Speakers at Waste Strategy Summit 2018
Carol Adams
Mayor
City of Kwinana
Carol has been an elected councillor for the City of Kwinana for over 20 years (elected May 1997), served as Deputy from 2005-2006 and was elected as the first woman Mayor in May 2006, a position she has held to this date. Carol was recently re-elected as Mayor until October 2019.
Carol holds a law degree, and was practicing in most jurisdictions until July 2011 when she transitioned to the role of full time Mayor. Carol is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Carol has been a State Councillor elected to WA Local Government Association (2005) and immediate past chairperson of the South West Group of Councils, a voluntary regional organisation representing the Mayors and CEO’s of Rockingham, Kwinana, Cockburn, Fremantle, East Fremantle and Melville.
Carol is also the immediate past Metropolitan Commissioner for the WA Grants Commission and a Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority Board Member (MRA).
Christine Burke
Communications Director
L'Oréal Australia
Christine Burke is a communications expert with over 20 years experience working in the beauty industry. With a passion for both brand and corporate communications, Christine leads strategic planning for internal & external communications as well as public affairs at L'Oréal Australia. Her work is centred around fostering relationships with external partners to deliver outstanding business results.
Christine is a member of L’Oréal Australia’s Management Committee, with shared accountability to shape and lead the strategic direction of the Australian business. Christine also oversees L’Oréal Australia’s sustainability program, Sharing Beauty with All, an overarching campaign to advance sustainable practices across all aspects of the business. With a strong connection and understanding of how to connect and engage the consumer, Christine leads high performing teams and is passionate about the engagement and development of her team members.
Belinda Chellingworth
Project Officer – Business Recycling Unit
Waste and Resource Recovery, NSW Environment Protection Authority
Belinda has a background in sustainability, environmental education and energy efficiency though in recent years has focused on resource recovery and procurement.
She has worked in various roles in the public and private sectors, giving her a detailed understanding of the waste industry from various perspectives.
Belinda’s curiosity and eagerness to gain insight into our world and its challenges has taken her to every continent on earth. She has recently returned to Australia from working for Veolia, the London School of Economics and Loowatt in the UK and Ireland.
Belinda is responsible for managing the NSW EPA’s Circulate Industrial Ecology program which funds innovative projects to divert materials from landfill into new products or processes.
Belinda is a passionate advocate for education, transparency and collaboration within the waste sector. She is looking forward to the transition to a circular economy which will not only focus on materials alone, but holistically address economic and social issues which are intrinsically linked.
Brooke Donnelly
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Packaging Covenant Organization
Brooke Donnelly is a senior strategic and commercial executive specialising in product stewardship, recycling and sustainability. She has proven strengths in leading the successful operational and commercial implementation of best practice national product stewardship and recycling programs for industry, government and consumers.
In her current role of CEO at the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) Brooke develops and leads APCO’s strategic direction and vision. APCO enables businesses, government and industry to design and utilise more sustainable packaging throughout the supply chain to reduce environmental impact.
Brooke is the co-founder and facilitator of the Product Stewardship Cluster (PSC), an organisation working to accelerate Australia’s journey to a circular economy through product stewardship.
Over the course of her career, Brooke has worked in alignment with a broad range of regulatory authorities, industry groups and product stewardship organisations such as the DrumMuster, AIP Oil Container Collection and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. She has also held numerous senior leadership titles including Chief Operating Officer for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, NSW Sustainability Manager for Visy Industrial Packaging and CEO at Catalyst Development Group.
Prior to this, Brooke spent her formative years managing her third-generation family business, specialising in the recycling of industrial packaging.
Jenni Downes
Institute for Sustainable Futures
University of Technology Sydney
Jenni Downes is a Research Consultant at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, with 10 years’ experience in applied social research. Her passion is evaluation and research to develop effective strategies for household-level, organisational and society-wide change towards sustainable futures, and she leads the Institute’s work in designing and evaluation change programs relating to resource use, waste and recovery.
