Panel | The Hot Topic | Ethics, Trust and the Management of Service Professional Brands

What keeps you up at night? The ethical practices of firms and the responsibility of managing the reputational brand risk from unethical behaviour has been front and center this year.

Speakers (Brisbane): Sonya Beyers, Consultant, Advisor & Educator, Kathryn Britt, Senior Client Manager, BBS Communications and  Lucy Griffin, Brand, Marketing, Communications Business Partner - Clients & Markets, Aurecon

Speakers (Melbourne): Amanda Fong, Intent Advisory Murray McKeich, Lecturer, RMIT University and Abigail Forsyth, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Keepcup

Speakers (Sydney): Nathan Quigley, Res Publica, Sue Woodward, Director, Brand, Marketing & Communications, MinterEllison and Nick Hunter, Founder & CEO, Paper Moose

Workshop: Storytelling

Storytelling can be an effective way to communicate your message in a clear and memorable manner. It can help you to build rapport with clients and make complex ideas easier to understand by using relatable examples. It can emphasise the importance of your solution by illustrating how it can address your clients' problems, leading them to take action. In this workshop, we will outline how to structure your story, how to craft your story and how to deliver your story more effectively.

Speaker (All locations): Lisa Nixon, Managing Director, BBS Communications

Panel | Reigniting CRM use and Optimising Effectiveness

The outcomes our participants can expect to receive from this session include:

*A deeper understanding of how to use their CRM more effectively.

*Practical tips on how to identify opportunities using a CRM.

*Be inspired to take action on using a CRM to enhance efficiency and increase marketing ROI.

Facilitator (All locations): Vivienne Corcoran, Director, Marketing Logic

Speakers (Brisbane): Katherine Gilbey, Director, KG Consulting and Andrew Asher, CRM & Clients Insights Specialist and Tennille Roache, InterAction Client Advisor - Asia Pacific, LexisNexis

Speakers (Melbourne): Emma Egerton, Head of Strategy & Experience, The Lumery and Carol Riley, Client Systems Manager, Hall & Wilcox, Rajan Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, The Lumery and Christopher Nugent, Salesforce Director, Slalom

Speakers (Sydney): David Feeney, Senior Sales Executive, Slalom, Antoinette Chan, Strategic Pursuit Leader, Ernst & Young and Duncan Bell, Global Head of Marketing Technology, GHD

Keynote | Is your firm a best kept secret? The relationship between Client Service and Brand

Does your brand accurately reflect the reality of what it is like for clients to work with your firm? Does your client service live up to your brand promise? Beaton Research + Consulting will share the latest Beaton Benchmarks insights that answers these questions. Drawing on over 23,000 pieces of client feedback, this session will explore the connection (and potential disconnection) between client service and brand. Understanding this relationship will help you prioritise the actions you should take to generate profitable growth. Our speakers will share a new perspective on data derived from Beaton’s annual professional services benchmarking study which is now in its 20th year.

You will leave this session understanding:

*The relationship between client service and brand promise and the implication of that relationship for key brand and service performance metrics
*The role that brand plays in how clients think about your value
*How to increase your brand outcomes and differentiation through micro branding activities
*How to improve the impact of your prospecting activities by connecting brand and performance

Speaker (Sydney): Paul Bonomy, Partner, Beaton

Speaker (Melbourne): Libby Maynard, Partner, Beaton 

Speaker (Brisbane): David Goener, Partner, Beaton 

Kiri Brain, CEO, Turks

Kiri is CEO of a national specialist law firm - leading a team of highly skilled and experienced lawyers who provide solutions for clients in the insurance, commercial, and banking sectors.

With over 20 years of combined experience in human resources, marketing, and operations, Kiri provides a unique perspective on how to manage and grow a successful professional services business in a competitive and dynamic environment.

Proud to have been recognised as Executive of the Year in the 2020 Women in Law Awards and COO of the Year in the 2019 Executive Awards, for achievements in leading and transforming an international accounting and business advisory firm.

Kiri is committed to advancing the professional development and diversity of the accounting and legal industry and supporting the communities to which she is involved in.

