As always, our keynote speakers and panelists are set to impress and inspire. Connecting to our conference theme – each through a unique way of storytelling – their words will ignite thought and action. Prepare to be wowed.

Keynote speaker

Professor Barney Glover AO

Professor Barney Glover AO needs no introduction. His executive career spans five Australian Universities, two Vice-Chancellor positions and three decades.

Barney is a distinguished academic leader, an accomplished mathematician and mathematics educator with significant experience in developing strong relationships with the vocational education sector. Today, Barney Glover holds the position as Chief Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission.

Barney’s solutions and innovation continue to progress our sector to great heights. Between those working within tertiary education or those educated through it, his leadership has shaped the careers of countless individuals.

Barney’s keynote will set direction for our thinking. We’ll consider how to generate momentum within tertiary education and share in his personal commitment to uplift people and help them reach their greatest potential.

A woman with long, dark hair and a warm smile, wearing a blue shirt and layered necklaces, set against a dark background in a circular frame.

Keynote speaker

Gina Chick

You may know her as Alone winner, author of We are the stars or Hugh Jackman’s best friend – but those three points only scratch the surface. Gina Chick is an electric presence who’ll have you inspired, connected and ready to embrace the wild in all its forms, possibly even without shoes!

Gina Chick is a rewilding facilitator, adventurer, writer and speaker.

Gina was one of ten participants in the first series of Alone Australia, made by iTV and screened on SBS Television in 2023. After 67 days of unforgettable moments of searing vulnerability, Gina was the last person standing, and the second woman to win an Alone solo challenge. Her determination, passion, and love of the natural world endeared her to more than 5.5 million people around Australia.

Gina’s nature connection programmes weave ancestral hunter-gatherer technologies into modern life. She runs Rewild Your Child camps eight weeks a year, where 200 people come together to create a village in the wilderness, focusing on nature connection.

These are Australia’s first rewilding family camps and have been running for over a decade. Gina also runs solo wilderness rite of passage programmes and group survival quests.

Gina’s presence is electric. She taps into universal chords of human experience, drawing from her experience and adventures worldwide to offer pathways through the wilderness within and without. Her stories of challenges, redemption and inspiration sing with warmth, depth and humour and offer resolution to questions of belonging and connection that most humans struggle with. She is a 5Rhythms dance meditation teacher and singer-songwriter and often incorporates somatics and even songs into her presentations.

An hour with Gina is a journey through a vastly textured landscape, an adventure likely to leave you feeling inspired and connected and ready to embrace the wild in all its forms, possibly even without shoes!

Keynote speaker

Adam Goodes

A proud Adnyamathanha man, Adam is one of Australia’s most accomplished AFL players – a dual Brownlow Medallist and four-time All-Australian player. But his impact and influence extend far beyond the football field.

Named Australian of the Year in 2014, Adam has become one of Australia’s most respected voices on leadership, identity, racism and inclusivity. Adam is known for his leadership within the Indigenous community – both as a member of Indigenous Team of the Century and as an opportunity creator for First Nations professionals and students alike.

As co-founder of the GO Foundation, Adam has opened pathways through education for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The foundation provides space for First Nations people to unlock the power of their identity and strengthen their cultural connections.

Adam’s story is one of achievement, courage and utilising leadership to create opportunity for others. His perspective will resonate deeply with those working across tertiary education – particularly as we consider the role each of us can play in shaping stronger organisations, more inclusive communities and a sector ready for what comes next.

Adam’s keynote is set to inspire and motivate. Join us as we explore how his resilience and optimism have ignited social change and work that creates a better Australia for all.

Senior Leader Panel

Facilitator Fiona Notley leads five senior leaders in a curated conversation about collective impact, working together to navigate current times and what the future of the tertiary education sector may look like.

Fiona Notley

Chief Operating Office and Vice President
RMIT University

Fiona is responsible for university operations and the delivery of corporate services that aim to continuously improve student and staff experiences at RMIT and enable the successful execution of RMIT’s Knowledge with Action strategy.

