Guest Speakers

Malcolm Irving

With a background in Accounting and Finance, culminating as Managing Director of Merchant Bank CIBC Australia Limited, Malcolm Irving has been a non executive Director of listed and non listed companies for a number of years.
Current Directorships include Abacus Property Group, Thales Australia Limited, Avant Insurance Limited and CRI Funds Management Limited.

Malcolm was a Director of Caltex Australia Limited for twelve years including six years as Chairman; he continues to be a Consultant to Caltex Australia Limited. He was also a director of Telstra Corporation Limited and the Government owned Australian Industry Development Corporation and Australian River Company Limited (formerly Australian National Lines).

Peter Scott

Peter has a portfolio of Non Executive Directorships including being Chairman of SKM, a privately owned leading engineering, sciences and project delivery company with over 6,000 employees and operating in over 40 countries. He is also a Director of Stockland Corporation Limited and Perpetual Limited, two Australian listed public companies and is a member of the Advisory Panel of Laing O'Rourke Australia and a Director of O'Connell Street Associates. His pro bono activities include being Co-Chairman of Pilotlight.

Previously, Peter was CEO of MLC and the head of National Australia Bank's Wealth Management Division and a member of the Group Executive Committee of the Bank from June 2000 until January 2005.

Peter is married with two adult children and his interests include his family, sailing, sport and music.

Pip Marlow CEO Microsoft

As CEO, Pip Marlow is responsible for Microsoft’s overall business in Australia. Pip isdeeply committed to and passionate about the value of diversity. Pip enjoys working in a vibrant team environment and her proudest achievements are those that have come from collaborating with others. Pip was born, raised and educated in Palmerston North, New Zealand. She currently lives in Sydney with her Scottish husband and two daughters, Sophie & Lucy.

Debrah Singh, GM Dick Smith

Debra Singh is the General Manager for Dick Smith (Australia, NZ and India). In February 2008, Debra took up the role of General Manager with Dick Smith Debra has extensive experience in Retail with over 28 years in Debra was the first woman to be appointed to run a trading division at Woolworths and has worked in a variety of roles in her 9 years with the company, spanning Human Resources, Operational roles in Corporate, Supermarkets and Consumer Electronics.

Debra has a long association with India where she was married in 1977 and has had an active involvement in the Australian Indian community.

Nancy Milne

Nancy Milne is one of Australia's leading insurance and reinsurance lawyers, and an experienced commercial litigator having acted in many major professional negligence and directors' liability cases, as well as some of the leading insurance coverage disputes.

Nancy's standing has led to appointments by the Federal Government to the Medical Indemnity Policy Review Panel and to review the Insurance Contracts Act with Alan Cameron. Her outstanding work as an insurance lawyer has been recognised by an Order of Australia Medal.

In recent times, Nancy spends more time as a non-executive director of various companies.

Dr Ian Pollard

Over three decades Ian Pollard has been chairman, a director or chief executive of about thirty companies. DCA Group, which he founded in 1984, grew to become one of Australia’s 100 largest listed companies. He is currently Chairman of Corporate Express Australia and RGA Reinsurance Australia, a director of Milton Corporation, the Purves Environmental Fund and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

Ian is an experienced executive coach with Global Coaching Partnership, and has also had wide-ranging involvements in the not-for-profit sector.

He is an actuary and Rhodes Scholar and has represented Australia in tennis. Ian serves on the advisory councils of both JP Morgan Australia and the Faculty of Business at the University of Technology, Sydney

Ian’s abiding interest in all these activities is the development of people’s capabilities and relationships, their identification of opportunities and the magnitude of what some people achieve and contribute in their lives.

Catriona Noble, Managing Director/CEO McDonald's Australia

In her role, Catriona is responsible for all areas of the business including Marketing, Public Affairs, Operations, Supply Chain, the Pacific Islands and Business Planning, whilst taking on the leadership role for the ongoing development and integration of McDonald's Business Plan.

Catriona has had a distinguished career progressing up through the ranks in McDonald's. She is a member of the Corporation's Top Management Team in Australia and was appointed an Officer of the company in 2001. In 2007 Catriona was appointed to the Board of McDonald's Australia after previously holding an advisory directorship during 2006.