A two day conference of national significance Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd March – Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Increasingly, major organisations are directly attributing bottom-line performance to employee satisfaction, health and wellbeing. Indeed the importance of being seen as a committed, supportive and flexible employer is now an integral part of many recruitment strategies.
In March 2012 senior representatives from business, government and academia will assemble in Melbourne to provide expert advice and facilitate informative discussion on cutting edge employee friendly strategy.
Addressing far more than issues relating to carer responsibilities and work/life balance, The Australian Family Friendly Workplace Seminar will provide vital information for human resources practitioners, executive level managers and independent business owners on the evolving Australian workforce and current issues relating to employee engagement and wellbeing.
Rachel began her career in London before spending six years in Hong Kong, initially with Cathay Pacific Airways and then NBC Asia as the Asian Regional Marketing Director.
After moving to Australia, Rachel joined Ansett/Air New Zealand where she held a series of leadership positions including General Manager of Operations & Service Design; and Vice President Loyalty Marketing. After leaving Ansett, Rachel joined Performa Global, an Aviation consulting firm, leading a series of management consulting assignments in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, France and Africa.
Rachel joined GE Capital in mid-2006 as Marketing Director for Card Solutions, responsible for developing value proposition for retail finance products. In October 2007, Rachel was appointed to the General Manager position for a number of GE Capital's retail finance products.
Rachel is currently the GE Women's Network Leader in Australia and New Zealand; an organisation that supports the development of female talent across all GE businesses in the region.
Graeme Russell is an internationally recognised consultant, researcher and writer whose expertise includes: Working with executive and senior managers to challenge and change mindsets, beliefs and behaviours in relation to diversity and flexibility, Managing Differently: effective strategies for leading and managing a diverse and flexible workforce, Designing and evaluating workplace diversity and flexibility strategies, Work, job and career design, Designing and delivering creative and experiential-based learning and development activities, Designing and conducting effective organisational change strategies, Men and fatherhood, Organisational survey design and analysis.
Ingrid Ozols B. Sc, Grad Dip Bus Mgmt, Grad Dip Comm Mental Health, is the founder and Managing Director of MentalHealth@Work (mh@work®). Using her personal experience of mental illness to wellness to role model recovery, the vast possibilities, hope and the power of passion, Ingrid brings a topic out from hiding and on to the board table. Combining a 15 year career in sales/marketing and human resources, through mh@work®, Ingrid is helping workplaces to embrace a topic that for too long has been stigmatised and feared.
As Executive Director Organisational Development, John is focussed on linking human resource management with the strategic planning of the organisation.
John was previously the Executive Director Human Resources and has worked in this capacity in both the Public and Private Sectors in Australia and in London.
John has lectured in the MBA programs at the Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia, Chifley Business School and at the Graduate School of Business at Curtin University, specialising in the areas of Human Resource Management, Organisational Development and Industrial Relations.
Nareen Young has a strong history of leadership in employment diversity and is widely credited with identifying many new concepts in the area of workplace and business diversity thought and practice in Australia.
Since her appointment as Chief Executive Officer of DCA in 2007, it has become a vibrant and progressive organisation involved in significant activity and collaborative partnerships across the business and diversity spectrums to provide Australian's businesses and workplaces with a flourishing independent, not-for-profit diversity peak body. Nareen and the team she leads have transformed DCA in all possible terms - governance, infrastructure, financial and communications - to place it as Australia's business and workplace diversity authority.
Andrew Billing is CEO of the O group, a not-for-profit group of companies from Tasmania. For over 7 years Andrew and his leadership team have collaborated with their employees to create a unique workplace culture that focuses on family, flexibility and fun. This approach has contributed to O group becoming the most prolific and diverse human resource and business advisory organisation in Tasmania, and in the process achieving recognition as a Tasmanian Employer of Choice and a national Rising Star Award for work and family initiatives. Andrew will provide a passionate and practical perspective on worklife balance and family friendly initiatives delivered with limited resources.
