This is a past event. Registration is closed. View other Responsible Investment Association Australasia events.
Kate O'Rourke (Virtual Presenter)
Commissioner at Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC)- Addressing financial system climate risk: A view from the regulator - Keynote: Kate O'Rourke, ASIC Commissioner
- Greenwashing: Lessons from the courtroom
Kate commenced as an ASIC Commissioner for a five-year term in September 2023.
She has more than 25 years’ experience in law and regulation across financial services, markets, and corporations.
Kate joined ASIC from Treasury, where she held senior leadership positions with responsibility for data and digital economic reforms, COVID economic policy responses, small business policy and regulatory frameworks governing market conduct.
Kate previously held senior executive roles at ASIC with responsibility for corporate transactions and governance, and practised in the Sydney and New York offices of the law firm Sullivan and Cromwell.
She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Economics (Social Science) and Law from the University of Sydney, a Master of Laws from the New York University School of Law, and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of New South Wales.
Tyson Yunkaporta
Senior Lecturer, Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin UniversityIndigenous skolar (Apalech clan (Wik) Lostmob Nungar) working with Indigenous Systems Knowledge and collective Indigenous inquiry methods inflected with complexity science to resolve global existential threats and issues in regenerative design responses to crises. Works across disciplines in literature/creative writing, sociology of religion (disinformation/conspirituality/IO's), history, Indigenous Knowledges, psychology, environmental studies, architecture/engineering/Indigenous design and technology. Founder of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab. Author of Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World and Right Story, Wrong Story: Adventures in Indigenous Thinking.
Vicki Doyle
Chief Executive Officer at RestVicki joined Rest as Chief Executive Officer in May 2018, bringing more than 20 years of senior executive leadership experience in superannuation, life insurance, wealth management and banking.
Vicki’s experience includes executive leadership roles at some of Australia’s largest financial services organisations. She has an extensive background in distribution, strategic marketing, digital, fund operations and contact centres, customer strategy and design and product management.
Vicki is passionate about simplifying and demystifying superannuation to help all Australians achieve their best retirement outcomes.
Vicki holds an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and a diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Vicki has served as an Executive Director of Suncorp Portfolio Services Limited from 2009 to 2013, and an Executive Director of NMMT Limited from 2015 to 2017. She is also a Non-executive Director of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors since 2018, a Director of The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia since 2022, and was a Fund Representative Director on the Board of SuperFriend from 2018 to 2021.
Richard Mattison
Head of Sustainability & Climate at MSCIRichard Mattison leads the ESG and climate product development, innovation and business strategy across MSCI. He works closely with Chairman and CEO Henry Fernandez, President Baer Pettit and other leaders across the company to drive innovation and scale throughout the ESG and Climate product franchise.
Richard has over two decades of experience in sustainable finance, previously serving as President of S&P Global’s sustainability unit and as CEO of Trucost Plc, a climate analytics company which S&P Global acquired in 2016. Throughout the course of his career, he has advised various financial institutions, companies and governments on how to integrate sustainability and climate change analysis into their decision making. Mattison was a member of the EU’s High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and a member of the People’s Bank of China’s Green Finance Taskforce, both of which were instrumental in guiding policy in those jurisdictions. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
Richard holds a doctorate in neuroscience and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from The University of Edinburgh.
Sue Lloyd
Vice-Chair at International Sustainability Standards Board- Global standards comparability: A view from ISSB - Keynote: Sue Lloyd, Vice-Chair at ISSB
- Global standards comparability: Are we chasing a pipe dream?
Sue Lloyd’s appointment as Vice-Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), effective 1 March 2022, was announced in January 2022.
She served as a member of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) from 2014 and as IASB Vice-Chair from 2016. She also served as Chair of the IFRS Interpretations Committee from 2017.
In addition to her IASB responsibilities, she played a leading role in the establishment of the ISSB from 2020, including as a member of the Technical Readiness Working Group, which was created by the Trustees to give the ISSB a running start.
Prior to becoming an IASB member, Ms Lloyd worked for the IFRS Foundation as a senior technical director, leading the development of new IFRS Accounting Standards, and as director of capital markets with responsibility for the IASB’s reform of accounting for financial instruments. She also worked for the IFRS Foundation from 2002 to 2004 as a technical project manager.
Ms Lloyd has held various positions in investment banking both in the UK and in Australia and has served as a member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB). She has a Master’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Chris Evans
Australian Anti-Slavery CommissionerMr Chris Evans is the inaugural Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Mr Evans has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Freedom Network of Walk Free, working with faith leaders to end human trafficking and modern slavery.
From 2016 to 2020 he also held the role of Strategic Engagement Lead, Walk Free, leading the organisation’s national and international engagement with governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to strengthen legislative and policy responses to modern slavery. Walk Free played a significant role in the campaign for the introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill 2018.
Mr Evans was a Senator for Western Australia between 1993 and 2013. He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate (2007-13), Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007-10), Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (2010-11) and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (2011-13).
Naomi Edwards FAICD
Chair and National Director of Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)Naomi has more than 20 years of board experience, including at ASX-listed companies, superannuation funds, government entities and not-for-profits. In 2023 she was President of the Actuaries Institute of Australia, and she was a director of the AICD board from 2018–22. Naomi is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (Australia) and a former partner of Deloitte. Naomi has had an executive career in the life insurance industry and has also worked extensively with fund managers and superannuation funds, in the Industry Super, retail ESG and ethical super spaces. She currently works as a chair and non-executive director across a variety of listed and unlisted companies. Naomi is currently a non-executive director for TAL, Yarra Funds Management and Propel Funeral Partners. She is the former chair of Spirit Super, Accurium Pty Limited and Australian Ethical Investment. She has also served on the boards of Australian Ethical Super, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, the Tasmanian Development Board, Hunter Hall and Nikko AM Ltd.
Nigel Browne
Chief Executive Officer at Aboriginal Investment NTNigel is a descendant of the Larrakia and Wulna peoples, with a wealth of experience across both public and private sectors.
His traditional Country encompasses the lands and waters of the Greater Darwin Region, including Darwin & Bynoe harbours, Shoal, Adam and Chambers Bay, Cox Peninsula, Vernon Islands, Adelaide & Mary Rivers, Acacia, Cape Hotham, Fogg Dam, Humpty Doo & Koolpinyah Stations, and Djukbinj National Park.
Nigel is widely known for his leadership, legal expertise, and long-standing commitment to empowering Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory through economic development and advocacy. His diverse experience includes advancing Aboriginal land rights, fostering economic independence, leading strategic development projects, and holding various senior legal and advisory roles.
Nigel was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Aboriginal Investment NT in March 2025 and is committed to driving growth and innovation for Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory.
Prior to his role at Aboriginal Investment NT, Nigel was the CEO of Larrakia Development Corporation and served as a Director on several boards and committees, including the Indigenous Land & Sea Corporation, National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, and The Healing Foundation.
Nigel studied at Northern Territory University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 2001. His professional background also includes roles as Crown Prosecutor (ODPPNT), Aboriginal Lands (SFNT), and Policy Advisor (Chief Minister’s Office).
In August 2011, he was announced as the National Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year, in recognition of his advocacy, representation, and contribution to the Larrakia people. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Maria Lettini (Virtual Presenter)
Chief Executive Officer at US Sustainable Investment ForumMaria is the Chief Executive Officer of the US Sustainable Investment Forum, the pioneering network focused on sustainable investing. Maria joined in May of 2023 and brought with her notable capital markets experience. She is an innovative leader within the field of sustainability and finance and is recognized for building meaningful partnerships across the value chain of global institutional investors, corporates, policymakers, multi-national organizations, and other related stakeholders to address some of the world’s most critical, and financially material, environmental and social challenges.
Most recently Maria led the FAIRR Initiative. During her six years at FAIRR, she and her team ambitiously drove the narrative around the risks and opportunities in the global protein supply chain with the aim of directing capital towards a more sustainable and equitable food system. Under her tenure, the FAIRR investor network grew to over $70 trillion in combined assets and FAIRR’s expert research on climate, biodiversity, anti-microbial resistance, and other risks, reframed the narrative on animal agriculture and sustainable protein.
Prior to joining FAIRR, Maria worked for the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) where she cultivated and expanded the global investor network, managing the PRI’s Signatory Relations strategy and raising awareness of material ESG issues with institutional investors.
Maria started her career in global finance and capital markets, working at both J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank. She has served on the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board Standards Advisory Group. She is also a member of the Intentional Endowment Network’s (IEN) Steering Committee.
Maria is based in Washington DC but has lived and worked in San Francisco, New York, Madrid and London. She holds a MA (Distinction) in Environment, Politics and Globalization from King’s College London and a BA in International Business, Latin American Studies and Spanish from San Diego State University.
Adrian Pozzo
Chief Executive Officer at Cbus PropertyAdrian Pozzo is the Chief Executive Officer of Cbus Property Pty Ltd, having been appointed to this role in 2007. Adrian has over 35 years’ experience as an executive in the property and construction industries, working in both private and public companies, including 20 years in direct property.
Adrian has responsibility for the strategic performance and management of all aspects of the Cbus direct property investment business which includes major investments and developments in the commercial, retail and residential sectors.
Adrian is also the Chair of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Property Council’s Champions of Change coalition.
Alex Heath
Head of the Climate and Energy Division at TreasuryAlex Heath is currently the Head of the Climate and Energy Division. She came to Treasury, on secondment from the RBA in August 2022 to join the Employment Taskforce. At the RBA, Alex held a number of senior management positions in the Economic Group and Financial Markets groups after she returned from her secondment to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel Switzerland in 2008. She has worked on a variety of topic areas including macroeconomic forecasting, labour market dynamics, the impact of financial regulation on financial markets, global imbalances and the foreign exchange market.
Alex holds a PhD and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BEc (Hons) from the University of Sydney.
Ted Kennedy Jr. (Virtual Presenter)
Co-Chair of the Disability IndexTed Kennedy, Jr. is the Co-Chair of the Disability Index, the leading corporate social responsibility, accountability and ESG benchmarking tool that scores and tracks businesses on their disability inclusion policies and practices. He is also a health care attorney and partner in the law firm Epstein Becker Green and a former State Senator.
As an amputee and childhood bone cancer survivor, Ted has been an active leader in the disability rights and independent living movements nearly his entire life. Since his appointment to the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities under President Ronald Reagan, to his role as immediate past Chair and current Member of the Board of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Ted has fought to expand job opportunities and to advance the economic independence of people with disabilities. He knows that businesses can play a pivotal role in ensuring that people with disabilities have the same rights as everybody else, and how inclusion drives business success.
