Challenge conventional thinking and explore new paths to growth at our ICON Conference series, Uncharted.
As client expectations shift, pressure builds and AI reshapes the way firms operate, BD, marketing and communications professionals are being asked to think differently about how they create value, deepen relationships, and support growth.
This year’s program will bring the profession together for practical discussions about what’s changing, what matters most, and how firms can adapt. Expect real-world case studies, fresh ideas, and strategies you can apply immediately within your firm and teams.
ICON Uncharted Conference. Eight cities. Endless momentum.
SELECT YOUR CITY TO VIEW PROGRAM
Melbourne
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne — Full Program
Incremental thinking won't cut it anymore. This keynote brings a disruptor's lens to the professional services landscape, exploring how client expectations, economic pressures and technology have fundamentally shifted the growth playbook. Discover why the next opportunity won't be found in familiar places.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
A Certified CX Specialist, Bianca is passionate about translating insight into action and creating human experiences that strengthen trust, unlock collaboration and deliver better outcomes for both clients, partners and the business. She brings a practical perspective on what it takes to move from siloed activity to coordinated, relationship-led growth.
This session explores how to operate effectively within a matrix environment, including using data to manage competing priorities, and understanding the commercial drivers shaping firm decisions and senior leader expectations. The discussion will also examine how BDMC professionals can improve focus, prioritise more effectively, and reduce low-value activity.
Tennille's consultative approach focuses on helping firms transition from domestic, office-centric environments to connected national and global organisations by ensuring CRM systems speak directly to each lawyer's individual needs and objectives. Known for her results-driven mindset and collaborative working style, she is passionate about streamlining processes and delivering actionable insights that support client growth, demonstrate value, and prove return on investment for the firms and teams she serves.
Brisbane — Full Program
Incremental thinking won't cut it anymore. This keynote brings a disruptor's lens to the professional services landscape, exploring how client expectations, economic pressures and technology have fundamentally shifted the growth playbook. Discover why the next opportunity won't be found in familiar places.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
A Certified CX Specialist, Bianca is passionate about translating insight into action and creating human experiences that strengthen trust, unlock collaboration and deliver better outcomes for both clients, partners and the business. She brings a practical perspective on what it takes to move from siloed activity to coordinated, relationship-led growth.
This session explores how to operate effectively within a matrix environment, including using data to manage competing priorities, and understanding the commercial drivers shaping firm decisions and senior leader expectations. The discussion will also examine how BDMC professionals can improve focus, prioritise more effectively, and reduce low-value activity.
Tennille's consultative approach focuses on helping firms transition from domestic, office-centric environments to connected national and global organisations by ensuring CRM systems speak directly to each lawyer's individual needs and objectives. Known for her results-driven mindset and collaborative working style, she is passionate about streamlining processes and delivering actionable insights that support client growth, demonstrate value, and prove return on investment for the firms and teams she serves.
Sydney — Full Program
Incremental thinking won't cut it anymore. This keynote brings a disruptor's lens to the professional services landscape, exploring how client expectations, economic pressures and technology have fundamentally shifted the growth playbook. Discover why the next opportunity won't be found in familiar places.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
With 15 years in strategic pursuits, Sonia is known for translating client and industry foresight into meaningful outcomes or solutions. She is a passionate advocate for inclusion as executive sponsor of Women in GHD and was inducted into the ICON APAC Hall of Fame in 2023 for her contribution to professional services marketing.
Sonia has been a relentless advocate for shifting GHD from a client service-led model to an experience-led approach, bringing practical lessons from executive engagement through to the downstream actions that enable whole-of-business transformation.
This session explores how to operate effectively within a matrix environment, including using data to manage competing priorities, and understanding the commercial drivers shaping firm decisions and senior leader expectations. The discussion will also examine how BDMC professionals can improve focus, prioritise more effectively, and reduce low-value activity.
Tennille's consultative approach focuses on helping firms transition from domestic, office-centric environments to connected national and global organisations by ensuring CRM systems speak directly to each lawyer's individual needs and objectives. Known for her results-driven mindset and collaborative working style, she is passionate about streamlining processes and delivering actionable insights that support client growth, demonstrate value, and prove return on investment for the firms and teams she serves.
Lunch
Opening Remarks
Keynote: Uncharted Growth, Next Horizon Thinking
In markets with low organic growth, incremental thinking is no longer enough. Firms need to look beyond familiar channels and identify new horizons, new ways of thinking, and new places to find opportunity.
This session brings a disruptor's perspective to the changing dynamics of professional services, exploring shifts in client expectations, economic pressure, technology, and internal constraints — and why growth now looks different to previous cycles.