Sonya Beyers, Consultant, Advisor & Educator

Sonya Beyers is Managing Director of Governance by Design, a leading consultancy and advisory firm guiding boards to evaluate the governance, processes and legal frameworks in their organisation, redefine the director-board relationship and foster leadership from the boardroom.

Sonya develops bespoke governance solutions and has built a reputation for providing client-focused, high quality advisory and education services based on open, respectful discussion and clear, measurable goals. She also leverages her expertise as a qualified solicitor and experience across corporate and non-profit sectors to help directors gain focus, troubleshoot a range of issues and optimise organisational performance.

Sonya is also a non-executive director and sits on the boards of South Australian Veterinarian Surgeons Board, Southern Cross Care Inc (Tas), IES College, All About Living Limited, and Affordable Housing Solutions Limited. Sonya also contributes to policy reform as a member of the Queensland Law Society’s Not-For-Profit Committee.

Lucy Griffin, Brand, Marketing Communication
Business Partner - Clients & Markets, Aurecon

Lucy is a global brand, marketing and communications professional with 20 years of experience working for and partnering with private, publicly listed, government and not-for-profit organisations. A strategic, engaging and creative leader with a track record in developing and executing global campaigns that advance an organisation’s strategy and lead to new opportunities with clients and customers. She has extensive experience working with senior business leaders to create and deliver clear, consistent and compelling campaigns that increase brand permission, support revenue growth and engage people inside and outside an organisation.

At international design, engineering and advisory company Aurecon Lucy leads the brand, marketing and communications response to one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, climate change. Lucy is passionate about navigating the complexities of sustainability and climate change and creating new opportunities for Aurecon, it's people, clients and partners.

Bernadette Stirling, Chief Client Officer, HPX Group

Bernadette is Chief Client Officer for HPX Group, the parent company of law firm Hamilton Locke and in-house style professional services firm, Source. Bernadette has spent the bulk of her career in professional services marketing for legal and consulting organisations, focused on creating market growth and delivering innovation by understanding and adapting to what clients need. She has a genuine passion for doing things differently and ensuring her team is developing the right skills to navigate the evolving landscape of professional services marketing and BD

Katie Rosser, Co-Founder, Seldon Rosser

Co-founder of Seldon Rosser, Katie brings over 15 years’ experience advising senior leaders on vital hiring decisions and professional services marketing & BD experts on strategic career choices, across the Asia-Pacific region. Committed to staying at the forefront of the Future of Work, she enjoys advising senior leaders on optimal team structures and emerging trends as well as working with professionals seeking career changes which will position them well in teams of the future.

Rochelle Tognetti, Chief Marketing Officer, Deloitte

Rochelle joined Deloitte Australia in 2008 and was promoted to Partner in 2019, before becoming the firm's first female Chief Marketing Officer in 2020.

She leads Deloitte Australia's go-to-market strategy and amplifies our brand by leveraging the firm’s capabilities to create distinctive client experiences. With extensive marketing experience across consumer and business-to-business markets, Rochelle is passionate about building Deloitte Australia's world-class marketing function and inspiring the Australian and offshore teams to think differently, embrace new technology, stay data-driven and improve the way Deloitte works.

Nicola Lambie, Group Head Business Solutions, Findex

Nicola is a visionary financial services sales and marketing professional, dedicated to transforming the financial well-being of today’s client, and our clients of the future. With extensive experience as a sales and service leader spanning two decades across ASX200 companies such as VISA International and Suncorp, as well as innovative challenger brands Findex and Great Southern Bank, Nicola has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead strategic growth and transformation projects that position companies for future success.

Currently Group Head of New Business Solutions at Findex, Australasia’s largest integrated financial services company, Nicola leads a team of sales professionals charged with delivering new business growth opportunities to accounting and wealth management partners, using data-driven insights and segment based value propositions. She is passionate about the alignment between sales and marketing and the use of revenue based targets.

Murray McKeich, Lecturer, RMIT University

Murray McKeich was born in Wellington New Zealander and is currently resident in Melbourne Australia. His early career was in commercial art, as an illustrator and art director. After gaining a PhD in Fine Art from Monash University Melbourne Australia, Mckeich’s recent career includes lecturer with the School of Design at RMIT University, and visiting researcher at Goldsmiths London, Berlin University of Art, and Sussex University.

