Simon is an author, international speaker, futurist and live-streamed TV host. Over the last decade, he has hosted everything from awards nights to internal corporate TV shows to political debates.

As a futurist, Simon is particularly interested in how technology is reshaping our lives and our work and he loves to engage with guests to explore the ideas that will shape the future of conference audiences.

You can contact Simon at Pirate TV

Catherine is passionate about working in the not-for-profit space in her role as Senior Advisor at Wendy Brooks & Partners and via her volunteer role as Council Member for Institute for Community Directors Australia.

Catherine spent the first 12 years of her professional life as a practicing lawyer with a range of top tier and boutique law firms, specialising in employment law and working with not-for-profits in the areas of governance and strategic workforce planning. Catherine is also the author of a book, Let’s make it work, baby! a guide to help other parents work flexibly and achieve their personal and professional goals.
As a woman living with a disability, Catherine is a proud advocate for equal rights and is proudly raising two feminist boys. When the pandemic hit, Catherine relocated to live on the Great Ocean Road (Fairhaven) and got to experience the joys, and often isolation, of living regionally outside of a main town. After 18 months she moved to Geelong and now feels that she has the best of both worlds – close to the city (where she commutes twice a week to Melbourne, and once a fortnight to Sydney) but within a vibrant regional community. Catherine works flexibly on Waddawurrung Country.

You can contact Catherine at Wendy Brooks & Partners

Mitchell Withers (he/him) is a documentary filmmaker, storyteller and community arts practitioner working on Gulidjan and Gadubanud country in Western Victoria.

Graduating from Curtin University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing), Mitchell went on to co found Fremantle based film outfit, Barking Wolf. In 2019, he crossed the Nullarbor and went out on his own.

Following a brief stint of freelancing around the state, Mitchell founded Of Place Films in 2020. Of Place has enabled Mitchell to embark on a deep exploration into the societal importance of his craft and to collaborate with a range of individuals and groups. For this, he is immensely grateful, and for the manner in which he is brought into people’s lives by way of the stories they share.

His work has been featured in festivals such as Revelation, Transitions and Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, and in gallery settings at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery and Wireless Hill Museum. Mitchell is most passionate about exploring identity and providing opportunities for individuals and groups to connect back with the truth of their story. 

You can contact Mitchell at Of Place Films

Tony Brun has extensive C-Suite experience, chairman and board experience. He has civil engineering and management qualifications and experience with a focus on governance, leadership, infrastructure, innovation and property.

During his time as Chief Executive at the City of Geraldton, Mr Brun was recognised as a finalist in the Bertelsmann Foundation's global Reinhardt Mohn Prize, was a winner at the United Nations Environmental Program LiveCom Awards in 2011 and a finalist in the same awards in 2012. He also oversaw the selection of Geraldton as one of the IBM Smarter Cities Global Challege cities.
Mr Brun was also the chief executive at the City of Cockburn for 18 months before being appointed chief executive of Avalon Airport in Victoria in late 2022. He had been the head of planning at Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne, where he oversaw the planning functions, prior to taking the helm at the City of Cockburn.

You can contact Tony at Avalon Airport