Emma Miller

Head of HR Asia Pacific and Director, Global Talent Management
Boardriders

Emma Miller is an experienced senior Human Resources professional and all-round people champion with a range of experience in the retail, tourism and Government industry sectors.  As the Head of HR for Asia Pacific and Global Director of Talent Management for Boardriders, Emma is on a mission to redefine the impact that leaders can have on organisations.  With values like kindness and courage and believing that leadership is human focused first and foremost, Emma is leading the way when it comes to a new way of working. It’s Emma’s hands on and people-centric approach in all aspects of HR resulting in a truly engaging employee experience at Boardriders. 

Kirsten Edwards

People Lead, Advanced Analytics & Data Science/Acting Global Head of People Analytics & Insights
Rio Tinto

Kirsten Edwards is author of the internationally successful book ‘Predictive HR Analytics: Mastering the HR Metric’ and has worked with many HR professionals and teams to help increase analytic literacy in the function. She is a well-known champion of Diversity and Inclusion in the UK and Australia through her work with Pearn Kandola and Diversity Partners and her current role is the HR Lead for Advanced Analytics and Data Science at Rio Tinto.

Kirsten has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Organisational analysis as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Communication and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Education). She is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and was a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London and the University of Kent Business Schools between 2014 and 2019.

Kirsten’s career spans over 25 years and three continents, having lived and worked in Toronto, London and Brisbane. She has helped many clients globally including Barclays, ING, Prudential, NHS Wales, UK Ministry of Defence, HMRC, QSuper, Kingfisher PLC, Bedfordshire Police, O2, Cofco International and the British Heart Foundation through her work with IBM, Capgemini Consulting, Financial Synergy and Empathix. Kirsten also spent 6 years at the Royal Bank of Scotland with a focus on Culture, Engagement and Diversity.

Leigh Hillier

Head of People Operations
BAE Systems Australia

Leigh is the Brisbane based Head of People Operations with BAE Systems Australia.

BAE Systems is Australia’s most versatile defence and security company and employs around 5500 highly skilled people across the nation.

For almost 70 years, the company has sought to provide the Australian Defence Force with a competitive edge across the air, land, maritime and cyber domains.

Leigh has 22 years’ experience as a Human Resources generalist with statutory authorities, education and defence sectors.

Leigh is a pragmatic, solutions-driven leader with a strong understanding of the Defence industry.

His ‘hands-on’ experience is complemented with an Executive MBA, Post Graduate Diploma and Bachelor Degree in Human Resource Management.

Kendra Capozzi Parker

Global Director of Employee Experience
Avanade

Kendra Capozzi Parker is the Global Director of Employee Experience focused on the future of work for Avanade. Working to improve the employee experience and influence the climate within which our people work, she is passionate about creating a culture our people can be proud of, and a workplace that meets the holistic needs of every single Avanade employee.  Based in Brisbane Australia, she’s held roles from global mobility, HR Tech to Business HR, and supported business groups within each of the companies Areas over her 15 year career with Avanade. In her free time she can be found exploring the coastal beaches and surrounding hinterlands of Australia with her son and husband.

Deanna McMaster

Partner
MinterEllison

Deanna manages the safety, employment and industrial relations risks across both private and public sector clients, covering industries such as health, construction, electricity, mining, oil and gas, coal ports and transportation.

In relation to health and safety, Deanna provides practical, timely advice about statutory regimes and safety systems and working closely with clients in Queensland and nationally. She often helps manage the immediate aftermath of an incident, and the investigations that may follow. Having acted for numerous regulators, she understands both sides of the enforcement process.

In addition to providing general employment and industrial relations advice and managing related litigation (including discrimination, adverse action and termination disputes), she advises on the employment aspects of corporate restructures and sales and work with businesses to develop tailored industrial strategies and negotiate enterprise agreements.

James Hall

Partner
Ashurst

James has extensive experience in working with clients to provide strategic legal advice on a range of matters concerning employment, discrimination, industrial relations and workplace health and safety. James advises clients across a range of sectors and routinely provides advice and assistance to Commonwealth, State and Local Government entities, as well as some of Australia’s largest corporations including BHP, Anglo American and Glencore.

In the area of occupational health and safety, James represents clients under investigation by statutory authorities or subject to prosecution or coronial proceedings.

Wendy Fauvel

Partner
Herbert Smith Freehills

Wendy works closely with clients to navigate the complex regulatory environment of employment law in Australia. She provides strategic advice and advocacy in relation to workplace investigations, performance management and disciplinary action matters, enterprise bargaining, collective and individual disputes, and advises on the employment aspects of corporate transactions.

Wendy is a regular presenter to our clients, HR conferences and other training events on employment and industrial relations matters.

Wendy provides strategic advice to employers both before and during bargaining, to assist them prepare and achieve a successful bargaining round. She is an editor and author of Herbert Smith Freehills’ publication, “Bargaining under the Fair Work Act”, which provides a comprehensive analysis of all significant bargaining and industrial action cases since the introduction of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

Christy Miller

Partner
Clayton Utz

Christy Miller specialises in industrial relations, employment, discrimination and work health and safety law, and is highly regarded for her ability to provide plain-speaking legal and strategic advice to a wide portfolio of public and private sector clients.

Christy has an in-depth knowledge of the Federal and Queensland Industrial relations schemes and aims to provide strategic advice to clients taking into consideration their particular needs and balancing business and regulatory imperatives.

Christy acts for a broad client base spanning the transport, construction, retail and health/care industries (those industries often dominated by complex Award structures). Christy’s experience extends to representing local Councils and state and Federal Government departments and agencies. Christy provides expert guidance and support to assist agencies and statutory bodies navigate issues, against a background of complex and overlapping employment and public sector legislation including public interest disclosures, Crime & Corruption Commission obligations and specific enabling (legislation) that impacts the management of employment matters.

Christy uses her knowledge and experience across industry boundaries to develop and apply innovative solutions that address the needs of business and Government. Christy’s expertise, adaptability, timeliness, attention to detail and solution-oriented approach are key aspects of the services she is able to offer her clients.

Christy shares her knowledge with clients in valuable workshops offered through Clayton Utz Training Program.

Tim Longwill

Partner
McCullough Robertson

Tim is a senior industrial relations practitioner and has practised in the area for more than two decades. He provides strategic and operational advice on all aspects of the health and aged care industries including legislative compliance, human resources and business drivers.

He has acted for significant clients including the not-for-profit sector, private providers, and government. He has been involved in many of the landmark workplace relations decisions in these sectors.

Tim also specialises in resolving industrial matters in their operational context understanding that solutions must work sustainably for the enterprise as a whole.

His broad expertise is drawn from considerable experience and covers all aspects of workplace relations and employment issues. More recently Tim has been involved in enterprise agreement bargaining, contested enterprise bargaining approvals and termination of enterprise agreements for large aged and health care providers.

Tim has been a guest lecturer with the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology’s Business School of Philanthropy and Nonprofit studies.