Abigail Forsyth, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Keepcup

Known worldwide for its bright, bold and instantly recognisable reusable cups, KeepCup is a global campaign for reuse. Since launching the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup in 2009, KeepCup is now embraced by reusers the world over, diverting millions of single-use cups daily.

Toby Baker, Solutions Consulting Lead, EMEA

Toby's been in tech for 30 years - and in the best job in the world, Solution Consulting, for 26 of them. Working in very large and very small organisations, and everything in between, most recently in MarTech and SalesTech, Toby loves what tech can do for businesses, and is always looking for new innovations that help buyers buy and sellers sell. As an individual contributor and leader, clarity of communication has always been a core tenet of success.

Vivienne Corcoran, Director, Marketing Logic

Vivienne has been an enthusiastic member and presenter for APSMA and now ICON since back in the days when there were 8 large accounting firms! She started her working life with actuaries and has since held marketing and strategy director roles for accountants, engineers, IP and IT firms, and lawyers, working and presenting all over Australasia and throughout UK and Asia.

Along the way Vivienne spent 15 years in brand strategy, developing and rolling out brands for B2B and B2C brands such as Telstra, ANZ and NEC. In the last 10 plus years Vivienne has developed a real passion for the voice of the client. She has interviewed 000s of clients and developed and delivered client feedback programs. She lectures in practice development and marketing for the College of Law in their Masters program and is the author of “Growing Your Professional Practice”. More recently Vivienne has taken this passion into working on a PhD in client feedback with Edinburgh Business School.

Alongside her professional career, Vivienne has 25 years’ experience as a qualified company director, sitting on boards of health, education and arts organisations. Apart from sitting on the Board of ICON, she is on the board of Victorian Opera and owns a wine and spirits business with her partner. She has two grown sons (one a rock star, one a super model!) and loves reading, art, live music, paddle boarding and, obviously, food and wine.

Antoinette Chan, Strategic Pursuit Leader, Ernst & Young

With over 16 years in professional services, Antoinette’s experience spans the whole spectrum of clients and markets from marketing and communications to business development and strategy. From industry programs, to practice areas/solutions to whole of firm, she has worked extensively with senior stakeholders and with clients to commercially drive results. She has a keen passion for working collaboratively to drive transformation and initiatives with focus - from best practice marketing strategies and implementation to client account strategies and experience, pursuits coaching, creating high performing teams and leadership.

Antoinette has proven success in driving commercial strategies across businesses, markets programs and key clients within complex organisational structures, leading senior stakeholders across global, regional and national networks. Having worked in Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK, she has a sound understanding of client issues and expectations across borders and implementing pragmatic and effective programs to drive brand, client experience, opportunities and market engagement.

David Goener, Partner, Beaton

David has been a partner at Beaton for 10 years, working with clients to apply the strategic insights derived from our suite of information and research products.

Drawing on extensive senior leadership experience in professional services firms, he consults to legal, built and natural environment, accounting and financial services firms.

Nick Hunter, Founder & CEO, Paper Moose

Nick is Paper Moose’s co-founder, CEO and ECD. Nick began Paper Moose to produce his own work as a budding actor and director, but quickly fell in love with the world of advertising and branding and its potential to positively impact the planet.

Carol Riley, Client Systems Manager, Hall & Wilcox

Carol has worked in professional services for over 20 years, primarily in the client systems space, but also in marketing and BD roles. Her main focus has been on implementing and driving the engagement of CRMs through understanding and alignment of processes to the needs and objectives of the teams and firms she has worked for. Carol has a passion for data and client systems and having worked outside the CRM space for a time she understands both the end user perspective as well as the person driving the change.

Duncan Bell, Global Head of Marketing Technology, GHD

Duncan has 15+ years across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry with a passion for optimizing marketing technology platforms and delivery of digital marketing. Most recently he has lead GHD’s Martech transformation, including the implementation of new CRM, Marketing Automation, and Digital Experience platforms and their associated processes - including demand generation strategies.

Danielle DeAmicis, Head of Marketing, AUS & NZ, SAS

As Head of Marketing, Australia and New Zealand, Danielle is responsible for all marketing activity across the region at SAS, the global leader in advanced analytics and AI. With a wealth of experience in the technology industry, Danielle is passionate about building and growing brand, revenue and market share, powered by a data-driven mindset. Prior to joining SAS in 2015, Danielle worked in marketing roles for ClickSoftware, Dion Global Solutions and Starcom.

