Leisa Goddard, Founder and Managing Director of Adoni Media and Media Commentator, Australian News Channel (Sky News)

Ms Goddard is an Australian television journalist who has worked as a reporter/presenter for each of Australia's three commercial networks. She has covered major news events as a nightly news reporter and foreign correspondent. While with Network Ten, she spent three years as the United States Bureau Chief based in Los Angeles and her work while embedded with Australian troops during the Afghanistan war gained her substantial accolades. Ms Goddard also founded Adoni Media, a media, public relations and digital agency.

The Hon Gary Hardgrave

Mr Hardgrave served in the Australian Parliament for 12 years representing the electorate of Moreton. During this time, he served as Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Vocational and Technical Education and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister. He was appointed as the Administrator of the Australian External Territory of Norfolk Island from 2014 to 2017 where he spearheaded major governance reforms. He has served on a variety of private and community boards including Brisbane Airport Corporation and TAFE Queensland. He is currently Chair of Regional Development Australia Logan and Redlands Inc, Chair of Brisbane City Council’s City Standards Advisory Board and Independent Chair of the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton Community Consultative Committee (Inland Rail). Mr Hardgrave holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma in Marketing Research and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP

Dr Chalmers is the Treasurer of Australia. He has been the Member for Rankin in the House of Representatives since 2013, proudly representing the people and suburbs of southern Brisbane and Logan City where he was born, grew up and made a home with his family. Prior to his election to Parliament he was the Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer. He has a PhD in political science and international relations from the Australian National University, a first class honours degree in public policy from Griffith University and is a qualified company director. Dr Chalmers is also a member of the Griffith University Logan Campus Development Advisory Group; the Griffith University School of Government and International Relations Advisory Board; and the Board of Advisors at the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Ross Elliott - Chair, Better Suburbs Initiative; Director, Suburban Futures; Director, Faction Consulting

As well as being co-founder of Suburban Futures, Mr Elliott has 30 years’ experience in the property and urban development industry, including a number of national leadership roles for the Property Council of Australia as its Executive Director, then Chief Operating Officer and later as National Executive Director for the Residential Development Council. Mr Elliott was the founding Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane Marketing. He is the Chair of Brisbane City Council’s Better Suburbs Initiative Board and a member of the Urban Futures Brisbane Advisory Panel; Chair of the Urban Land Institute Brisbane District Council and holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Queensland. Mr Elliott is a frequent speaker, author and commentator on urban development policy.

Paul Kahlert, Chief Executive Officer, All Purpose Transport (APT) 

Mr Kahlert commenced his transport career as a 19 year old, working for a freight forwarder at Expo 88. A conversation at Expo 88 with the owner of All Purpose Transport (APT) led to a job offer, helping to set up a new computer system and 33 years later he remains at APT. Mr Kahlert has held the role of General Manager for over 20 years after working his way through the business in various roles. He specialises in Strategic Planning, Business Planning and Budgeting, Project Management and Implementation, Workforce Development and now, Pandemic Crisis Management. APT is the first “last-mile delivery” business in Queensland to introduce 100% zero emission (ZE) vehicles to perform home deliveries. APT has 3 ZE vehicles operating in Brisbane that will increase to 6 by the end of 2022.

Stephen Beckett, Head of Public Affairs, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC)

Stephen Beckett is the Head of Public Affairs at Brisbane Airport Corporation and is responsible for community and government engagement, media, corporate communications and regulatory affairs.

For more than 20 years he has advised Premiers, Ministers, CEOs and company Boards, and has helped many high-profile organisations navigate the complex eco-systems involved in political and bureaucratic decision-making.

Stephen is an experienced issues and crisis manager, having guided responses to catastrophic natural disasters and high-profile corporate tragedies.

Stephen is the Chair of Public Trustee’s Lady Bowen Trust, and serves on the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s Queensland Council. He is a guest lecturer and tutor at the University of Queensland’s School of Communications and the Arts, and is a Strategic Adviser to the NeuroLeadership Institute.

Stephen holds a Masters of Business from QUT, is a Graduate of the Australia Institute Company Directors. 

