often at the same time.
Makaore is known for his initiatives across professional development, language and cultural development and digital literacy. He brings high-level strategy, including for complex stakeholder-mana whenua negotiations, with grounded and sensitive techniques for organisational change and growth.
Marion Short
Chief Executive Officer, Engagement Institute
A transformational leader with almost 20 years’ experience as a CEO in the not-for-profit sector, coupled with extensive senior management experience in the private sector and over 20 years’ experience working within collaborative models.
Marion joined the Engagement Institute (then IAP2 Australasia) in August 2017. Under her leadership, the organisation focused on delivering a suite of valued initiatives to members which has resulted in tremendous growth, membership has more than tripled to almost 16,000 and revenues have likewise increased.
Marion has an MBA from Henley Management College, UK. She has been married to Kevin for over 30 years and is enormously proud of her two adult sons.
A resourceful optimist, she grew up in the Northern Territory, and much of her life has been shaped by her dad’s words “well it can’t be that hard”.
Margaret Harvie
Co-Founder and Director of PlanCom Consulting and Chairperson for New England Renewable Energy Zone
For 15 years she has consistently supported renewable energy proponents to effectively engage communities. She works to strengthen proponents’ relationships with their communities.
As a member of the NSW government panel of Chairpersons, she chairs several community consultative committees. This includes the New England REZ Community Reference Groups. She has developed and delivered to renewable proponents a training programs to provide competencies in planning for community engagement and working with emotional and outraged communities. Margaret is an International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) trainer and fellow.
Max Hardy
Community Engagement Expert and Engagement Institute Fellow, Max Hardy Consulting
Max Hardy is a leading expert in community engagement and co-founded the IAP2 Australasian Chapter in 1997. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in co-design and deliberative processes, having designed and facilitated 80 deliberative panels since 1998. Max has developed award-winning models for collaboration and community engagement across various sectors, including urban planning, energy, and healthcare.
As a Master Trainer for IAP2, Max co-designed and facilitated training academies in Canada and the UK and co-facilitated Australia’s first Citizens’ Parliament. In 2020, he co-founded Authentic Co-design, offering a self-paced training program and a comprehensive guide on co-design.
Max has co-authored two books and contributed to the Handbook of Public Participation in Impact Assessment (2024). He regularly collaborates with the Tamarack Institute and delivered a TEDx talk titled ‘Questions Change Everything’ in 2018. Most recently Max co-authored the popular e-book titled "The Underbelly of Engagement" with Sally Hussey, and developed a range of training courses with Michelle Weston.
Michael Beattie
Engagement and Insights Coordinator, Banyule City Council
Michael has a background in grassroots community development and State Government program development and policy delivery. For the past four years he has worked at Banyule City Council as the Engagement and Insights Coordinator. Michael is motivated by creating opportunities for people to get involved in decisions that affect them, building others’ capability and loves co-design.
Michael Ulph
Technical Director – Engagement and Communication, GHD
Michael has worked in the stakeholder engagement space on many projects involving a mix of stakeholder types and interests and has extensive experience in meeting and workshop facilitation, social media management, and media production. He has worked on placemaking, land use planning and development and waste management and education projects across NSW.
Michael has a passion for sustainability with a related master’s degree completed recently and is GHD’s RAP Champion for Northern NSW.
Michelle Weston
Founder, Dome Engagement
Michelle is the founder of Dome Engagement and is a well-renowned designer, deliverer and facilitator of complex, long-term and high-profile communications and engagement programs and strategies.
A skilled leader with an insights-led, inclusive decision-making and channels approach, Michelle understands how to work internally to gain organisational buy in and support. She knows how to deliberate on wicked problems, work with communities from the ground up, and how to facilitate a wide range of ongoing stakeholder, customer and community forums.
With over 20 years of experience in the engagement sector, Michelle has worked in, and together with a number of government and not-for-profit agencies in the water, waste, health, transport and planning sectors.
With a background and Masters in community arts, and a British ‘keep calm and carry on’ nature - she is a fun, creative and thoughtful engagement strategist, capacity builder, coach and facilitator.
