Summit Speakers
Jo Alexander, HSBC
Global Head of Internal Communications, Group Communications
Based in London, Jo forms part of an executive team building a world-wide communications function supporting 309,000 employees in 87 countries. She has over 25 years experience and has worked with leading international brands such as Virgin, Honda, lastminute.com and Westfield.
Anthea Cudworth, Telstra
General Manager, Employee Communications
Anthea is a communications professional with over 20 years' experience in the financial services and energy industries.
With a commercial background in the Sydney and London financial markets together with Asia-Pacific business development experience, she offers a unique perspective and approach to the communications profession. Her main area of interest lies with the internal communications and engagement agendas. She has managed internal communications departments for KPMG in Australia, Royal Dutch Shell from its London headquarters and Shell's upstream business from the Netherlands.
Ross Hill, Yammer, Inc
Enterprise Relationship Manager
Ross is immersed in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship. At Yammer, the enterprise social network used by 100,000 organisations, he works with customers across Asia Pacific to transform their internal communications. Ross is also one of the founders of the entrepreneurial event The Hive and a micro-trustee of Melbourne's Awesome Foundation.
Yammer press details https://www.yammer.com/about/press_center
Lorri Lennon, Centre for Leadership Communication
Director
Lorri Lennon is a three-time winner of the IABC Gold Quill Excellence Awards, she is a globally recognised strategist in leadership communication.
Lorri honed her skills over 20 years managing communication for organisations in Australia, South Africa and the Middle East. Highlights include acting as trusted communication advisor to Brian Gilbertson, former CEO of BHP Billiton, and Dr David Morgan, former CEO of Westpac Banking Corporation, during periods of rapid organisational change.
In 2001, Lorri established a successful in-house communication consultancy within Westpac based on fee-for-service principles. Her team grew from one to 60 people in response to the demand for their communication services.
Bernie Sheehan, ABC
Manager, Digital Skills Development
Bernie Sheehan is Manager, Digital Skills Development, at the ABC with a strong focus on social media. A former journalist, Bernie joined Microsoft 14 years ago in the burgeoning web development era. After the joint venture of Microsoft with Channel 9, she became Executive Producer of city guide, Sydney Sidewalk, then Head of Programing for Ninemsn. She was Content Director at Chello Broadband and Product Director at Yahoo! Australia & NZ as well as at News Interactive, News Ltd, now called News Digital.
Paul Harmer, The Brand Surgeon
Paul has 25 years of brand management and business building experience both locally and internationally.
He builds businesses through the power of creating a more dynamic brand, which connects with the market on a far deeper level.
Paul uses psychology, cutting edge innovation, creative concepts & experiential marketing strategies. Through proven business principles he helps to build a powerful brand and all with the aim of increasing sales and building greater brand equity.
Paul's expertise comes from consulting internationally and working with some of the greatest minds in brand development. He teaches a course called the Internal Brand Proposition.
Kelly Parsons, Melcrum
Vice President, Global Research & Content
Kelly is Vice President of Melcrum's global research and content practice, working closely with our members to identify, codify, and implement best practices in strategic communications.
Prior to joining Melcrum, Kelly ran the Marketing Leadership Council, a division of the Corporate Executive Board dedicated to serving heads of marketing and communications at leading companies around the globe. Kelly's particular areas of expertise include integrated communications, digital and social media, and change management. She has worked closely with executives from leading consumer brands including, among others, WalMart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Bank of America, Disney, Verizon, Marriott, Kelloggs, Frito-Lay, Southwest, and Ford.
Kelly holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business where she was an Omnicom Communications Fellow, and a Masters in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.
Emma Longmore, Towers Watson
Communication Leader, Australia
Emma is the leader of the Towers Watson Communication team in Australia, and has over 12 years experience in the development and implementation of strategic employee communication programs. She is passionate about the link between effective communication and employee engagement. Emma has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from The University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma in Public Relations from Deakin University. Before joining Towers Watson in 2003, Emma worked with an international public relations firm.
Lesley Brown, Towers Watson
Lesley Brown leads the Australian based Towers Watson Organisational Surveys and Insights practice. Lesley has more than 20 years experience in the field of Employee Survey Research. Her expertise includes employee engagement measurement and analysis. Other areas of interest include employment brand, the financial services industry and well being. Lesley holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology and a Masters in Applied Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Lesley previously worked for the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Defence as a research psychologist before starting her consulting career.