Ted believes that disability equality and inclusion is the next chapter of responsible capitalism and ESG investing, and he is spearheading the adoption of the Joint Investor Statement on Corporate Disability Inclusion. Signed by over 30 of the world’s largest institutional investors and financial services organizations, this shareholder engagement strategy represents a new, concerted effort in the disability rights movement, recognizing the unique role that companies play in the creation of a more just and equitable society.
At Epstein Becker Green, Ted advises many of the nation's foremost health care companies on the key legal, regulatory, reimbursement, coverage issues and emerging policy changes facing hospitals, post-acute providers, government and commercial insurance entities, and life sciences companies. From 2015 to 2019, Ted also served as a State Senator in the Connecticut General Assembly.
Nicolette Boele
Community Independent for BradfieldNicolette Boele is a responsible investment and clean energy executive with more than 25 years' experience in capital markets, sustainability, and climate change policy.
Nicolette's professional interest lies in building purpose into finance, growing just, social, and equitable capitals to underpin resilient and sustainable economies.
She has held executive roles at the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, The Climate Institute, and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. She has also worked to better climate outcomes at the Australian Conservation Foundation, Investor Group on Climate Change, and the Sustainable Energy Development Authority.
She is a Non-executive Director at The Good Car Company and is a member of the Climate Impact Advisory Committee for New Zealand’s Climate Venture Capital Fund.
Nicolette was Bradfield’s community independent candidate in the 2022 federal election which enjoyed the largest swing in primary votes against a sitting member, anywhere in the country. Keen to demonstrate what true representation can be like, she has declared she will stand again for election in 2025.
Paul Clements-Hunt
Chief Executive Officer at The Blended Capital Group- The future of ESG - Keynote: Paul Clements-Hunt, CEO at The Blended Capital Group
- The dis-United States of ESG: Where to now for responsible investing?
Paul Clements-Hunt coined the acronym 'ESG' in May 2004 and as a United Nations official delivered the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) for Secretary General Kofi Annan in April 2006. PRI is now backed by 5400 institutional investors representing U$ 120 trillion in assets. Since 1991 Paul has operated globally and advised Prime Ministers, governments, corporate boards, capital markets, and civil society and community organisations on the mobilisation of finance at scale into critical sustainability challenges and opportunities. After heading UNEP-Finance Initiative for 12 years, Paul founded The Blended Capital Group (TBCG) in March 2012. Paul is a Board Member at Global Infrastructure Basel, and Chair of the Board at Future Fit Foundation.
Jennifer Hewett
National Affairs Columnist at The Australian Financial ReviewJennifer Hewett is the National Affairs Columnist for The Australian Financial Review, specialising in coverage of business and politics and writing a daily column.
She has been a journalist for more than three decades and a correspondent in Canberra, New York and Washington. She regularly appears on radio and TV. Originally from Western Australia, she now divides her time between Sydney and Melbourne.
Mamadou-Abou Sarr
Co-Founder & President of V-Square Quantitative ManagementMamadou is the co-Founder and President of V-Square Quantitative Management, a subsidiary of Valor Equity Partners. Mamadou co-Founded V-Square in 2020 after an accomplished career in asset management whilst working for global financial services company across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
Kristina Hermanson
Head of APAC & Africa at Nuveen Natural CapitalKristina Hermanson is the Head of APAC and Africa at Nuveen Natural Capital. She targets growth in the region in farmland, timber and nature-based investments in collaboration with the expertise across Nuveen. The Australian Farmland core business is a key component within the APAC region with growth potential into nature-based solutions with regenerative agriculture at the core.
With proud roots on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Kristina has more than 25 years of international leadership experience, most recently serving as Managing Director of ANZ & ASEAN at FMC Corporation. Kristina started her career as a mechanical engineer based in Europe and worked in commercial, strategy, and M&A roles in EMEA and APAC over a decade with global agribusiness firm, Archer Daniels Midland. She also served as Director of Growth and Collaboration, at Coca Cola Amatil in Australia before joining FMC. Kristina is a Non-Executive Board member at the Australian Farm Institute and has recently served as a Director of AgSafe, CropLife Australia, and non-profit, Business for Development.
David Atkin
Chief Executive Officer at Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)David Atkin is the CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is a UN-supported organisation, with more than 5,300 signatories who collectively represent over US $128 trillion in AUM. He is responsible for the PRI’s global operations.
David previously served as the Deputy CEO for AMP Capital and prior to that spent almost 13 years as the CEO for Cbus Superannuation Fund, where he saw membership grow from 500,000 to over 750,000 and AUM rise to AUD $55 billion.
David has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from La Trobe University for his work in the sustainable finance field, was awarded the Fund Executives Association Ltd (FEAL) Fund Executive of the Year in 2017 and was presented with an Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) Life Membership in 2020.
Marco Lambertini
Convener at Nature Positive Initiative- Measuring nature for investors - Keynote: Marco Lambertini, Convener at Nature Positive Initiative
- Finding Nature’s formula: What investors need to know about metrics and measurement
- Workshop: Putting nature metrics to action
Marco is Convenor of the Nature Positive Initiative, an international coalition of organisations that promotes the integrity and implementation of Nature Positive by 2030. He was previously WWF International Director General (2014-2022) and Special Envoy (2023). Before joining WWF he was Global Director of Network and Programme and subsequently CEO of BirdLife International.
Marco’s experience and career ranges from ecological field research to high level advocacy and international policy, nature reserve management, integrated conservation and development projects, environmental education, NGO development, communications and campaigning, in many countries all over the world.
Marco is a member of the China Council (CCICED), a member of the Board of Directors for the Fondation Prince Albert III de Monaco, co-chair of the Nature Action 100 Science Council, former co-chair and now Board member of the Belt and Road Initiative Greening Coalition, a founding member of the Nature Action Agenda and the Friends of Ocean Action at WEF, outgoing member of the UN Global Compact Board and former co-focal point for UN DESA’s Community of Ocean Action on Marine/Coastal Ecosystems. Marco is also former co-chair of the Global Commons Alliance.
Julia Lee
Head of Client Coverage, Pacific at FTSE RussellJulia Lee one of Australia’s best known financial experts providing commentary to Bloomberg, CNBC, ABC, BCC, Sunrise and on radio, podcast and in newspapers. She is currently the Head of Client Coverage – Pacific at FTSE Russell’s Index Investment Group and focuses on asset owners in Australia and New Zealand.
She is a seasoned financial professional with extensive experience in the equities and ETF markets. She has held key positions such as the ETF Equities Strategist Asia-Pacific Region at State Street Global Advisors, Chief Investment Officer at Burman Invest, and Equities Strategist at Bell Direct.
With over 20 years experience, Julia has demonstrated expertise in investment insights, financial product development and portfolio strategy, making her a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.
Julia is on the board of directors for the Australian Stockbrokers Foundation. She has her Master of Business in Finance and is an accredited Derivatives Advisor (ADA2(ASX)).
David Mullins
Managing Director – Asia Pacific of Verisk MaplecroftDavid Mullins is based in Singapore and has 20 years of experience in advising clients in the energy sector. He has been based in Asia and the Middle East for the last 15 years.
David‘s background is primarily working with governments and the energy sector. He has developed and led various engagements in the areas of corporate strategy, foreign direct investment, and transaction support. He has also advised multi-national corporations on market disruption, transition risks, and ESG issues.
David was previously head of upstream consulting for IHS Markit in Asia and a Director in Wood Mackenzie’s upstream consulting team. He has worked at the US Department of Commerce as an advisor on foreign trade and in the UK House of Commons as a parliamentary associate. David holds an MBA in International Business from Texas A&M and degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Rochester.
Deirdre Cooper
Head of Sustainable Equity at Ninety OneDeirdre is Head of Sustainable Equity at Ninety One. Deirdre is a leading voice in understanding and committing to sustainable investing, particularly investment to address and combat climate change. Ninety One’s Global Environment Strategy, which she co-manages, invests in companies enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy to capture the structural growth driven by decarbonization. Prior to joining Ninety One in 2018, Deirdre was a Partner, Portfolio Manager and Head of Research at Ecofin. Before joining Ecofin, Deirdre was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley where she headed their European Renewable Energy coverage effort and built an investment banking and principal investing franchise. She has long had a passion for sustainable investing and has worked on a voluntary basis in the microfinance sector both in the US and in Pakistan. She is a member of the advisory board for Imperial College’s Centre for Climate Finance and Investment. She is a peer reviewer for the IEA’s World Energy Outlook. Deirdre earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar, and her BA in Actuarial Science from University College Dublin.
Prof Timothy Lynch
Professor of US Politics at The University of MelbourneTim Lynch is Professor of American Politics at the University of Melbourne. One of Australia’s most read academic commentators, he is a regular contributor to The Australian newspaper.
His latest book, In the Shadow of the Cold War: American Foreign Policy from George Bush Sr. to Donald Trump (Cambridge, 2020), has been called ‘a cogent, graceful, provocative account’ of its subject.
In 2022-23, Tim was the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Fulbright Professor at the University of Wyoming, in America’s reddest state.
Tim long been a bridge between academia and public discourse, evident in his widely read op-eds and his leadership in community programs like Melbourne’s sell-out 10 Great Books Masterclass.
Twice a Fulbright scholar, Tim holds a PhD in political science from Boston College, Massachusetts.
Born and raised in the English midlands, Tim is a citizen of Australia and Great Britain. He lives in rural Victoria.
Christine Holman
Non-Executive DirectorChristine is a Non-Executive Director with over 30 years’ experience across media, property, industrial, infrastructure and technology sectors.
She is on the Boards of two ASX companies, AGL Ltd and Collins Foods Ltd, one private company - Indara Pty Ltd, which is a joint venture between Australian Super and Singtel and three Not for Profit Boards, Football Australia (effective 21 March 2025), The State Library of NSW Foundation and The McGrath Foundation.
As a Director, Christine has worked on influencing greater engagement and action on ESG and decarbonisation, AI, Digitisation and Cyber Security, to embed the associated risks and opportunities in Corporate Strategy with a disciplined approach capital allocation, ensuring that organisations have a meaningful pathway to sustainable long-term returns.
In her previous executive capacity, as both CFO & Commercial Director of Telstra Broadcast Services, Christine brings a deep understanding of legacy and emerging technologies and digital transformations. During her time in private investment management, Christine assisted management and the Board of investee companies on strategy development, mergers & acquisitions, leading due diligence teams, managing large complex commercial negotiations, and developing growth opportunities.
Christine has an MBA and Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from Macquarie University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and a member of the AICD Corporate Governance Committee.
Jamie Lowe
CEO of National Native Title CouncilJamie Lowe is a Gundjitmara Djabwurrung man serving as the CEO of the National Native Title Council (NNTC) and inaugural Co-Chair of the Mabo Centre, established to promote Traditional Owner economic and social empowerment through a partnership with the University of Melbourne.