Meegan Sullivan
President of the Asia Pacific Division, Tetra Tech
Meegan has over 25 years' experience in the Australian infrastructure sector, with significant consulting experience in public policy and strategy, stakeholder engagement, and project planning, approvals and delivery across state government agencies, and privately-owned and publicly listed companies. She joined Tetra Tech in 2023 through RPS, and leads multi-disciplinary teams that guide the planning, approvals, procurement and delivery of large scale and complex transport, water, energy and social infrastructure programs and investments. Meegan has expanded our advisory and management consulting capability in the Asia Pacific and is focused on collaboration across our talented teams of consultants and specialists in the region. She has a Bachelor of Town Planning from the University of New South Wales.
Dr Nick Fleming
Founder, Innergise
Nick is the founder of Innergise, a firm advancing progress and prosperity through transformative strategies and problem-solving across public and private sectors.
An experienced company director, strategist, facilitator and educator, Nick has worked across government, private enterprise and the R&D community in Australia and abroad.
His award-winning work spans infrastructure, energy, natural resources, defence, social welfare, and education.Originally trained in engineering, Nick is regarded as a true trans-disciplinarian, often mistaken for an economist, planner or anthropologist. As early as the 1990s, he was using AI to model climate-impacted urban water systems to inform policy through community-led decision-making. Today, he focuses on complex public policy, organisational strategy, transformational leadership, and program optimisation - particularly in multi-stakeholder environments.
Nick delivers executive development programs for ANZSOG and government agencies across Australia, with a focus on public problem-solving, strategic foresight, systems thinking, leadership, and policy implementation. His programs stand out for integrating behavioural science, history, and economics.
Previously Director of Business Innovation at Jacobs (Australia) and global Chief Sustainability Officer at SKM, Nick is now a non-executive director of TasNetworks, South East Water and Iota, an Adjunct Professor at UQ’s Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, and recently completed his term as National President and Chair of Engineers Australia.
Nicole Walton
Engagement and Change Advisory Leader - Australia, Aurecon
Nicole Walton is a seasoned professional with over 25 years’ experience across a range of industries and organisations both overseas and within Australia.
Nicole has held executive positions in corporate strategy and communications and engagement in the Western Australian public and private sector. Her skillset includes strategy development, stakeholder engagement, corporate communications, ministerial and government liaison, and issues management.
Nicole is an owner within Aurecon and currently leads Aurecon’s team of experienced communications, engagement and change professionals across Australia.
Nicolas Ojeda Amador
Community Engagement Advisor
With an IAP2 certification and extensive experience in multicultural communications, Nicolas has managed several campaigns for more than 30 Australian government agencies, engaging audiences in over 60 languages. He also serves on the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Regional Advisory Council and volunteers with the Centre for Multicultural Youth, mentoring young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. An active member of the AIIA Young Professionals Network and the Emerging Engagement Practitioners Network, Nicolas is passionate about strengthening connections across multicultural Australia and creating spaces where everyone feels included and empowered to contribute.
Noel Niddrie BA (Communications) Grad. Cert. Research Methods (Social Sciences)
Director, Winangali
Noel Niddrie is a Kamilaroi and Darug man who has dedicated his professional life to improving the lives of First Australians. He is the driving force behind Winangali and is uniquely qualified as one of Australia’s leading Indigenous communications practitioners with over 30 years’ experience as an Indigenous engagement specialist.
Paul Johnson
Senior Manager Regional Engagement, Southerly Ten
Paul has many years of experience working with regional communities, both in the private sector and all levels of government. His past roles have built important skills in developing relationships with industry, government and local communities to ensure positive outcomes for regional areas.
Paul is very excited to be contributing to a nationally significant project and new industry in Gippsland.
Pino Migliorino AM
Board Director, Engagement Institute
Pino is distinguished in his pioneering work around multicultural and multilingual communications and engagement, applying communications and engagement theory and strategies to the fast growing and diversifying CALD segment in Australia, and keen to explore a more culturally inclusive Engagement Institute.
