Conference Day One
Tuesday 6 March
08:15 | Registration and welcome coffee
08:50 | Opening remarks from the Chair
Alison Causley, Council Member, Australian Institute of Project Management
09:00 | INSPIRATIONAL PRESENTATION: How inclusion can help improve business performance
Danielle Marsden-Ballard, Founder & Owner, Sacred Earth Works
Finding inspiration to drive D&I initiatives in your organisation
09:35 | Building inspiration to walk the walk and advance your career
- Growing from the bottom up
- Building skills and competencies to achieve your career goals
- Using diversity to meet new and future businesses demands on innovation, research and workforce development
Sandra Hills, Chief Executive Officer, Benetas
10:10 | Morning tea
Examining leading industry approaches for all dimensions of diversity and inclusion
10:50 | Case study: How Australia Post is driving an inclusive workplace culture
- Overview on Australia Post’s diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Why psychological safety is critical to inclusion
- How diverse perspectives influence creativity and innovation
- Why leadership is critical to changing the status quo
Ashely Samson, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, Australia Post
11:25 | Case study: An overview on the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion’s diversity and inclusion strategy
- Unpicking assumptions – we might be diverse but how inclusive were we really?
- Getting everyone on board – influencing for change
- Establishing the strategy – bringing it all together
- Delivering on our promise – making the strategy live
Emily Andary, Workforce Strategist, South Australian Department for Communities and Social Inclusion
12:00 | Networking lunch
13:00 | Case study: NSW Government Veterans Employment Program – why hiring veterans is a good business decision
- Improving workplace diversification by transferring approximately 5,500 military people into Australian workforce annually
- An overview on NSW Government Veterans Employment programs and how it is encouraging employment of highly efficient professionals
- Assessing veterans’ highly relevant and transferable skills and experiences – and what value they can be to business
- Results to date
Garth Callender, Former Manager, Veterans Employment Program, Department of Justice
13:35 | KEYNOTE SESSION: Engaging senior management to be a workplace champion
- Discovering a passion D&I initiatives and the value it can add to both the organisation and the wider community
- Building skills and competencies to achieve your goals whilst inspiring other to do the same
- How to build the influence and skills to get support and buy-in from senior management
Tina Dimitriadis, General Manager People and Facilities Services, Family Planning Victoria
14:10 | Building the foundations of diversity by having an effective inclusion strategy in place
- Creating a culture that encourages opportunities and enhances participation of a diversified workforce and community
- Improving employment by facilitating recruitment, retention and career development opportunities
- How commitment to employee empowerment and excellence in workplace diversity leads to excellence in business and in the community
14:45 | Afternoon tea
Building influence in your organisation and getting senior management buy-in
15:25 | Influencing cultural change by educating leaders to think differently
- Why cultural change is critical in driving diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Driving successful outcomes by putting people first and championing innovative values
- Encouraging personal and successful growth to all by building people up – and seeing careers and business soar
Max Knobel, Director, Change Right Consulting
16:00 | PANEL DISCUSSION: What role does SES (Senior Executive Service) plays in driving D&I initiatives across the business?
- Why should every organisation embrace diversity and inclusion as a business strategy?
- How cultural transformation can support leaders to embrace challenges and change?
- How should managers redesign their beliefs and create influence that reflects ever growing skills in the team?
Panel moderator:
Alison Causley, Council Member, Australian Institute of Project Management
Panellists:
Donna Rygate, Chief Executive, Local Government NSW
Karen Lay-Brew, President, Australian Business Software Industry Association
16:40 | Closing remarks from the Chair
16:50 | End of Day One and networking drinks
18:00 | Official event dinner