Lisa Nixon, Managing Director, BBS Communication

Lisa is a former journalist, now a highly regarded communications strategist, with more than 30 years’ experience advising senior executives on matters of reputation, strategic communication and crisis management.

She has a particular interest in B2B communication and advises professional services firms on brand and services marketing, internal communication and media engagement across accounting, law, engineering, architecture and design and project management.

Paul Bonomy, Partner, Beaton

Paul is focused on helping Beaton’s clients outperform in their served markets.

He assists firms’ leadership in the development and execution of strategy to deliver profitable growth. Specifically, he provides advice on client programs, pricing approaches, negotiation techniques and developing high value interactions with clients. He works with executive leadership groups and in a personal coaching capacity with partners.

​Paul’s background includes accounting, sales and negotiation. He has consulted to large accounting and law firms. For over a decade he led Freehills business development and then, with the merger, was Herbert Smith Freehills CMO heading the global business development team.

James Fielding, Head of New Business Distribution, Findex

James is a seasoned sales-enabler and growth leader in professional services. He’s known for driving sales culture transformation via coaching programs and the creation of sales infrastructure, resources, and processes. He was recognised as ‘One to Watch in Sales Enablement 2023’ and is a multi-award winner for his trailblazing work with technology-supported selling. He’s based in Melbourne and leads a team of BDMs and Industry Leaders across Australia and New Zealand for Findex.

Katherine Gilbey, Director, KG Consulting

Katherine is an experienced Marketing & Business Development professional, specialising in law firm marketing for more than a decade. Working exclusively in law throughout her career, she has worked in and with more than 30 different law firms, including top tier and global firms in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Starting KG Consulting Co. in 2022, Katherine now works with law firms throughout Australia to help them identify their most profitable target markets and execute strategies to win, grow and retain the clients and referrers within them.

With more than 10 years working in-house in marketing and business development, including as a Head of Marketing & Business Development, Katherine uses her knowledge of the inner workings of law firms to identify and implement practical solutions that streamline a firm’s marketing operations and ensure they achieve a high return on investment for their marketing activities.

A former ALPMA Queensland Committee member, Katherine has a broad network within Australia and developing networks in the United States and the United Kingdom. She regularly presents on legal marketing topics to firms and associations and presents bi-monthly on Business development and client service as part of the Queensland Law Society’s Practice Management Course.

Andrew Asher, CRM & Client Insights Specialist

Andrew brings two decades of hands-on experience delivering different types of IT projects including all things CRM. He has worked as an independent consultant across many different types of organisations with much of this being for professional services firms.

Often brought into kick-start things where misunderstandings and operational difficulties had become roadblocks in getting meaningful information to the relevant audience, he has been there as well when results were literally plucked off a screen after simple changes were made.

As a speaker, Andrew loves a good yarn, and he brings a few work stories where things have gone horribly wrong, and what it took to get things on track again. In these many of us can possibly recognise problems and patterns we may have experienced and perhaps come away with some action items we can try for ourselves.

Deborah Biber, Chief Executive, Blue Moon Advisory

Deborah is an experienced C-Suite leader in international business chambers and associations in Asia and across the Pacific. She has enjoyed leading roles in board and management engagements with a range of major companies and organisations of all sizes.

Skilled in stakeholder management with a proven track record in board governance, advocacy, brand development and business growth, she has a keen focus on engaging digital development activities for SMEs.

Having worked in Asia for 30+ years, Deborah is adept at working across geographies and cultures; possesses a global mindset, valuable network, and proven strategic planning and communication capabilities.

She has a passion for entrepreneurship, innovation commercialisation and continuing education; and is well versed in digital and social program development.

Deborah is a Certified Advisory Board Centre Chair; sits on the Board of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC); is the former Chairman of the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network’s (ESBN) Digital Economy Task Force and a previous member of the ESBN Executive Council. She was recently appointed to the Global Advisory Council of the Malaysian Association of Sustainable Supply Chains and Innovation (MASSCI).