Ian Murray, Head of Queensland Communities, Lendlease Australia

Mr Murray has over 26 years of experience with property developers focused on project delivery and leadership of project and state-based teams. Since joining Lendlease he has held several leadership positions in the Queensland Communities business. In his current role as Head of Queensland Communities he is responsible for leading the Communities team in Qld delivering circa 1500 lots per year. Prior to joining Lendlease, Mr Murray spent 14 years with National developers: Australand, Urban Pacific and AV Jennings. Before this he spent 8 years with engineering consultancies based in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Leading teams that deliver award winning, state and national projects has been a highlight of his career. Mr Murray is the immediate Past President on the Queensland Urban Development Institute of Australia Board and is the Chair of their Redlands Advisory Panel. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Queensland University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Project Management from the University of South Australia.

Scott Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Council of Mayors (SEQ)

Mr Smith was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) in December 2017. He is an accomplished senior executive with more than 25 years of leadership in business improvement and project management, and more than 20 years experience in senior roles in the local government sector. Mr Smith first joined the Council of Mayors (SEQ) in 2005, providing program management and strategic direction in the areas of process reform, red tape reduction and the streamlining of local government services. During his time with the Council of Mayors (SEQ) the organisation has played an integral role in planning for the future of transport in SEQ, delivering the People Mass Movement Study in 2019, securing a commitment to an SEQ City Deal and leading the region’s investigations towards an SEQ 2032 Olympic Games.

Robert Sobyra, Director of Research and Digital, Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ)

Mr Sobyra is responsible for driving CSQ’s research agenda. He is a leading thinker at the intersection of construction and skills. He writes and talks regularly on all things relating to construction and the workforce. Mr Sobyra has a special interest in the future of work, skills and training. He holds a Bachelor of Justice from the Queensland University of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Theory from the Australian National University, and is currently a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) candidate at the University of Queensland.

Andrew Barker, Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA)

Mr Barker is a lead researcher on labour market and productivity issues at CEDA, with responsibility for monitoring the Queensland economic outlook. Previously he was a senior economist and head of desk in the OECD economics department, working on policy analysis and advice for countries including Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Denmark. As a research manager at the Productivity Commission he led quantitative work on water, gas and labour markets and contributed to public inquiries on topics including infrastructure access, automotive manufacturing, service exports and the economic effects of migration. Mr Barker holds a Master of Commerce (economics) and First Class Honours degrees in economics and environmental engineering from the University of Melbourne.

Dominique Kitching, Year 12 Student at Carmel College

Peter Gleeson, Editor, Sky News; Columnist, Courier Mail 

Martin Fahy, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Ltd (ASFA)

Mr Fahy joined ASFA in November 2016. He was previously a Partner in management consultancy at KPMG where he worked with clients across the financial services and other sectors to drive transformational change. From 2007 to 2011, he was Chief Executive Officer at the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) where he led the organisation’s transformation post the sale of its education business. Prior to FINSIA, he led strategy and development for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in Asia Pacific. Mr Fahy holds a PhD from the National University of Ireland, is a former senior Fulbright scholar and has extensive research and policy experience from his time as an academic.

Dr Tom Gole, Executive Vice-President - Strategy, Go1

Dr Gole leads strategy for Go1, the provider of the world’s largest digital learning library from over 200 providers. Dr Gole is an experienced technology executive and public policy practitioner, having previously been a senior leader at the Boston Consulting Group, led research and teaching at Harvard University, and consulted for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Dr Gole holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. Dr Gole is also on the Board of the Centre for Policy Development.

Toby Boettcher, Director, Capital & Debt Advisory, Ernst & Young

Mr Boettcher leads the Capital & Debt Advisory team for the professional services firm Ernt & Young for the Queensland market. 

Toby has worked in debt advisory and investment banking for 15 years with Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Macquarie and Barclays.  In these roles, he has worked in London, Sydney, New York and Brisbane across debt capital markets, corporate finance and credit for clients across a wide range of sectors. Toby’s expertise lies in debt capital markets and private credit, having raised more than $20 billion for clients over his career.

Toby holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of St.Gallen and a Master of Finance (MFin) from the University of Cambridge.