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WMER 2008

Ed Davis celebrates 20 Inspirational Years of the Women, Management and Employment Relations Conference with a video and audio visit of the history and highlights of the conference.

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Program

Thursday 2 August 2007

9:00am - 10:30am	KEY ISSUES IN MANAGING PEOPLE Key employment relations issues confronting management in Australia and New Zealand
Speakers:	Anna McPhee, Director, Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) Anna was appointed Federal Director of EOWA in 2004. Her work involves contact with more than 3,000 private sector organisations as well as providing policy advice to the Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
	Bradon Ellem, Associate Professor, Work & Organisational Studies, Faculty of Economics & Business, The University of Sydney Bradon is recognised for his work, publications and research on the intersection between industrial relations and human geography, the development and impact of changes in government industrial relations policy and the rise, fall and future of trade unions.
	Dr Philippa Reed, Chief Executive, Equal Employment Opportunities Trust of New Zealand The Trust works with employers to raise awareness and support business success through effectively managing diversity. Previously Philippa worked in senior management roles at Auckland Business School and at KPMG.
Chair:	Professor Ed Davis, AM, Dean, Division of Economic & Financial Studies (EFS), Macquarie University
10:30 - 11:00am	MORNING TEA

11:00am - 12:30pm	WOMEN IN TRANSITION: MOVING IN, OUT AND UP Career challenges confronting women in the workplace; includes changes, career breaks and opportunities.
Speakers:	Juliet Bourke, Partner, Aequus Partners Employment lawyer, organisational change expert and author. Juliet works with leading companies to improve diversity and equity outcomes through research, training and investigations / mediations.
	Di Harris, Director General, Fairness & Resolution, Department of Defence Recent work has included initiating and implementing a range of changes to improve Defence’s handling of complaints, and a project aimed at increasing the female participation rate in the Australian Defence Force. Di has served 25 years in the Australian Army,retiring at the rank of Colonel in 2000.
	Margot Spalding, Co-Owner and Co-Director, Jimmy Possum Furniture National winner of the 2006 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year Award; Margot with her husband established Jimmy Possum Furniture 11 years ago. The company now employs in excess of 150 highly skilled staff and operates across 3 states in stores in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Chair:	Professor Valerie Pratt, AM, Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM)
12:30pm - 1:30pm	LUNCH

1.30pm – 3.00pm	WOMEN, FINANCE AND SUPER Business and personal finance and superannuation information.
Speakers:	Suzanne Baldry, Managing Director, Baldry Financial Group A practicing financial planner with over 19 years experience, Suzanne is a Fellow and Financial Planning Specialist of CPA Australia and a FPA Certified Financial Planner.
	Julie Lander, Chief Executive Officer, CARE Super The industry fund which caters for administrative, professional and managerial staff across all industries. Julie’s goal is to encourage long term savings, especially by younger people and women,through raising awareness of the benefits of superannuation.
Chair:	Associate Professor Peter McGraw, Director, Labour-Management Studies Foundation (LMSF), Macquarie University
3.00pm – 3.30pm	AFTERNOON TEA

3.30pm – 5.00pm	HYPOTHETICALS ”Bridging the gap: The hand that helps or hinders” A panel will discuss employment programs for women; do we need a fresh approach?
	In 2007 Julia Bowes and Anna Garsia won the World University Debating Championship in Vancouver. Julia Bowes, Arts/Law Student, The University of Sydney Currently editor of “Honi Soit”, Julia is a Women’s Officer on the Sydney Uni Law Society Executive.
	Anna Garsia, Law Student, The University of Sydney Anna has a B. Science (Advanced) with Honours and a University medal in Biochemistry
	Catharine Lumby, Associate Professor, Media and Communications, The University of Sydney A widely published print journalist Catharine has worked as a news reporter and feature writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Bulletin.
	Marie Persson, Deputy DirectorGeneral TAFE , NSW Department of Education & Training The first woman to lead TAFE NSW in its 115 year history, Marie has 20 years’ experience in vocational education and training. In 2003 she won the NSW Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award and the Australian Government and Community Business Woman Award.
	Nareen Young, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Council Australia An expert in all areas of gender equity in employment and diversity issues, Nareen works with leading Australian businesses to develop and implement practical diversity policies.
Moderator:	Melanie O’Connor, Managing Director, The Academy Network Melanie is considered to be one of the foremost advisers in Australia in the development of talent management and capability strategies. She ran her own business, Strategic Human Resource Solutions Pty Ltd for many years and prior to that was General Manager, Human Resources for NRMA Ltd.
DINNER SPONSOR: DIVERSITY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA
6.00pm - 6.45pm	DRINKS
6.45pm	DINNER AND KEY-NOTE ADDRESS
6.45pm	Nanda Pok, Founder & Executive Director, Women for Prosperity (WFP), Phnom Penh, Cambodia A refugee who fled to the United States just before Pol Pot took control of Cambodia, Nanda returned in 1992, determined to be part of the reconstruction of her country. Through WFP she has trained over 5,000 women to hold political office.

Friday 3 August 2007

9.00am - 11.00am	LEADERSHIP IS WOMEN’S BUSINESS Challenges, lessons and stories from women leaders in business.
Speakers:	Ms Julia Gillard MP, Member for Lalor (Vic), Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment and Shadow Minister for Social Inclusion Elected Deputy Leader of the ALP in December 2006; Julia was an industrial lawyer and partner of Slater and Gordon.
	Dr Kerry Schott, Managing Director, Sydney Water Previously Kerry spent 15 years as an investment banker; she was Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Executive Vice President at Bankers Trust. She has also worked as an economic adviser at the Reserve Bank of Australia and for the Commonwealth Government.
	Tina Jackson, Executive Director, National Trust of Australia (NSW) Tina has nearly 20 years management experience in organisations spanning architecture, arts, culture and the media. Prior to taking up her current position in 2005, she was Practice Manager of Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, one of Austrlia’s leading architectural practices.
Chair:	Professor Judyth Sachs, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Provost), Macquarie University
11.00am - 11.30am	MORNING TEA

11.30am - 12.30pm	WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE The vision of Workplace Flexibility 2010 is an American workplace where extensive flexibility options represent the norm in our workplaces.
Speakers:	Chai Feldblum, Professor of Law, Director, Federal Legislation Clinic, Co-Director, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center Since 1988, Chai has been actively involved in shaping legislative and regulatory initiatives on disability rights; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights; and social welfare policy. She launched Workplace Flexibility 2010 in 2003.
Chair:	Sandra Triulzi, Senior Consultant, UGL Consulting, United Group Limited
12.30pm - 1.30pm	LUNCH

1.30pm - 3.30pm	WOMEN IN MEDIA Insights from powerful women who have influence in the media.
Speakers:	Catherine Fox, Deputy Editor, AFRBoss Magazine Catherine writes a weekly column “Corporate Woman”, for the Australian Financial Review. In 2004 she co-authored with Helen Trinca “Better than Sex, How a Whole Generation Got Hooked on Work”.
	Lynley Marshall, Director, ABC Commercial With over 20 years in the broadcasting industry, Lynley has held a series of senior broadcasting positions in New Zealand before joining the ABC in 2000. She was appointed in her current role in February 2007.
	Christine Hogan, Author, Editor, Executive Producer An Australian media professional Christine has worked in newspapers and magazines as a writer and editor, in television as a producer of news, and executive producer of current affairs for more than 30 years.
Chair:	Professor Valerie Pratt, AM Visiting Professor, Macquarie Graduate School of Management
3.30pm - 3.45pm	CLOSE