Kirsty has a knack for transforming brands through smart marketing.

After years of guiding professional services firms and large corporates, she now leads Group strategy at businessDEPOT while helping clients build their brands from the ground up. Equally strategic and creative, she blends big-picture thinking with hands-on expertise to help businesses grow.

Whether it’s brand building, digital marketing or content strategy, Kirsty focuses on getting results that help businesses reach their potential.

Flo is a dynamic social media strategist who knows how to captivate digital audiences – especially Gen Z.

Passionate about more than just trending hashtags, Flo helps teams cultivate a social media mindset that extends beyond just one department. Flo’s expertise spans social trends, content innovation, and authentic digital storytelling.

With a deep understanding of digital culture and Gen Z, he’s all about breaking down silos and making social media a company-wide game.

Ready for insights, laughs, and a fresh take on Zoomers? Flo’s got you covered.

Hedley Thomas, 57, has been a journalist for 40 years. Since 2017 he has focused on deep-dive investigations into the unsolved murders of women in Australia.

His podcasts – The Teacher’s Pet, The Teacher’s Trial, The Teacher’s Accuser, The Night Driver, Shandee’s Story, Shandee’s Legacy and Bronwyn – have had more than 100 million downloads.

Hedley’s investigations help expose and solve serious crimes.

Hedley has won eight Walkley Awards in his career. He has won the Gold Walkley twice, most recently for his podcast The Teacher’s Pet which contributed to the prosecution and conviction of Chris Dawson, four decades after killing his wife, Lyn.

For his internationally renowned podcasts and investigative reporting, Hedley was awarded Australia’s Journalist of the Year in 2022.

Hedley worked across Europe and Asia in the 80s and 90s. A father of two, he has lived in Brisbane with his wife Ruth since 1999.

Rachael Sarra’s vibrant creative practice embodies her experience as a proud mixed race, First Nations woman from Goreng Goreng Country. Driven by a belief that art and design are vital to communication, connection and culture, Rachael invites us to see the world through her eyes with bold colours and dynamic contours. Her distinct contemporary style is resonating around the world, and challenging societal perceptions of Aboriginal art and identity.

Rachael is a change-maker. She is redesigning how First Nations businesswomen navigate success while anchoring their business in culture. Building a business bigger than herself, she is committed to significant charitable donations and pro-bono work that has a tangible impact back into the community. When values align, Rachael sees collaboration as an empowering way to foreground First Nations voices through meaningful partnerships with major brands and organisations.

With a background in business communication, a flair for working with complex stakeholders, and the passion to create better experiences for users, Sally has been committed to improving digital products with content since 2001.

She has worked extensively across a wide variety of industries including some of the big names in government, retail, superannuation, higher education, banking and publishing.

Now, as the head of Content Design at Canva, she’s on a mission to bring clarity and joy to over 190M people who use Canva every month. Sally is based in Brisbane and, if you listen carefully, you can hear her pug Henri snoring at her feet.

Caitlin Cash is a Social and Digital Media Team Leader at Queensland Health. She leads a team of talented digital marketers (best known for their viral ‘It’s okay to poo at work’ content) to create easily digestible, educational, and on-trend health content that enhances health literacy, encourages healthier behaviours, and demystifies medical jargon.

Caitlin believes in the power of social and digital media to inspire, engage, educate, and break down barriers between the government and public. She is passionate about creating meaningful behaviour change to help people live better and healthier lives. Her weakness? Being chronically online (she will not reveal her screen time).

With a background in media, crisis communications, and social and digital media strategy, her career expands over several industries including the emergency services, public health, and regulatory sectors.

Ben Woodley Judd is a Social and Digital Media Team Leader at Queensland Health. Yes, that Queensland Health. The one making oral health brat, encouraging STI tests via classic showtunes and something about pooing at work.

He leads a team of creative digital content specialists to craft content that cuts through the noisy media landscape, to educate and inform Queenslanders about healthy behaviours and the broader system. And along the way, trick people into liking our brand.

Ben knows that behaviour change and humour are a powerful combination, so will gladly act a fool if it helps people live healthier lives. He also loves the chance to deliver an on-point Darren Lockyer impersonation whenever it is needed.

With a background in video and podcast producing, clinical communications, and social and digital media strategy, he feels at home working in the public healthcare system.

Liam started his career in Intellectual Property Law before transitioning into Marketing. Since then, he has worked in the US, UK and ANZ on some of the world’s largest B2C / B2B brands, such as: Amazon, Burger King, American Express and Specsavers.

Educated at the London School of Economics and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Liam is an expert in the practical application of marketing best-practice to business challenges – as evidenced by winning x4 Global Effies for integrated client work.

His transition client-side started when he became CMO of one of the fastest growing multi-channel retail brands in Australia, My Muscle Chef, before switching categories to CMC Markets – a FTSE 250 trading & stockbroking brand – to lead the Marketing function for APAC. Before departing CMC, he was promoted into the role of Chief Commercial Officer APAC, driving the integration of Marketing, Sales and Customer Support functions. Liam now enjoys a Fractional CMO remit and consults to Small/Medium businesses to enhance their sales, new business and product disciplines.

