Dennis Shanahan has been The Australian’s Canberra Bureau Chief, then Political Editor and now National Editor based in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery since 1989 covering every Budget, election and prime minister since then. He has been in journalism since 1971 and has a master’s Degree in Journalism from Columbia University, New York.

 Dr. Juliette Tobias-Webb is a Professor of Practice in Behavioural Science at the AI and Cyber Futures Institute and one of Australia’s leading experts in human decision-making and behaviour change.

 Holding a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge, Dr. Juliette has had a distinguished career, with key roles including Senior Manager of Behavioural Science at Commonwealth Bank and Behaviour Change Lead at Ogilvy Australia. She founded her own consultancy, working with top organisations such as Mastercard, Citibank, and Atlassian to apply behavioural insights to drive transformative results.

 Her contributions extend to publications in leading neuroscience and psychology journals, and she has been featured in various media outlets, including Triple J Hack, ABC, and the Australian Financial Review.

 Dr Juliette has been recognised for her exceptional contributions to the field being one of 60 women in Australia nominated as a Superstar of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths), and being selected as one of 100 women in STEM to explore Antarctica.

John Black pioneered demographic profiling of Australian political and economic groups in Australia since 1975. Developed demographic strategy for the Australian Labor Party national campaign in 1983. Australian Senator for Queensland (1984-90) and chaired Senate Inquiries into Drugs in Sport which established the Australian Sports Drugs Agency and has been a founding board member of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency. Part-time Senior Member of the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Currently a guest commentator for the ABC and the Election Analyst for The Australian Financial Review, where John often talks about profiling of politics and the labour market. He also writes adventure fly fishing articles for the ADS and EGS web pages. Pictures of trout tend to appear frequently in these articles.

Graham Catt is the Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia, the national peak body for Independent Schools. His diverse career includes 20 years’ experience as a senior leader in professional associations and industry bodies, in sectors including education, business, health, agriculture and animal health. After an early career in communications, Graham co-founded and grew a successful agency before moving to join the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in a leadership role. Prior to joining ISA in 2023 he has been CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and the Australian Veterinary Association. Graham’s qualifications include a master’s degree in literature, MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and executive leadership programs with the University of Melbourne and London Business School. He is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, is currently on the Board of St John Ambulance ACT, and was President of the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) from 2016 – 2019.

 Chris has more than twenty years' experience leading independent schools. He was an architect of coeducation at Pulteney Grammar School in Adelaide before leading Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School in northern NSW from 2005 to 2014. From 2015 until joining AHISA as its CEO in January 2023, Chris was Head of Governance at the NSW Association of Independent Schools.  Prior to those appointments Chris was a Junior School Head in Sydney. He has an Honours Degree in English from the University of Sydney, a Master of Education Policy (International) from the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. In 2021 he completed a PhD at the University of Sydney, developing the concept of ‘value-embedded learning’ by applying dynamic systems theory and adopting electroencephalogram research methodologies.

John Ralph has been teaching for over 30 years. His Aboriginal heritage goes back to the Gumbaingirr Nation from Nambucca Heads on the NSW North Coast. John has worked at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney for the past 25 years. John has been a classroom teacher, Stage Leader, Grade Leader and Deputy Head of the Junior School. The last 9 years John has been the Head of St Andrew’s Cathedral Gawura School in Sydney which is an Aboriginal School K-6, where the students continue into the secondary school within St Andrew’s Cathedral School. John currently sits on the Aboriginal Education Forum at the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). John has a passion for Indigenous education and has employed several Indigenous staff members to work at the Gawura School in Sydney, across various teaching, administration and community engagement roles. 

Lily is a proud Lardil woman from Queensland.  Lily completed Year 12 in 2018 at Pymble Ladies’ College on a scholarship from the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF). In her final year, Lily received the School Prize awarded to a Year 12 who displays all the qualities the College aims to foster in students including involvement in academic and co-curricular activities.  Lily was also first Indigenous student at Pymble to hold the position of Sports Captain.  After her schooling, Lily studied a Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Griffith University.  Lily works at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Brisbane as a primary school teacher and has a passion for children’s development.  Lily is passionate about education and believes that it can open a world of opportunities. 

Dr Justin Garrick has been Head of Canberra Grammar School since 2011.  During that time, he has led the School’s transition to full co-education and the introduction of the International Baccalaureate at both primary and senior levels.  At the same time, the School has doubled its historic boarding community, created a thriving Indigenous Scholarship Programme, invested in the professional growth of staff, and undertaken major campus redevelopment, supported by two of the largest philanthropic endowments to any school in Australian history.  Most recently, the opening of the CGS Music Centre and Snow Concert Hall have placed the creative and performing arts at the centre of the School’s holistic educational commitment, alongside sport, service, and both outdoor and international education.

Justin has also been Chair of the Association of Independent Schools (ACT) and a member of the Board of Independent Schools Australia and the Association of Independent Schools (NSW). Before joining Canberra Grammar School, he was Deputy (Academic) at Wellington College in the UK, and he taught at Oundle School, St Paul’s School in London, and Sydney Grammar School.  He has degrees in Arts and Education from the Universities of Sydney and New England, and an MBA from the University of London.  He attained his doctorate as a Cambridge Australia Scholar at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Mark Rose, a Gunditjmara man from Western Victoria, has had a distinguished career in Indigenous education at state, national, and international levels. Currently Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Innovation at Deakin University, he champions Indigenous empowerment through education and the integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and knowledges.

Mark led Deakin’s Indigenous Strategy 2023-2028 and established key initiatives, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Advisory Council and the Indigenous Oration. He has guided critical discussions on the legacy of Alfred Deakin, resulting in the 2023 Tanderrum agreement.With extensive experience in academia and advisory roles, Mark has taught internationally and served on ministerial committees, including co-chairing Victoria’s review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

He is currently Chair of the Australian Film Television and Radio School’s Academic Board and Executive Director of the Emerging Indigenous Executive Leaders’ Program.