Regular
contributors

Associate Professor Grant Blashki is a Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, a Visiting Fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at The Australian National University and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Kings College London. His three themes of work are: 1. Climate change and health 2. Mental health and 3. Primary health care. He has co-authored 65 peer reviewed publications, is lead editor of the text book General Practice Psychiatry, and over the last 5 years has been a chief investigator on approximately $4 million of research projects. He is actively engaged with community work including as a clinical advisor to beyondblue, as a mentor in the Al Gore Climate Leadership Project, as a cofounder of Doctors for the Environment Australia and as a 2020 summit participant. In 2008, he was a co-recipient of the Fundraiser Institute of Australia’s Major Grant’s award for excellence in fundraising. He is a practicing GP and Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

James Beetson is a General Practitioner based in Melbourne. Having grown up in Perth and graduated from medical school at the University of Western Australia in 1999, he has been working in the field of Indigenous Health over the last three years.

Lisa Corduff has a background in sustainability communications across corporate, television and online mediums. She is passionate about engaging mainstream Australians in the conversation around sustainable consumption and has created a new platform to do just that – brands4tomorrow. One element to this new advertising and communications platform is the recently launched community website www.brands4tomorrow.com.au where you can read more of her blog posts.

Rod Dawson is Managing Director of Southern Colour (Vic) Pty Ltd and sits on the board of Southern Colour (NSW). Rod has been in the printing industry for over 15 years occupying various roles including sales, management and administration. Rod plays a leading role in, and is the key driver of, the development of business strategies for the Southern Colour group. With a determination to ensure that his business is on top of its corporate and social responsibilities, Rod has made certain that Southern Colour’s impact on the environment involves continued reduction. Through Southern Colour, Rod continually tests the boundaries of business and guarantees business sustainability by investing in the latest technology, streamlining workflow processes and most of all, getting the best out of experienced staff.

Mark Dean has over 15 years’ experience in law and consulting and is Managing Director of En Masse, a specialist human rights online training and education group. He was formerly founder and CEO of Dean & Ling, one of Australia’s leading executive search firms focusing on the professions. Mark is also a qualified lawyer and has a Master of Laws (Uni. Melb.). Mark’s commercial and leadership skills are a driving force within En Masse. He is committed to mobilising business and community resources in the development of a stronger human rights culture in Australia.

Richard Evans is a Director of EnviroSearchGlobal, a specialist search and recruitment firm with a core focus on environment, sustainability, climate change, engineering and carbon management. Established in 2007, EnviroSearchGlobal partners with clients in corporate, government and consulting organisations for key appointments.

With a diverse background spanning forestry, engineering, finance and recruitment, Richard commenced his career in project management before moving to the UK and developing the Civil Engineering & Water division in the central London office of one of the UK’s leading recruitment companies. In 2004, Richard completed his MBA with Melbourne Business School, to complement his Forestry and Engineering degrees, and after several years building a human capital business Richard joined EnviroSearchGlobal.

Richard is heavily involved in wider sustainability initiatives such as 1millionwomen and LandCare Australia. He was instrumental in establishing a sustainability forum with 20 of the country’s leading sustainability thinkers, contributes to course curricula around carbon and publishes an annual environmental remuneration review for professionals in this space.

Tristan Forrester is a Managing Consultant with Beaton Research and Consulting. He has over 10 years’ experience working with some of Australia’s leading professional service firms. A former solicitor with national law firm Freehills, he now helps firms compete through their people by developing their leaders, enhancing partner and practice group performance, and effectively implementing strategic change. Tristan’s practice encompasses leadership development, partner performance management, coaching and practice group development. He believes the secret to professional service firm profitability is in sustainable people management.

Maia Gould has extensive experience in marketing communications, having worked in this sector for almost a decade. She is currently the Communications Manager for Beaton Research and Consulting where she is responsible for marketing and communications for the firm as a whole. Maia also leads the pro bono element of Beaton’s Annual Business and Professions Study – in 2010, this study will focus on sustainability issues in the business community.

Beaton contributes various articles and opinion pieces to the business and professional media and Maia has co-authored a number of these publications.

Chris has beaten an interesting path to his current role as WellmarkPerspexa’s Creative Director. His first memorable job involved standing at the end of a conveyor belt chopping the leaves off cauliflowers with a machete, next to a man who had three fingers missing on his left hand. Looking back, it was probably Chris’s formative lesson in the value of digital material.

Chris began his career in communications as an illustrator and designer. Inspired initially by a stint with the highly respected design firm Brian Sandgrove and Associates, the past 20 years have seen him work as a Designer, Art Director and Creative Director at several Australian agencies. Prior to co-founding WellmarkPerspexa, Chris was Managing Director of Enterprise IG’s Melbourne office and then of Perspexa. His clients over the years have included Fosters, AXA, NAB, Coles Myer, Amcor, Santos, Lend Lease, AMP and Portfolio Partners.