With a dedication to advocating for First Nations peoples' self-determination, Jamie has played a pivotal role in various significant initiatives. He was instrumental in negotiating the Closing the Gap Agreement, which took effect in July 2020, and currently represents the NNTC as a Joint Council member of the Coalition of the Peaks, advising on economic development and supporting national cooperation on Closing the Gap initiatives.
In 2021, he was appointed Indigenous Specialist Representative for the Australian Heritage Council, advising the Australian Government on heritage matters. Prior to his role at the NNTC, Jamie was the CEO of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, which holds native title rights in southwestern Victoria, including the Great Ocean Road. He is also an inaugural member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, which is negotiating a Treaty with the Victorian Government.
Internationally, Jamie represents the NNTC at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, contributing to discussions on Indigenous rights and advocacy. His work, both nationally and internationally, emphasizes creating economic independence while preserving cultural identity, as he champions a national Treaty and other initiatives for Traditional Owners and communities across Australia. Jamie remains committed to supporting his community and fostering economic empowerment for First Nations people.
Ming Long AM
Non-Executive DirectorMing Long AM brings deep expertise in leading organisational transformation and navigating complex stakeholder landscapes through market disruption. She serves as Non-Executive Director of Telstra Corporation Limited, QBE Insurance (Auspac), IFM Investors, and Chair of CSIRO. She shapes corporate governance and climate response through her roles on ASIC's Corporate Governance Consultative Committee and the AICDs Climate Governance Initiative Council.
Moe Turaga
Modern Slavery Survivor AdvocateFor the last eight years, Moe Turaga has been telling his powerful personal story to advocate for responsible business practices towards people vulnerable to modern slavery.
Moe first shared his story at the parliamentary inquiry that led to Australia’s Modern Slavery Act. Since then, he has become a key voice for survivors in conversations about improving Australia’s modern slavery response. He speaks regularly to corporate governance audiences.
In 2023, Moe received a Freedom Award in recognition of his work.
In 2024, he received a commendation from the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner.
He is a consultant to the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN) and an Advisory Committee member to Domus 8.7 Remediation Service.
Moe is actively engaged with at-risk workers in horticulture, meat processing, hospitality and aged care including workers on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.
Michele O'Neil (Virtual Presenter)
President at Australian Council of Trade UnionsMichele is the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. She is a board member of Australian Super and a board member of the Net Zero Economy Authority and is on the Governing Body of the International Labor Organisation.
Before being elected as ACTU President in 2018, Michele represented workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry as an organiser and then Branch and National Secretary of the TCFUA (Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia). She represented her union nationally and internationally and led campaigns to win world-leading rights for workers throughout clothing supply chains – model of supply chain accountability for workers which increased pay and conditions for some of Australia’s most exploited workers.
Dr Huw McKay
Visiting Fellow at ANU and former Chief Economist of BHPDr Huw McKay is a Visiting Fellow in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU, and Founder of Dark Matter Advisory, a boutique strategy and foresight firm. He is an economist and historian by training. His research is centred on the concept of the “quadrilemma” – the simultaneous pursuit of prosperity, populism, rivalry and the energy transformation. His advice and counsel are widely sought by multinational companies, governments, and the investment community, and he is a regular commentator on major issues in public policy, financial markets and the real economy.
Prior to his current roles, he spent eight years as Vice President of Market Analysis and Economics [Chief Economist] at BHP, the world’s largest mining company, based in Singapore. He has also practiced in finance, government, think tanks and academia, and served on the Chief Economists council of the World Economic Forum. Huw has an exceptional forecasting track record established
over 25 years of professional experience, spread across a broad range of themes and encapsulating time horizons from the very short term to as far out as 2100.
Huw’s expertise includes macroeconomics, geopolitics, financial markets, commodities, climate change, technology forecasting, and scenario analysis. Regionally, he is one of the world’s leading Asian experts, especially the three giants of China, Japan and India.
He is the author of The Strategic Logic of China’s Economy, published recently by Springer, and he is also the discover of the “Kuznets Curve for Steel”, which is a nonlinear relationship between economic development and steel demand per capita.
Huw has a PhD in Economics and History from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Economics (1st Class, University Medal) from the University of Sydney.
Carmen Leung
Senior Manager, Sustainable Product, APAC at FTSE Russell- Climate transition investing: If not now, then when? If not you, then who? - Keynote: Carmen Leung, Senior Manager, Sustainable Product, APAC at FTSE Russell
- Climate transition investing: If not now, then when? If not you, then who?
Carmen Leung is the Senior Manager for Sustainable Product in the Asia-Pacific region. She oversees the development and management of sustainable products and solutions tailored to clients' needs.
Carmen joined FTSE Russell in December 2024 from Perpetual Group, where she was their Head of Product Strategy & Development, leading the firm's product strategy and development initiatives for Pendal. She brings over 20 years of experience in investment management, specialising in sustainable and impact products.
Carmen is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Master of Commerce (Finance) from the University of New South Wales. She is an independent member of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Certification Assessment Panel.
John Moutsopoulos
Partner at Mills Oakley LawyersJohn is a leading investment fund and financial services specialist with over 20 years’ experience in top tier Australian and international law firms acting for private industry and government in relation to investment transactions across a range of real asset classes and venture capital.
Before joining Mills Oakley, John co-led the ESG portfolio for KPMG Law Australia for 5 years working closely with climate change, sustainability, and natural capital experts a combination and experience which has allowed him to make a difference with his clients as they lean into a net zero, nature positive future.
John is a cross border funds expert with a focus on real estate and new investment solutions in the ESG/low carbon space including across agri farmland, carbon and natural capital and biodiversity credit projects and markets. On a personal front John is also a regenerative sheep farmer.
Moana Nottage
Senior ESG and Sustainability Analyst at Alphinity Investment ManagementMoana is an ESG and sustainability analyst at Alphinity Investment Management who contributes to active integration of Environmental, Social and Governance into the investment process. She conducts research and data analysis on typical ESG topics, and also considers the implications and opportunities of various sustainability issues related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Moana takes part in thematic research (e.g. modern slavery), product development, company engagement and monitors ongoing ESG risks with a focus on global stock and sector analysis.
Moana joined Alphinity in May 2020 as an intern to support the global team and in June 2021 moved into a full-time role working across domestic and global funds. She has an active role supporting the Sustainable Share Fund Compliance Committee and assists in the governance and research associated with the global and domestic sustainable strategies.
Moana has a Bachelor of Science and Commerce from the University of Sydney, with majors in Biology, Environmental Studies and Finance.
Jessie Pettigrew
Head of Responsible Investment at Equip SuperResponsible for the delivery of the responsible investment strategy at Equip Super, Jessie’s focus is on the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations into the team’s investment process, the asset stewardship program, including company engagement and proxy voting activities as well as sustainable investment advocacy. Jessie has worked in sustainability and ESG risk across financial services for almost a decade, with a focus on investments and superannuation.
Lou Capparelli
Head of ESG at UniSuperLou is Head of ESG, with responsibility for UniSuper’s Environmental, Social and Governance approach in Investments. He joined UniSuper in July 2015 as a Manager, Equities covering a range of domestic and international stocks. In 2018, Lou was appointed co-manager of the Sustainable Australian Equities portfolio. In 2019, he joined the ESG team and was appointed Head of ESG in July 2022.
Lou has worked in equities and financial markets since 1994. Prior to joining UniSuper, he was Head of Research at Evans & Partners, a boutique investment and advisory firm. Lou’s previous roles include Director, Australian Equities with BlackRock Investment Management and Partner, Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs JBWere (now Goldman Sachs). He began his career at Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills), where he qualified as a solicitor in 1992.
Lou holds a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Melbourne, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA).
Francie Doolan
CEO of Small GiantsFrancie is passionate about the power of storytelling, education, business and finance to accelerate the transition to a more socially equitable and environmentally regenerative world.
Francie is the CEO of Small Giants, an impact investment family office. Francie is responsible for leading the systems lens approach by integrating investing and philanthropy across multiple leverage points for systems change and across multiple horizons. Francie oversees the local and global portfolio across asset classes and interconnected systems, including circular economy, clean energy, finance, regenerative agriculture and aquaculture, built environment and community building. Francie holds a number of governance positions across the portfolio. Francie is a non-executive director at Impact Funds Management, a subsidiary of Impact Investment Group (IIG). IIG is an Australian impact investment funds manager focused on real estate. Francie is the Board Chair of Small Giants Academy and the Board Chair of Small Giants Catalyst Foundation. Francie is also a facilitator for the Small Giants Academy Journey to Impact program, an impact investing program run in Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore and UK.
Outside of Small Giants, Francie is a Governor at WWF Australia, on the Advisory Board for Good&Proper and the Advisory Council for Unless Financial. Francie is also on the Board of Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and a member of RIAA’s People, Nominations and Remuneration Committee.
Simon O'Connor
Independent Non-Executive DirectorSimon is an economist and sustainability expert with over two decades working across finance, investment and the not-for-profit sector, focused on driving a more sustainable economic and financial system. Simon was previously the CEO of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia for 11 years. Simon has recently been appointed non-executive director at Bank Australia, Australia’s fourth largest mutual bank, is a member of the Federal Minister for Environment’s Nature Finance Council and is a non-executive director of Altiorem, a global public library and resource hub for sustainable finance. Simon currently holds honorary roles at the University of Melbourne as an Executive-in-Residence at Melbourne Climate Futures and Honorary Fellow at the Melbourne Biodiversity Institute.
Simon was previously the architect and inaugural co-chair of the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute, and until 2023 held the role of Chair of the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, a grouping of the world’s largest regional and national sustainable investment organisations.
Freya Dinshaw
Associate Legal Director of Human Rights Law CentreFreya Dinshaw is an Associate Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, and has over a decade of experience specialising in business and human rights. Freya’s work focuses on exploring opportunities for deploying advocacy, strategic litigation and international mechanisms to challenge the treatment of marginalised communities by governments and companies. Recent examples include co-authoring the Paper Promises and Broken Promises reports on the Australian Modern Slavery Act, supporting Bougainville communities in a human rights complaint through the OECD National Contact Point, and Supreme Court litigation in relation to an asylum seeker’s death in offshore detention. Prior to joining the HRLC, Freya was a Senior Associate at Allens Linklaters, and she previously worked at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. She is an honorary research fellow in modern slavery and regular guest lecturer at Melbourne Law School, and serves on the Australian OECD National Contact Point Advisory Board and steering committee of the Australian Corporate Accountability Network.
