Speaker biographies Monday 5 December Session 1 Welcome Joan McKenna Kerr, President, National Disability Services Joan McKenna Kerr is Chief Executive Officer of the Autism Association of Western , an organisation providing a comprehensive range of services to people with disabilities and their families. Her work in the field of disability spans 25 years at both at a State and a National level.

Ms. McKenna Kerr is Chair and National President of NDS and Deputy Chair of NDS WA. She is a current member of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council; and a Director and Vice-President of the Australian Advisory Board on Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Her past commitments include being a member of the NDIS Commonwealth Advisory Committee that reported on disability reform to the COAG Select Council of Ministers and Treasurers prior to the establishment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Ms. McKenna Kerr’s past involvements also include serving on numerous Working Parties tasked with advising on disability sector development and sustainability.

As part of a Sister-State initiative between and East Java, Indonesia, Ms. McKenna Kerr is currently involved in establishing disability services in 5 regional government areas of East Java; serving people with disabilities and their families.

She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin from where she gained a Moderatorship in sociology. She is also a member of the Australian institute of company directors.

Opening address

The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services

Minister Prentice was sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Disability Services by the Governor-General on 18 February 2016.

Minister Prentice was honoured to be elected as the Member for Ryan in at the 2010 Federal Election. Since her election to Parliament, Minister Prentice has been appointed to a number of committees, including Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications, and the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.

Prior to her election, Minister Prentice served for 10 years as Councillor for the Brisbane City Council ward of Walter Taylor where she served in Civic Cabinet under Lord Mayor Campbell Newman as Chairman for Public and Active Transport and Economic Development.

NDIS Q&A David Bowen, Chief Executive Officer, NDIA David is the inaugural CEO of the NDIA. He was appointed by the Minister as the first CEO under section 160(6) of the NDIS Act on 10 May 2013 for a term of two years. As CEO, David is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Agency. David has been actively involved in developing the disability reform programme both as a member of the Independent Panel advising the Productivity Commission in its inquiry into the feasibility of a national disability insurance scheme, and as initial chair and ongoing member of the National Injury Insurance Scheme Advisory Group.

Maryanne Diamond, AO, General Manager of Media, Communication and Engagement, NDIS Maryanne is the General Manager Media, Communications and Engagement at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). She has recently concluded her roles as the Chair of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Immediate Past President of the World Blind Union (WBU). Maryanne has held a range of roles in Australia and at the global level for more than 25 years. She was the inaugural CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and most recently was the General Manager Advocacy and Engagement at Vision Australia until November 2015. Maryanne’s most significant achievement was leading the WBU delegation during the negotiations and diplomatic conference with The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) that led to the adoption of the Marrakesh treaty to Facilitate Access to Information for persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired or otherwise Print Disabled in June 2013. In June 2014 Maryanne was awarded an Officer in the Order of Australia. Most recently at the 9th General Assembly of the WBU Maryanne was awarded, The Louis Braille in recognition of her outstanding and visionary leadership and commitment to blind and partially sighted person worldwide.

Richard Nelson, QLD State Manager, National Disability Services

Richard is the Queensland State Manager for National Disability Services, the Australian peak body for non-government disability services. Until recently he held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Alliance for Mental Health Inc, the peak body for the community mental health sector.

Richard is committed to working with NDS membership to strengthen and prepare the disability sector for the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. He is passionate about contributing to a disability sector that is focussed on people’s capacity to live a life of their own choosing. Richard has an extensive career in executive leadership and management in the not for profit and public sector which includes executive management experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy, planning, national reform and education.

Session 2 Creating Enterprise Leaders in of Disruption Aaron McEwan, Director and Executive Adviser, CEB Global Aaron McEwan is an advisory leader for CEB’s HR Practice, where he works with Chief Human Resources Officers, Heads of L&D and Heads of Recruitment as they deliver on critical business objectives through the execution of successful talent and functional HR strategies. With particular expertise in leadership development and executive coaching, he understands the impact of insight on performance. He believes that great ideas, well implemented, have the power to enable the success of individuals, organisations, and the world. He is dedicated to helping executives harness insights derived from the world’s best companies to unlock the potential of their greatest assets, their people.