With an interest in company culture and corporate social responsibility, Chris is also a strong advocate for the introduction of siestas in the Australian workplace setting.

Sam Hazledine is Managing Director of MedRecruit, a medical locum agency that believes in assisting doctors to create a life and career. He was a finalist in Enst & Young’s 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year, the recipient of the Fastest Growing Service Business Award in the Deloitte Fast 50 in 2009, and was also a finalist in the 2009 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. In the past three years Sam has grown MedRecruit to turn over in excess of $10m per annum with 1000% growth over the past two years. He’s also a lover of extreme sports, having been New Zealand’s Extreme Ski Champion back in 2003.

Stephen Ingrouille has been working in the sustainability industry for over thirty years. He is the principal of Going Solar, a leading Melbourne-based renewable energy firm. Established in 1978, the company specialises in solar, thermal and photovoltaic systems for both domestic and commercial applications.

Stephen has also co-founded a number of environment-focused community organisations, including ATA (Alternative Technology Association) in 1976; ATRAA (Appropriate Technology Retailer’s Association of Australia) in 1979; the Sustainable Living Fair (now Sustainable Living Festival) in 1998; and SLF (Sustainable Living Foundation) in 1999.

In 2004, Stephen was a finalist in two categories of the Banksia Environmental Awards – Australians Working for a Sustainable Future and the Prime Minister’s Environmentalist of the Year. In August 2006, he won the Melbourne Award in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the environment.

In recent years, Stephen has been focusing on sustainable design of cities that incorporates urban design, sustainable buildings, transport, tourism and renewable energy. He publishes a weekly email newsletter on sustainable transport (available online at www.goingsolar.com.au/transport), which received a commendation at the 2008 Victorian Planning Industry Awards.

Kyla Jacuzzi operates a coaching and facilitation business offering career, business and change coaching. She is an active member of the leadership team of the Queensland sub-chapter of the International Coach Federation (ICF), a global organisation dedicated to advancing the art, science and practice of coaching.

Kyla’s coaching is supported by a human resources career spanning the full range of human resource functions, including learning and development, employee relations, generalist HR and organisational health. Kyla is also an experienced project manager, team leader and manager, and has worked within both private and public sector organisations in Australia and the UK. Her career has evolved through a diverse range of industries including human services, higher education, event management and property management.

Kyla has assisted organisations and staff through large-scale change, enterprise bargaining negotiations, grievance resolution and industrial disputes. She has translated her experience in these areas into practical and grounded management and leadership development programs for executives, managers and supervisors.

Andrew Levy is a consultant in leadership and change. He works with organisations to improve their communication, leadership and management skills in order to improve employee attraction, retention and engagement. He has over 14 years’ experience working in the legal profession and is a former solicitor and Director–Workplace Relations at Clayton Utz.

Andrew helps organisations to create the leaders and managers they need to effectively face their challenges and achieve results. His programs typically integrate elements of assessment, instruction, skill development and one-on-one coaching to ensure that they result in sustained and measurable behavioural change.

Andrew was formerly a Consultant at Beaton Consulting, Australia’s premier management consultants to the professions.

As well as Arts and Law degrees, he has completed a Master of Applied Science in Innovation and Service Management at RMIT University. In his Masters, Andrew studied the impact of styles of leadership on the quality and management of change. He focused on the role played, in successful organisations, by organisational alignment, knowledge management and empowerment of staff.

Andrew is a certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

In his spare time, Andrew jogs and swims, is a keen cook and singer.

Alex Malley is chief executive officer of CPA Australia. He is recognised internationally by business peers and the wider community for his innovation and independent thinking.

Alex’s journey has included being a CEO, board director, life coach, consultant, educator and benefactor in business, government, higher education and non-profit sectors. Most recently, Alex was CEO of an international professional medical association where he secured global alliances to effect positive outcomes in health care and management worldwide.

Alex is passionate and influential on issues that matter globally to the accounting profession, business and the government sector. His career and life has been one of adventure rather than predictability. Alex openly celebrates difference, supports those who dare and agitates for change before most recognise the need.

Underpinning Alex’s professional experience is his passion and commitment to the social benefit of voluntary service. This commitment can be seen in the diverse roles he has held, including independent chair of the audit and risk committee of the Office of Police Integrity in Victoria, board member of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and co-founder of the Society for Knowledge Economics.

Sarah Mansfield studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2007. The following year, she completed an internship at Austin Health/Northern Health. In addition to working at several hospitals in 2009, Sarah was also a clinical tutor for medical students.