Drawing on Ashton Bishop's Next Horizon Thinking, the session challenges traditional approaches to strategy and introduces practical, forward‑looking ways to identify and unlock growth.
Session 1: Client Experience That Drives Growth - From Programme to Revenue Lever
Five years ago, GHD set out to lead client experience in its market and drove an enterprise-wide shift in how the firm delivers client experience.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
A Certified CX Specialist, Bianca is passionate about translating insight into action and creating human experiences that strengthen trust, unlock collaboration and deliver better outcomes for both clients, partners and the business. She brings a practical perspective on what it takes to move from siloed activity to coordinated, relationship-led growth.
Refresh & Recharge
Session 2: Marketing in an AI Environment
Artificial intelligence is changing the way professional services firms market themselves, how clients find information, and how buying decisions are made. As content becomes easier to create, standing out is no longer about producing more. It is about creating content that is credible, discoverable and genuinely useful.
In this session, Justin Flitter will explore how AI is reshaping marketing and business development, and what BDMC teams need to rethink to stay effective. He will examine how AI is influencing search, content discovery and client behaviour, and what this means for visibility, reputation and winning work.
Attendees will leave with practical insights into how marketing and communications can help position their firms for growth in an AI-driven environment.
Justin is a sought-after speaker who combines strategic insight with practical examples, helping leaders cut through the hype and understand what AI means for their organisations today, and how to prepare for what comes next.
Session 3: Connecting Marketing to Growth
This session explores how marketing earns trust, secures investment and demonstrates its contribution to business growth. As expectations on marketing teams continue to evolve, success is increasingly measured not just by activity, but by the commercial value marketing creates and its ability to influence business outcomes.
In this session, John Marshall examines how marketers can build credibility with leadership teams, connect marketing efforts to measurable growth, and create systems that consistently generate value across the business. John will also discuss how organisations can develop marketing functions that drive commercial performance while maintaining a clear point of differentiation in competitive markets.
This session will provide fresh perspectives on elevating marketing’s influence within organisations, communicating value in a way that resonates with decision-makers, and developing practical approaches that strengthen both commercial performance and competitive advantage.
Prior to joining Beca, John spent six years as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at MitoQ, where he developed the company's go-to-market and brand strategy and built a high-performing marketing team during a significant period of growth. His career also includes senior marketing leadership roles with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Rural Bank, NZ Post, and Westpac.
John brings deep expertise in brand development, customer engagement, commercial growth, and building strong marketing capabilities.
Closing Remarks
Unwind & Connect: Networking Drinks
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Keynote Address: Uncharted Growth – Next Horizon Thinking
In markets with low organic growth, incremental thinking is no longer enough. Firms need to look beyond familiar channels and identify new horizons, new ways of thinking, and new places to find opportunity.
This session brings a disruptor's perspective to the changing dynamics of professional services, exploring shifts in client expectations, economic pressure, technology, and internal constraints — and why growth now looks different to previous cycles.
Drawing on Ashton Bishop's Next Horizon Thinking, the session challenges traditional approaches to strategy and introduces practical, forward‑looking ways to identify and unlock growth.
Session 1: Marketing in an AI Environment
AI is rewriting how firms win and keep clients - but what does that actually mean for your business development? Join us for a sharp, practical session on where legal AI really stands today and how leading firms are already using it to pull ahead. We'll begin by levelling the playing field on what "AI in legal" actually means today, then examine how leading firms are already using these tools to sharpen their competitive edge. From there, we'll shift from theory to application for Business Development of the future to deepening client relationships.
You'll walk away with concrete, ready-to-use ideas for putting AI to work on your own client relationships - no hype, just what's working now.
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Refresh & Recharge
Session 2: Panel — What Clients Think (But Don't Always Say)
This session creates space for a more open conversation with senior clients about how decisions are actually made.
Discussion themes include:
• What clients look for when selecting and working with firms
• How decisions are made in practice
• What builds trust — and what erodes it
• How expectations differ across sectors
• Where firms miss the mark when trying to win or grow work
Session 3: Coordinator to Director — How Careers Actually Progress
What does it take to move from BD Coordinator to Director in a professional services firm? It is rarely a straight line, and the unwritten rules of promotion can feel like a mystery. The people who advance are rarely the ones who simply do the most — they are the ones whose thinking gets noticed.
This panel brings together experienced BD and marketing leaders and a specialist recruiter who sees how these moves play out across the market. They will engage in a candid conversation about how successful careers are forged: the habits that get you noticed, the pivotal moments that truly matter, and the hard‑earned lessons they have learned.
No corporate script, just what works and what does not. You will leave with practical takeaways on building visibility and earning your next step.