Samuel Jones
President at Heartland Initiative, Inc.Sam Jones is president and co-founder of Heartland Initiative, where he leads the development of methodologies, tools, and guidance to assist investors in the prevention and mitigation of human rights harms across their portfolios. Sam has over 25 years of experience in conflict-sensitive research, analysis, and programming, international humanitarian and human rights law, and multi-stakeholder engagement in public and private spheres. Before co-founding Heartland Initiative, Sam worked as Associate Director of the Human Rights Program at The Carter Center, where he managed programs in the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including those focused on corporate accountability for human rights harms in industrial mining and the protection of human rights defenders. Sam previously served as regional representative for Asia/Near East for Counterpart International, managing humanitarian and development programs in Iraq and Jordan and leading assessment missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Sam holds a master’s degree in international peace and conflict resolution from American University’s School of International Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina – Asheville.
Paul Oosting
Chief Impact & Customer Officer at Acacia and ConsultantPaul Oosting's expertise is in strategy and communications that build engagement. He has worked as an advisor for the Pooled Fund on International Energy (PIE), Boundless Earth, Global Cooksafe Coalition, Climate Energy Finance and others. As National Director (CEO) of GetUp, Paul led the team to engage over 1.5 million people, and raise $67 million in donations.
Paul has spent the last 15+ years working in impact for justice, nature, and climate solutions. He now works with leaders and companies with a vision to scale change, and is Chief Growth Officer at Acacia.
Rhiannon Young
Associate, Renewables at Clean Energy Finance CorporationRhiannon Young is an Associate in the Investment team at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, focusing on large-scale renewables. Rhiannon works across deal origination, structuring, and execution to optimise both commercial and sustainable outcomes. Rhiannon has experience across direct equity, debt capital markets and project finance transactions in various sectors including renewables, natural capital, and consumer finance. Rhiannon is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Finance (major in Quantitative Finance) and a Bachelor of Accounting from the Australian National University.
Pablo Berrutti
Senior Investment Specialist at Stewart Investors- Workshop: Driving stewardship outcomes: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
- RIAA's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Pablo is a senior investment specialist at Stewart Investors, a dedicated sustainable development focused, listed-equities manager. He is also the co-founder and managing director of Altiorem, a not-for-profit library. Previously, Pablo was Head of Responsible Investment Asia Pacific at Colonial First State Global Asset Management (now First Sentier Investors) and Perpetual Limited. Pablo served as a director of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia for ten years and was chair for six. Pablo has also served on the management committee of the Investor Group on Climate Change and the coordinating working group of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, among other industry initiatives.
Terina Williams
Senior Investment Strategist at NZ Super FundTerina is a Senior Investment Strategist in the Sustainable Investments Team at the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians).
Prior to joining the Guardians, Terina held positions as a Policy Director on Climate Change for the Federation of Māori Authorities Inc., and as an advisor on national-level climate change strategies and policy design, related to the transport and agriculture sectors.
Terina’s career has focused on environmental and natural resource consultancy with a strong indigenous lens, which saw the implementation of treaty settlement mechanisms, Waikato River restoration initiatives, provision of strategy for whenua Māori, and supporting the realisation of Te Ao Māori.
Terina holds a Masters of Management Studies (First Class Honours), Majoring in Economics specialising in natural resource economics, and a conjoint Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biological Science and a Bachelor of Management Studies (First Class Honours).
Alex Mount
Executive Director of MA Financial GroupAlex is an Executive Director within MA Growth Ventures. He has over a decade of experience in investing, M&A, capital markets and special situations advisory. He joined MA Growth Ventures after a five-year stint in the investment banking division of MA Financial.
Alex’s favourite part of his role is getting to meet and work with exceptional founders and teams, supporting their growth journeys, and trying to help them solve tough problems.
Liza McDonald
Head of Responsible Investment at Aware SuperLiza has over 20 years’ experience in the superannuation sector and is a specialist and passionate advocate for Responsible Investments and Sustainable Finance.
As Head of Responsible Investments , she has led the development and implementation of the Fund’s Responsible Investment policies, the execution of the Climate Change Strategy and also manages the ESG policy implementation including manager and asset class ESG reviews.
Liza joined Aware Super through our merger partner Health Super in December 2006 as an analyst in the Compliance, Legal and Risk Team. Before joining Aware Super, Liza held various roles at Mercer Legal where her primary focus was on trustee education and corporate secretarial duties.
Liza represents Aware Super on a number of working groups and committees including Investors Against Slavery & Trafficking APAC (IAST-APAC); ESG Research Australia; the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI); the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA); 40:40 Vision; the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) and the UN convened Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD).
Liza became a RIAA Board Member in December 2022.
Caleb Adams
Director, ESG & Sustainable Investment of E&P Financial GroupCaleb Adams is a proud Wulli Wulli man and a Director within the Evans & Partners (E&P) ESG & Sustainable Investment team, with over 10-years experience across impact investment, sustainability strategy and First Nations affairs.
Founded in 2007, Evans & Partners is one of Australia's largest wealth management firms, supporting over $30B in client Funds Under Advice. E&P also provides financial services across funds management, corporate advisory, and institutional sales and trading.
Caleb contributed to the 2024 UN DESA Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on 'Indigenous Peoples in a Green Economy', co-authoring a report of recommendations to the 2024 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). He is a Non-Executive Director of Climate Action Network Australia (CANA), and sits on several advisory committees, including the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI), the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA), NEXUS Australia, Philanthropy Australia and Ormond College.
Caleb holds a Master of Development Studies, a bachelor of Environmental Engineering and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lisa Lautier
Partner at K&L GatesLisa is a partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds practice area in Sydney. She has extensive experience advising on investment funds and financial services regulation.
Lisa is a trusted legal adviser who is passionate about providing practical advice with exceptional client service. She enjoys assisting local and offshore clients navigate the complexity of the Australian regulatory regime.
Lisa provides specialist advice on:
-fund formation across a range of asset classes including equities, fixed income, private credit, and direct property;
quotation and listing of exchange-traded funds (ETFs);
-promotion and disclosure obligations for managed investment schemes (registered and unregistered);
-outsourced trustee arrangements, fund operation, and service agreements related to investment management, custody, and administration;
transactional matters involving change of trustee or responsible entity; and
-financial services regulation in relation to Australian financial services licensing, design and distribution obligations, ESG regulation, ASIC relief, and breach reporting requirements
Alan Dayeh
Partner at ERMAlan is Managing Principal of Point Advisory’s NSW office based in Sydney (Point Advisory is an ERM Group company). He oversees the firm’s integrated advisory solutions in corporate responsibility and sustainability, including environmental, social and governance risk. With over 25 years of industry and professional services experience, he takes a pragmatic approach to integrating sustainability strategies and risk management into organisations. He works with investors to strengthen their chosen ESG integration and reporting approaches. Alan chairs RIAA’s First Nations Peoples’ Rights Working Group that he helped establish during mid-2020 in the wake of the destruction of shelters at Juukan Gorge and the global Black Lives Matter movement.
Linda Romanovska
Co-author of international sustainability reporting regulations & Partner, Head of MaterraLinda is a senior advisor on sustainability, with close to two decades of experience delivering high-impact work on a wide range of sustainability topics. She has undertaken policy-making, research and consulting for a broad range of entities in the public and private sectors. Linda brings deep expertise across all facets of ESG, with a particular focus on local and international sustainable finance and corporate sustainability reporting frameworks/standards such as the ASRS/AASB, ISSB/IFRS, CSRD, EU (and other) taxonomies, SFDR, GRI, SASB, TCFD, TNFD, PRI and many others.
Early in her career Linda worked within the European Commission drafting the inaugural European Union’s climate change policies and worked closely with the European Environment Agency and international supranational organisations. Her extensive expertise is recognised in her current high-level appointments supporting the drafting of sustainability regulations and standards for Australia, the European Union, ASEAN and beyond, including Australia, European and other sustainable finance Taxonomies, EU CSRD, SFDR, Green Bond Standard, TNFD, ISO standards on sustainable finance, ACT Methodology on Mitigation and Adaptation to climate change maturity assessments as well as a suite of Adaptation Planning guidance and support tools. She is also known for her work on natural capital, socially just transitions and many other sustainability topics.
Linda has led the ESG reporting compliance and voluntary sustainability work for a number of large and small public and private entities operating locally or internationally across several markets and jurisdictions.
Marco Lenfers
Client Portfolio Manager - Executive Director of Vontobel Asset ManagementMarco Lenfers joined Vontobel in 2016. He is Client Portfolio Manager with responsibilities for impact strategies within the Impact & Thematic team at Vontobel Conviction Equities.
Prior to joining Vontobel, he held similar roles at Notenstein La Roche Privatbank AG and Vescore AG (integrated in Vontobel in 2016) since 2013. From 2010, he was Head of Client Portfolio Management at Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG in Basel. From 2000, he was a senior portfolio manager at HSBC Global Asset Management (Deutschland) GmbH in Düsseldorf.
Marco holds a diploma in Business Economics (Diplom-Kaufmann) from the University of Münster. He is also a CFA® charterholder.
Julia Leske
Managing Director, Senior Consultant ESG Strategy of ISS STOXXJulia has over 15 years’ experience working in the ESG industry. In her role as Senior Consultant ESG Strategy at ISS ESG, Julia works with key stakeholders in the Responsible Investment industry on ESG strategy and implementation. Through working with a broad range of investors to incorporate ESG criteria into their investment processes, participation in multi‐stakeholder groups and investor collaborations, Julia has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, company sustainability assessments, ESG data and reporting frameworks. Prior to joining ISS STOXX, Julia was CEO of the Australian ESG research house CAER (now part of ISS ESG).
Paul Kearney
CEO and Founder of Kearney GroupPaul Kearney is the founder and CEO of the award-winning Kearney Group, which has been providing holistic financial services since 1986. Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and is a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Practicing Accountant and a member of the Financial Planning Association of Australia and the Association of Financial Advisers.
Under his leadership, Kearney Group has been widely recognised for its commitment to professional excellence, client service and innovation. Most notable are the firm’s national accolades, which include being named the Association of Financial Advisers’ Australian Practice of the Year in 2016 and BT Financial’s two-time National Practice of the Year.
Paul was named Adviser of the Year in 2010 and the Financial Planning Association’s Best Practice Awards runner-up in 2013. Paul was Victorian Representative and later, inaugural National Chair of Securitor Financial Group’s Professional Advisers Council from 2012-2018. He was also a founding member of BT's Chief Executives Forum. He is a Director of renowned social enterprises, The Big Issue and Homes for Homes.
Alison George
Chief Impact & Ethics Officer at Australian Ethical InvestmentA mission-driven senior professional Alison has nearly 20 years’ experience in responsible investment and stewardship, working with numerous industry leaders in her prior roles with Pendal and Regnan.