Professor & Pro Vice-Chancellor
Macquarie University
Within this role she is responsible for Equity and Diversity; for outreach programs in rural, indigenous, refugee and disadvantaged communities; indigenous education and also oversees international development projects. She has been an invited facilitator on two EU programs respectively in Bulgaria and Turkey with marginalized populations, and has given keynote and invited presentations in 13 countries. She was honored with a Canadian professional award for outstanding international contribution and earlier this year received a national award for facilitating intercultural harmony.
This year Gail established the inaugural Building Inclusive Communities Awards in conjunction with the Ethnic Communities Council of Australia which were presented at NSW Parliament. She has numerous publications to her credit and has a new book due out later this year. Gail appeared in the first – and all subsequent - editions of the Who's Who of Australian Women.
Jacqui is accomplished in implementing positive change in complex environments through working in key culture and diversity roles in world class organisations such as Shell, Orica and Allens Arthur Robinson where she currently holds the position as Head of Flexibility and Diversity . In previous roles Jacqui has also worked in other organisational environments such as professional services, energy, resources, manufacturing, retail and education. Jacqui is also an experienced coach and mentor to senior executives working across industries to provide individual coaching for high potential employees. Her PhD explored the latest thinking related to management and employee perspectives of work/life benefits in large multinationals .
As the Head of Engagement, Retention and Employee Relations at Woolworths Limited Catherine is responsible for ensuring that her team develops and delivers strategies and policies for all divisions, whilst at the same time supporting all teams to maximise employee engagement across the business. There are over 191 000 employees across the Woolworths Limited Brands in both Australia and New Zealand.
Catherine has over 20 years experience with the Woolworths group and has had the opportunity to work both in Australia and New Zealand. Her previous roles including, General Manager Human Resources Progressive Enterprises New Zealand and National Human Resources Manager Woolworths Logistics Division. Catherine's key areas of experience include: Organisational Change Management, Employee Relations and Engagement and Human Resources.
Air Commodore Bob Rodgers is the first Human Resource specialist to attain the rank of Air Commodore. During his career, Air Commodore Rodgers has held numerous leadership positions in personnel management, education and training, and organisational culture, including deploying to Iraq in 2006 as the Senior Military Public Affairs Officer for the Middle East Area of Operations. In his current role, Air Commodore Rodgers is responsible for the delivery of the personnel capability for the current and future Air Force. This is delivered through workforce design, selection, appointment, personnel management and transition of approximately 18000 part-time and full-time personnel and for the staffing of Air Force operational capability. He currently leads a staff of 230 civilian and military personnel to affect Air Force personnel management, including administering over $90 million in budgets to support Air Force workforce development, cultural change, personnel staffing and training requirements worldwide.
Nareen Young has a strong history of leadership in employment diversity and is widely credited with identifying many new concepts in the area of workplace and business diversity thought and practice in Australia.
Since her appointment as Chief Executive Officer of DCA in 2007, it has become a vibrant and progressive organisation involved in significant activity and collaborative partnerships across the business and diversity spectrums to provide Australian's businesses and workplaces with a flourishing independent, not-for-profit diversity peak body. Nareen and the team she leads have transformed DCA in all possible terms - governance, infrastructure, financial and communications - to place it as Australia's business and workplace diversity authority.
He has 8 years' experience in Employment and Workplace Relations. He articled and spent his early years as a junior IR lawyer at Corrs - after which he joined Telstra's HR Legal Team for 4 years. Chris' expertise spans the full range of Employment and Industrial Relations matters, including: Strategic IR, Enterprise Bargaining and Major Industrial Disputes, Unfair Dismissal, EEO and Privacy, OHS, and Workplace Surveillance.
Since the introduction of the Fair Work Act, Chris has led a number of projects for the Firm's key clients across a range of industries in terms of strategy and compliance - covering award modernisation, good faith bargaining, outsourcing and transfer of business, industrial action and secret ballots, contracts of employment, corporate policy, manager training and change management.
Nick was appointed to this position by the Governor-General for a five year term commencing in July 2009.
His position is independent of Government and has legislative responsibility for promoting compliance, as well as harmonious, productive and cooperative workplace relations.