Louise Denver, Deloitte
Director of Corporate Affairs and Communication
In social media connectivity is the name of the game. And a Director of Corporate Affairs and Communication for Deloitte in Australia Louise Denver is well connected.
A former international journalist based in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, London and New York, Louise has worked on both the buy side and sell side of news.
Currently she is responsible for media and communications for the Financial Services group in Deloitte Australia and is Deloitte's Innovation Communication Director.
With expertise in most communication channels, from an award winning documentary on Northern Ireland, print journalism in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and as a PR professional in the Big Apple.
Louise has always been a pioneer in communications. One of the first internal communication practitioners in an Australian global corporate, she also led the comms team that developed one of the Big Four bank’s first large-scale intranets.
Explosive Minds
Explosive Minds use the power of hilarious performance to demonstrate and teach essential success skills, such as the art of dynamic listening and the removal of ‘blocking’ the ideas of others. Proving that one person alone will never achieve as highly as a team of committed individuals, supporting each other towards a common goal. As Australia’s foremost experts at improvisation, rapid change and engaging the audience, their SCM Summit performance will use humour to uncover best-practise communication.
Megan Thomas, PwC
Head of Internal Communications
Megan has successfully designed high impact communication strategies to achieve business results across Professional Services, Financial Services and Insurance industries. She has a particular expertise in culture and behavioural change programs, staff engagement and leadership communication. Megan has a positive, result driven approach with proven ability to deliver tangible value to the business.
Alex Sapiz, Cisco
Director, Sale Events and Recognition
Alessandra (Alex) Sapiz is Director, Sales Events and Recognition at Cisco, where she's responsible for driving strategic direction and development of a portfolio of sales events and recognition programs. Most recently, Alex has led the team behind Cisco's Global Sales Experience (GSX), which engages 20,000 attendees from 100 countries, spanning 24 times zones. GSX prompted the creation of a number of industry firsts, including gaming and competition as a virtual engagement model, richly rendered environments and the use of an Alternate Reality Game. The program won Event Marketer's "Best Virtual Event" in 2010.
Kenny Lauer, George P. Johnson
Vice President, Digital Experience
Kenny Lauer is Vice President of Digital Experience for George P. Johnson, a premier experience marketing agency. Kenny leads their Digital Experience Practice. He specializes in remote engagement strategies and has over 19 years in helping premier brands with engagement and relationship strategies. He has worked at Apple Computer, KPMG Consulting, Peppers and Rogers Group, and is 1 of only 80 honorees worldwide awarded the "Certified Experience Economy Expert" designation.
Adrian Cropley, Cropey Communication (Black Belt trainer)
Formerly the Head of Internal Communications for major Telco in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands & Director on the International Executive Board of the IABC; Adrian is a change communication expert and internal communication strategist running his own consultancy, Cropley Communication. He has over 20 years experience in the communication field in both the private and public sectors. He has worked with a variety of Global clients developing change and employee communication strategies for companies like, Ernst & Young, Amcor, ANZ, NAB & Shell. He is a well respected thought leader, with articles in a number of publications and guest lecturing to PR & Communication students, he is a key note speaker at conferences around the globe and has won a number of awards for his communication strategies.
Melissa Dark, Melissa Dark and Associates
(Black Belt trainer)
Melissa has 17 years experience in organisational communication, ranging from public relations and media relations through to change management and organisation development. Melissa has a BA in Management Communication and a Masters in Communication and she is a former president of the IABC Victorian Chapter and is heavily involved in the IABC's Gold Quill awards program.
Caitlin Lang, Macquarie Group
Internal Communication Manager
Caitlin is the Internal Communication Manager for the largest division within Macquarie Bank. In her role, Caitlin's main focus is on continually looking for more efficient and proven ways to engage the 3,200 banking and financial services employees around the world. Prior to Macquarie, Caitlin had also managed internal communication activities for Microsoft including the redesign of the Australian business' intranet, and Johnson & Johnson where she worked in Corporate and Government Affairs. In 2008, Caitlin took extended leave to work in the Media & Communications team for World Youth Day Sydney 2008, the largest international event to ever be held in Australia.