Alison is a board member at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) Australia and Chief Impact & Ethics Officer for Australian Ethical Investments, where she implements AEI’s Ethical Charter into its investments, corporate activities and Foundation giving to grow positive outcomes for people, planet and animals.
Guy Williams
Co-Chair of RIAA's Nature Working Group and Director at Ziranjiti Pty LimitedGuy brings over 20 years’ experience at the leading edge of industry innovation and strategy in biodiversity and natural capital. Guy has held global roles at some of the largest consulting and advisory firms, as well as being an integral part in the development of many nature-related frameworks and standards such as the TNFD and SBTN. Guy possesses a deep interest in primate conservation, and the use of digital media and community-led storytelling to support effective conservation strategies.
Thalia Dardamanis
General Counsel at UniSuper ManagementThalia Dardamanis is the General Counsel for UniSuper, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds and institutional investors with approximately $139 billion in funds under management. She leads the Legal team to provide legal support to the Fund’s superannuation, financial advice, administration and investment services businesses.
Thalia has been practicing in the superannuation industry for 20 years. Her prior experience includes being the Head of Legal Advisory at UniSuper, a Special Counsel in the M&A Funds team at Baker McKenzie and a partner in a boutique city law firm that practised exclusively in superannuation, taxation and succession laws.
She is a Chartered Tax Adviser and a Specialist SMSF Advisor™. She is a committee member of The Tax Institute of Australia’s National Superannuation Technical Committee and, for several years, lectured the superannuation module of the Advanced Chartered Tax Advisers program for The Tax Institute.
Thalia holds a Master of Laws (focusing on superannuation) from the University of Melbourne. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (focusing on management and statistics) from Monash University.
Thalia is a regular presenter of superannuation, financial services and succession topics and has written extensively in these areas.
Gordon Noble
Research Director of UTS Institute for Sustainable FuturesGordon is a Research Director with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) focusing on sustainable finance. Gordon has worked across financial systems in a variety of capacities over a thirty-year career including in frontline roles in banking, superannuation, and investment management, as a political advisor, in industrial roles representing finance sector workers and in policy / research roles with industry associations and universities.
Gordon was one of the first employees of the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investment, founded what is now the PRI Academy and in 2020 co-authored the Australian Sustainable Finance Roadmap released by the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative.
Eveline Moos
Chief People & Culture Officer at Australian Ethical InvestmentEveline is responsible for people and culture strategy and execution at Australian Ethical, aligning talent to AE’s purpose, business strategy and client outcomes.
Eveline has extensive experience encompassing strategic and operational leadership within Financial Services. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Western Sydney University.
James Alexander
Senior ESG Manager at Sustainable Investment ExchangeJames is responsible for identifying environmental and social issues at ASX companies and working with institutional investors to support SIX's proposals to address them. He also works with the media and NGO partners to amplify SIX's campaigns. Prior to this, James worked at Future Super for 5 years helping create and implement ethical equity and fixed interest products, including through ethical screening, voting and engagement, and client relations.
Amelia Bruce
Executive Manager of Human Rights at WestpacAmelia is a business and human rights specialist, with over 15 years international experience across the fields of human rights, social impact and stakeholder engagement. Her work focuses on strengthening organisational systems and leveraging effective stakeholder engagement to both manage risk to people and create positive outcomes across the value chain of the financial services sector. This includes an emphasis on developing and implementing corporate human rights due diligence; grievance mechanisms and remediation strategies; and human rights impact measurement and evaluation programs. She is the Executive Manager of Human Rights at Westpac, where she leads the design and implementation of the Group’s human rights policy commitments, forward-looking human rights strategy and work program.
Tim Buckley
Director of Climate Energy FinanceTim has 30 years of financial market experience covering the Australian, Asian and global equity markets and is a highly influential energy finance commentator. He has written more than 100 reports on the global energy transition, and the roles of finance and policy in accelerating critical decarbonisation trends.
Tim was previously the Australasian Director of the global Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, 2013-2021. Prior to this, Tim was a top-rated equity research analyst, including Head of Equity Research in Singapore at Deutsche Bank, Managing Director, Head of Equity Research at Citigroup for 17 years, Head of Institutional Equities at Shaw & Partners and co-Managing Director of Arkx Investment Management P/L, a global listed clean energy investment start-up jointly owned with Westpac.
Kate Turner
Global Head of Responsible Investment at First Sentier Investors and Chair of RIAA- Conference Closing Address
- Workshop: Leading the way: What investors need to know about human rights due diligence
Kate Turner is Global Head of Responsible Investment at First Sentier Investors. Based in Sydney, Kate and her team are responsible for defining and delivering our strategy globally. This includes supporting investment teams to integrate ESG factors into their investment processes, engaging with clients and stakeholders on responsible investment and creating learning and development opportunities for staff across all levels of the firm.
Kate holds a number of additional roles, including Board Member of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia, Chair of Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking APAC and Advisory Group member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative.
Prior to joining First Sentier Investors, Kate was an Associate Director at Sustainalytics leading its business in Australia and New Zealand, and has previously held roles at ICBC Standard Bank Plc in London and Baker & McKenzie in Sydney.
Kate holds Bachelor of Laws degree and Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies with First Class Honors and University Medal from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Kate reports to the Chief Commercial Officer.
Måns Carlsson OAM
Chair of RIAA's Human Rights Working Group and Head of ESG and Co-PM Active Sustainable at Ausbil Investment ManagementMåns leads Ausbil’s ESG team who take an active approach to engaging Australia’s listed companies on environment, social and governance issues. Måns also leads Ausbil’s integration of proprietary ESG scoring, research and ratings within Ausbil’s top-down bottom-up valuation approach. Måns has been with Ausbil since 2015. Prior to Ausbil, Måns held senior ESG positions at AMP Capital, and worked at Carnegie Investment Bank, Macquarie Bank and Accenture. Måns is well known for his advocacy, research and leadership on key ESG issues, including modern slavery, climate change, human rights, governance and stewardship, and many other ESG issues. In 2022, Måns was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for contribution to the responsible investment industry. He has also received a letter of commendation from Anti-Slavery Australia in 2019. Måns also holds a number of leadership positions in the industry, including: Director of RIAA (Responsible Investment Association Australasia); Chair of RIAA’s Human Rights Working Group; and is on the steering committee of IAST-APAC (Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking – Asia Pacific). Måns holds Bachelor of Science (Major in Business Administration) and Master of Finance degrees from Gothenburg School of Economics, an MBA from Griffith University, and is graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Arti Prasad
Partner, Sustainable Investments at MercerArti Prasad is currently Partner, Sustainable Investments at Mercer. She is responsible for leading sustainable investment practices with clients across the Pacific. Before this role, she worked as a Senior Investment Strategist for the Guardians of NZ Superannuation, a Crown entity that manages the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. During her time at the Guardians from 2017, Arti was responsible for developing and implementing policies related to Responsible Investment, climate change, and corporate governance. Prior to this, Arti worked as the Head of Responsible Investment for the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) for two years. She also served as a Senior ESG Analyst for the Guardians and a Senior Policy Analyst at the NZ Ministry for Environment, where she worked on policies related to business sustainability, water, and climate change.
In 2014 Arti was named one of Chief Investment Officer magazine’s ’Top 40 under 40’ in the asset allocation world.
Dean Hegarty
Co-CEO of RIAA- Conference opening address
- Bonds, credit, private equity, public equity: Pursuing impact across asset classes
- The future of global responsible investment - Keynote: David Atkin, CEO of PRI
- RIAA's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Dean collaborates closely with global and local asset managers, super funds, Kiwisaver providers, financial advisors, and wealth platforms to align capital with sustainable outcomes. His strategic leadership has played a pivotal role in elevating RIAA's presence in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. With over a decade of experience leading teams in the not-for-profit sector, Dean also serves as a member of the National Advisory Board on Impact Investing in New Zealand and sits on the GovCo of the New Zealand Stewardship Code.
Rachel Alembakis
Stewardship Manager at U EthicalRachel Alembakis is stewardship manager at U Ethical Investors. In her role, she is responsible for managing U Ethical’s active ownership activities. She was previously the managing editor and founder of FS Sustainability, a Rainmaker title that examines how investors and companies integrate environmental, social and corporate governance issues into their decision-making processes and host of the ESG podcast The Greener Way. She has more than a decade's experience as a financial journalist covering a broad range of investment issues. Rachel holds an MSc in Politics of the World Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a BA in journalism and a BS in political science from Boston University.
Andy Symington
Director, Human Rights and Social Impact of KPMG AustraliaAndy is a human rights and social impact specialist with a particular focus on the energy transition. He leads KPMG Australia’s work on social impact, social performance and social value, KPMG’s global Just Transition response and its participation in the Alliance for a Just Energy Transformation with the UNDP, WWF and other key stakeholders. Andy works with clients on the social dimensions of corporate sustainability, especially relating to the just transition, a core theme of his PhD research. He was a lead author on KPMG & RIAA’s landmark Human Rights and Climate Change report, which highlights the importance that investors consider environmental and social risks more holistically. He teaches and writes extensively on the subject.
Estelle Parker
Co-CEO of RIAA- Investment from a systems perspective, and how Indigenous thinking can save the world
- The dis-United States of ESG: Where to now for responsible investing?
- Investing now and for the future - Keynote: Vicki Doyle, CEO at REST
- Ted Kennedy Junior: Investing in inclusion: Unlocking value through disability
Estelle Parker leads RIAA’s research, certification, policy, standards and working group programs. She brings 20 years’ experience leading strategic initiatives as a diplomat, policy analyst, stakeholder manager and strategic planner with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Estelle served, inter alia, as Acting Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador to Mexico, Central America and Cuba; Deputy State Director (Victoria); Policy Adviser to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands; and as Director overseeing the development and management of bilateral relationships.
Estelle also worked for five years at the University of Melbourne, where she lectured in the Master of Public Policy and Management and Master of International Relations, and has experience on boards and committees. She is currently a member of the Principles for Responsible Investment’s Global Policy Reference Group and the Australian Government’s Natural Capital Working Group, as well as Convenor of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures official Consultation Group for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Estelle holds a Master of Public Policy and Management (First Class Honours), Master of Communications (With Distinction), Bachelor of Arts (av. First Class Honours) and Certificate in Business Sustainability Strategy.
Claire Molinari
General Manager Responsible Investment at CareSuperClaire Molinari is the General Manager of Responsible Investment at CareSuper, having joined in January 2022. Claire draws on extensive experience working in ESG in investment teams in both Australia and the UK. Prior to joining CareSuper, Claire held roles at the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, QSuper and London-based investment manager Sarasin & Partners. Prior to working in ESG, Claire qualified as an Australian Lawyer.
