Speakers

Husna Pasha is a businesswoman, author, media personality, stand-up comedian, and public speaker.

She’s funny, brave and outspoken, attracting bigger audiences to her great mission, 'to create happier people'.

Husna left the corporate world after 18 years to start a new venture. She founded Alisha's Cafe Collective, which within a year was named one of 'The Coolest Cafes in Melbourne' as well as one of 'The top 10 Best Cafes in Melbourne'. She recently closed the cafe and continues with Alisha’s Catering, a unique concept where Husna brings conversation to the table as well as incredible cuisine. She also continues to host her annual stage show and has become a well-known and popular presenter and speaker.

Husna has appeared as a co-host on The Project, participated in the 'Speed Date a Muslim' initiative aimed at breaking down barriers between Muslims and non-Muslims, and has been the subject of a 2017 ABC Compass documentary.

Husna will coordinate a lively, well-paced morning agenda while breakfast is enjoyed.

Dr Gael Jennings is an award-winning national TV and radio broadcaster with 25 years' experience as presenter, reporter and TV executive. She was the ABC’s first national science and medical reporter for ABC TV news and for the 7.30 Report, and has also appeared on ABC TV’s Quantum and Catalyst, ABC radio, and SBS’s Insight.

Gael is an award-winning author of two non-fiction books and is a regular commentator on ABC TV News Breakfast and 774 ABC radio. She has held directorships on over a dozen boards, and is currently on the board of VARTA (Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority) and an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.

Gael holds a First Class Honours degree in Science from the University of Melbourne, and PhD in Immunology from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

Gael will use her renowned expertise and topic experience to lead and guide the panel discussion.

Sally Capp was elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne in May 2018 and was the first woman to be directly elected as Lord Mayor.

Sally began her career as a solicitor, and has held senior roles in business, government, and industry groups, including being the first woman to hold the position of Agent-General for Victoria in the UK, Europe, and Israel, and serving as the CEO for the Committee for Melbourne and the Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.

A passionate Magpies supporter, in 2004 Sally made history as the first female board member of Collingwood Football Club. In addition to her involvement in a number of charities, Sally is also Honorary Patron of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Trustee of the Shrine of Remembrance, Member of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, Patron of the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices, Patron of the Royal Women’s Hospital Foundation and Victorian Honorary Vice President of the Australia-Britain Society (Victoria) Inc.

Sally will bring her experiences as a senior executive working across business, government and industry, and her historic achievements of being the first woman to hold several key roles, including Mayor of Melbourne.

David Leser is a multi-award winning journalist who has worked in Australia, North America, the Middle East, Europe and Asia for the past 40 years. He has worked as a feature writer for The Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age, HQ magazine, the Bulletin, Good Weekend, the Australian Women’s Weekly, Italian and German Vanity Fair, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

He has also worked as a Washington D.C, Jerusalem and Paris-based correspondent.

David is the author of 7 books, including a memoir To Begin to Know: Walking in the Shadows of My Father, which was shortlisted for the 2015 National Biography Award, and his most recent book Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing, about gender relations in the age of #MeToo.

Born in Montreal, David is a Doctor of Creative Arts who also works as a public interviewer, guest lecturer, writing mentor, and speech writer.

David will share his incisive investigation into the roots of misogyny, it’s inextricable links to the patriarchy and how history brought us to the #MeToo movement.

Debbie Platz joined the Australian Federal Police as an Assistant Commissioner in February 2017. She is currently National Manager of the Crime Operations portfolio.

Prior to joining the Australian Federal Police, Debbie enjoyed a 30-year career with the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Between 2000 and 2014, Debbie was heavily involved in a number of reviews of the QPS. She has also worked as the Chief of Staff to the Queensland Police Commissioner and was later in charge of the training and development of police, managing two police academies, a leadership centre, recruitment, workplace safety and wellbeing.

Debbie is currently President of the Australasian Council of Women and Policing, and an Adjunct Professor with the University of Queensland. In 2019 Debbie was awarded the Queensland and Australian Telstra Businesswomen of the Year award for Public Sector and Academia.

Debbie will contribute her expertise and experiences gained in the leadership of women in policing; and address the issues of workplace safety and well-being for women.

Terry Moran AC, was, as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia’s most senior public servant from 2008 to 2011. His current roles include Chancellor of Federation University, Chair of the Centre for Policy Development, Vice President of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Director of the Menzies Foundation, and Ambassador for Teach for Australia.

Terry spent his early career as a public servant in the Australian and Victorian Public Services. After serving in a number of senior positions, Terry was appointed Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet for the State of Victoria in July 2000. He held this position until his appointment as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in early 2008.

In 2012, Terry was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for ‘eminent service to the community through public sector leadership, as a significant contributor to policy development, program delivery and effective governance, and to the implementation of contemporary government administration’, after having been made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2006. Terry was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) at La Trobe University in 2017.

Terry will share his wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience with a particular focus on leadership, policy development and program delivery.

Melinda is the CEO of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. She is also a non-executive director of Australian Unity, Co‑Chair of Reconciliation Australia and a member of the Parliamentary Budget Office panel of expert advisors.

Melinda was previously a non-executive director of Woodside Petroleum, a Commissioner with the Productivity Commission and Deputy CEO and Chief Economist with the Business Council of Australia. Melinda has also held senior roles with the Federal Department of Treasury, Invesco and the International Monetary Fund.

Melinda’s executive and director experience covers the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors and she has a strong track record of working collaboratively across sectors.

Melinda’s professional qualifications include a Masters of Economics, Bachelor of Economics (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts (Psychology). She has also completed the AICD Company Directors Course.

Melinda will speak with proven expertise and authority on the economic argument for gender equality in Australia.