Deborah formerly represented the International Intellectual Property Commercialisation Council (IIPCC) as Chairman in Australia and was Chairman of the Entrepreneurs Club (HK) for several years. linkedin.com/in/deborahbiber.

Tennille  Roache, InterAction Client Advisor- Asia Pacific, LexisNexis

Tennille has worked in marketing for professional service organizations for over 20 years in various roles, including event management, digital communications, and operations. For the last 12 years, she has focused specifically on CRM, working with business development executives to align the database to business planning, key account programs, and marketing strategies.

Tennille also specializes in repositioning misunderstood (or failed) systems by reviewing the configuration and building a change management project to position the tool successfully with business development teams and partnerships.

At LexisNexis, she primarily works with law firms to help align client development and to go to market strategies with their CRM technology to streamline processes so all business and client intelligence engagement data can be combined to successfully report client growth, value-add, and return on investment.

Nathan Quigley, Res Publica

Nathan cut his teeth as a political communicator through a period when the trade-offs between short-term electoral success and long-term reputation became increasingly stark.

Over the span of a decade he worked with politicians across the country, and led campaigns at both state and federal levels as State Director for the NSW and WA Nationals.

For the past five years, Nathan has been based in Sydney with Res Publica, which works with some of Australia’s leading companies across a core set of strategic communication disciplines, with a focus on building trust through mutual understanding.

Nathan remains a keen student of political developments at home and overseas, with a particular eye towards the ways in which language is used to unite people behind an idea or a movement.

As a farm kid, he can still be found outside as much as possible in the ocean or the mountains. He has become increasingly passionate about protecting wild places, and is proud to be a Director of Environmental Leadership Australia.

Andrew Bevan, Head of Pursuits, APAC, JLL

Andy is the Asia Pacific Head of Pursuits at JLL, and leads a high-performance team of pitching and sales enablement specialists. The team applies its winning end-to-end pitching methodology to equip, enrich and enable JLL’s business teams to win more. By being able to demonstrate to the business a strong ROI track record, the team has grown from two to 50 members in just five years. Today, Pursuits plays a pivotal role in driving JLL’s regional and country-level growth agenda.

Andy has worked in professional services roles (legal and real estate) across his career, working within marketing, business development and sales. He is passionate about strengthening connectivity, fostering camaraderie, and nurturing a shared sense of purpose across his geographically dispersed team.

Sue Woodward
Director, Brand, 
Marketing & Communications,
MinterEllison

Sue Woodward is the Director of Brand, Marketing, and Communications at MinterEllison, a role that encompasses a vast range of responsibilities, from communications, media, client experience, and digital channels, to CEO communications and managing the marktech stack. With over 30 years of experience, across industry, Sue has a track record in establishing and nurturing brands, navigating issues and crisis management through clear and authentic communication.

She bridges the nuances of marketing and sales, leading initiatives that prioritise audience needs, ensuring every strategy, campaign and communication is meaningful and relevant. Drawing upon data, insights, and analytics, she consistently measures and achieves success in fast-paced and competitive environments. She has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams across various industries, earning the trust of CEOs and stakeholders. Beyond her corporate endeavours, spends time on causes like SHINE for Kids, the Trish MS Research Foundation and in tennis.

Naomi Lynn, Director, Business Development, BDO

Naomi Lynn is the Director of Business Development at BDO in Australia. She is a dynamic business professional with a diverse marketing and BD skillset in a B2B environment. With a dynamic skillset and a 20-year career in Marketing, Communications, Lead Generation and Business Development, she has the ability to adapt and look for new ways to get results.

She loves to facilitate innovative initiatives that drive connectivity of like-minded businesses, and people, to achieve commercial results. In her current role she is responsible for designing and activating the firm's business development strategy to ensure client and firm success. This role includes strategic account management, client acquisition, business collaboration, BD resource alignment, facilitation of L&OD programs, and innovation initiatives to drive a client-centric culture at BDO. She is a true business driver with demonstrated capabilities that add value and create opportunities for commercial results.

David Feeney, Senior Sales Executive, Slalom

David has been working in what could be broadly described as the CRM space for over 25 Years – though it pains him to admit that.