Pip Smith
Coordinator Community Engagement, Yarra Ranges Council
With more than 25 years of experience across the not-for-profit and local government sectors, Pip brings a genuine passion for community and providing opportunities for everyone to have a voice. Pip advocates for the elevation and recognition of community engagement as both a professional discipline and a strategic imperative.
She’s recognised for her ability to create real impact, often working within limited budgets and resources, and is a trusted advisor not only to senior leaders and officers, but more broadly across the sector.
At Yarra Ranges, Pip has built and nurtured a dedicated Community Engagement team, helping to drive a cultural shift towards a more inclusive, engagement-focused organisation. Her strategic insight and hands-on approach have made her a go-to in the engagement field, and she is known for turning challenges into opportunities and inspiring others to put community at the heart of their work.
Rea Singh
Director - Engagement, Cultural Perspectives
With a background in social policy and human resources/industrial relations, Rea provides valuable experience in staff and workplace development.
At Cultural Perspectives Rea has held significant roles across several projects such as data collection and analysis, strategic reporting and development, culturally appropriate material development on sensitive topics such as domestic and family violence, effective stakeholder engagement and management with demonstrated capability for coordinating and supporting project tasks in working across multiple policy contexts including health, disability, multiculturalism and workers’ rights.
Rea strives toward promoting an equitable and accepting community for individuals across all backgrounds and cultures having witnessed first-hand many of the issues that individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds face within different areas of the community for social development and change.
Rebecca Smith
Communication Manager, John Holland
Rebecca Smith is a renowned communications and stakeholder engagement professional with almost 20 years of professional communication experience including delivering exceptional outcomes on transformative major infrastructure projects. With a passion for fostering community trust, aligning stakeholder interests, and creating innovative engagement strategies, Rebecca has become a leading voice in the field of engagement for complex projects.
Rebecca’s ability to elevate a technically complex project into a celebrated community success story underscores her talent for connecting technical objectives with community values. Her expertise spans all aspects of engagement, from designing bespoke strategies for sensitive projects to fostering meaningful long-term relationships with communities and stakeholders. She believes that authentic engagement is the foundation of project success and is committed to creating inclusive, transparent, and collaborative processes that deliver shared value.
Sally Hussey
Director, Sally Hussey
A recognised contributor to national and international discourse on institutional trust and democratic futures, she has authored several key reports in the Engagement Institute’s Thought Leadership Series, including her most recent, Strategic Engagement: Democracy’s Urgent Task. She is recognised in Who’s Who of Australian Women.
Prof Sara Bice
Co-Founder and Director, I2S (Institute for Infrastructure in Society) at the Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University
Sara is Co-Founder and Director of ANU spin-off, Next Generation Engagement. She serves on the Certified Environmental Practitioner Scheme Advisory Board for the Social Practitioner Specialisation Certification Scheme. Past roles include time in Beijing as Professor (Special International Guest) at Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management and Deputy Director, Melbourne Energy Institute.
Sarah Roberts
Associate / Client Development Lead, Capire
Sarah Roberts is an engagement practitioner and Associate at Capire Consulting Group, where she leads complex projects across rural, regional and metropolitan contexts. With a background in health promotion and public health, Sarah specialises in co-design and inclusive engagement, particularly with communities and people who are often underrepresented in decision-making. Her work has included co-designing Australia’s first regional gender service for transgender and gender diverse young people, developing inclusion frameworks across health and tertiary education, and working alongside communities to shift systems.
Talitha Maturure
Senior Consultant, Human Centred Design, GHD Digital
Talitha is a result-driven young professional specialising in applying human centred approaches to complex problems with rigor, empathy, and a commercial mindset. She leads with empathy and has a proven track record of delivering projects that align strategy with executive vision to drive results across infrastructure planning, higher education, water, transport, energy and resources and digital sectors.
Talitha thrives at the intersection of innovation, stakeholder collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, delivering sustainable impacts in dynamic environments.
