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Ben Hamer
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DR BEN HAMER
Keynote speaker

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Dr. Ben Hamer is an accredited futurist, who was recently awarded the number one thought leader for the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific by Onalytica.

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Ben has undertaken work and research around the world, including time spent leading critical projects at the World Economic Forum as well as being a Visiting Scholar at Yale University. He is an Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law and a Board Member for the Australian HR Institute, where he was appointed as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the organisation’s history.

 

A sought after media commentator and keynote speaker on future trends, Ben will be launching his next book, A Postcard from the Future, with Ultimo Press in April 2024.

Alice Drew
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ALICE DREW
Head of Place Futures
Lendlease

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Alice is a future-focused leader in place strategy and business transformation, using her experience and formal training in architecture, psychology, business, entrepreneurial innovation and environmental law, to lead a specialist strategic advisory team, ‘Place Futures’ at Lendlease.  

 

Place Futures is dedicated to co-creating thoughtful and insightful workplace, placemaking and property solutions for corporate, government, hospital and university sectors. They are on a mission to evolve the built environment to respond to global dynamics and large scale changes to business, work, talent and social attitudes.  

 

Today more than ever, Alice is working with organisations preparing their people and places to more impactfully participate in the innovation economy and evolve our local innovation precincts.

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Gus Chevez
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DR AGUSTIN 'GUS' CHEVEZ
Workplace Provocateur
aChevez Advisory 

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Dr. Agustin Chevez has dedicated his career to understanding the notion of work and uncovering environments that best support our working lives. His work has been presented at international forums and in industry and academic publications.

 

After working at leading design firms in Australia and delivering research insights around the world, Agustin now works closer with organisations, helping them navigate the evolving context of work. Agustin is a workplace provocateur at aChevez Advisory and an Honorary Fellow at the School of Management and Marketing and a Member of SHE Lab (Melbourne Design School), both at the University of Melbourne. 

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John Preece
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JOHN PREECE
Chief Property Officer
Hub Australia

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John is a leader in flexible workspace innovation, championing the transformation of workspace and space-as-a-service, and the benefits it brings to knowledge workers.

 

As Chief Property Officer at Hub Australia, he creates strategic and innovative commercial partnerships with property owners, designs flexible workspace venues, and enhances shared amenities and hospitality services. With a career spanning senior roles at Knight Frank, DTZ, and CBRE, John’s expertise includes project management, occupier solutions, and office leasing. A Fellow of the RICS, Graduate of the AICD, and a licensed real estate agent, John brings a wealth of experience and vision to the future of work.

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Jennifer DB
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JENNIFER DI BARTOLOMEO
Head of Asset Services, Place & Experience - Office
Charter Hall

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As Head of Asset Services, Place & Experience, Jennifer is responsible for Charter Hall’s market leading multidisciplinary office management team that includes property management, operations, ESG, flexible spaces, building technology, customer experience, marketing and capital works.

 

She is passionate about connecting people and ideas to create sustainable and valuable places – and is proud of the collective efforts of many who contributed to Charter Hall’s recent office development in Melbourne – 555 Collins Street.

 

Jennifer has over 20 years’ experience in customer experience, operations, strategic marketing and corporate affairs across all core real estate asset classes for commercial real estate groups including AMP Capital, CBRE, The GPT Group and ING Real Estate.

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Natalie Bevan
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NATALIE BEVAN
Manager of Portfolio & Projects, Property & Workplace
BHP

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Natalie thrives in seeing large and complex projects come to life and has a breadth of experience from her early career across government sectors of housing, urban renewal and education.

 

Natalie has been with the BHP Property & Workplace team for the past seven years and is currently accountable for the global corporate office portfolio and major projects.

 

In her time with BHP, Natalie has had the opportunity to deliver high quality corporate office projects in multiple locations across Asia and Australia, most recently overseeing the major refurbishment of the BHP Perth office.

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Paul Boustani
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PAUL BOUSTANI
Head of Events & Connections - Workplace Experience
Atlassian

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Paul Boustani has been curating impactful experiences across events, hospitality and employee engagement for over 20 years. At Atlassian, Paul leads the Events & Connections team, enabling intentional gatherings that drive effectiveness by ensuring ‘Atlassians’ are connected to each other and the business no matter where and how they work.

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Marija Petrov
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MARIJA PETROVSKA

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An avid adventurer with a passion for exploration and travel, Marija has spent a decade navigating the worlds of construction and property.

 

Beginning her journey in design, she seamlessly transitioned into construction and then property, honing her expertise along the way. With a Master’s in Corporate Real Estate and a talent for strategy and partnerships,

 

Marija now channels her diverse background into the travel industry, blending her love for exploration with a proven ability to turn ideas into impactful solutions.

