Moderators

Peter Mares

Lead Moderator, Peter Mares, has been working with Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership since 2013. Peter has a background in journalism and public policy research and is the author of three books: No Place Like Home: Repairing Australia’s Housing Crisis (Text, 2018); Not Quite Australian: how temporary migration is changing the nation (Text, 2016) and Borderline (UNSW Press 2001), an award-winning analysis of Australia’s approach to refugees and asylum seekers. Peter spent 25 years as a broadcaster with the ABC, mostly with Radio National. During that time, he served as a foreign correspondent based in Hanoi and presented national radio programs, including the daily current affairs show, Asia Pacific, and the weekly public policy discussion program, The National Interest.  Peter is a regular contributor to Inside Story magazine and an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Urban Transitions at Swinburne University.

Dr Matt Beard

Dr Matt Beard has had an extensive career as a moral philosopher and ethicist, working as a Fellow with The Ethics Centre in Sydney since 2015. He has taught philosophy and ethics at the University of New South Wales in Canberra and The University of Notre Dame Australia and has been published extensively in academic journals.

Dr Beard is a highly sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and in 2016 won the Australasian Association of Philosophy prize for media engagement, recognising his ‘prolific contribution to public philosophy’. He is a presenter on the ABC’s Short and Curly program, an award-winning ethics podcast for children, and regularly contributes articles to well-read news sites.

Rebecca Cody

As a Principal, Rebecca Cody frames her responsibilities in terms of Chief Educator, Learner, Strategist, Coach and Ambassador. Across two decades she has taught and led schools in Tasmania, Western Australia, New Zealand and Victoria.

In 2012 Rebecca received a WA Business News 40-under-40 award for her change management at Methodist Ladies’ College, Claremont, and was the University of Western Australia's Strategic Alliance winner. Commencing in 2018, Rebecca is the first woman and first Australian-born to be offered the privilege of leading the iconic Geelong Grammar School.

Cuddles with her children, Japanese green tea and literary classics are Rebecca’s favourite indulgences.

Frank Di Giorgio

Frank led an extensive 30-year career in the Australian Public Service including in the Senior Executive Service. He served as a General Manager and Principal Adviser in the Commonwealth Treasury in a range of roles, including as Secretary to the Treasury Executive Board.

Frank joined Treasury as a Graduate, but also had extensive experience in other departments, including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Frank is currently Principal of InVision Consulting, which delivers executive leadership training, counselling and coaching services.

Frank holds post graduate qualifications in Counselling and Psychotherapy; a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Economics, and has undertaken post graduate studies in Classics.

Rhys Edwards

Rhys is the principal of RDME Consulting - a boutique consulting firm working primarily with governments, universities and the not-for-profit sectors. Rhys had 18 years in the public sector and was Secretary for the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet for six years. Other roles include economic adviser to the Premier of Tasmania and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Economic Development. Rhys has an economics degree from the University of Tasmania and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1992. At Oxford he completed a MSc in Comparative Social Research. Rhys is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the LH Martin Institute at Melbourne University, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Salzburg Global Fellow and a director of the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre.

Dr Jean Ker Walsh

Jean Ker Walsh has recently retired from the Corporate sector, her most recent role being Customer and Communities Advocate at Transurban.  Jean’s prior career experience includes positions as a broadcast journalist, political advisor and strategic communications practitioner and commentator.

Her academic interests are in audience reception of communication with a particular interest in citizen politics and democracy. Jean provides pro bono communications advice to Refugee Legal and is an active member of Grandmothers for Refugees.

Travers McLeod

Travers has been CEO of the Centre for Policy Development, an independent Australian policy institute, since 2014. He began his career in public law, working for the State Solicitor’s Office in Western Australia and for Justice Michael Kirby in the High Court of Australia. Travers holds a DPhil and MPhil (Dist) in International Relations from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes scholar and was a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations. He worked as a Policy Adviser for the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, playing a lead role in the 2013 report Now for the Long Term. Travers’ first book, Rule of Law in War, was published by Oxford University Press in 2015. He remains an Associate of the Oxford Martin School and holds adjunct positions at the University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia. He is a board member of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture. Travers is married to a Kiwi. They have two young daughters. He grew up in Exmouth and Perth and remains devoted to the West Coast Eagles.

Carl Murphy

Carl recently retired from the Australian Public Service. His most recent role was as the Chief Operating Officer of the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. Carl spent the first 15 years of his career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (including overseas postings to Jakarta and Wellington) and the Office of National Assessments. Since then he has worked in corporate roles at IBM, Medicare, and the Departments of Environment and Finance. He has a BA (Hons) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Canberra, and is a CPA. As well as working for Cranlana, Carl does consulting work, including to the Australian Public Service. As a condition of his marriage, he barracks for the Geelong Cats. He divides his time between Canberra and Austinmer.

Genevieve Nihill

Genevieve Nihill AM is a Deputy President at VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and Head of VCAT's Human Rights Division, which consists of the Guardianship List (which makes decisions about protecting the rights and interests of adults with a cognitive impairment, including decisions about medical treatment, advance care planning and voluntary assisted dying) and the Human Rights List (which makes decisions about equal opportunity, restrictive treatment for people with intellectual disability, mental health, privacy, assisted reproductive treatment). Alongside these leadership roles, Genevieve is a decision maker, tribunal member and mediator across many areas of VCAT, and previously managed VCAT's alternative dispute resolution program.  She developed and regularly presented an accredited mediator training program at VCAT. She holds an LLB, BA, and Masters of Law and Conflict Resolution.

Genevieve has also worked for various other tribunals and disability related organisations, including the Mental Health Tribunal, the Intellectual Disability Review Panel and health practitioner regulation panels. Her background and foundation is in community law, having worked as a lawyer, community educator, manager and volunteer in many community legal centres for over 35 years.

In 2016 Genevieve was awarded an order of Australia for significant service to the law, and to the community of Victoria, particularly to dispute resolution, human rights and disability services.

Annamarie Rooding

Annamarie Roodingis director and principal of Principled Workplace Consulting. As the former General Counsel reporting to the board and executive of an ASX100 company, Annamarie has particular expertise in organisational ethics and the creation of a speak-up culture, including whistleblowing framworks. Annamarie holds a Masters, Labour Relations Law, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology).

Jacqueline Stone

Jacqueline Stone is a practicing lawyer who has extensive experience in policy law and reform. She has also served on several corporate boards and is currently on the board of a venture capital fund focussed on emerging technologies.

Jacqueline has degrees in Law and Economics, and recently completed a Masters of Professional and Applied Ethics at Melbourne University