Jenni’s expertise is the design and delivery of program evaluations, including development of program logic/theory to guide initial design, formative and summative evaluation, value for money and impact evaluation. She has extensive experience in literature reviews, stakeholder engagement, quantitative data collection and statistical analysis, and high-impact visual communication of results. Recent experience includes evaluating food waste avoidance education, kerbside food waste recycling services, education and infrastructure interventions to improve recycling in multi-unit dwellings, and energy efficiency behaviour change. Jenni has qualifications in Sociology and Statistics and is currently completing a Masters of Evaluation.
Nick Florin
Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures
University of Technology Sydney
Nick has broad experience in university and industrial research in bio-energy/chemical synthesis, carbon capture for power and industry, synergies between renewable and fossil energy systems, and energy and climate policy appraisal. He has successfully applied his research skills and leveraged his technical expertise to deliver a range of technical and policy projects for government agencies, industry and research institutes.
Sian McGhie
Senior Project Manager Local Government
NSW Environment Protection Authority
Sian has led the development and implementation of the EPA’s Waste Less Recycle More $17+$10 million Local Government Organics Collection and $43+$14 million Organics Infrastructure (large and small) grants programs.
Previously, as a member of the EPA’s Local Government Team she worked on the Waste and Sustainability Improvement Payment Program, Strategic Waste Planning Tool and update of the Model Waste Not DCP.
Before joining the EPA, Sian worked in local government for more than 10 years.
David Gamble
Technical Director - Waste Infrastructure
GHD Pty Ltd
David is a Principal Engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in environmental engineering and waste management projects. This includes preparing feasibility studies for waste management infrastructure, waste strategy, design and operation of collection systems, alternative waste technology selection, and landfill management. It also includes managing environmental approvals for various new waste management facilities. David is a Chartered Professional Engineer and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.
Sean Grady
Vice President/ Principal Waste Services
GHD
Sean is a Principal with GHD and Market Leader of Waste Services in North America. He has over 24 years of regulatory compliance and environmental remediation experience and manages a staff of 45 located in throughout the United States and Canada. Sean oversees several large Oil and Gas Residual Management and Compliance Programs for Shell, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, and Phillips 66 in North America (NA) and the waste programs for two of largest Class I Railroads in NA (CSX, and Union Pacific Railroad). These are being managed using GHD’s proprietary software solution WasteManager©, which Sean developed in-house and is currently expanding to assist clients meet their environmental compliance obligations.
Elisia Gray
Buying
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Elisia Gray has over 12 years in the retail business. As an Ethical Buyer for LUSH Cosmetics she is responsible for sourcing ingredients that comply with their high ethical standards and ensuring the supply chain is robust.
Elisia comes from a background as a Retail Strategist and has travelled the globe working with other markets to develop their senior teams, having recently spent time in the UK and Japan training on leadership. The retail structure at LUSH Cosmetics is unique and has been described as innovative and linear and abandons common retail structures that see stores banded off into area and state Managers.
LUSH Cosmetics is notably an activist company that feels that you need not abandon your personal values when you go and do business.
Elisia enjoys the bespoke handmade nature of LUSH products and the creative energy behind the brand. Here being cruelty free and handmade extends beyond a marketing slogan. Elisia enjoys nothing more than sitting in a room full of passionate and inspirational women and deciding on the brand direction, having animated and passionate conversations about environmental issues.
Chris Hank
Software Solutions Manager
GHD Pty Ltd
Chris is a seasoned business professional with a proven talent for driving business value through software products and projects. He has the vision and leadership of a product owner, the process-orientation of a project manager, and the practical flexibility of a veteran consultant. His work history spans 20 years of software development, implementation and support roles across multiple industries, including: environmental, government, marketing, healthcare, finance, transportation, finance, insurance, and manufacturing.
Kate Harris
Chief Executive Officer
Good Environmental Choice Australia
Kate brings to GECA an extensive background in leadership, capacity building and education aimed at finding sustainable solutions for the future.