Alongside his role at CEB, Aaron serves as Deputy Chair for the Australian Psychological Society’s Interest Group in Coaching Psychology and as an Advisory Board Member of CFO 2015, a network dedicated to identifying key issues affecting CFOs. Within both organisations Aaron shares knowledge, provides guidance and aimes to achieve positive industry change.

Prior to joining CEB, Aaron held a variety of leadership and senior consulting positions at Human Capital firms including the Opic Group, Hudson Global Resources and Lee Hecht Harrison. He holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from Griffith University and is currently completing his Masters of Coaching Psychology through Sydney University.

Launch of the state of the sector report Mark Burrowes, President, Scope

Mark was elected to the Board in 2009.

He is the parent of a young man with cerebral palsy, and his son accesses Scope services along with other disability services.

Mark is a former Director of several Boards, including the Reach Foundation and The Starlight Children’s Foundation, as well as Managing Director of Medibank Private and Chairman of Harding’s Hardware.

He has had a 35 year career in corporate leadership.

Session 3 Shaping the future of reform Ken Baker, Chief Executive, NDS Dr Ken Baker AM is the Chief Executive of National Disability Services (NDS), the peak association for non-government disability service organisations. In that role, he provides information, representation and policy advice.

Ken has worked in social policy and public affairs for 30 years. Based in Canberra, he is currently a member of the NDIS Independent Advisory Council and other committees advising on disability policy.

With a membership of around 1100 non-government organisations, NDS promotes and improves services which support people with disability to participate in all domains of life, including employment. Session 4 Financial sustainability of disability services Prof. David Gilchrist, Director, Curtin University Not-for-profit initiative

David Gilchrist is a chartered accountant and an economic historian. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Notre Dame Australia and is currently Director of Curtin’s School of Accounting Not-for-profit Initiative. Over a career spanning 25 years, David has held a number of senior roles in the Not-for- profit, commercial and public sectors. Prior to joining Curtin, he held the role of Assistant Auditor General for Western Australia and, prior to that, he taught accounting and finance at the London School of Economics and Portsmouth University in the UK as well as at Curtin University and Edith Cowan University in Australia. Most recently, he was Associate Dean of the School of Business, University of Notre Dame Australia and adjunct professor of Not-for-profit Leadership at that institution.

He currently holds a number of industry roles including as chairman of Nulsen Disability Services, chairman of the Kimberley Individual and Family Support Association and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s National Not-for-profit Advisory Committee.

David is also a member of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Advisory Board, the Australian Accounting Standards Board Academic Advisory Panel and is principal author of a number of key national reports including the seminal report “Australian Charities 2013”, the Australian National Costing and Pricing Framework issued jointly with National Disability Services, the Costing and Pricing Learning Program, and is an editor of the book “The Three Sector Solution”. He has published widely as an academic and journalist.

Knowledge is Power: Building an Industry Barometer

Gordon Duff, General Manager – Sector Development and Research, National Disability Services

Gordon Duff has more than 20 years’ experience in human services and advocacy in a career spanning New Zealand, Canada, the UK and Australia, and across academia, government, non-government and business sectors. At NDS he leads work on Sector Development, Workforce Development and has led the establishment of the NDS Centre for Applied Disability Research. He holds Honours degrees in Economics and Business Administration from New Zealand universities and a Masters in Social Policy from the London School of Economics. Session 5 Welcome Jennifer Fitzgerald, Vice President, National Disability Services

Jennifer Fitzgerald’s values-driven approach has led her to work in the disability, health, aged care and community sectors for over 30 years. She was been Chief Executive Officer of Scope (Aust) Ltd since 2012.

Jennifer is the Vice President of National Disability Services and Chair of the Victorian State Committee. She a Director of Ability First Australia and has held previous directorships of Cerebral Palsy Australia and Scope. She is the Chair of Cerebral Palsy Australia

Scope is one of ’s largest specialised disability service providers, with particular expertise in supporting people with complex and multiple disabilities, and in providing early intervention services for children.

