Leigh Sales AM is a multi award-winning author and journalist at the ABC and anchors the much-loved Australian Story program. Before that, she presented the network’s prime time current affairs program 7.30 for 12 years.

She has been the face of the ABC’s major events coverage, including federal election and budget nights. Leigh has interviewed every living Australian Prime Minister and innumerable world leaders and celebrities from Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair to Paul McCartney and Elton John.

She’s the author of four books, including the national bestseller Any Ordinary Day and her latest co-written with Annabel Crabb, Well Hello. Their wildly popular podcast Chat 10 Looks 3 has hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Emma is the CEO of Women’s Health and Equality Queensland, an organisation advancing gender
equity, women’s health and the primary prevention of violence in Queensland.

Emma is the Co-chair of Ending Violence Against Women Queensland, which brings together the women’s health, refuge, domestic and sexual violence sectors. Emma is also a member of the Australian Women’s Health Alliance Board, which works to improve women’s health policy nationally.

Emma holds formal qualifications both in health and in higher education and embraces a philosophy of lifelong learning. Emma’s work focuses on improving health outcomes and increasing health equity for women and marginalised groups, and creating the structural and social change needed to stop gendered violence occurring, and support more women in our communities to thrive.

Emma is passionate about working collaboratively and listening to the experts in women’s lives –
women!

Professor Kerrie Wilson commenced in the role of the Queensland Chief Scientist on 1 November 2023.

Her distinguished career encompasses roles at QUT, including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability and Research Integrity), and her tenure as the Executive Director of the QUT Institute for Future Environments.

Professor Wilson is one of Australia’s leading researchers into the science, strategy and policy of conservation. With a track record in key leadership roles and driving collaboration with national and international stakeholders, she will ensure Queensland remains at the forefront of science.

Before joining QUT in 2019, Professor Wilson was the Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and an ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland.

She is also an Affiliated Professor in Conservation Science at The University of Copenhagen, a member of the Australian Heritage Council, and previously a member of the Reef 2050 Plan Independent Expert Panel.

Professor Wilson has held leadership positions including Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy Australia and the Australian Natural Sciences Commissioner for UNESCO.

She has received numerous awards, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, the Australian Academy of Science Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science, two ARC Research Fellowships and an Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Young Researcher.

She holds a Bachelor in Environmental Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland and a PhD from The University of Melbourne, undertaken in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, based in Cambridge.

Meet Jodi Woodroff, an accomplished senior leader renowned for her passion for operational excellence and transformative change. With a rich tapestry of experience, Jodi has finely honed her skills in stakeholder engagement, leadership, and change management, positioning herself as a driving force in the pursuit of excellence.

Jodi currently serves as a Senior Manager at Cover-More, where her unwavering commitment to delivering operational excellence continues to shape the organization’s success. Her exceptional leadership has consistently played a pivotal role in driving growth and innovation.

Beyond her corporate role, Jodi is a passionate trainer and workplace facilitator at Menopause Friendly Australia. Here, she empowers individuals and organizations with invaluable insights into menopause awareness, reflecting her deep commitment to inclusivity and positive transformations.

Jodi’s career is peppered with notable achievements. She masterfully negotiated the largest supplier agreement in company history and led the execution of a game changing post-Covid recovery plan, resulting in unprecedented sales success. Her leadership extends beyond borders, as she adeptly navigated the helm of the first remote Commonwealth Government tender assessment centre outside of the ACT.

As an executive sponsor for multiple continuous improvement projects, Jodi has consistently demonstrated her unwavering dedication to fostering positive change. Her portfolio also encompasses managing share registries for some of Queensland’s largest ASX-listed companies and acting as a returning officer at their AGMs.

Jodi’s indelible contributions earned her a coveted membership with Women on Boards, a testament to her impactful leadership in her field.

In her relentless pursuit of growth, Jodi has embraced numerous opportunities for professional development. She has undertaken media training, delved into cultural awareness, explored Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and earned certification as a Mental Health First Aider. As if that weren’t enough, she’s also embarked on the enriching journey of Yoga teacher training certification for personal fulfillment.

Mel Kettle is an internationally recognised expert in leadership and communication, with a significant interest in helping women and organisations better understand the impact of menopause in the workplace. With more than two decades of experience, Mel is a valuable asset to leaders and teams that want to achieve real connection and sustained engagement. In 2022 and 2023 Mel was recognised in the leadersHum Power List of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership. She is the author of two books, The Social Association and the bestselling Fully Connected. Visit www.melkettle.com.

Anna Thomas completed a Bachelor of Education at the University of Tasmania. She has worked for over 10 years in Tasmanian and Brisbane primary schools, teaching Kindergarten – Grade 6, Head of Literacy Support, and other areas of the curriculum. Her teaching experience has not only been in primary schools, but she has worked for 8 years at the University of Tasmania, Unit Coordinating and Tutoring the Bachelor of Education, Master of Teaching, and Associate Degree students in English Education. More recently her job at UTAS has been Coordinator of the Associate Degree first year English unit, which she devised, created and taught for the last 2 years.

Anna’s career has now shifted into a new role, working for Endometriosis Australia as the Workplace and Training Specialist for the Workplace Accreditation Program (EAWAP/Endo@Work). Which is an honour to work for the charity that is very close to her heart.

Anna has recently shifted to Brisbane with her husband, who is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania, and two young boys, who are her whole world.nna Thomas

Anne Moffat has been the Chief Operations Officer for the Department of Transport and Main Roads since December 2018, supporting the Director-General with the day-to-day operations of the Department.

Prior to coming to this role, Anne had more than 20 years in the state and local government sectors, working in senior roles across the infrastructure programming and delivery areas, as well as urban and regional planning.

She has delivered a number of large policy and engagement projects such as the first regulatory regional plan for South East Queensland; the highly acclaimed Queensland Growth Management Summit, and the Queensland Plan – the state’s largest ever engagement project. She has also led a number of delivery reform agendas across state and local government.

As Deputy Director-General, Schools and Student Support, Stacie provides visionary, values-based leadership and management to inspire equity, excellence and continuous improvement in education delivery across Queensland. She is responsible for leading innovative and effective educational reforms in line with local expertise and world-leading practice to ensure the success of every student and to support our state schools as employers of choice within the teaching profession.

Stacie is an experienced and effective education leader who has served the Queensland state school system as a teacher, principal and system leader since 1996. Her extensive career has taken her from the gold fields of Charters Towers to the cane fields of Bundaberg as a teacher, head of school, deputy principal and principal. She has worked with school communities across Queensland in urban, rural and remote locations—including primary and secondary schools—to achieve increased alignment between policy, curriculum and pedagogy responsive to the context of each school and community.

As an experienced educator, mentor and policy developer, Stacie is known for the passion, expertise and insight she extends to understanding the implications of high-impact pedagogical practices and sound school governance. She brings to her role an appreciation for the real difference that teachers and school leaders can make in the lives of Queensland’s greatest resource: our young learners. She is committed to working collaboratively to support educators in discovering what works in each school to bring out the best in our students and assure their success in the long term.

As Deputy Director-General, Schools and Student Support, Stacie will bring authentic leadership and organisational skills, with deep knowledge and understanding of regional school needs, curriculum, pedagogy and school performance. Stacie’s expertise will ensure the delivery of quality learning outcomes for children and young people across Queensland.