Claire co-chairs RIAA’s Nature Working Group.
Claire holds a DPhil (PhD) from Oxford and BA/LLB (Hons) degrees from the University of Melbourne.
Aidan Devitt
Venture Analyst at Ochre VenturesA proud Dhungutti man with 19 years of professional experience in public and private sectors, Aidan is a passionate advocate for economic development amongst First Nations communities.
Gillian Gordon
Head of Alternative Investments & Responsible Investing at JBWereGillian joined JBWere in May 2019 and is Head of Alternative Investments and Responsible Investing. As the Head of Responsible Investing, Gillian has created and launched JBWere’s Responsible Investment (RI) policy and framework aligned to PRI guidelines spanning ESG integration, advocacy and stewardship, impact investing and customised ethical screening within client portfolios. Having spent 14 years working onshore in Europe, Gillian has utilised European RI best practice to help expand and elevate JBWere’s RI approach aligned to global best practice. JBWere as a 180+ wealth manager has long been committed to RI, having first applied ESG screening mid last century, in 2001 was the first wealth manager to create a separate philanthropic division, in 2012 John McLeod from JBWere led the first inaugural impact Australia report, and JBWere launched its first client RI framework in 2017.
Prior to joining JBWere, Gillian held senior multi-asset global investment and structuring roles on trading floors, working across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, within Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Bank of Montreal (BMO) Capital Markets. Gillian was also the global structuring sustainability lead for capital markets in both SCB and BMO based in London.
Gillian holds degrees in Commerce and Business Management from University of Queensland, is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA Australia), a UK qualified financial adviser (CISI), and is currently enrolled at INSEAD business school.
Richard Evans
CEO of Talent NationRichard Evans is the Founder and CEO of Talent Nation. With an executive search and recruitment career spanning more than 25 years, he has specialised in Sustainable Finance, Responsible Investment, ESG and Sustainability for the last 15 years.
As the author of Talent Nation’s ESG, Environment & Sustainability Remuneration & Sector Insights Report, Richard is the preeminent talent specialist for the sector. He has worked with more than a third of the ASX100, as well as global fund managers, investment firms, large private entities, and influential NGOs to support the design, establishment and evolution of ESG, Sustainability and Responsible Investment teams.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Forestry Science, a Master of Engineering, and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.
Emma Herd
Partner at EY AustraliaEmma is a Partner with EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability team and is a skilled professional with over 20 years’ experience in climate change, sustainable finance and sustainability practice. Prior to joining EY, Emma was Chief Executive Officer of the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) (2015-2021) and Environment Commissioner for the Greater Sydney Commission (2020-2021). Previously, Emma worked at Westpac for over 15 years across a range of sustainability, environment, sustainable finance, climate change, carbon trading and ESG risk management roles. Emma is a regular media contributor on climate change matters and a respected voice on climate transition implications for business.
Cameron Farrar
Head of Distribution at Federation Asset ManagementWith a career spanning over twenty-five years in the financial services industry, Cameron’s experience covers a number of business areas including: Sales and Marketing; Product Development; and Capital Markets. Cameron has held senior positions in global firms including eight years with Macquarie Bank where he was the National Sales Manager and prior to that Australian Unity Investments. His distribution background aligns with Federation’s focus areas having experience in Private Debt, Private Equity and public markets across all major sectors.
Leilani Weier
Head of Responsible Investment & Sustainability at RestOver the last four years, Leilani has led the development of Rest’s Responsible Investment and Sustainability strategies and implementation, sitting on the Management Investment Committee.
Leilani’s professional motivation is to drive outcomes across teams; and manage ESG and climate-related factors to reduce risks and enhance investment performance for Rest members.
She has enjoyed working in the U.K., the U.S., in regional and rural Australia, and across a range of sectors, all government, corporate and finance. Leilani holds a degree in Environmental Science (Natural Resources) from the University of Queensland, holds the One Planet MBA from the University of Exeter (with Dean’s Commendation) and is a Chartered Environmentalist.
Yaron Finkelstein
Founding Partner at Society AdvisoryYaron is the Founding Partner of Society Advisory, a consulting practice that provides discrete advice to CEOs and Boards on understanding and managing social and cultural changes.
This follows a long career across politics, campaigns, strategic communications and
advertising. His area of expertise is in understanding how people think and how to change or re-enforce opinions and behaviours.
His last political appointment was as Special Counsel to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and before that, spent almost 4 years as the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
During this period as the Prime Minister’s chief political adviser and strategist, Yaron was a key part of the ‘miracle’ election victory of 2019 and the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically charged with overseeing the Government’s communications during Covid.
For over thirteen years, Yaron worked at the CT Group, formerly known as Crosby Textor, a global research, campaigns and advisory firm which started in Australia but is now headquartered in London with offices in 7 countries. He served as the Australian CEO for a number of years before taking on the role of Global Head of Campaigns.
He has been directly involved in, directed or managed over 60 campaigns.
Before joining CT, Yaron was the Senior Media Adviser to The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson in the Howard Government.
Yaron is a semi-regular current affairs commentator on Sky News and also hosts and moderates live panel discussions on food, food writing and food culture.
Marianne Harper Gow
Senior ESG Analyst at Baillie GiffordMarianne Harper Gow is now based in Singapore, responsible for establishing the ESG Investment Research and Stewardship function there. This is a new venture for her following 21 years in Baillie Gifford’s Edinburgh office. Her experience extends over many areas including ESG research and analysis, voting and reporting, engaging with institutional investors and regulators across the globe on the complex range of topics that fall under the broad ESG theme. Prior to joining Baillie Gifford, Marianne worked in the oil and gas sector carrying out environmental and geological survey work. She holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science from the University of Aberdeen, and MBA from the University of Edinburgh. She is also a member of ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) Ethics Board.
Hugh Fitzsimons
Division Director - Real Assets of Macquarie Asset Management
Katja Henaway
Founder of Blax CapitalKat is a descendant of the Mer and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait Islands with German and Scottish heritage. She has a degree in Indigenous Community Management and is a Fellow of the School of Social Entrepreneurs.
Kat has gained significant experience in business administration in Sydney, London & Edinburgh for some of the world’s largest public and private sector companies including ABN Amro, Societe Generale, Andersons as well as EY, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and The Pensions Regulator and in the UK.
Today, Kat is an Indigenous entrepreneur specialising in Indigenous business development. She has worked as a consultant for Indigenous Business Australia, for PM&C’s $90m Indigenous Entrepreneurs Fund in 2019 and currently supports Indigenous businesses in the $707m NIAA Remote Jobs Economic Development fund. Kat launched Blax Capital in 2019 and has since worked with her team to unlock over $45m in capital for Indigenous businesses through grants, loans, contracts, tenders and investment.
Kat has also designed and delivered some of the country's most innovative leadership development programs for First Nations including Political Candidate Training for Politics in Colour and the Indigenous Executive Leaders Program at AGSM@UNSW.
Kat has volunteered for UN Women Australia (2014) and served as Board Director for Women for Election (2018-20), The Indigenous People’s Organisation Australia (2023-24), Bankstown Women’s Health Centre (2022-current) and as Indigenous Advisor for Women & Leadership Australia. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for Wiyi Yani U Thangani First Nations Institute for Gender.
Adam Fletcher
Associate Director NSW / ACT, Indigenous Business and Community of NABAdam Fletcher is a proud Gringai Wonnarua man who is a member of the Lester Family. The family have Traditional Ownership connections to the Allyn River near Barrington as well as the former St Clair Mission in Mount Olive near Singleton. His family have been an active part of the Newcastle / Lower Hunter community since his great-great grandparents Ethel and Frederick bought a house in Mayfield and operated a boarding house for workers in BHP and Railways, who were often Aboriginal from across NSW.
He is incredibly passionate about understanding and implementing the concepts of self-determination, free prior and informed consent and First Nations cultural and economic sovereignty and believes that we need to equip our future generations with the skills and networks to make their visions for a shared cultural understanding a reality.
He has worked at National Australia Bank for over 16 years, starting as a Graduate in the Internal Audit team before working in roles across Project Portfolio Governance, Group Strategy Execution, Customer-centred change delivery. In 2019 he was asked to develop NAB’s First Indigenous Business Strategy which was endorsed in 2021, establishing the first National team of Indigenous Business specialists in the industry.
He now leads the NSW / ACT Indigenous Business Specialisation and is passionate about Industry returning to education environments. In 2024, NAB Indigenous Business Team presented to the AIATSIS Summit in Naarm (Melbourne).
He holds a Masters Degree in Social Change Leadership from Melbourne University, is a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, was NAB’s 2018 Emerging Indigenous Executive Leader, completing a Certificate with UNSW AGSM. He completed his undergraduate double degrees of Business and Economics, majoring in Marketing, Management and, Money, Banking, Trade and Finance at the University of Newcastle.
He has held policy roles within the Victorian Branch of the Australian Labor Party Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy Committee, served as both Secretary and President before moving to NSW in 2022. He is the inaugural co-chair of the First Nations Workers Committee of the Finance Sector Union and was a delegate at the inaugural FSU National Congress held in Victoria in 2023. He currently serves on the FINSIA Diversity Advisory Committee.
Adam was elected onto the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council Board in 2024 and will be completing the AICD First Nations Directors Scholarship in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and NIAA.
He believes that the current models of education are ready for disruption, with a focus on place-based learning, community, partnerships and bringing the lived experience of the students and families into the school community central to improving equity.
Claudia Kwan
Co Portfolio Manager at NorthStar Impact FundsClaudia has 20 years of experience as a business and investment professional with extensive experience in stock research. Prior to joining NorthStar Impact, she was a Senior Investment Analyst with Morphic Asset Management, a global equities ethical investor. Prior to that she spent the majority of her career working at Morgan Stanley in Equity Sales. Claudia has a Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (Accounting, Finance, Mandarin) from University of Technology, Sydney.
Keith Ford
Deputy Editor at ifa and SMSF AdviserWith 15 years of experience in trade media, Keith covers financial advice, regulatory reform, and industry innovation as deputy editor of ifa and SMSF Adviser, exploring how these topics impact the financial advisers.
He is also the host of The ifa Show and The SMSF Adviser Show, taking a deep dive with expert guests to provide insight into the key areas that financial services professionals care about, and is the co-host of Relative Return Unplugged, looking at broader economic issues and how they will affect investors.
Claudia Mah
Investment Analyst at Ethical Investment ServicesClaudia oversees the research process and monitoring of stocks and managed funds, and her analysis is integral to the construction of the EIS model portfolios. She comes with over 20 years’ experience working in various roles within the financial services industry, including investment research, product development and account management.