Two and a half years of experience working under the NDIS Victorian Trial in Barwon has allowed Scope to understand the positive outcomes the scheme brings to the lives of people with a disability, and the opportunities for service providers to transform the way they work.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Physiotherapy), Graduate Diploma of Physiotherapy (Neurology), a Masters in Business Administration and a Doctor of Physiotherapy.

Opposition Address

Senator Carol Brown, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers

Carol’s driving principle is the pursuit of equality and fairness. Her passion and commitment to see all people treated with equity, tolerance and respect is driven by her life experiences and these strong values.

She has been a lifelong advocate for equality and fairness and proud representative of Tasmanian since joining the Senate in 2005.

Her involvement with the Labor movement began at an early age when she joined the party at the age of 20 determined to fight for the core values of greater equality, equal access to employment, education, health and other community services.

Carol is passionate about empowering women, improving the way we care for older Australians, providing equal opportunities for all in our community regardless of their background, promoting initiatives that lead to a more inclusive society and fighting against discrimination. She has been a strong advocate for many years for marriage equality, women’s reproductive health and worker’s rights.

Carol currently serves as the Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers.

Transforming disability support through technology Dr Jordan Nguyen

Thought leader on the intersection between technology and humanity

Dr. Jordan Nguyen is a young man on a mission to change the world. He is an acclaimed thought leader on the intersection between technology and humanity. At a moment of the most extraordinary breakthroughs in our understanding of the human brain, Jordan has a magical combination of technical brilliance with the unique ability to inspire people.

A truly inspirational communicator, Jordan presents on technology and the power of the mind at prestigious events internationally including Think Inc., Wired for Wonder, and the Engineering for Medicine and Biology Conference – the world’s largest annual biomedical conference.

Upon completing his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney, Jordan was accepted into the prestigious UTS Chancellor’s List. Now his mission is to improve the lives of as many people as possible. As founder of Psykinetic he designs life-changing technologies focusing on intelligent, futuristic and inclusive technology.

Drawing on his experience of almost breaking his own neck, Jordan developed a mind- controlled smart wheelchair for people with high-level physical disability.

A hot topic of discussion in the media, Jordan’s amazing work has been featured in a range of TV, radio, magazine and newspaper interviews, including ABC’s Catalyst and Channel TEN’s The Project.

As a speaker Jordan has the ability to translate highly technical concepts and future trends into clear and concise content, relevant to any organisation looking to proactively embrace and adapt to technological change.

Session 6 We’re all in this together: finding a new way of working with government in the world of the ndis Robyn Kruk AM Ms Kruk AM has held Chief Executive positions for the past 20 years in a 30 year career that spans both the Australian and the New South Wales (NSW) state public services. Robyn has led organisations with budgets in excess of $15 billion and 100,000 employees. She led Australia’s biggest health system for 5 years achieving significant service and workforce reforms within budget and in the face of escalating demand. She was requested by the Prime Minister to establish Australia’s inaugural National Mental Health Commission and assisted in ensuring the continuation of bipartisan support for mental health reform across national and state/governments. She has been Chief Executive of both state and national environment agencies. Robyn has held various executive roles in central agencies in NSW including Deputy Director General of both The Cabinet Office and the Premier’s Department and Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. She has served seven Premiers and two Prime Ministers and has played a central role in Commonwealth / State negotiations and reform in the areas of health and other human services, environmental protection / natural resource management and regulatory reform.

Panel discussion

Vicki O’Halloran, CEO, Somerville Community Services Inc

Vicki is the Chief Executive Officer of Somerville Community Services. Somerville is an organisation providing a comprehensive range of services to people and their families in the Northern Territory. Services include - Disability Services, Family Services and Financial Services. Vicki leads a team of 260 dedicated and enthusiastic employees. Vicki is also the Chair of the NT Division of the National Disability Services. James Christian, Group Manager, Disability, Employment & Carers, Department of Social Services James Christian joined the Department of Social Services, (the former department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) in January 2012 as State Manager for NSW and the ACT. His current role is as Group Manager, Disability, Employment and Carers.

James has also held the positions of Group Manager, Aged Care Quality and Compliance, and Group Manager, Delivery Strategy and Operations, within the Department.