Nick has worked for more than 25 years in workplace relations and occupational health and safety practice, policy and regulation.
Before his current statutory position, Nick held the statutory appointment of Australia's first Workplace Ombudsman (2007-2009) and inaugural Director of the Office of Workplace Services (2006-2007), both of which entailed responsibility for national enforcement of Australia's workplace relations laws. He has also held the statutory appointment of Industrial Registrar in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2003 - 2006).
With over a decade of experience in Experiences James is committed to giving people a good time. Besides this James has held a variety of roles in marketing, product development and operational management. He is currently at RedBalloon for Corporate developing their offering and working with key clients on Employee Engagement, Reward & Recognition and Incentive Programs and promotional projects. His broad sector experience includes training and development, experiential marketing, leisure & luxury goods, gifting, travel, b2b, political ideas, financial services, recruitment, property, FMCG and e-commerce. Other interests include writing both professionally and for pleasure; including articles in The Times, Spectator, Mensa Magazine, HR and marketing titles on subjects as diverse as hot air ballooning to political scandal. James has also held positions with Chambers of Commerce in the UK and Australia and worked for a variety of high profile voluntary organizations.
HR Leader for the Retail Bank
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Prior to her current role, Rhonda was the Senior Vice President of HR and Communication, Asia Pacific and Africa for Luxottica.
Rhonda's career commenced as a BHP trainee, and progressed through both HR and line leadership roles in BTR Nylex and Sara Lee, crossing Asia, Europe and the USA before returning to Australia in 2006 to join Luxottica.
Rhonda has an undergraduate with double major in Organisational Psychology and Industrial Relations, and post graduate qualifications in Employee Relations, Purchasing and Supply, and Leadership. She has lectured in leadership and human resources, in universities in Europe, USA and Australia.
Rhonda Brighton-Hall was the Telstra Businesswoman's Hudson Private and Corporate Sector National Award Winner for 2009. In the same year, she was the Australian Human Resource Institute HR Leader of the Year, and her team was HR Team of the Year.
Peter Wilson AM is National President of the Australian Human Resource Institute. He is also Chairman of Yarra Valley Water Limited and a non-executive Director on the Boards of the World Federation of People Management Associations, in Switzerland, Vincent Fairfax Foundation for Ethical Leadership, and Bayley House.
He recently completed a research fellowship role in Beijing and Melbourne under our Prime Minister's 'Australia – China Climate Change Partnership'. Peter was also Program Director for the Business Council of Australia's Mentoring program for senior executive women during 2010-11.
Themes:
Demystifying workplace mental illness
Linkages between engaged diversity and business performance
Commentary on changes to industrial law and a How to guide for answering flexible work requests
Men want flexibility too
Creating our Workforce of the Future - a road map for creating an environment that will attract, develop and retain employees.
Innovative family friendly strategies from a community-based organisation
Achieving flexibility and increasing productivity
Innovations in employee engagement "An apple a day isn't enough; How fun, not fruit, at work drives employee wellbeing"
The workplace by 2020, and its implications for family life
Audience
The seminar annually attracts around 300 – 400 delegates from all major Australian industries and employer groups. Delegates traditionally represent a broad range of job roles and the Seminar
is specifically relevant to executive level managers, human resources practitioners, policy managers, operations managers and independent business owners.
In addition to the insights offered by a comprehensive range of expert speakers, seminar delegates will also benefit from the opportunity to engage with a broad cross section of professionals and discuss their own challenges and initiatives. With endless opportunities to engage with industry leaders and to network with like minded professionals, the seminar annually inspires a great many ‘aha’ moments.
Dates & Location
The Australian Family Friendly Workplace Seminar 2012 will be held
in Melbourne on Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd March 2012.
Seminar Organisers
The Australian Family Friendly Workplace Seminar is an important national initiative under the auspice of the Workplace Training Advisory of Australia (WTAA). Our mission is to support the increased awareness and importance of a family friendly workplace to both employers and employees across the country and to provide the highest level of services to aid organisations in creating a family friendly workplace.