Thomas Workman
Director, Converlens
Tom Workman co-founded Converlens with a simple idea: empowering engagement practitioners with tools & technology to better listen and respond to stakeholders leads to better outcomes. Since then, he’s supported engagement teams across Australia on major projects like the APS Reform, the National EV Strategy, and the naming of Australia’s first space rover. Tom’s work focuses on making engagement better both for the people running it and the communities they serve. Before Converlens, he worked at ASX20 and Fortune 500 companies, focusing on organisational design and development. He holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) and is driven by a deep curiosity about what motivates people to participate, and how to make engagement work better for everyone involved.
Toby Dawson
Director - Social Advisory, RPS
Toby is a seasoned relationship specialist with over 20 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, social impact, and sustainability across diverse industries. Expert in social value principles and methodologies, with a proven track record of delivering measurable social outcomes for clients delivering projects across diverse sectors. Adept at driving innovative approaches to social impact measurement and fostering community benefits that create lasting change.
Toby excels at finding innovative solutions to complex problems, ensuring stakeholder engagement at all levels to deliver impactful results. My experience includes engaging with Board, Executive, regulators, and government representatives, and driving community engagement initiatives that promote equity and inclusion.
Leading high-performing teams and partnering with clients to deliver strategic advisory services on infrastructure and development projects, Toby's strong commercial acumen, business development skills, and advanced qualifications in social sciences enable him to shape industry-leading methodologies and frameworks.
Tony Clark Bsc (Hons), MA (Comms), GAICD
Chair, Engagement Institute
In a range of executive positions, throughout his career Tony has led major health, mental health, education, housing and disability infrastructure projects for the Victorian Government during COVID. Tony has also led major change and transformation programs in the disability sector following the introduction of the NDIS. Tony brings over 30 years of governance experience to the table.
As Chair of Engagement Institute working internationally to re-shape engagement globally, Tony is passionate about good engagement equals good outcomes. Tony is on a number of boards including The State Trustees of Victoria, a Councillor for Hepburn Shire Council and an accredited trainer for the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Awarded the Kimberley Kitching Award for Human Rights by the Prime Minister in 2023, Tony harnesses his disability as a great strength and demonstrates that disability does not equate to inability, bringing the great value of lived experience to the workplace and board room.
Tommy Hicks
Head of Culture & Community, Indigenous Energy Australia
Viv Warren
Managing Director, Viv Warren Consulting
Viv is an engagement strategist with over 20 years of experience partnering with government, businesses and non-profits to put people at the heart of decision making. With a foundation in social psychology and social research, Viv brings an unwavering commitment to connecting organisations with their stakeholders and communities to enhance decision-making.
Viv works at strategic levels of organisations developing strategies, frameworks, and tools for embedding engagement. She also coaches senior executives and managers to develop organisational capability and deliver engagement excellence.
She has a wealth of hands-on experience delivering engagement strategies for large and complex projects across diverse industries such as land development, infrastructure, local government, emergency services, mining, energy, and water.
From evaluating organisations engagement culture and practices to shaping engagement strategies for major urban redevelopments, Viv teams up with clients to navigate multifaceted projects and enable great decision making and change.
A dedicated Engagement Institue (formerly IAP2 Australasia) Fellow and Trainer, Viv continuously seeks to advance the practice of engagement. She previously served as an Engagement Institue Board member, Victorian State Coordinator, and founding committee member in Western Australian. Currently she is a judge for the Engagement Institue Core Values Awards and a Licensed Trainer for the Engagement Institue.
William Tieppo
Chief Executive Officer, V/Line
A highly respected executive leader, Will has more than two decades of transport experience in the public and private sectors.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of V/Line, Will held executive positions within the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, including as Deputy Secretary for Network Design and Integration where he led Victoria’s largest-ever rollingstock procurement program and the coordination of the state’s transformative Big Build.
Will also led a range of other state shaping initiatives at the Department, including the development and delivery of Victoria’s freight and road safety plans, and the reform program for the rail, bus and tram networks.
Passionate about connecting communities, Will is proud to support V/Line’s continued growth and delivery of safe, reliable and accessible services to the Victorian community.