Kate previously spent six years with the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, including two years as CEO, and two years as non-executive director. She is currently a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) and Living Future Institute Australia, as well as being an Executive Member of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC). She is also the founder of consulting firm Future Ready and a graduate of the Asialink Leaders Program.
Kate believes passionately in human potential and draws on her diverse experience in the performing arts, executive coaching, cultural change and organisational development, helping individuals, organisations and communities to create a better future. She has held a variety of management, organisational and coaching roles, and has been an ambassador for 1 Million Women and on the Advisory Board for Pollinate Energy.
Kari Herlevi
Project Director
Sitra (Finland)
Kari Herlevi is project director in Sitra’s Circular economy focus area and a multi-skilled circular economy expert.
Previously, Kari led the Green Growth programme at Tekes, which was associated with the circular economy and had a financing volume of more than 100 million euros. He also has experience of Silicon Valley, where he had the privilege of working with the best people in the field.
Kari has master’s degrees in finance and political sciences.
In addition to the circular economy, Kari keeps busy by renovating his house and taking care of his daughters. He hopes to have time for his own hobbies sometime in the future.
Kari believes that in 2030 we will be closer to an environment-positive society in which, for example, traffic emissions have been minimised and the circular economy is reducing waste.
Alice Howe
External Engagement and Manager Sustainability
Lake Macquarie City Council
Alice is an environmental engineer with over 20 years’ experience in environmental management and local government. Alice is responsible for Lake Macquarie City Council’s extensive environmental sustainability program. Alice is also President of Engineers Australia’s Newcastle Division, Conjoint Academic at the University of Newcastle, and a member the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Anne Karin Kehlhofer
Manager, Environmental Sustainability
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Anne is the Manager, Environmental Sustainability at Taronga Conservation Society Australia. She is a trilingual Swiss-Australian citizen, who has a multi-disciplinary background in sustainability, environmental management, human geography, business and education.
She has worked across diverse sectors (including: public, private, not-for-profit and tertiary education), and has thereby acquired strong expertise in waste management, energy, sustainable procurement and green building.
In her current role at Taronga, she is responsible for integrating and managing environmental sustainability performance across the seven divisions at both Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
A key focus of this role, is to mitigate the organisation’s carbon footprint, reduce waste going to landfill and increase resource diversions by identifying opportunities, collaborating closely with internal and external stakeholders, while focus on technical, operational and behavioural aspects simultaneously.
Sandor G. Lukacs de Pereny
PHD Candidate
University of New South Wales
Sandor is a doctoral candidate at the School of Management at UNSW Business School. Prior to coming to UNSW he pursued postgraduate studies in international development, international relations and trade, and hotel engineering plus various certificate degrees in the US, France, India, Peru, and Chile. He has more than 15 years of combined working experience as a mining camp-site operations manager; as a project consultant; as head of sustainable development in the mass consumption goods industry; and as a university lecturer. Sandor is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.
His current research focuses in exploring the organizational implications stemming from managing waste and redundant resources; their impact on organizations’ legitimacy and competitiveness; and how organizations reconfigure their networks to adapt and thus, survive.
Dr Samane Maroufi
Research Associate
SMaRT
Samane Maroufi holds both a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from UNSW Australia. For part of her PhD, Samane worked with the CSIRO (Clayton, Melbourne) for almost a year on measuring the dissolution rate and diffusivity of quartz in molten slags at high temperature. After finishing her PhD, Samane joined the SMaRT Centre in 2015 as a research associate where she is working on the use of non-traditional waste materials in iron-making and steelmaking industries and the transformation of e-waste glass into value-added products.
Sandra Mazo-Nix
Coordinator of the Waste Initiative
Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat – UNEP (France)
Sandra Mazo-Nix has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management from the National University of Colombia, and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University (Virginia, United States). As part of her graduating thesis for her bachelor degree, Ms. Mazo-Nix conducted a research project to evaluate the feasibility of a recycling program at a bottling plant in Medellín, Colombia. Ms. Mazo-Nix joined Climate and Clean Coalition (CCAC) as the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Initiative coordinator in January 2016.
