Speakers

Hon Gabrielle Williams

Gabrielle Williams has proudly represented her local community as the Member for Dandenong in the Victorian Parliament since 2014. She currently serves as Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Minister for Public and Active Transport. As Coordinating Minister for the Department of Transport and Planning and Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Gabrielle is focused on delivering a pipeline of major road and rail projects that will respond to growth and improve how people move around Melbourne and Regional Victoria. As Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle believes that public transport is for everyone – and is committed to creating a transport network that is well-connected and accessible to all in our community. One of her key priorities is also to make active transport options safer and more attractive for Victorians. First appointed to the Cabinet in 2018, Gabrielle has previously served in a number of portfolios, including Government Services, Consumer Affairs, Ambulance Services, Mental Health, Treaty and First Peoples, Prevention of Family Violence, Women, and Youth. Prior to 2018, she served as Parliamentary Secretary across the Health, Carers and Volunteers, and Industry and Employment portfolios. Gabrielle holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Monash University. She has previously worked as a lawyer and project manager and has served as a director of a not-for-profit disability sport organisation. Gabrielle is a passionate advocate for equity and social inclusion and is proud to be a member of Victoria’s first ever gender-equal Cabinet. She is committed to driving an ambitious reform agenda to improve outcomes for all Victorians.

Dr Jonathan Spear

Dr Jonathan Spear is Infrastructure Victoria’s Chief Executive Officer. Jonathan leads the organisation’s work on Victoria’s 30-year infrastructure strategy, research program and provision of independent advice to the Victorian Government. Before joining Infrastructure Victoria in 2015, Jonathan held senior executive roles with the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of Justice, Victoria Police and Slater and Gordon Lawyers. Jonathan holds a Doctor of Philosophy in History, Executive Master of Public Administration, Master of Laws, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours). He is also a legal practitioner, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Williamson Community Leadership Program, and a director of the Melbourne Forum.

Martin Hawson

Martin has well over 20 years’ experience at senior executive level in Local Government, establishing a proven record for innovative leadership and creating close, outcome-driven partnerships with the community. Born and raised in Red Cliffs and a Sunraysia resident his entire life, key themes throughout his extensive local government career have been improving community well-being, particularly for disadvantaged groups, and creating strategies for the region to grow and prosper. Council's Mildura Future Ready advocacy and funding strategy is a shining example of Martin's ground-breaking approach to improving outcomes for the Sunraysia region. Since it was launched in 2017, it has attracted $42 million in government funding for the region, making projects including the Mildura Sporting Precinct and continued development of Mildura's iconic riverfront a reality. Throughout his career, Martin has demonstrated an ability to develop successful relationships at all levels of government and with key stakeholders, which is critical to achieving outcomes that make a real difference to the community. Combined with his innovative leadership style, this has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in major projects that have been realisedduring his time as a senior executive at Mildura Rural City Council. They include the aforementioned Mildura Sporting Precinct, Powerhouse Place, transformation of Mildura’s riverfront precinct and most recently the internationally recognised Trail of Lights tourism experience. These projects have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefit for the Sunraysia region and the resulting plethora of community health and wellbeing outcomes that will be felt for decades to come. Martin is an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate and also has qualifications in the health and education sectors, including a Masters in Health Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Health Science.

Priscilla Radice

Zac Kerr

Zac advises on projects and infrastructure transactions globally, particularly in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He has a particular knowledge of the transport, energy, renewables, water and social infrastructure / public–private partnership (PPP) sectors, including greenfield contracting, financing and secondary markets. Zac has advised on the majority of the PPPs undertaken in Australia and New Zealand (together with a number of offshore PPPs), together with major rail and urban renewal projects, and every privately owned toll road in Australia (together with a number of international road projects). He has advised on dozens of electricity generation, distribution, transmission and storage projects. He is also experienced in advising clients lending to or buying and selling stakes in these assets. Zac has a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) & Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University, and a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School and Darden Business School at the University of Virginia.

Mat Stoddart

Mat is AsheMorgan’s Development Director. Mat’s expertise in the real estate industry is demonstrable from over 18 years successfully originating, leading and delivering complex projects in both a development and project management capacity. Mat has worked in Australia and the UK for REITs, consultancy groups and private equity, across property sectors including residential, hotel, retail, commercial, mixed use and leisure. He is currently leading the development of one of Australia's largest BTR projects and establishing a BTR operating platform.

Benjamin Delaney

Benjamin Delaney is the Acting Group Head of Civic Infrastructure at Development Victoria, overseeing the delivery of major civic and infrastructure projects on behalf of government clients. With over 20 years of experience in planning and delivering complex projects, he has led some of the state’s most significant redevelopments, including the $1B Melbourne Park Redevelopment, encompassing the Rod Laver Arena Redevelopment, Centrepiece, and the National Tennis Centre.

Before stepping into his current role, Benjamin led the sports portfolio within the Civic Infrastructure group, where his teams successfully delivered the Bundha Sports Centre and the State Basketball Centre Redevelopment. They continue to lead high-profile projects, including eight initiatives within the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program.

Benjamin has delivered major projects both internationally and in Australia, specializing in sports, event, and social infrastructure. A trusted advisor to senior government leaders, he is a specialist in strategic procurement and collaborative contracting models of delivery.