Panelists:
• Katie Hutchinson, Asia‑Pacific Head of Markets & Practices, Baker McKenzie
• Denise Lee, Senior Manager, Marketing & Events, Linklaters
• EJ Tecson, Associate Director, Rajah & Tann Asia
Closing the Books. Opening the Bar
Networking Drinks & Canapés.
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Registration
Opening Remarks
Ashton Bishop – Keynote Address: Be the Strategist in the Room, Not a Cog in the Wheel
The work is flowing: record IPOs, private equity exits, and a wave of regulatory change. The work is there to be won, though a full pipeline does not convert itself. Everyone is busy, but being busy is not the same as being strategic. What sets the best apart is knowing which pursuits are worth backing, and reading what each pitch, pursuit, and client actually needs.
Key takeaways
• What it actually means to be strategic, not just busy producing pitches, campaigns, and collateral.
• A practical tool, the Strategic Radar, for reading the context of any pitch, pursuit, or client, so you can back the right opportunities and make every bid count.
• How to make your thinking show up where it counts — on the firm's bottom line and in your own career.
AI Workshop: Rethinking Motivation, Productivity and Career Agency in the Age of AI
As AI makes baseline output instantaneous, the rules of value creation are shifting fast. When good enough becomes effortless, how do individuals and teams differentiate their value-add? Drawing on insights from Professor Matthias Fahn and his work with the HKU Centre for AI, Management and Organization (CAMO) and the Deloitte–HKU Lab for Organisational Transformation, this session explores how AI is reshaping human behaviour, organisational design, and the future of good jobs in professional services.
Key takeaways
• Reclaim agency in an environment where AI can do the first 80% of the work.
• Identify where your expertise still creates disproportionate value.
• Redesign your own incentives, habits, and career strategy for an AI-first economy.
• Position yourself not as a producer of output, but as a verifier, curator, and strategic amplifier.
Refresh & Recharge: Tea Break
Panel: What Clients Think (But Don't Always Say)
This session offers a unique opportunity for open dialogue with clients, shedding light on the true drivers behind their decision-making processes. We will explore what clients value most when navigating uncertainty and how their expectations are evolving, particularly concerning emerging technologies. The panel will also candidly examine areas where professional services firms might fall short in winning or growing work, providing invaluable, practical takeaways on how to refine your approach to client growth and engagement.
Panelists: Canna Cheng, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions, Heitman; Lisa Leung, APAC General Counsel, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank; James Dalton, Senior Legal Counsel, Disputes and Government Investigations Legal, Standard Chartered Bank.
Panel: Coordinator to Director – How Careers Actually Progress
What does it take to move from BD Coordinator to Director in a professional services firm? It is rarely a straight line, and the unwritten rules of promotion can feel like a mystery. The people who advance are rarely the ones who simply do the most. They are the ones whose thinking gets noticed. This panel brings together experienced BD and marketing leaders and a specialist recruiter who sees how these moves play out across the market. They will engage in a candid conversation about how successful careers are forged: the habits that get you noticed, the pivotal moments that truly matter, and the hard-earned lessons they have learned. No corporate script, just what works and what does not. You will leave with practical takeaways on building visibility and earning your next step.
Panelists:
• Andrew McGrath, Founder and Director, Greenlight Consulting
• Jayson Williams, Head of Marketing & Business Development for Asia, DLA Piper
• Axton Cao, Head of Business Development and Marketing, Deacons
Closing Remarks
Unwind & Connect: Networking Reception
Lunch & Registration
Opening Remarks
Keynote Address: Uncharted Growth — Next Horizon Thinking
In markets with low organic growth, incremental thinking is no longer enough. Firms need to look beyond familiar channels and start identifying new horizons with new ways of thinking and new places to find opportunity.
This session brings a disruptor's perspective to the changing dynamics of professional services, exploring what has shifted across client expectations, economic pressure, technology and internal constraints, and why growth now looks different to previous cycles.
Drawing on Ashton Bishop's Next Horizon Thinking, the session challenges traditional approaches to strategy and introduces more practical, forward-looking ways to identify and unlock growth. It will open up new ways of thinking about where opportunity sits and how firms can act on it.
Session 1: Client Experience That Drives Growth — From Programme to Revenue Lever
Five years ago, GHD set out to lead client experience in its market and drove an enterprise-wide shift in how the firm delivers client experience.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
Working across a complex global organisation, Natalie brings lessons learned from GHD's ongoing CX transformation journey, including how organisations can move client experience beyond a standalone initiative to strengthen client relationships, improve business outcomes and contribute to sustainable growth.
Refresh & Recharge
Session 2: Marketing in an AI Environment
This session explores how AI is reshaping marketing in professional services, and what BDMC teams need to rethink to stay effective.
It looks at how AI is changing not just how content is created, but how it is found, interpreted and used by clients, journalists and the broader market.