Ms. Mazo-Nix has over 11 years of experience focusing on environmental policy issues, solid waste management, and the mitigation of climate change. She has also worked on projects related to landfill gas generation and recovery modeling and reporting, landfill gas utilization cost analyses and electricity market research. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has certified her as Recycling Systems Manager and Composting Programs Manager.
Jason McDermott
Co-founder
Dresden Optics
Jason is an entrepreneur who brings with him a decade of experience working at the intersection of technology and design. His expertise is focussed on creating the most delightful user experience for Dresden customers, worldwide.
Jason trained as an architect and taught himself the basics of computer software programming, allowing him to connect these two domains. Prior to Dresden, he was the technical co-founder of BrightHearts, an iPhone-based stress management app, as well as the founder and host of an Australian podcast network publishing long-form interview podcasts on entrepreneurship and creativity. He has worked as a design consultant for Universities and Government in Australia, Europe and North America, helping to shape a smart, interactive and energy efficient built environment. At Dresden he leads product development of physical, digital and service products, building products that our customers love to wear, use and share with their loved ones.
Helen Millicer
Recycling Projects Manager
Vinyl Council of Australia
Helen Millicer is committed to creating a sustainable future. Since 2014 Helen has been the part-time Recycling Strategy Manager for the Vinyl Council of Australia supporting innovation in PVC reprocessing and reuse.
She holds other positions, including non-exec Director roles as national President of ATA, Alternative Technology Association and Director for the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group (covering ¼ of Victoria). She is an Expert Panel member for the Victorian Government’s $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund, Presenter for the UN Global Cities Program, and manages her own consulting practice, One Planet Consulting.
Prior to working at the Vinyl Council, Helen was Manager of Sustainability Programs for PACIA, now Chemistry Australia, advising major companies, including Dow, BASF and Nufarm. Helen has successfully led in industry innovation, strategy planning and execution, change management and communications in government, listed companies and peak not for profit groups.
Helen holds qualifications in business management from Monash University, carbon accounting from Swinburne University and is a member of the Institute of Company Directors. In late 2017 Helen won a Churchill Trust Scholarship and will travel in April/May to meet leaders in Europe, UK and SE Asia assessing Circular Economy programs and strategies with a particular focus on plastics.
Darrell Monteiro
Manager Environmental Health
City of Kwinana
Darrell Monteiro has worked in the local government sector in WA since 2003.
In 2010, Darrell joined the Town of Cottesloe as the Principal Environmental Health Officer, where he was introduced to waste management. He experienced a contract for anaerobic waste digestion. He managed the introduction of a three bin garden organics system, which helped increase the waste diversion rate to 50%. He also served as an Metropolitan Officer on the Municipal Waste Advisory Committee that provides advocacy for local governments in WA.
In May 2017, Darrell joined the City of Kwinana as Manager Environmental Health, where he continues to manage the Environmental Health and waste minimisation portfolios. He oversees the contract between the City of Kwinana and the Kwinana WtE Project Co Pty Ltd, which is to be constructed in the City of Kwinana by June 2021.
Blaise Porter
Sustainability Manager ANZ
Fujitsu Australia
Blaise is the Sustainability Manager for the Oceania region at Fujitsu. Her current role draws on a decade of IT experience to help businesses address their ICT sustainability challenges.
As Sustainability Manager she also operates Fujitsu's wide ranging EMS that includes office, warehouse and data centre operations; including the recycling of over 370t of eWaste and the consumption of nearly 2 million mWh of energy annually.
Tim Richards
Operations Director
Richgro Garden Products
Tim Richards is the Operations Director at Richgro Garden Products.
Richgro is an Australian-owned, fourth-generation family business that has been manufacturing premium garden products since 1916. He has been in charge of several projects including the Richgro's Anaerobic Digestion Plant that transforms organic waste into electricity and compost.
