Keynote Speaker

In December 2009, Cecilia V. Estolano joined Green For All, the national organization which advocates for broad access and opportunity in the clean-energy economy. As Chief Strategist of State and Local Initiatives, Ms Estolano is charged with spearheading Green For All’s effort to scale public-private partnerships as a means to grow family-supporting, green jobs in cities across the United States, particularly in under-served communities. She also promotes policies and practices that support green-construction and clean-tech manufacturing jobs.

From May 2006 to November 2009, Ms Estolano was the Chief Executive Officer of CRA/LA (Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles), the largest redevelopment agency in the State of California. She redefined the role of CRA/LA to encompass a broad mission of creating economic opportunity and improving the quality of life for current and future generations living in CRA/LA project areas. Under Ms Estolano’s leadership, CRA/LA focused on creating family-supporting jobs, producing affordable and workforce housing, promoting sustainable urbanism and delivering significant, transformative investment to areas of Los Angeles that have not shared in the city’s cycles of prosperity. During her tenure, CRA/LA rebuilt its housing department, adopted a landmark policy on local hiring in construction jobs receiving financial support from CRA/LA, and adopted a Healthy Neighborhoods policy as a blueprint for incorporating sustainability principles throughout CRA/LA’s practices, programs and projects.

Prior to joining CRA/LA, Ms Estolano was counsel in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  From 2001 to 2004, Ms Estolano served as Special Assistant City Attorney for land use, economic development and environment for Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, where she was the City's top negotiator in achieving a landmark settlement in Clean Water Act litigation brought by the US Department of Justice, US EPA Region IX, the State of California and the Santa Monica Baykeeper regarding the City's sewer system.

Ms Estolano served on the California Coastal Commission from 1999 to 2002. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Senior Policy Advisor with the US Environmental Protection Agency and she served as Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley's Environmental Policy Advisor from 1991 to 1993.

Ms Estolano is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law and holds an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.  She received her undergraduate degree in Social Studies with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges.

Keynote Speaker

Kevin Warwick is Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England, where he carries out ground-breaking research in artificial intelligence, control, robotics and cyborgs – with technological, medical and social inclusion implications.

Kevin was born in Coventry, UK and left school to join British Telecom, at the age of 16. At 22 he took his first degree at Aston University, followed by a PhD and research post at Imperial College, London. He subsequently held positions at Oxford, Newcastle and Warwick Universities before being offered the Chair at Reading, at the age of 33.

Perhaps Kevin is best known for his pioneering experiments involving a neuro-surgical implantation into the median nerves of his left arm, to link his nervous system directly to a computer to assess the latest technology – for use with the disabled. He was successful with the first extra-sensory (ultrasonic) input for a human, and also with the first purely electronic telegraphic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans.

Kevin’s most recent research involves the invention of an intelligent deep brain stimulator to counteract the effects of Parkinson Disease tremors. The tremors are predicted and a current signal is applied to stop the tremors before they start – this is shortly to be trialled in human subjects. Another project involves the use of cultured/biological neural networks to drive robots around – the brain of each robot is made of neural tissue.

Kevin has been awarded higher doctorates (DSc) both by Imperial College and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, and received Honorary Doctorates from Aston University and Coventry University in 2008. He was presented with The Future of Health Technology Award in MIT; was made an Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg; received the IEE Senior Achievement Medal in 2004; and in 2008 the Mountbatten Medal.  In 2000 Kevin presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, entitled “The Rise of the Robots”.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is a Major Supporter of Working Communities International Congress 2010, and of the Congress keynote speakers.

A communications and performance expert, Amanda Gore uses the science of the heart, and the principles of emotional intelligence and neuroscience, to help leaders achieve the results they need by getting people engaged in, enthusiastic about, and aligned with organisational goals and vision.

Amanda will help delegates reconnect to the energy and emotional layers that really drive performance, innovation, relationships, engagement and creativity. She teaches that our perceptions determine our feelings, which directly affect our behaviour. Until we change our perceptions, we won’t change our behaviour. Amanda changes perceptions. And feelings.

Author of five books and several DVD and audio training programs, Amanda has a bachelor's degree in physiotherapy, a major in psychology, and expertise in neuroscience, ergonomics, group dynamics, stress management, neurolinguistics, and emotional intelligence.

Facilitator

Andrew Horabin is a professional speaker, trainer, comedian, author and award-winning singer songwriter. Over sixteen years, he has worked with big and small business, government departments, community organisations and more than 100 schools.

Andrew has written the book BULLSHIFT and is the creator of The Eldership Project, aimed at re-creating Eldership in modern life.

As a facilitator of hypotheticals, Andrew also helps people explore complex and important issues in a fast, entertaining and highly stimulating way.

At the Congress, Andrew will moderate and facilitate a hypothetical about the “Ideal Working Community”, which will allow delegates to explore their ideal working community, along with all the ethical, practical and fanciful challenges of making it happen. The fast and fascinating session will be held on the final day, and will feature some of the Congress’ outstanding guest speakers.

Professor Barbara Pocock is Director of the Centre for Work + Life at the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies, at the University of South Australia. She established the Centre in 2006.

Barbara was initially trained as an economist and has been researching work, employment and industrial relations for over twenty-five years. She has worked in a range of jobs including the Reserve Bank of Australia, farming, trade unions and in government. She has also worked advising politicians and as a mother.

