Keynote speakers

Todd Sampson ** JUST ANNOUNCED **
CEO of Leo Burnett

The rich and varied life of advertising executive Todd Sampson began on Cape Breton Island, off the north east coast of Canada. Todd is now the CEO of Leo Burnett, one of Australia’s top creative advertising agencies and is one of the few CEOs in advertising to come from a strategy background – having spent 10 years as Head of Strategy. Leo Burnett has been voted Media Agency of the Year in 2010, was the winner of the Media Grand Prix for Creative and Innovative work and was also voted stand out Australian agency at the 2010 Cannes Lions – 2x Gold, 4x Silver and 3x bronze.

Todd is also the breakout star of the hit ABC television show The Gruen Transfer and features regularly on channels Ten’s 7pm Project.

He is the co-creator of the Earth Hour initiative, which has been recognised as one the best ideas in the world and awarded the Yahoo Chair for Innovation. In 2009, 1 billion people participated in Earth Hour making it the biggest environment movement in history.

He grew up in modest circumstances. His father was a factory worker for Coca-Cola and his mother a checkout girl for KFC. Todd entered university at 16 on a full scholarship and by age 24 had completed an MBA. Todd came to Australia 11 years ago, following a circuitous route that included North America, Germany and South Africa. He is now a proud Australian living with his family in Bondi. Outside of that he enjoys mountain climbing, and has completed an unguided ascent to the top of Mount Everest.

Tricia King
Pro-Vice-Master for Student Experience & Director of External Relations, Birkbeck, University of London

Tricia King is Pro-Vice-Master for Student Experience and a member of the senior management team at Birkbeck, University of London. Birkbeck opened in 1823 and Tricia is the first Pro-Vice-Master to come from a professional services rather than an academic background. Birkbeck is a global top 200 university, a vibrant centre of academic excellence and the UK’s only specialist provider of part-time, evening higher education. Tricia is committed to ensuring a high-quality, joined-up student experience from first point of enquiry to graduation and believes that the secret to student retention lies in effective recruitment.

Tricia is also Director of External Relations at Birkbeck and leads the department responsible for marketing, student recruitment, widening participation, communications, web, events, alumni and fundraising. Tricia has worked in marketing and communications in higher education for 17 years and in arts marketing before that. Recruitment strategies that safeguard student retention and success are Tricia’s current preoccupation.

Dr Jan Hofmeyr
International Director of Innovation, Synovate

South Africa-based Jan Hofmeyr is one of the world’s leading brand commitment experts.

In 1986, he developed The Conversion Model measuring the commitment of people to their current choices and closeness to conversion. It has been applied to over 350 product categories in more than 700 projects in over 200 countries.

The Conversion Model is the most widely used customer equity measure in the world, and has been or is currently used by 22 of the 25 most valuable brands in the world, ranging from Coca-Cola to IBM.

As developer of the Conversion Model, Jan works with leading companies around the world. These include: The Coca-Cola Company, Levi Strauss & Co, Philip Morris, Nokia, American Express, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Intel, Hewlett Packard, etc. He has worked with packaged goods, media, travel, telecommunications, insurance, financial and IT companies.

Dr. Hofmeyr has authored or co-authored three books including ‘The Cynics Guide to the Stock Exchange’ ‘Religion, Intergroup Relations, and Social Change in South Africa’; and ‘Commitment-led Marketing’ co-authored with Butch Rice.

In 2006, Jannie joined Synovate to become Synovate’s Global Director of Innovation for brand and communications research. In the short time that he’s been with Synovate, he has developed Synovate’s new ‘Brand Value Creator’ – a new approach to brand and communications research which goes far beyond other brand health tracking systems.

Professor Stephen Parker
Vice-Chancellor, University of Canberra

Professor Parker has had a distinguished career in academia and legal practice. Prior to his appointment as Vice-Chancellor he was Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Monash University with a wide-ranging role in the provision of cross-portfolio support for the Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Parker is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT, Barrister-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Queensland and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. He practised law in the UK before moving to Australia in 1988.

Professor Parker has won various major research grants for projects on legal ethics, family law, judicial independence and reform of civil procedure. He has published books, monographs, chapters and articles on the history of marriage law, the law relating to unmarried cohabitation, children’s rights, contract law, jurisprudence and legal ethics.

Larry Anderson
Co-founder Think Before

Larry Anderson has broad international experience in education and communication markets. He has a strong interest in leveraging international education as a public diplomacy tool and using digital tools and services to improve engagement and distribution of information to students. Larry is a regular presenter at education conferences and is the co-founder of Think Before – an international student safety initiative. He is now working with ISANA and Victoria Police on extending Think Before into other duty of care issues for local and international students.

 

Dr Tony Jaques
Managing Director Issue Outcomes P/L, Sessional Lecturer and Senior Research Associate, RMIT

Tony Jaques is Director of Issue Outcomes P/L, which has been operating since 1997 as a provider of management training and consulting services. In addition he writes Managing Outcomes, Australia’s only online newsletter devoted to issue and crisis management. His consultancy specialises in benchmarking issue and crisis management processes within organizations, and developing and implementing best practice programs.

After beginning his working career in daily journalism in New Zealand and London, he has had extensive experience in public affairs in the government and corporate sectors, where he established an international reputation in the fields of issue management, crisis management and risk management and communication. Until recently he was Issue Manager for a multinational American company, with hands-on responsibility for issue and crisis management across the Asia-Pacific region.

Marina Tan Harper
Director, Development Office, Nanyang Technological University

Mrs Marina Tan Harper’s fundraising experience of over 18 years has stood her in good stead as Director, Development Office of Nanyang Technological University, a post she has held since April 2005. In her first year at the university, she led its Development Office to triple the value of funds raised and increase the number of alumni donors 20-fold.

Immediately prior to joining NTU, she was Director of Development, Annual and Special Gifts at Northern Kentucky University. In Ohio, she was also Assistant Director of Development with Chatfield College and Development Manager of Cincinnati Ballet.

Mrs Harper’s career in development had its roots in her earlier years first as a violist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and then Manager of the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati before her appointment as Executive Director of Kokomo Symphony Orchestra in Indiana. These appointments in music and arts management included responsibilities in fundraising and paved the way for Mrs. Harper’s current career in development.

Educated in Singapore until her late teens, Mrs Harper went on to pursue her bachelors and graduate degrees in music performance (violin and viola) at Ball State University, Indiana, and The Julliard School, New York City, in the United States of America.

David Harrington
Managing Director, Hobsons Asia Pacific

David Harrington has worked for Hobsons, a global student recruitment services company for over 24 years. After 12 years working in various roles within the UK he moved to Australia in 1999 to set up Hobsons Australia Pty Ltd, which is Australia’s largest student recruitment services company.

David has been involved in creating and delivering innovative student recruitment solutions for most of his Hobsons’ life with his most recent focus on Australia’s international and domestic education markets.

Hobsons strives to offer its clients cutting edge e-recruitment solutions, ranging from web marketing, enquiry and offer management, and full online applications management services.

Invited speakers

Professor Bill Louden
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of Western Australia

Professor Louden is responsible for the faculties, staff, equity, teaching and learning and implementation of the University’s new course structure.

Professor Louden’s research interests and publications span the areas of literacy, standards and educational change. He is particularly interested in the opportunities education provides for social mobility, and is noted for his work with schools in translating the results of research into classroom practice.

As a member of the Board of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority since its inception, Professor Louden has been centrally involved in the development of the Australian curriculum, the national assessment program, and the school accountability reforms leading to the MySchool website.