Mike Ritchie
Managing Director
MRA Consulting Group
With 25 years experience in environmental policy and business development, Mike is currently:
• Chair of the Carbon Division and AWT Working Group
• Director of Environment Business Australia
He has previously been:
• General Manager with several major waste companies
• National Vice President and NSW President of WMAA
• Sessional Commissioner of the Land and Environment Court NSW
Kate Ringvall
Country Manager Sustainability
IKEA
Dr Kate Ringvall is the Country Manager for Sustainability at IKEA Australia. With more than 20 years’ experience working, studying and exploring the many facets that make up Sustainability as we know it today. Her first job as graduate was in a recycling processing factory in Fremantle and Kate remains an avid recycler! Kate has a Masters in Public Policy and a PhD in Planning and her areas of expertise are in Sustainable Transport Planning, Sustainable Cities, and Transit Orientated Development, and Energy Efficiency in the Built and Environment. At IKEA Australia Kate’s work encompasses the full depth and breadth of integrating sustainability actions and implementing the People and Planet Positive Strategy across all 10 IKEA stores.
Lucy Sharman
Sustainability Manager
Lendlease - Barangaroo
Lucy Sharman is the Sustainability manager at Lendlease-Barangaroo. She works on one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Australia. Her role is to work with commercial, residential and retail tenants to ensure their day-to-day operations are as sustainable as possible. This includes connecting businesses and residents with social sustainability opportunities as well as environmental sustainability best practice options.
Peter Shmigel
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Council of Recycling
Pete Shmigel has more than 25 years of experience at the highest levels of Australia’s corporate, political, NGO and consulting spheres. He is the former CEO of Lifeline Australia, a mental health service, the Beverage Industry Environment Council, and the Buy Recycled Business Alliance. He has also: served as a Chief of Staff or advisor to several Australian Ministers; been an executive for Veolia; and, ran an independent sustainability consultancy working for all Federal and State Government EPAs. His articles have been published in the Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, Huffington Post, Waste Management & Environment, Business Ukraine and elsewhere. He is a voluntary Board member of three sport and well-being sector NGOs.
Shannon Smyth
Acting Director Resource Recovery
Sustainability Victoria
Shannon Smyth is Acting Director Resource Recovery at Sustainability Victoria, the key waste program delivery agency for the Victorian government, where he manages the Group responsible for leading the implementation of the State Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan, Victorian Organics, Market Development and Waste Education strategies. Working closely with industry, community and across governments to plan infrastructure and capacity needs, address market barriers, improve community understanding on the essential service the waste industry provides and to improving the recovery of priority materials from landfill.
Shannon has previously held roles as Environmental Consultant working on a range wasted related projects from waste auditing through to community and school education program development and delivery across eastern Australia, and as a Strategic Advisor at the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group, were he played a critical role in development of Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan.
Ryan Swenson
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
Officeworks
Ryan is currently Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Officeworks, a role that leads the sustainability & responsible sourcing strategy. Ryan brings to the role international experience and a commercial acumen, having previously managed global supply chains and international sourcing and buying teams. Ryan holds an MBA in Strategic Carbon Management, and believes that collaboration, creativity and a commercial lens is a great approach to solve complex environmental and social problems.
Trevor Thornton
Lecturer
Deakin University
Dr Thornton is currently employed as a lecturer at Deakin University and also consults widely in a broad range of sectors on processes to develop and implement programs to reduce environmental impacts of waste generation and management. From conducting waste audits through to implementing specific programs, many organisations have used Trevor’s services to improve their outcomes.
Trevor has over 30 years’ experience in the waste management industry in both the regulatory and consultancy aspects of this industry sector – In Australia and Internationally. Projects have included the conduct of environmental and waste audits in a broad range of industry sectors and for specific types. These projects have included all aspects of management from consulting with all relevant stakeholders, formulation of a project plan, data collection, report preparation and where necessary implementation of strategies to improve environmental performance.
Dr Thornton’s past experiences include employment by the Victorian Environment Protection Authority where he was responsible for the development and implementation of many waste management policies, including those for medical, municipal waste and industrial wastes.