Her past research includes analysis of employment relations, work, gender, vocational education, the regulation of industrial relations, unions and inequality.  She has led the Australian Association of Industrial Relation Academics of Australia and New Zealand, and is a board member of The Australia Institute, the SA Public Sector Performance Commission Advisory Board, the Strategic Council of the Climate Institute and the Festival of Ideas Board. In 2007, Barbara won the ‘society’ category of The Bulletin’s ‘Smart 100 Australians’. She has been a Dunstan Fellow (2006), a Queen Elizabeth II fellow (2003-2007), a Visiting Fellow at the International Institute for Labour Studies, International Labour Organisation, Geneva, and a Visiting Fellow at Ruskin College, Oxford in 2005.

At present, with colleagues at the Centre for Work + Life, Barbara is studying the changing nature of work and its intersections with changing household and social life, with Australia as the primary focus.

Colin Carter is one of Australia’s premier business leaders, an authority on corporate governance, and newly-appointed Australian Government Ambassador for Business Action.

Colin is a strong advocate for the role that Australian business can play in helping Indigenous people overcome disadvantage. In February 2010, he was appointed by the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, as Ambassador for Business Action. In this role, Colin is now at the forefront of the Australian Government’s efforts to encourage the private sector to play an active role in improving Indigenous employment.

Colin has an extensive consulting background in organisational and business strategy. He is a former Senior Vice-President of, and a current senior adviser to, The Boston Consulting Group. His interests include corporate governance issues, and in recent years Colin has carried out board performance reviews for a number of companies as well as co-authoring a top-selling book on boards, Back To The Drawing Board.

A Non-executive Director of Wesfarmers Ltd and SEEK Ltd; Colin is also a Director of World Vision Australia and the Geelong Football Club. He is Chair of the AFL Foundation, and sits on the board of Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships - an organisation that aims to foster Indigenous economic and social development.

Colin has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Melbourne University and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he graduated with Distinction and as a Baker Scholar.

Dan Finn is Professor of Social Inclusion at the University of Portsmouth and was previously co-Director of the university’s independent Unemployment Unit. Dan has written extensively on labour market programmes, reform of public employment services and the implementation of welfare to work strategies.

Throughout his career, Dan has carried out, supervised, and managed a broad range of research projects. He has been a special adviser for parliamentary inquires and other UK bodies, such as the National Employment Panel and UK Commission on Employment and Skills. He has extensive research and policy contacts in Europe, the USA and Australia and has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Melbourne.

Dan’s research interests include policy responses to unemployment, the reform of public employment services, activation, the implementation of welfare to work strategies and integration of employment and skills provision. Dan has a particular interest in contracting out and has completed recent studies of ‘welfare markets’ in the UK, USA, the Netherlands and Australia, and was Special Advisor to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry into the ‘DWP’s Commissioning Strategy and the Flexible New Deal’, published in March 2009.

Dan is an Associate Director at the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, an independent, not-for-profit organisation (see www.cesi.org.uk ).  The centre plays a significant role in the UK in undertaking applied research, disseminating best practice, providing policy advice to government and NGOs, and in working with peer European and international networks. This work involves also direct policy development, including briefings and formal presentations for Ministers, civil servants and other policy makers on emerging research findings and international best practice.

Dom Thurbon is a world top-ten speaker and a leading authority on Generation Y and workforce trends. He has researched and speaks on issues including workforce trends, employer branding and attracting, retaining and marketing to Generation Y.

After graduating from the University of Sydney, Dominic opted to join Peter Sheahan as lead researcher on his business book, Flip: How counterintuitive thinking is changing everything (now published in Australia, the US, the UK and India); while simultaneously undertaking his honours thesis in Political Science. As Head of Research for Peter Sheahan, he has written a wide variety of articles and reports on the impact of Gen Y in our workplaces and broader society, and actively commentates on the subject. He has led the development of one of the most comprehensive Generation Y research projects in the world, and regularly assists in the preparation of presentations to clients such as Google and News Corporation.

Dom is also co-founder and Managing Director of the Centre for Skills Development, a multimillion dollar company which connects organisations with important messages to hard-to-reach markets. In his work with the Centre, Dominic and his team of 10 have employed their in-depth knowledge of Gen Y, workforce trends and skills shortages in executing projects for major multinational clients that focus on delivering messages into markets that are hard to reach, such as schools and educational institutions.

Dom's speaking skills have been recognised with consistent top-ten Australian, Australasian and World rankings in debating. In 2006, at the World Debating Championships (the largest gathering of speakers in the world) held in Dublin, he was the 7th ranked speaker in the world; and in 2008 he was a grand finalist at the tournament.

Elleni Bereded-Samuel was born in Ethiopia and is the first African Commissioner for the Victorian Multicultural Commission. She has focused her life's work on strengthening education, training and employment for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia.

Elleni is now the Community Engagement Advisor and Coordinator at Victoria University. Her dynamic leadership has resulted in new solutions for community to access and participate in society. She is on the Board of Directors of the Royal Women’s Hospital and chairs the Community Advisory Committee, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of SBS (Australia’s multicultural broadcasting service, which broadcasts on television, radio and via the internet in more than 60 languages). Commissioner Bereded-Samuel is also on the Australian Government’s Social Inclusion Board.

Elleni was one of the recipients of the Victoria University Vice-Chancellor’s Citations and Award for Outstanding Engagement with CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) communities in Australia. She also received Victoria’s premier award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs Education, and a Prime Minster’s International Year of Volunteers Award. Her name has been included on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Elleni also received the 2008 Diversity@Work Individual Champion Award for Diversity and Inclusion and was presented with this accolade by Sir Bob Geldof.

In 2006, Elleni was named on the “Who’s Who of Australian Women”. In 2008, she was selected as one of twelve significant women in the state of Victoria as part of the 100 years of women’s suffrage reflection and celebration. Elleni was also invited to participate in, and contribute to, the “Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion” stream of the Australian Government’s Australia: 2020 Summit.