Commencing as a Contact Centre Manger in the Telco Industry for organisations like OneTel and Alcatel-Lucent, David spent the initial 10 years of his career in Operations and Service Delivery focussed roles.

In 2007 he swopped over to Sales focussed roles, including co-founding a bootstrapped Salesforce Implementation Partner and working at larger organisations such as DXC, Deloitte and now Slalom. Throughout these years David has been primarily focussed on the Salesforce and ServiceNow platforms.

Working in both the CRM and Sales arenas story telling is a large part of what David does and outside of work his interests include moonlighting as an event MC and Sports Commentating – David recently worked as a commentator for FIFA at the Women’s Soccer World Cup.

Chris Blakeley, BD Director, Herbert Smith Freehills

Chris has over 20 years’ experience, in the UK and Australia, advising law firms on their BD and marketing. Chris currently has responsibility for driving HSF’s Clients & Markets Strategy in Australia, with a focus on stronger multi-faceted client relationships and distinct client experience.

Chris has diverse experience in the sector having worked across Practices, Sectors and as a Client Relationship Manager. He is a member of HSF’s Australian Executive and also a member of the Global BD Leadership team.

Libby Maynard, Partner, Beaton

Libby works with Beaton’s clients to help them win, retain and grow business and deliver value to their clients in sustainably profitable ways. She creates order out of chaos, works at both strategic and operational levels, combines creativity with strong analytical skills and big picture thinking, sets clear priorities and readily engages stakeholders at all levels.

​Libby has been instrumental in designing and executing major marketing, pricing and client service programs and winning significant competitive bids to corporates and governments. In addition, she has trained and coached in legal, consulting engineering, patent attorney, accounting and consulting, and financial services firms. Her approach is based on sound research, evidence and analysis and grounded in practicality.

​Libby has held senior leadership roles in marketing and business development, pricing and legal project management. She commenced her career as a lawyer and worked as a management consultant with an international firm and her own consultancy.

Libby has an LLB from Monash University, an MBA from the Melbourne and London Business Schools, is a Fulbright Scholar, and a graduate of the AICD.

Alex Lloyd, Head of Marketing, Advanced Navigation

Alex's career has been a fascinating exploration of the intersection between marketing and innovation. For the past 5 years, out of his 18-year career, he has held influential roles in two of Australia's most pioneering deep-tech and fintech companies.

His current position as Head of Marketing at Advanced Navigation highlights his dedication to pushing the boundaries of marketing strategy in the world of deep tech. Prior to this, he served as the CMO for Shaype Group, where he led both global B2B and regional B2C marketing functions. In these roles, Alex's focus was consistently on fostering collaboration across teams, challenging conventional thinking, delivering tangible results in new and forming categories.

Jodie Proudlock, Chief Operating Officer, FB Rice

Jodi has worked extensively with law firm Partners and senior leadership for over 25 years, to identify, facilitate and implement strategic direction and ensure day-to-day operations are aligned and implemented according to strategy.

Completing her MBA in 2004, and holding senior management positions in professional services organisations, at Board Level and at the grass roots of the company, enable her to provide innovative solutions for professional service firms.

Jodi has held positions on the Board and NSW branch committee of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) and is passionate about continuous improvement and innovation.

Miling Harpur, General Manager, Sales & Commercial, Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group

I am a People Leader, with 15 years experience in Sales, Leadership and Business Management. My core values are health and learning and my colleagues tell me I am driven and positive.

Rory Grant, Co-Chief Marketing Officer, Gilbert + Tobin

Rory Grant began his journey in professional services in the most unassuming of ways—interning at a small London law firm, archiving client files from nine to five. Fast-forward nine years in BD and Marketing, and he now acts as Co- Chief Marketing Officer for Gilbert + Tobin, a top-tier firm known for breaking the mold.

Prior to stepping into the Co-CMO role, Rory served as the Director of Business Development at Gilbert + Tobin. Leading a multi-disciplinary team of experts, Rory focuses on transforming traditional frameworks for sales and client engagement. As a key member of the senior leadership team, he's pioneering data-driven strategies that spot untapped business opportunities, fine-tune client targeting, solidify client loyalty, and set new benchmarks for service delivery.