Claudia has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma of Financial Planning, and her favourite investment quote is that “someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
Nathan Fradley
Director of Ethos ESGHe leads Ethos ESG in Australia, working with Financial Planners, Investment Consultants and Fund Managers to improve their ESG decision making, reporting and client engagement using tech and his expertise.
On top of that, he also works as a self-employed, Independent (923A) Financial adviser, specialising on emotionally & technically complex client situations including Aged Care, Divorce and Estates.
Nathan is also the Co-Host of the popular financial adviser Podcast “Challenge the Standard”, and is makes frequent appearances speaking at conferences talking all things responsible investment and advice.
Topaz McAuliffe
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 15 Times BetterTopaz McAuliffe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 15 Times Better, a First Nations-owned and led business that helps organisations accelerate their First Nations impact.
Topaz is one of Australia’s most successful First Nations engagement specialists. She was the driving force behind Coles Group’s award-winning First Nations engagement program, assisting Coles to become Australia’s largest corporate sector employer of First Nations peoples and one of the country’s leading supporters of First Nations businesses, gaining recognition from Fortune, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Topaz has a proven track record of delivering significant social and business benefits in partnership with some of Australia’s largest organisations including Bupa, IFM Investors, Microsoft, Transurban, and Qantas.
Highly regarded for her passion and expertise, Topaz excels in building voice, equity and mutual benefit.
Morten Frederiksen
Director – Investment Research of Pitcher Partners=Morten is a Director — Investment Research within the Investment Advisory division of Pitcher Partners and has been with the firm for over 4 years. As a member of the Research team, his responsibilities include Australian and global equities and Responsible Investments, where he chairs the Responsible Investment Advisory Group. Morten has over 20 years of investment experience across institutional funds management, having managed equity portfolios covering Australian, Asian, Income and Global equities as well as multi-asset portfolios. Morten has lived and worked in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong, working for Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, Maple-Brown Abbott, and Manulife Asset Management, among others. Morten has also been the CIO for an Asian wealth management business prior to joining PPIS.
Karen McLeod
Certified Financial Planner™ at Ethical Investment AdvisersKaren McLeod is a Brisbane-based Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP), who has chosen to specialise in ethical investments for the last 18 years. She looks after clients across the country.
Her passion for ethical and responsible investment emerged in the mid-2000s as the world started to take note of the emerging climate crisis. She realised that clients wanted to make a difference by investing in solutions to save the planet such as renewable energy and recycling, rather than those polluting the environment or causing harm, like fossil fuels and weapons.
Karen served a board member on the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) for 10 years, and for 10 years on the RIAA Product and Adviser Certification Panel. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Ethical Advisers’ Cooperative: Engagement Working Group.
She is an active speaker at many events including: the AFR ESG Summit, the Australian Shareholders Association, 350.org, Australian Conservation Foundation, and the Climate Summit.
She has written papers and talks for many industry courses and conferences including Kaplan Education, the Australian newspaper, the Australian Financial Planning Association and New Zealand’s Responsible Investment conference. Karen has been included in many press articles with the AFR, The Australian, and the ABC to highlight the benefits of ethical and responsible investing.
In 2009, the Australian Financial Review’s ‘Smart Investor’ magazine awarded Karen a place in their Master Class Top 50 Honour Roll (Australia wide). This achievement was based on her technical expertise.
She was also awarded a place in the Financial Standard’s FS POWER 50 Adviser List in 2019 and 2020, for her contribution to the industry.
Damian Graham
Chief Investment Officer at Aware SuperDamian has a long history of investment management in Australia. During his 30-year career, Damian has led Private Portfolio Management for the Macquarie Group. He was Chief Investment Officer at StatePlus and First State Super and held leadership positions at JP Morgan and Norwich Investment Management.
Damian is passionate about building people's retirement savings. His purpose at Aware Super is to deliver great outcomes to our members, so they can enjoy peace of mind when they stop work.
Karen McWilliams
Sustainability and Business Reform Leader, Advocacy at Chartered Accountants Australia and New ZealandKaren McWilliams is the Sustainability and Business Reform Leader in the Advocacy team at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). She is responsible for shaping and influencing business reform issues of relevance to Chartered Accountants, including insolvency, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, corporations law, climate change and sustainability matters. Karen chairs the finance, risk and audit committee of the UN Global Compact Network Australia Board and is a member of the Australian Government’s Nature Finance Council.
She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Darren Grover
Head, Regenerative Country at WWF AustraliaAs the Head, Regenerative Country, I lead a significant component of the Conservation program at WWF-Australia. Regenerative Country projects include the protection and restoration of forests in eastern Australia, improving the conservation status of wildlife in Australia and Asia-Pacific, supporting the aspirations of Indigenous and local communities to restore and regenerate nature, and advocating for an end to native forest logging in Australia.
Our projects are delivered through partnerships with universities, government agencies, other environmental organisations, community groups, and by empowering Indigenous communities and ranger groups to play an active role in conservation actions.
I’m an ecologist by trade and studied at the Queensland University of Technology and James Cook University. I have over 25 years' experience in wildlife conservation, environmental impact assessment, Indigenous education and land management, and the development of environmental and water policies.
I’m most at home in the bush and I’m an avid birdwatcher and bushwalker.
Faye Minty
Chief Executive Officer at Enliven Housing Property ManagementFaye Minty is the CEO of Enliven Housing - Property Management, part of The Enliven Housing Group.
Faye was also the founding CEO of Enliven Housing. Faye has worked in the social housing sector for over 30 years and in disability housing for 20 of those years. Faye has had previous roles at Home Community Housing and in chief executive roles with Capital Community Housing and Coalition of Community Housing Organisations. This background and her passion for creating viable and long-term housing opportunities for people with disability, led her to take on the role of CEO of Enliven Housing.
Faye is responsible for leading the teams that provide tenancy and property management functions for over 300 tenants. In this role, she is responsible for the day to day operations of Specialist Disability Accommodation management with a strong focus on Enliven Housing’s ‘Friendly Landlord Model’, an approach that she designed and advocated for. Faye also leads the Choice Collective initiative, which is unique to Enliven Housing’s housing offering, to ensure tenants share supports in an effective and financially viable way. This necessarily includes a close collaboration with not-for-profit partners who provide the shared onsite support for tenants and that any housing innovations are co-designed to create shared value.
Faye is also a Board Member of The Sydney University Settlement since November 2020. The settlement provides quality social housing and programs aimed at youth and designed to support and help strengthen young families.
Dugald Higgins
Head of Responsible Investment & Real Assets at Zenith Investment PartnersDugald is Head of Responsible Investment & Real Assets for the broader Zenith Group. He has overall responsibility for the development and incorporation of key services across Zenith's and Chant West's investment and super fund research, portfolio solutions and corporate divisions regarding responsible investment practices. He is also Chair of the Group's Responsible Investment Committee and a member of the FE fund info global ESG Committee. Dug also is the Sector Head for Real Assets, with 24 years of experience in private market real estate, infrastructure and natural capital.
Charlotte O'Meara
Head of Responsible Investment at Challenger LimitedCharlotte is the Head of Responsible Investment at Challenger, where she leads the Group’s responsible investment framework across both the Life and Funds Management businesses. She also provides specialist support to its affiliate managers.
Charlotte focuses on researching, developing and advising on environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices across Challenger, equipping investment teams with expert guidance on ESG and sustainable investing.
She was recognised in the Financial Standard Sustainability ESG Power 50 in both 2023 and 2024. Charlotte also hosts the podcast ESG in 10 and contributes to several industry bodies, representing Challenger on the Financial Services Council (FSC) ESG Working Group, the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Human Rights Working Group, and Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking (IAST).
Tak Onishi
Head of Strategic Finance at SGCH (St George Community Housing)As the Head of Strategic Finance at SGCH (St George Community Housing), Tak takes carriage of the corporate finance function in managing the organisational capital structure and providing commercial and financial advice on new business opportunities.
With a finance and engineering background, Tak has broad ranging experience in the infrastructure sector. Prior to joining SGCH, Tak worked in the deals advisory team at KPMG and at Evans & Peck, an infrastructure advisory.
Tak holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) (Honours) from the University of NSW and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University.
Guneet Rana
Director Responsible Investment of Colonial First StateAs Director Responsible Investment, Guneet is responsible for the development and implementation of the Colonial First State’s Responsible Investment Strategy. She is also the Portfolio Manager of Thrive+ Sustainable Growth fund.
Guneet previously served as a Senior Investment Manager for Colonial First State’s Alternatives portfolio, where she undertook manager research, worked on portfolio construction, and also contributed to research across a range of other asset classes.
Prior to working with Colonial First State, Guneet was a senior investment manager at ipac, Australia – a role that involved asset class research and portfolio management. She was also previously involved in setting up AXA multi-manager portfolios for the Mandatory Provident Fund market in Hong Kong.
Guneet has a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance from FINISIA. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and an Economic Honours degree from the University of Delhi, India.
Guneet is Co-chair of Investor Group on Climate Change’s Paris Aligned working group. She is also an independent member of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) certification assessment panel.
Duncan Paterson
Director, Investor Practice of Investor Group on Climate Change- Making climate claims in financial product labels: An interactive deep dive
- RIAA's 25th Anniversary Celebration
As Director of Investor Practice, Duncan takes on executive responsibility for accelerating climate-aligned investment throughout the membership, and ensuring members are well-equipped with leading tools and knowledge in the rapidly evolving sector.
Through his 25 years in the sector Duncan has undertaken roles including serving as ISS ESG’s global Head of ESG Thought Leadership Program, being the founder and CEO of Australian-based ESG services provider CAER, serving as a director and the chair of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA), serving as a director of the Hong Kong-based Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA), and co-chairing a Technical Working Group in the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI’s) initial Roadmap process.
Duncan holds a Bachelor of Arts from James Cook University, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA.
Kate Temby
Managing Director of MetLife Investment ManagementKate Temby, as Managing Director, heads MetLife Investment Management (MIM) Sustainability Strategies Group (SSG) and Chairs MIM’s Sustainable Investment Council. She is responsible for expanding MIM’s firm wide sustainability capabilities across public fixed income, private credit and real estate. This includes leading sustainability governance, strengthening sustainability analytics, strategy development, and client outreach. Additionally, Kate also leads MIM’s Australian client business.
Kate joined MIM in February 2023 following the acquisition of Affirmative Investment Management (AIM). She joined AIM in 2017 as a Partner to lead Global Client Engagement and a member of Management Committee. Prior to that, Kate was Co-head of Asia Pacific Institutional business for Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Kate earned a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is a Board member of Netwealth (ASX: NWL) and Chairs People and Corporate Sustainability Committee and she is also a board member of Conscious Investment Management (Australian Property Impact Fund).