Fiona is a passionate senior tertiary sector executive with extensive experience working with university academic, research and administrative mechanisms, policies and constraints. Fiona has a demonstrated ability to motivate teams to produce exceptional results and work in a highly complex environment.

Fiona is currently the Chair, Universities Australia Deputy Vice Chancellors Corporate Committee. Universities Australia is the peak body of the Australia tertiary education sector.

Fiona has a diverse and active board career. She has held several senior executive roles and non-executive director roles across education, sport, and health.

Professor Braden Hill

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students and Education) Edith Cowan University

Braden (he/him) is a Noongar (Wardandi) man from south-west Western Australia. Braden leads a portfolio spanning teaching and learning, student experience, access and equity, student success, and graduate outcomes.

Braden has held several senior leadership roles at ECU and Murdoch University and in these, led university direction and change in areas of Equity, Indigenous and Inclusion.

Having entered university through a non-ATAR pathway, he is a strong advocate for broadening participation and ensuring higher education remains accessible through diverse entry pathways.

Braden is nationally recognised for his leadership in Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ research, and for his work advancing equity, inclusion and student success across higher education.

Lucy Franzmann

Chief Financial Officer
University of Melbourne

An accomplished finance leader, Lucy is recognised for combining strategic thinking, financial discipline and commercial insight to deliver meaningful organisational outcomes.

Lucy has extensive experience leading complex organisations through growth, transformation and change, while building high-performing and engaged teams.

Lucy’s career spans the arts, health and higher education sectors, including leadership roles at Victoria University, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Austin Health, Victorian Opera and the Royal College of Music in London.

Brett Lovegrove

PVC Global Partnerships
University of Queensland

Brett leads the development and delivery of UQ’s Global Strategy, overseeing key institutional partnerships and initiatives that strengthen the University’s global reputation, reach, and impact.

Prior to joining UQ, Brett held a range of leadership roles at the University of Wollongong (both in Australia and Dubai), Macquarie University and Sydney Olympic Park and Swimming NSW.

Brett currently serves as an Executive Board member and Treasurer of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and is a Board Member of UniSport Australia and Cromwell College (UQ). Brett is regular contributor to discussions on international education and strategic global partnerships.

Professor Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori
University of Waikato

Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai is an indigenous academic and strategic leader of Te Rarawa and Waikato descent. Her leadership career spans higher education, tribal development, research capability building and international engagement. Woven throughout her leadership experience has been one particular focus: creating pathways for indigenous people to thrive – as learners, researchers, innovators, and leaders themselves.

Sarah-Jane is recognised for her work advancing Indigenous knowledge systems as critical contributors to addressing contemporary global challenges. As well as her advocacy for transnational education and culturally grounded universities that and committed to meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities.

Sarah-Jane has built enduring partnerships connecting Indigenous students, scholars, and communities across the world. She champions international collaboration that enables Indigenous peoples to learn from one another, exchange knowledge, and contribute diverse perspectives to global conversations about sustainability, equity, leadership, and wellbeing.

Prior to joining the University of Waikato’s senior leadership team, Sarah-Jane was the inaugural Academic Director of the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development, where she helped shape innovative approaches to Indigenous governance, leadership development, environmental stewardship, and community advancement.

Phil Vaughan

Chief Human Resources Officer
University of Queensland

Phil is an experienced people and culture executive with expertise in strategic human resources leadership, organisational change, employee relations, workforce capability, and culture transformation.

Over a career spanning higher education, union and public sector environments in Australia and the United Kingdom, Phil has built extensive expertise in industrial and workplace relations, organisational change, and workforce transformation. He is recognised for his pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to complex people matters.

Prior to returning to UQ, where he previously held several senior HR roles, Phil spent more than six years at Monash University, including serving as CHRO from 2021 to 2023.

Phil holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Environmental Health, a Graduate Diploma in Law, and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership from UQ. A strong advocate for the role universities play in addressing global challenges, he is committed to creating inclusive, high-performing workplaces where people and organisations can thrive.