Rory relishes the unmatched joy of family moments, a cornerstone that fuels his other passion: mentoring. With a deep-rooted belief in the power of guidance, Rory shares real-world tactics for those eager to define their own success.

Warwick Absolon, Account Director, Business Align & Connect PwC

Warwick connects with tech companies with a purpose of helping them grow. He is working very closely with both marketing and BD teams to better strengthen their offering.

He is a qualified and experienced business leader who has lead diverse corporate teams to solve company-wide problems. Companies he has worked with includes AECOM and EY. He has managed and succeeded in running multi-faceted projects within large and diverse organisations, resolving multi-year tax audits in Canada, removing dormant legal entities in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and driving a higher use of a contingent workforce.

He is passionate about helping people reach their full potential and has spoken at a number of industry conferences and events on topics such as increasing personal influence, developing an innovative culture, and how to think differently in a commercial setting.

Kathryn Britt, Senior Client Manager, BBS
Communication

Kathryn is a Senior Client Manager for BBS Communications, an award-winning, independent consultancy operating across Australia and APAC for more than 30 years.

She has three decades of experience in corporate communications, media relations and journalism, across a wide variety of sectors including professional services, financial services, SME/start-up and not-for-profit.

One of her first PR roles was as Media and Communications Manager with Deloitte back in the days when the Big Four were the Big Six, and this experience fired her special interest in the professional services sector.

Since then, Kathryn has held in-house and consulting PR and communications roles for global businesses including Deloitte, RSM Australia and Kearney, for not-for-profit organisations such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Mother’s Day Classic and Cancer Council and for clients as diverse as the European Patent Office, non-bank lender ScotPac and superannuation fund BUSSQ.

She is a former president of the Queensland chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and has served as a director on IABC's APAC board.

Danielle Bond, Principal, Danielle Bond Advisory

Danielle is an award-winning brand, marketing, and communications professional with expertise in professional services. She has led the Brand, Marketing & Communications departments of leading professional services firms throughout her career, most recently as CMO at Aurecon, Asia-Pacific design, engineering, and advisory company. Reporting to the CEO, Danielle played a key role in positioning Aurecon as an innovative, eminent and purpose led organisation. She worked closely with leadership to position the firm and her team for the new world of work.

Danielle also served on the International Executive Board of IABC, the International Association of Business Communicators for four years, including as its Global Chair in 2022. In her executive and governance practice she works with leaders to drive personal and business success through strategic focus and creativity. A lifetime learner she is currently completing her Company Director qualification with AICD.

Graham Seldon, Director, Seldon Rosser

Graham Seldon was the founder of Australia’s first professional services marketing recruitment business in 2000, which became Seldon Gill and is now Seldon Rosser.

As a passionate advocate for the sector, in particular for education and skills training, he was an early Board Member for APSMA (now ICON) and has been working with professional service firm leaders for two decades, helping them develop and resource their marketing, communications and BD/Sales functions.

Many of you will be listeners of his career focused podcast Deep CV Diving – where he interviews professional services CMO’s on their career journeys – to uncover insights that are useful for people at all stages in their career.

Being at the forefront of change and being in regular conversations with those who make change happen – he is expertly placed to facilitate today’s session.

 Amanda Fong, Intent Advisory

Amanda is a dynamic and purpose-led leader with 20+ years’ experience working with ambitious and market leading B2B organisations across property, professional services, investment management and technology in Australia, across Asia-Pacific and globally. This includes leadership roles at Urbis, PPB Advisory (now PWC), LSE-listed Intermediate Capital Group and NYSE-listed MMC Inc.

She has a deep appreciation of the dynamics that drive performance - particularly the interplay between strategy, brand and clients, culture and leadership, and innovation. She is particularly passionate about partnering with leaders and organisations when there is a strategic impetus to drive change and growth.

Maria Rampa, Brand, Marketing, Communications Business Partner - Clients & Markets, Aurecon

Maria Rampa is a marketing and communications senior executive with 25+ years’ experience in the public and private sectors and professional services globally. She has delivered strategy and campaigns across multiple markets including property, mining, tourism, energy, arts, not-for-profit, education, health and data & telco in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, EMEA and South America.