Sarah is currently the President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria Doctors in Training and Deputy Chair of the Federal AMA Council of Doctors in Training. In these roles, Sarah acts as an advocate for junior doctors, particularly in relation to working conditions, safety, health and welfare, and provision of quality education and training. Both groups also encourage personal development of younger medical graduates, for example by facilitating involvement with volunteer work and creative activities.

In 2010, Sarah will complete further training in critical care at Austin Health. Her long-term goal is to combine public health research and work with a clinical career.

Adrian Marshall is a Sustainability Adviser at Santos.

After graduating from the University of South Australia in 1998 with an honours degree in Environmental Management, Adrian worked as an environmental manager and team leader with local government in Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills. During 2009 Adrian prepared an environmental management plan for the University of South Australia Facilities Management Unit. Now a Sustainability Adviser with Santos, Adrian is responsible for Santos’ sustainability framework.

David Micallef is the Group Account Manager for Sustainability and Infrastructure and Head of Media at Fenton Communications. He has extensive experience in developing and implementing communications, media and stakeholder engagement strategy in the sustainability sector and has worked with a range of clients in the government and NGO sectors.

He holds a Master of Arts (Professional Communication) from Deakin University and completed post-graduate studies in Public Relations at the University of Florida. David brings with him strong experience in journalism through work with an overseas daily newspaper, a UK online news publisher and several UK based trade magazines in the business, technology and environment sectors.

At Fentons, David has worked extensively with the Department of Human Services and Department of Health on the community recovery from the devastating bushfires in February 2009 and, amongst other clients, manages the pro bono partnership with FareShare – a food rescue charity that feeds Melbourne’s hungry and homeless by rescuing food that would have otherwise ended up as landfill.

Brandy began her professional life as a vet before becoming a writer at WellmarkPerspexa. This explains a) why she adores animals, and b) why she thinks abscess-lancing is a fun pastime. No, seriously.

After first completing a Bachelor of Science with Honours in 1997 and then a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Brandy spent four years working in small-animal practice before deciding on a career change (her first one, that is). A stint in veterinary recruitment followed, before she eventually realised that her passion for writing could be suppressed no more. She has been a Writer at WellmarkPerspexa since 2009.

Brandy has authored several research papers in pharmacology and has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. During her time at WellmarkPerspexa, she has worked on projects for clients including Ipsen and Smith & Nephew.

Brandy remains passionate about animal welfare, but she doesn’t miss the shoulder-length gloves of veterinary practice.

Currently Head of Strategy at WellmarkPerspexa, Candice has managed to fit an awful lot of career into not much time. Following a Bachelor of Medical Science degree, she studied postgraduate medicine at the University of Sydney, from which she graduated in 2002. Candice then worked in clinical medicine for several years before making the move into writing, joining WellmarkPerspexa in 2006. She has since been an author and contributor to numerous papers in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Candice has recently bolstered her skills in marketing and management with a Master of Marketing from Melbourne Business School, where she received the Helen Macpherson Smith Fellowship (awarded to outstanding women with the potential to reach senior levels of management). Candice now takes a leading role in strategy development at WellmarkPerspexa, having managed projects for clients including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ipsen, the Mycoses Interest Group, Carestream Health and Orphan Pharmaceuticals.

A team player in ethos and practice, Candice is a proponent of workplace policies that encourage a healthy work-life balance. She also takes an active interest in social justice.

Siobhan O’Sullivan is a research fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She specialises in public policy, with a particular emphasis on the delivery of employment services.

Siobhan also has a keen interest in animal welfare legislation and was awarded a PhD in this field by the University of Sydney in 2008. Her research project studied the functionality of animal welfare legislation across different species and uses. Siobhan was recently awarded a grant by the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre to continue her research into animal welfare legislation in Australia, the US and the UK.

Siobhan has authored a number of publications about animal protection. She is currently working on a book Animals, Equality and Democracy, which is due for release in 2011. Siobhan is an associate fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and a member of the organising committee for Animals & Society (Australia).

David has the enviable title of Editor (or if you prefer ‘Grammar Guru’) at WellmarkPerspexa where he maintains our quality control and generally takes care of how we present ourselves to the outside world!

After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts, David completed a PhD in seventeenth-century English theological history followed by further study in Professional Editing and Writing. He worked for publishers including HarperCollins, Oxford University Press and Thomson Learning before joining WellmarkPerspexa.

When David’s not un-mixing metaphors or gluing split infinitives back together, he enjoys watching rugby and drinking soy lattes (not a combination you’ll hear often, but one you understand once you meet him).

Chris is a designer with WellmarkPerspexa who brings communications projects to life, having honed his skills in investor relations and business-to-business communications over the past two decades. Currently Art Director at WellmarkPerspexa, he is the driving force behind the ‘magic’ element of the company’s work. He is also their resident music snob.