As content becomes easier to produce, the challenge shifts from creating more to creating something worth noticing and easy to find. This has direct implications for how firms are seen externally, including whether they are visible, credible and selected by clients, journalists and the market more broadly.
It also reinforces the role of marketing and communications teams in leading this shift, ensuring that content, channels and positioning support BD teams in generating demand and opportunity.
Luke advises clients on AI issues and helps businesses manage the risks and opportunities associated with the adoption of AI, including associated regulatory, IP and privacy issues.
Luke has been named Intellectual Property Law "Lawyer of the Year" for Adelaide in the 2025 and 2022 editions of Best Lawyers™ Australia. Luke is also recognised for Commercial Law and Privacy and Data Security Law.
As a panellist, Luke will share his perspective on the influence and impact of AI through a legal lens, highlighting the key challenges and opportunities business development and marketing professionals should be alive to when utilising AI.
Session 3: Managing the Matrix — Priorities, Influence and Working Across Multiple Stakeholders
BDMC professionals often work across multiple senior leaders, practice areas and priorities at the same time, balancing competing demands with limited time and resources.
This session explores how to operate effectively within a matrix environment, including using data to manage competing priorities and understanding the commercial drivers shaping firm decisions and senior leader expectations. The discussion will also examine how BDMC professionals can improve focus, prioritise more effectively and reduce low-value activity.
A human-centred strategist, she brings hands-on experience in teaching and workshop facilitation. Sue holds a Master of Arts in Communication Management and is past program architect for Aurecon's RMIT-accredited Design Academy.
Closing Remarks
Networking Drinks
Lunch
Opening Remarks
Keynote Address: Uncharted Growth – Next Horizon Thinking
In markets with low organic growth, incremental thinking is no longer enough. Firms need to look beyond familiar channels and identify new horizons, new ways of thinking, and new places to find opportunity.
This session brings a disruptor's perspective to the changing dynamics of professional services, exploring shifts in client expectations, economic pressure, technology, and internal constraints — and why growth now looks different to previous cycles.
Drawing on Ashton Bishop's Next Horizon Thinking, the session challenges traditional approaches to strategy and introduces practical, forward‑looking ways to identify and unlock growth.
Session 1: Client Experience That Drives Growth — From Programme to Revenue Lever
Five years ago, GHD set out to lead client experience in its market and drove an enterprise-wide shift in how the firm delivers client experience.
Rather than being a listening or account management initiative, the program sits at the centre of the firm's growth strategy, connecting clients, employees and delivery teams into a single, aligned model.
It introduced a more relationship-led approach to selecting and managing clients, supported by unified data, dashboards and practical AI tools such as "Know Your Client" to enable more informed and effective client conversations.
The rollout brought together CX, marketing, BD, finance and people globally, breaking down regional silos and replacing fragmented ownership with a clear One GHD approach.
This session unpacks what changed, what worked, and what it takes to move from fragmented activity to a coordinated, revenue-focused model.
Working across GHD's global footprint, Jorinda brings practical experience in turning insight into strategy, showing how listening can evolve from a standalone initiative into a cohesive CX transformation strategy that supports data-driven decisions, strengthens client relationships, improves delivery outcomes and builds advocacy.
Refresh & Recharge
Session 2: Marketing in an AI Environment
This session explores how AI is reshaping marketing in professional services and what BDMC teams need to rethink to stay effective.
It examines how AI is changing not just how content is created, but how it is found, interpreted, and used by clients, journalists, and the broader market.
As content becomes easier to produce, the challenge shifts from creating more to creating something worth noticing and easy to find. This has direct implications for visibility, credibility, and selection.
The session reinforces the role of marketing and communications teams in leading this shift, ensuring that content, channels, and positioning actively support BD teams in generating demand and opportunity.
Session 3: Client Panel — The Questions You Can't Ask (But Should)
This session creates space for a more open conversation with senior clients about how decisions are actually made.
Discussion themes include:
• What clients look for when selecting and working with firms
• How decisions are made in practice
• What builds trust — and what erodes it
• How expectations differ across sectors
• Where firms miss the mark when trying to win or grow work
Closing Remarks
Closing the Books. Opening the Bar
Networking Drinks & Canapés. Sponsored by RSM Australia.
Keynote Speaker
Uncharted Growth. Next Horizon Thinking
A business owner and serial entrepreneur, Ashton embraces the challenging, even the controversial ones, to get results. Training alongside various mentors and experts in Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Reference Point Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Gottman Psychology, Ashton has dedicated hundreds of hours of research into Neuro‑Linguistic Programming, Mindfulness, Leadership and Applied Psychology.
What Attendees Said
Feedback from the 2025 ICON Rewired Conference