Tania de Jong AM

Tania de Jong AM (pronounced Yong) is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs and innovators having developed 6 businesses and 4 charities. Tania works across the public, private, creative and social sectors. She founded Creativity Australia, Creative Universe, MTA Entertainment & Events and The Song Room. She co- founded Mind Medicine Australia, Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation working on the use of psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat a range of mental illnesses and expand the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. Tania presents keynote speeches and leadership programs and performs internationally as a soloist and with her group Pot-Pourri. She has released twelve albums. Tania’s TED Talk How Singing Together Changes The Brain has sparked international interest.

Ross De Rango

Ross is a robotics engineer by background and has spent the last eight years getting involved wherever the standards, codes, regulations and market design considerations relating to the infrastructure supporting EVs in Australia is being considered. His latest venture is Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia, a business focused on solving challenges in the EV industry. Ross and his wife own a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in hybrid and a Polestar, and live in Melbourne

Nik Ruparel

Nik began his career as an Accountant and then transitioned into Business Consulting, before specialising in the recruitment of Executive and Management positions, with over 20 years’ experience in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. Nik has first-hand experience of identifying talent for major infrastructure projects across the country. Nik has delivered recruitment which has included permanent and temporary positions, managing single assignments and project-based recruitment, that has involved the development and delivery of large-scale international sourcing campaigns. Nik has successfully delivered a range of positions covering Senior Executive, Project Management, Transformation, Procurement, Commercial, Design.

Avril Smith

Avril is an Executive Director of the Victorian School Building Authority at the Department of Education. She manages a large team of design, construction and property specialists to deliver the State’s 100 New Schools commitment, upgrades and modernisation capital works programs at existing schools and the early childhood and kindergarten reform program. She is also responsible for the Departments land acquisition program and all land arrangements that take place on the Minister for Education’s land.

All of this work plays an integral part in the delivery of the State Government's biggest investment in education infrastructure, in excess of $18 billion.

Avril practiced as a property and construction lawyer for over 20 years and is qualified in Victoria, New South Wales, England, and Wales.

Prior to her time working in State Government Avril practiced law in both private practice in Australia and the UK and the public sector in the UK working on both small- and large-scale infrastructure projects which all required strong legal expertise in construction, property and commercial law.  She has represented a wide range of Local and State Government organisations and some of Australia’s and the UK's best-known privately-owned construction companies, property development companies and not-for-profit organisations.

David Yates

Katherine Brewis

Senior Project Manager at Australia’s largest contractor CPB Contractors, Katherine Brewis has been delivering game changing critical and complex infrastructure across Australia’s east coast for over 20 years. Katherine actively seeks roles and projects which pose complex engineering challenges, requiring creative thinking and non-traditional approaches. More recently, Katherine is working with industry to support Australia’s transition to clean energy, leveraging the expertise of CPB Contractors’ people, capability, technology and project delivery experience to service this new pipeline of projects. Passionate about leading cultural change more broadly across industry, Katherine volunteers with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), working with her peers to strive for an inclusive and diverse workforce that will aid in the increased recruitment, development and retention of women within all facets of the construction industry.

Dimitar Petreski

Dimitar is a Director at the Victorian School Building Authority at the Department of Education.   Dimitar leads the Major Projects branch, which is charged with delivering the State’s high-risk, high-value education projects, including the 100 New Schools commitment, complex upgrades and modernisation capital works programs, and the early childhood and kindergarten reform program. 

All of this work plays an integral part in the delivery of the State Government's biggest investment in education infrastructure, in excess of $18 billion.

A civil engineer by training, and with two decades of experience across engineering, construction, and IT infrastructure in Australia and the UK, Dimitar has delivered complex, high-value projects across both public and private sectors.  His career includes key roles on major infrastructure programs such as the London Cycle Hire Scheme, where he led multidisciplinary teams and navigated complex stakeholder environments to deliver an alternative public transport mode in a city with some of the most extensive and well-integrated public transport systems in the world.

Tim McIntosh

Tim McIntosh is the National Director of Retail Middle Markets at Colliers and leads the Victorian business, specialising in the sale of neighbourhood and sub-regional shopping centres, supermarkets, large format retail, hardware and core retail investments. Over Tim’s ten years with Colliers, across both Australia and the United Kingdom, Tim has managed in excess of $1.5 billion of retail transactions.

Louise Alexander

Louise is the Executive Manager of Strategic Infrastructure Projects at the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO). Louise is a non-Aboriginal woman living and working on Wurundjeri land. She leads the team charged with infrastructure strategy, advisory, advocacy and delivery for the health and wellbeing Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector. Louise instigated the first statewide Cultural Safety – Building Design Assessment of assets in Australia, the first successful self-determined major capital business case for a Victorian health ACCO, and a critical partnership with Infrastructure Victoria resulting in a published research report. She has also been instrumental in key infrastructure actions being published in the Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Partnership Agreement with the Victorian Government and the Yoorrook Justice Commission recommendations. This was not done alone and builds on the many generations of work and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Lane Crockett

Lane Crockett joined the SEC in July 2023. He leads SEC’s investments in renewable energy and storage assets and has more than 35 years’ experience in the energy industry, including 20 years in renewable energy. Prior to the SEC, Lane was an Executive Director at Sentient Impact Group, where he helped it grow into an institutional level impact investment business. This followed five years at the Impact Investment Group, where, as Head of Renewable Infrastructure, he established several solar funds in support of Australia's clean energy transition. Lane also worked for Pacific Hydro (now Pacific Blue) as Head of Country and was a Director at both the Clean Energy Council and the Australian Energy Council (formerly ESAA).

James Henry

Sam Linke

Michaela Lihou