Keynote Speakers

Research Forum Keynote Speakers

 

Dr Alex Zelinsky

Chief Defence Scientist, Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Dr Alex Zelinsky was appointed Chief Defence Scientist and head of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in March 2012. Before joining DSTO he was Group Executive for Information Sciences at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Director of CSIRO’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Centre.

Dr Zelinsky was Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Seeing Machines, a high-technology company developing computer vision systems. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a start-up from the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, where Dr Zelinsky was Professor of Systems Engineering.

Dr Zelinsky researched in robotics and computer vision at the AIST Electrotechnical Laboratory in Japan and has taught and conducted research in computer science at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He started his career as a Systems Engineer with BHP Steel International.

Dr Zelinsky has extensively advised Federal and State governments in Australia, including as a member of the Australian Government's Defence Industry Innovation Board. He has served on the advisory panels to the Australian Research Centre (ARC) Centre for Vision Science and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems.

Dr Zelinsky completed his Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences (Honours) and Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Wollongong, NSW.

In 2009, Engineers Australia named Dr Zelinsky Professional Engineer of the Year (Sydney Division) and he has been included in Engineers Australia’s list of the 100 most influential engineers since that year. In 2013 he was awarded the prestigious Pearcey Medal, the ICT industry’s premier prize for lifetime achievement.

 

Dr Paul Willis

Director and Host, RiAus

Paul is a respected leader in the science community, and joined RiAus in 2011 as Director, continuing an impressive career in science and science communication.

Dr Willis has a background in vertebrate palaeontology, studying the fossils of crocodiles and other reptiles. He also has an extensive career in science communication working for the ABC on TV programs such as Catalyst andQuantum as well as radio and online. He’s written books and articles on dinosaurs, fossils and rocks, and has led eight public expeditions to Antarctica.

Now, as Director of RiAus, he’s finding new ways to engage the people of Australia with the science that underpins their world.

 

Dr Mark Finney

Research Forester, US Forest Service (USA)

Mark is a Research Forester with the US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory. He has worked at the Fire Laboratory since 1993 on fire behavior, fire growth modelling and risk analysis, an landscape fuel management.

He leads the fire behavior program on fundamental fire behavior research focusing on laboratory and field-scale experiments to understand the physical processes in fire spread. He was also responsible for development and transfer of existing fire models to the national internet-based Wildland Fire Decision Support System.

Mark holds a Ph.D. in wildland fire science from Univ. California at Berkeley (1991), an M.S. in Fire Ecology from University of Washington (1986), and a B.S. in; Forestry from Colorado State University (1984).

 

Day 1 & Day 2 Keynote Speakers

Feng Min Kan

Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Feng Min Kan (Ph.D) is currently the Head of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Asia-Pacific office.  Prior to assuming the current post based in Bangkok, she served in the capacities of a Special Advisor to the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva; the Head of Advocacy and Outreach Unit and as the Head of Africa  Regional Office of the UNISDR secretariat. 

Before joining UNISDR Secretariat in 2002, she represented the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as the first Regional Disaster Response Advisor in Asia based in Kobe, Japan. During her role there she set up the OCHA's regional office and advanced OCHA's partnership and networks with national governments, regional organisations and the NGOs in Asia.  

She has worked for a number of international organisations in different capacities, with progressive management responsibilities within the UN system, including OCHA, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations High Commissionier for Refugees (UNCHR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

 

Rowan Douglas

CEO, Capital Science and Policy Practice - Willis Group (UK)

Rowan Douglas is CEO Capital, Science & Policy Practice at Willis Group and Chairman of the Willis Research Network. Willis is a global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker of approximately 20,000 personnel operating in around 100 countries. Previously Rowan served on the board of Willis Re as CEO Global Analytics. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the International Insurance Society, New York.

Rowan is a member of the Prime Minister's Council for Science & Technology in the UK and of the Royal Society's Working Group on Resilience to Extreme Weather. He has held appointments for the World Bank and UN, chairing the private sector input for the renewal of the UN Hyogo Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015 and serving as Patron of the World Bank GFDRR Understanding Risk Conference, London 2014.

Rowan read geography at Durham (BA) and Bristol (MPhil)  universities before entering Lloyd’s as a reinsurance underwriter in 1992. He  founded the risk information company WIRE Limited in 1994 which he sold to Willis Group in 2000. In 2014 he received the Kenneth R Black Distinguished Service Award from the International Insurance Society.

 

Catherine McGregor AM

Group Captain, Royal Australian Air Force

Group Captain Catherine McGregor is currently serving as the speechwriter and strategic adviser to the Chief of the Air Force. She entered the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1974 and graduated to the Royal Australian Infantry.

Over a career in the Australian Regular Army spanning 40 years, she held a wide variety of regimental and staff appointments. She deployed on operations on three occasions including as the Commanding Officer of the Australian Army Training Team in Timor Leste. She is a Tetum linguist. In 2008, she was a Visiting Fellow to The Leverhulme Changing Character of War Programme at All Souls Oxford University in 2008 and holds a Master of Arts in War Studies from UNSW.

She was awarded the Order of Australia on 26 January 2012 for her exceptional service to The Australian Army. She served continuously as speechwriter to every Chief of the Army since 2000. She has held various appointments in Strategic Policy Branch at Army Headquarters. She transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve in June of this year on promotion to Group Captain.

She was recently named as one of Australia's 50 most powerful women by theAustralian Women's Weekly.

 

Trefor Munn-Venn

CEO, Phapsody Strategies (Canada)

Trefor has worked with senior leaders around the world to help them use technology to accomplish their business goals. He has a diverse background—strategy, technology, sociology—and experience leading major initiatives that challenge norms. This has led to him working with some of the most innovative and challenging organisations in the world. Trefor’s specialities include social media, strategy, public speaking, writing, and communications planning.

Previously, Trefor held the position of Director, National Security & Public Safety for the Conference Board of Canada.