James’ public sector work encompasses not only the Commonwealth level, but at the State level where in the NSW Government he worked at the senior executive level for over 13 years in the Departments of Aboriginal Affairs; Ageing, Disability and Home Care, NSW Aboriginal Housing Office and NSW Housing.

In 2011, James received a Public Service Medal for providing outstanding service in improving opportunities for economic participation and employment of Indigenous people.

James holds various formal qualifications, including a Masters in Public Administration ANU.

David Broadbent, Principal, Broadbent Media Services

A respected former journalist with more than 35 years experience in newspapers and television, David Broadbent has reported Federal and State politics for the Sun News Pictorial, The Age, and Channel 9. He is a former Director of News for the Seven Network in and Sydney.

From 2007 to 2013 he led the communications divisions in Arts Victoria, the Victorian Department of Education and the Department of State Development Business and Innovation, and also worked in the Department of Premier and Cabinet. In 2013 he established his own company, Broadbent Media Services, and has consulted for Worksafe Victoria ,Public Transport Victoria and a range of private organisations.

Previous roles include Director of Government and Media Relations for the Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists David is on the Board of Odyssey House and the Melbourne Press Club.

Session 7 What does digital disruption mean for the disability sector? Jordan O’Reilly, CEO, Hireup Jordan O’Reilly has a BA in Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) from the University of Sydney and has won numerous awards for his innovative work in the disability sector in the past four years, including the Foundation for Young Australians Changemaker of the Year Award 2013, a Myer Foundation Innovation Fellowship 2015, Sydney University’s Young Alumni Achievement Award 2015 and NSW State Finalist Young Australian of the Year Award 2015/16.

In 2011, Jordan and his sister, Laura, launched the not-for-profit organisation Fighting Chance Australia, which exists to support young adults with significant disability in Sydney to engage in employment, training and social participation. In 2015, Jordan launched Hireup, an online platform that gives Australians with disability the power to find and hire their own support workers, thereby creating genuine choice and control and saving individuals thousands of dollars in their individualised funding packages. Hireup is now a national organisation with thousands of registered users that is growing quickly and in lock-step with the NDIS.

Jenna Moffat, Co-Founder, Clickability

Jenna is a Co-founder and Co-Director of Clickability, a website that lets people with disability rate and review their services. Jenna is a trained Social Worker, gaining experience in the disability sector as a carer, case manager and team leader; working primarily with people with acquired brain injuries. During her work she saw a gap in the informational needs of people with disability and their families and became frustrate by the lack of consumer facing information and support for people navigating a complex disability system. Clickability is available in Victoria, launching as a pilot in April 2015.

Caris Jalla, Co-Founder, Care Collectible Caris has been working in the disability sector for 8 years in the areas of research, development and advocacy. With a background in Health Sciences and Economics, matched with an interest in technology, she founded Care Collective. In the short space of a year, Care Collective has secured seeding funding, expanded the team to include 5 like-minded people, completed 3 accelerator programs and launched a disability marketplace platform. The team are also currently developing other technological solutions to improve the experience and wellbeing of NDIS participants and their families. Caris also volunteers on the Board of two disability not-for-profit organisations.

Suzanne Becker, CEO, Lifestart.

Suzanne has almost three decades experience as a CEO in the disability sector. A social worker, she is CEO of Lifestart, supporting children and young people with disability. She has worked previously as an academic, consultant and in community services. She sits on a number of national and state advisory committees, including chairing the NSW National Disability Services Children, Young People and Families Committee. Suzanne is passionate about how online activities can make a huge difference in the lives of people with disability, their families and carers, as well as resourcing the community generally to promote meaningful social inclusion for all people.

Facilitated by John Anderton, Director, Butterfly John is the Founder of Butterfly, a digital agency specialising in strategy, development, design and UX. In 2013 Butterfly was recognised as the Best Agency 20+ staff at the Melbourne Design Awards. Other awards include the Sydney Design Awards, (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and Melbourne Design Awards (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) and inclusion in the BRW Fast 100 list (2012).

Butterfly works with not-for-profits around Australia including Mission Australia, YMCA and Camp Quality. Butterfly designed and developed NDS's website.

John is on the board of the Australian Web Industry Association and works with entrepreneurs, startups and fast-growing organisations.