 

Her journey reflects the passion and dedication for innovation and adventure, showcasing her unique blend of skills and her ability to go beyond the blueprint with every new opportunity she embraces.

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Devan Valenti
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DEVAN VALENTI

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With over a decade of dedicated experience in the realm of sustainability across three continents, Devan Valenti holds a deep understanding of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices within the property sector.


Throughout Devan’s career, he has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability across various sectors, the most notable being his involvement in the development of Green Star Buildings, the largest overhaul in the rating tool’s 20-year history. Leading the transformative three-year endeavour, which involved input from thousands of influential stakeholders, Green Star Buildings now stands as a cornerstone embraced by most Australian property developers.

 

Noteworthy contributions under Devan's leadership include the successful integration of Net Zero requirements and a heightened focus on embodied carbon in building materials within the Green Star framework. More recently, Devan served as ESG Lead, Asia Pacific for the International WELL Building Institute. 

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Troy Casey
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TROY CASEY
Managing Director
Blaklash

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Troy is a proud Kamilaroi man and the Managing Director of Blaklash, an Aboriginal design consultancy focused on highlighting the importance of Country-centred design to deliver culturally responsive and inclusive places.

 

With a profound dedication to community development, his work sets a benchmark for community engagement and social innovation, emphasising the critical role design plays in creating positive social change by leveraging economic opportunities within the built environment.

 

By integrating traditional knowledge and contemporary design principles, Troy plays a pivotal role in collaborating with communities to ensure their voices are embedded in urban design and placemaking projects.

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Dr John Hopkins
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DR JOHN HOPKINS
Associate Professor
Swinburne University of Technology

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John Hopkins is an Associate Professor of Management from Swinburne University of Technology, and the Founder of WorkFLEX, a Melbourne-based company helping workers and organisations successfully transition to new ways of working. 

 

John has been one of Australia’s leading voices on ‘future of work’ research for over a decade, and is regularly invited to provide his expert opinions in the local, national and international media, for outlets like Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC News, SBS World News, Forbes Magazine, the World Economic Forum, The Age, The Australian, The South China Morning Post, and The Hong Kong Herald. â€‹

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Kylie Bishop
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KYLIE BISHOP
Group Lead, People, Spaces & Sustainability
Medibank

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Kylie is responsible for leading key people functions including culture, talent and capability, performance and rewards, shared services, diversity and inclusion, workplace relations, health, safety and wellbeing, employee experience and community as well as sustainability and spaces. She has been a member of the executive leadership team since 2013.

 

Kylie is a registered psychologist specialising in organisational psychology. She began her career in human resource consulting and prior to joining Medibank in 2010, held senior positions with NAB.

 

Kylie is currently a non-executive director of Royal Melbourne Hospital and Basketball Victoria and was previously a director with Rugby Victoria.

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David Fittler
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DAVID FITTLER
Hub Lead – Procurement & Spaces
Medibank

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David is a procurement and supply leader with more than two decades of experience in the health, mining, and manufacturing sectors.  

 

He is responsible for leading Medibank’s procurement and spaces team, including the rightsizing and transformation of the company’s office portfolio.

 

Prior to Medibank, David worked in the resources industry in Australia and internationally in several procurement leadership roles.

 

Passionate about health and wellbeing and trail running, David and his family recently made a tree change, with Medibank’s focus on flexibility and health and wellbeing the catalyst for taking a leap to get closer to nature.

Jessica Watson
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JESSICA WATSON OAM
Closing keynote speaker

Pushing Boundaries and Achieving the Impossible

 

In today's ever-changing world, resilience and determination are more crucial than ever. That's why we're thrilled to host Jessica Watson, who defied the odds to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world at just 16 years old. Her incredible 210-day voyage through some of the world's most challenging oceans, culminating in a triumphant return to Sydney Harbour, continues to inspire millions globally.

 

Jessica's story is a testament to the power of the human spirit. Despite immense criticism and overcoming seven knockdowns at sea, she sailed into history and went on to share her extraordinary experiences through her best-selling book "True Spirit" and the documentary "210 Days," narrated by Sir Richard Branson.

 

Her accolades include being named Young Australian of the Year 2011, receiving an Order of Australia Medal, and being inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Beyond sailing, Jessica has completed an MBA, authored a second book, and now works as a management consultant at Deloitte.

 

In this session, Jessica will share insights from her remarkable journey and how the lessons she learned can be applied to the corporate real estate sector. Discover how pushing boundaries and achieving the seemingly impossible can inspire you to reach new heights in your professional and personal life.

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