Chris graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Design from the Derby School of Art before working for 10 years in the UK. He came to Australia in 1999 (for a girl, of course) and subsequently strengthened his design capabilities at a number of agencies before joining WellmarkPerspexa in 2004. He has worked on major projects for clients such as Santos, Amcor, Paperlinx, Coles Myer, Virgin Group and BSkyB.

Always aware of emerging design trends and a big believer in social media, Chris is WellmarkPerspexa’s finger on the proverbial pulse. And this notwithstanding his other commitments: one wife, two children, big mortgage, not-so-big car.

Phillip Sargeant works as an Associate at Beaton Research and Consulting, a role he has held for close to 2 years. He is an advocate of research and its ability to be a catalyst for change.

In 2008, Phillip completed a Commerce/Arts degree at Monash University with majors in Marketing and Music Performance. He attained marks within the top 10 of students in his year, for which he was awarded an honorary membership to the Australian Marketing Institute.

Phillip believes the deepest and most profound conversations are had while doing the dishes. In his spare time he enjoys immersing himself in the rich music culture of Melbourne city, playing in bands ‘The Give’ and ‘Escher’s Eraser’, and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Rebecca Sheils is Director of Research with Beaton Research and Consulting. She has a PhD in clinical psychology and has several years of practical experience working as a psychologist. She has extensive qualitative and quantitative research experience on a wide range of government and private sector projects from which she has built up strong expertise in customer, stakeholder and employee research. Her expertise primarily lies in services and business-to-business research. Prior to joining Beaton, Rebecca served as the Australian Executive Director of Ipsos Loyalty, a global business within the market research company, Ipsos. In this role, Rebecca had full responsibility for the Worldwide Specialty Business Line, Ipsos Loyalty, within Australia, including financial, operational, research and team aspects.

Michael Smith is Director of Digital Media at WellmarkPerspexa. Creative and perfectionistic, adept with traditional and new media, and bi-lingual into the bargain, he is a true all-rounder.

After completing his design degree at Swinburne University, Michael worked as a designer at Sobisha Inc. in Japan before founding his own company in 1997 and working with a range of businesses in the cultural melting pot that is Tokyo. After 15 years in Japan, Michael returned to Australia in mid-2004 to join WellmarkPerspexa, where he is a veritable e-oracle.

Susie Smith is Manager Climate Change and Sustainability at Santos. Susie published Santos’ first sustainability report in December 2004 and has developed Santos’ scorecard approach to integrating sustainability. She is also a member of the international Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Oil and Gas Sector Supplement Working Group.

Grant Summers is Victorian Regional Manager for Spicers Paper, a member of the PaperlinX Group. After finishing high school, he took on an internal sales role with Brand Paper in Southampton, England. This was followed by an opportunity to join The Paper Company, then part of Bunzl plc, in an external sales position. Grant subsequently progressed to Branch Manager and then Area Sales Manager before being appointed Sales Director for the south coast of England. By this time PaperlinX had acquired The Paper Company from Bunzl plc, and in 2008 he relocated to Australia to pursue his current role. With more than 20 years’ experience promoting this precious natural resource, Grant is an advocate of the benefits and sustainability of paper use.

Bert Verhoeven is a successful entrepreneur and is currently Director of Xpress Information, a company that offers communication coaching and training as well as online editorial services and marketing strategy. Bert also lectures on entrepreneurship and innovation at Swinburne University.

Bert began his career working as a journalist in Holland. After completing his Masters degree in Economic History at Erasmus University (Rotterdam) in 1992, he founded a professional consulting firm offering strategy, education and communication services. Following this, Bert was instrumental in transforming an international enterprise into the leading organisation in the field of marketing and management of sports and development aid in The Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Bert moved to Australia in early 2006, and the following year he completed his Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne University with a focus on entrepreneurial web strategies. He is currently completing a PhD to investigate this subject further.

Now a Senior Writer at WellmarkPerspexa, Ryan has spent the past decade or so in a number of professional guises, in various places around the world. He swears it is not because he is running from the law.

Originally from the ‘wild’ west, Ryan graduated with a medical degree from the University of Western Australia in 1999. Following his medical residency, he spent five years working in psychiatry in Perth and the UK before turning his hand to writing. He then completed a Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing and worked at a medical magazine before joining WellmarkPerspexa in 2007. He has since been the lead writer on accounts for clients such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ipsen, Celgene and Gilead Sciences.

Ryan has a longstanding interest in medical education, having twice been a delegate at the National Forum of the Medical Prevocational Training and Accreditation Committee. Recently, he has also served on the judging panel for the Global Awards in Healthcare Communications.