Maria is currently the Brand, Marketing and Communications Business Partner for engineering, design and advisory firm, Aurecon, responsible for developing and delivering marketing and communications across their international built environment business. She is also responsible for Aurecon’s 2032 Olympics and Paralympics positioning and is the host of the firm’s award-winning Engineering Reimagined podcast.

Cameron Menzies, General Manager, Clients & Markets, Beca

Cameron Menzies is a strategic growth and marketing professional with more than 20 years’ of senior experience in the engineering, consulting, and professional services sector. He has a proven track record of leading high-value strategic client and market initiatives in complex, multinational organisations to deliver revenue, brand, and importantly people growth. What sets him apart is his lateral thinking and ability to drive positive change by harnessing the power of people to transform businesses for the better.

John Kimlin, Associate Partner & Oceania Business Development Leader for Government and Health, Ernst & Young

John is the leader of EY’s Government Business Development teams across Oceania based in Brisbane and brings over 30 years’ of business and IT experience along with another 10 years in engineering surveying. He brings a wealth of experience, specifically in the Queensland Public Sector and exemplar relationships that span Cabinet, Directors Generals through to Administrative staff in Queensland. As he’s made his way through his career his relationships have expanded Australia wide to along include the Federal Government. John has a wide breadth of knowledge in:

Mona Lolas, Global Sales & Marketing Executive

Mona Lolas is an accomplished Global Sales and Marketing Executive with over 25 years of experience in High Tech and Consulting. As an industry veteran who is passionate about technology and Partnership, Mona has deep expertise in B2B technology marketing and sales leadership. She has in-depth knowledge of marketing disciplines including strategy and planning, channel/partner marketing, Partner programs, indirect sales leadership, and analyst relations.

Prior to moving into consulting, Mona held senior executive positions with market-leading organizations including Forrester, Autodesk, Gartner, Symantec, Intel Security, IBM, Optus, and Telstra. She served as a Board Director at AMI, Australian Marketing Institute, and is currently a Board Member of ICON APAC. Named Revenue Marketing: Ones to Watch 2023

Halina Kochanowicz, Chief Commercial Officer, IPH

With a career spanning over two decades in the legal industry, Halina stands as a true visionary and influential leader. Renowned for her unparalleled expertise in business development and marketing, Halina has played an instrumental role in reshaping the landscape of the global legal services sector.

Fraser McNaughton, 
Chief Marketing Officer, Grant Thornton & President of ICON APAC

Fraser McNaughton is the Chief Marketing Officer at Grant Thornton Australia. Based in Sydney he leads a national team of highly experienced and enthusiastic marketing, sales, and communications professionals, together, responsible for defining and delivering Grant Thornton’s go to market vision, strategy, and objectives. Fraser is also the National Industry Leader, where he is responsible for the development and implementation of Grant Thornton’s national industry strategy.

Emma Egerton, Head of Strategy & Experience, The Lumery

Emma believes in unifying business, products and customer needs to create impactful, measurable change. She has championed "the customer" for over a decade in communications, experimentation and marketing; having worked across industries including Retail, Financial Services, Property and Consumer Electronics to drive demand, growth and meaningful customer connections.

Robyn Grattidge, Director of Business Development, Zoos Victoria

Robyn is a commercially astute senior executive with significant experience in marketing and business development across diverse industries, including the visitor economy, retail, and education sectors.

As Director of Business Development at Zoos Victoria, Robyn oversees strategic development initiatives for visitors, membership, philanthropy, commercial activities and sponsorship. A passionate leader, skilled in collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to deliver business growth.

Kim Robertson, Head of Marketing, Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group

A transformational, award-winning, and commercially astute marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in growing brands. A creator of leading B2B and B2C go-to-market strategies, leading global teams, building brands, and driving revenue growth. A strategic planner with a strong focus on optimising marketing performance, impact, and efficiency across tech and services industries.

Rajan Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, The Lumery

Rajan is Co-Founder and CEO of The Lumery, a marketing and technology consultancy bringing clarity to the complex. Rajan has pioneered a unique approach to MarTech consulting, combining the optimisation of tech stacks with the development of clients’ internal capabilities, processes, and data-driven cultures, ensuring lasting outcomes can be achieved. Rajan is passionate about building high-performance teams through supportive culture and loves collaborating with forward thinkers.