Dan Powell
Head of Distribution at Nanuk Asset ManagementDan joined Nanuk in 2017 and is the firm’s head of distribution with over 30 years’ investment industry experience. He is an experienced distribution professional in financial services across retail and institutional markets, covering sales, marketing, strategy, product development in investment management, employer super, life insurance, platforms and dealer group services. Previously, he was employed with BT for 12 years in senior distribution roles for their investment management, platform and private client businesses and has also held leadership sales and marketing roles with ING Australia and AMP. Dan holds a degree in Business Marketing, Finance & Economics from Curtin University.
Stella Whittaker
Climate Lead at Royal Haskoning DHVStella has over 30 years of international experience in climate change, climate finance, environmental policy, sustainability, circular economy and environmental planning (Europe, Australia, US and Asia). Stella is leading the Royal Haskoning climate advisory team in Australia, she is a climate finance, sustainable finance, climate risk/adaptation, climate disclosure and ESG specialist. Her previous roles have included climate adaptation finance lead at the World Climate Foundation and technical lead for the EU Horizon Project CLIMATEFIT on mobilising finance for climate adaptation in EU territories. She has held executive management, business, consulting, academic and government policy roles. She is a BSc in Environment Sciences and Environmental Planning, has a Master of Science in European Environmental Policy and Regulation and is a PhD Fellow in Climate Finance for Adaptation (in progress). Her specialist skills are in Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Risk & Vulnerability Assessment, Climate and sustainability finance, Climate Disclosure, Climate Transition Planning & Implementation, Stakeholder Engagement (government, NGOs, private sector, community), Policy and Regulation, Participatory Planning Processes, Climate Science, Research and Data Analysis, Project Management, Circular Economy, Nature based Solutions and Biodiversity. She is passionate about motivating teams, companies and government in climate transition.
Dave Rae
Certified Responsible Investment Adviser at Unless FinancialDave is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and SMSF Specialist Advisor™ and has been advising clients for the past 19 years. He is accredited by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a Certified Responsible Investment Adviser.
Dave is also a member of the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op and participated as a Working Group member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI). He holds a BEc (Accounting) and Graduate Diploma Financial Planning.
Farren Williams
Adviser & Partner at Koda CapitalFarren has over 24 years’ experience in the industry and works with wealthy individuals and families, non-profits and charitable foundations to help them with their wealth management needs. She has extensive experience in investment policy development, governance, bespoke portfolio design, succession planning, superannuation advice, estate planning and integrating philanthropy into wealth planning.
In addition to her role at Koda, Farren is the Chair of the Board of the Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation Victoria & a member of the Finance & Audit Committee, is on the Board of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA), Finance & Risk Committee and was previously on the RIAA Certification Assessment Panel. She has previously served on the Investment Committee of The Myer Foundation and the Investment Committee of the Aesop Foundation.
Ben Smith
Head of Impact Investing at Paul Ramsay FoundationBen is responsible for Paul Ramsay Foundation’s impact, sustainable and responsible investing across its endowment and funds. Alongside his role at PRF, Ben is the Vice Chair, and Chair of the Investment Committee, for NatWest Social and Community Capital. Ben also Chairs the Investment Committee for NAB’s impact investing fund. Furthermore, he holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Impact, Flinders University, and is Chair of Australia’s Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII).
Prior to joining PRF, Ben was Head of Impact Investment at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – the UK’s largest impact investing foundation. Ben previously established UnLtd’s – the UK’s largest early-stage social enterprise supporter – social investment department and first funds. Other notable activities in the space include co-authoring the CFA UK’s Impact and Investing Certificate, co-Chairing the UK’s Social Impact Investors Group and lecturing on Social Finance at Cranfield University and University of Westminster.
Mabel Wong
Group Ethical Sourcing Manager at Coles GroupMabel Wong is the Group Ethical Sourcing Manager at Coles Group. Mabel’s role involves working with suppliers, business stakeholders, non-government organisations and other stakeholders to ensure workers in Coles’ supply chain are treated with dignity and respect. She plays a key role in developing and implementing Coles’ modern slavery statement and associated strategies, which outlines the company’s commitment to identifying and addressing modern slavery risks across its operations and supply chain. Mabel has over 15 years of experience in social justice, human rights and ESG, working for development agencies, consulting firms, and corporate entities, both internationally and in Australia.
Matthew Tominc
Chief Investment Officer / Board Director & IC of Conscious Investment ManagementMatthew is the founder and Chief Investment Officer at Conscious Investment Management, a real-assets focused impact investment fund manager.
Former head of investments and head of impact investing at Light Warrior Group, a Melbourne based family office.
Previously worked at Goldman Sachs and holds a Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from The University of Melbourne.
Dr Anna Young-Ferris
Managing Director of Conscious Capital CoDr Anna Young-Ferris is an accomplished leader in responsible investment, ESG integration, and sustainability strategy, with 20+ years’ experience across institutional investment, corporate, consulting, and academia. As Managing Director of Conscious Capital Co., she advises investors and companies on ESG integration strategy, climate risk, and social impact, and has developed digitised ESG frameworks and materiality tools aligned to global standards. She holds a doctorate focused on responsible investment and ESG integration, grounding her advisory work in rigorous research.
Formerly Head of ESG at Elanor Investors Group, Anna is also an award-winning academic shaping future leaders in sustainable finance. Her current research focuses on climate risk quantification, nature governance, sustainable finance, and Indigenous business leadership. She is a UN award recipient, published author and international speaker at the UN, Harvard, and leading responsible investment forums.
Ed Tomlinson
Chief Investment Officer at Future GroupEd Tomlinson, CFA is Chief Investment Officer of Future Group, an ethical investment manager operating under the Future, smartMonday, Guild and Verve superannuation brand names. He joined Future via its acquisition of the Aon Master Trust in 2022. His time with Aon started in 2016 with its UK asset management business and responsible for new fiduciary management clients. In 2019 Aon relocated Ed back to Australia to lead investment consulting and implementation in the Pacific region.
Before joining Aon Ed worked for an American fiduciary manager SEI, and a leading European bank implementing fixed income strategies for insurance companies. His early career was spent with Invesco, in analytical and product roles in Sydney, Melbourne, Milan and finally Brussels. He started his career in 1996 as a research analyst for Advance bank.
He is a CFA charterholder and was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Applied Investments by FINSIA.
Nayanisha Samarakoon
Head of Policy & Advocacy at RIAA- From polls to portfolios: Election 2025 and the future of sustainable finance
- Welcome back from RIAA
- Greenwashing: Lessons from the courtroom
Nayanisha is a senior lawyer with extensive federal public sector experience in governance, corporate compliance and regulation.
She arrives at RIAA after a long history at the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). She was the project lead on ASIC’s thematic review into greenwashing by ‘green’ or ‘ethical’ managed funds and superannuation funds. This consisted of a review of the market, close engagement with international regulators and International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), and developing a deep understanding of both the existing Australian regulatory framework and government priorities as well as international development in this space. Through this review, she led a group across ASIC’s Corporations, Superannuation and Investment Managers teams to deliver industry and consumer guidance.
Outside of work, she volunteers as a board member and secretary at Juno Services Inc., a not-for-profit family violence and homelessness service provider based in Melbourne. She is also on the board of Fitted for Work, a charity focused on helping women experiencing disadvantage get work, keep work and navigate through working life.
Shalini Samuel GAICD
Head of Certification at RIAA- Global standards comparability: Are we chasing a pipe dream?
- Workshop: Getting started in responsible investment for Financial Advisers
Shalini plays a pivotal role at RIAA, spearheading the oversight of the organisation’s esteemed Certification Program, Sustainability Classifications, and as an AFSL Responsible Manager. Shalini’s role is vital as the financial industry faces increased scrutiny and a need for accurate product labelling. Her dedication ensures RIAA’s Certification Program remains robust and trustworthy in an ever-evolving market landscape.
With over a decade of combined experience in ESG investment research and certification, her expertise strengthens RIAA’s position. She has contributed significantly to the responsible investment and broader corporate sustainability industry through organisations like B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Minderoo Foundation, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment. Shalini is a member of the Standards Australia Technical Group for the ISO Committee on Sustainable Finance, a Co-Convenor of the Inner Development Goals Australia Hubs Collaboration, and has been a mentor at Altiorem since 2020. With her wealth of expertise, she brings valuable insights from her extensive background, benefiting RIAA and its mission as a whole.
Anson Chan CFA
Certification Manager at RIAA- Responsible investing in passive strategies: The new frontier
- Making climate claims in financial product labels: An interactive deep dive
Anson is responsible for the smooth running of RIAA's long-standing Certification Program. In this capacity, he manages and improves processes, guides the team of Responsible Investment Analysts their certification and sustainability classifications assessments, and is an AFSL Responsible Manager. Anson also leads on complex certifications, develops and refines RIAA's assessment guidance so it remains fit for purpose in a changing market environment.
Prior to joining RIAA, he spent 19 years at Daiwa Capital Markets and Piper Jaffray (Asia) conducting equity research focusing on emerging markets. He has produced high-quality equity research and ESG thematic reports for institutional clients, and advised institutional investors worldwide on stocks, providing them financial and risk analyses, including ESG factor analyses.
Anson holds a Master of Arts (Mathematics), Certificate in ESG Investing (CFA UK) and is a Charted Financial Analyst (CFA).
Brendan Bailey
Head of Operations and Compliance at RIAA- Mind the talent gap: Finding, growing and keeping the best people in responsible investment
- Welcome from RIAA
Brendan leads RIAA’s internal operations, with oversight over the structures, systems and processes that ensure the smooth running of the organisation.
Prior to joining RIAA, Brendan led the operations of the Education and Safeguarding Services team at the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF), building on extensive experience as a trauma-responsive education consultant and manager at ACF, Sexual Health Victoria and Berry Street.
Brendan brings to this role a passion for systems-informed organisational psychology and the potential for organisations such as RIAA to create transformational change. He holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education, and a Bachelor of Arts.
Justin Welfare
First Nations Affairs Lead at QICJustin joined QIC in 2023 and is a proud First Nations man with a deep commitment to his community and social impact. Before joining QIC, Justin dedicated several years to the non-profit and community sectors, working to support and uplift organisations and communities.
At QIC, Justin brings both professional and lived experience in First Nations culture, community, compliance, risk management, and governance. He also serves as a Board Director for several community-based organisations.
This unique blend of experiences enables Justin to navigate the complexities of both cultural and corporate environments. His role at QIC allows him to drive the First Nations Strategy, creating meaningful benefits in partnership with the community and QIC.