Throughout his career Dr Thornton has been involved in the conduct of waste audits, development and implementation of waste management strategies and education programs for a variety of organisations. In particular he has extensive experience in developing such programs for staff within specific industries to enable those staff to implement sustainable waste management strategies.
Kevin Trustum
Commercial Services Business Manager
Lismore Council
Kevin is the Commercial Services Business Manager for Lismore City Councils. Kevin is responsible for the financial management, strategy, customer service, compliance and marketing for the waste, quarries, cemeteries and crematorium airport and fleet business units of Lismore City Council.
Kruno Velican
Executive Chef
The Hilton Sydney Hotel
Born in Zagreb, Croatia where I have finished hospitality and catering school. I have honed my skills and knowledge working for several 5* hotel companies. Proudest moment in career was representing Croatia during general assembly of UN in NYC cooking for world leaders. Most memorable experience was preparing meals for Prince Al Waleed and his entourage during their visit to Sydney. Currently having privilege to lead brigade of 76 passionate professionals as Executive Chef at The Hilton Sydney Hotel
Peter Wadewitz
Managing Director
Peats Soils & Garden Supplies
Peter Wadewitz is the Managing Director of Peats Soil & Garden Supplies. He has been commercially processing compost for over 40 years. He is also the inventor of the BiobiN® , a waste management in vessel composting system offering an alternate solution for businesses when it comes to dealing with their organic waste.
Over the years he has been involved with many organisations such as Waste Management Australia, Compost Australia, Compost for Soils and the newly formed AORA group. He also won South Australia’s Environmentalist of the year award in 2006. Peter’s commitment to the growth and prosperity of the organics recycling industry has led to appointments to the Barton Group’s Export Task Force and the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. Peter was also a leading figure in developing the Australian Compost Industry Roadmap.
Peter’s current projects involve a biodiesel plant and an anaerobic digester. His vision is to be a sustainable facility that generates its own electricity and Bio-Fuel.
Ron Wainberg
Technical Director
MRA Consulting Group
Ron Wainberg has developed key skills in the field of solid waste management and has over 30 years’ experience in both project and contract management gained in Europe, Asia and Australia. He is a consultant with a particular interest in resource recovery from waste materials, the development of practical waste management strategies, and how processing technology can be successfully applied to recover resources from wastes.
As the Waste Advisory Team Leader and subsequently Technical Director for Waste at Hyder Consulting in Sydney, Ron was involved in a significant number of studies in the waste sector, either directly leading the work or providing technical advice and a quality review.
Ron was previously the Program Manager for Solid Waste Management at the CRC for Waste Management and Pollution Control with responsibility for Solid Waste, Site Remediation and Waste Minimisation.
From 1989 to 1996, Ron served as an external director of Waste Service NSW. He has been an active member of the Waste Management Association since 1996 where he has served in a number of roles, including as the National President from 2009 until 2013.
Ron’s experience in Solid Waste Management is built on the strong foundation of experience gained in engineering design, project management and business development in the process control, petrochemical and other industries.
Philip Woods
Energy Manager
Sydney Water
Phil’s role as Service Planning Lead (Energy) is to develop the strategies and programs that will help make Sydney Water an international leader in energy management and the generation of renewable energy from waste.
He has lead the development of Sydney Water's Energy Master Plan, which sets the vision and goals to 2030 and beyond. He seeks to turn Sydney Water from a major energy user to an energy generator and a key player in the management of organic waste across the city.
Phil holds an Honours degree in Mathematics and a Masters in Environmental Management.
Speaking opportunities are still available for Waste Strategy Summit 2018
Introduce your company, showcase your leadership and demonstrate how you can help by speaking to this senior gathering of executives working within waste management, recycling, resources recovery, and environment sustainability departments from across all sectors in Australia.
Use this unique forum to voice your opinions on the most important issues facing waste management today. Speakers will assert themselves as advocates for the future success of the sector.
For sponsorship opportunities at the Waste Strategy Summit 2018, please contact, Nischal Aryal on +61 (0)2 8488 9948 or email nischala@questevents.com.au