As a Marketing Academy Alumnus, Liam is passionate about sharing validated approaches to the commercialisation of marketing investment and moreover, encouraging Marketers to diversify their skill-set beyond the ‘core’ of Marketing

Sarah is passionate about creating bankable strategies for Bespoken’s valued clients in the fields of marketing, communications and engagement.

A dynamic leader, Sarah brings her years of experience across marketing, engagement, media management, crisis communications and corporate communications to develop and deliver tailored and strategic plans that surpass client briefs and KPIs, while providing evidence-based solutions for their organisations.

Gayle’s passion for advertising began as a copywriter working in the industry for more than a decade. She shifted from writing advertising to researching and teaching it as a Professor in the School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations at QUT.

Gayle’s PhD was first in Australia in the field of IMC. Her work in teaching, research and industry engagement has been recognized by many national and international awards, including the inaugural Don Schultz Award for Innovation in Teaching, Theory and Practice in 2022. Gayle has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on creativity, self-regulation, advertising avoidance and engagement and IMC.

She was the founding President of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Advertising and served on the Executive of the American Academy of Advertising for three years. She also served as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Marketing Communications for more than a decade.

Gayle led the celebration of 50 Years of Advertising Education in Australia in 2024.

Wendell is a writer, podcaster and content creator at The Betoota Advocate.

Deciding against treading the well-worn path of traditional news organisations – Wendell left a role at News Corp to pursue a career at The Advocate. He’s never looked back, breaking numerous Walkley snubbed stories and battling with the trials and tribulations of an ever changing media landscape.

Wendell is responsible for Brand partnerships.

Part of the team that founded The Betoota Advocate, DM podcasts and ButtonMG. Antony is an entrepreneur, with a background in Digital Media, Community Building, and content strategy.

Antony has ensured that Betoota has been able to scale, diversify, and collaborate with brands, while maintaining the authenticity of its content principles.

Brittanie has more than a decade experience in digital and content marketing roles across agency, local and state government, and private enterprise.

In 2017, she co-founded The Content Division – a content marketing and production agency based in Brisbane. As the Managing Director at The Content Division, she manages the strategic direction of the business and leads a team of epic content creators.

Kurt has been strategy director and co-founder of Brisbane content agency The Content Division since 2017.

For 20 years he has been a journalist and marketer covering industries from economic development and business services to fast moving consumer goods, software and tech, food, B2B, and much more.

Kurt brings a simple and solid strategic lens to his work, and is deeply passionate about creativity and forging distinctive brands.

David is a proud Wakka Wakka man and the Executive Director and founder of Gilimbaa creative agency. He is driven by a deep passion for harnessing the transformative power of creativity in order to amplify, celebrate, and educate wider Australia about Aboriginal culture.

Under his visionary leadership, Gilimbaa has become a trailblazing company, weaving First Nations stories into Australia’s national fabric, while using a diverse range of artistic mediums and communication to foster connection and understanding across communities.

Through his work, David aims to shine a light on First Nations culture at home and overseas, leaving an indelible mark on public art, design, and cultural projects. He also contributes to Queensland’s cultural landscape through his positions as Chairperson of the Indigenous Advisory Panel and Board of Trustees Member at Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.

Sofie is a dynamic digital marketer, ex-agency and founder of a thriving digital consultancy business and SoSo’s Run Club.

She leads the Paid Media strategy for BHP’s recruitment marketing campaign, with a key focus on diversity and recruiting women into a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Balancing multiple roles with a passion for people, connection and storytelling, Sofie brings a unique perspective on tailoring a career in digital marketing, while maintaining a positive work-life balance.

Over a long career in media and marketing, Russel has been one of the most prominent voices on the cultural and economic importance of advertising, particularly through his role as a panellist on the ABC’s Gruen program and host of ABC documentary How Australia Got Its Mojo. Howcroft co-hosts 3AW Breakfast with Ross & Russel – the #1 breakfast radio show in Melbourne. He is also engaging new audiences through his advertising podcast AdMission which he co-hosts with industry up-and-comer Freddie Young (co-founder, Good One), in partnership with 9Podcasts. AdMission delves into untold stories behind the world’s most talked-about brands, as well as exploring the latest in advertising news, creative ideas and business.

Howcroft has held multiple senior roles across the industry having served as PwC’s first Chief Creative Officer, Executive General Manager at Network 10, and CEO of one of Australia’s leading agency groups, Y&R Brands – where he was also a member of the global management team. He is currently Partner & Brand Design Advisor at Sayers Group. Russel has had board involvement at a number of prominent organisations and is currently serving as Chair of the Jim Stynes Foundation. Previous positions include the inaugural ThinkTV Chair, Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Council Chair, AFI/AACTA board member, Screen Forever Advisory Board Member, Enero (ASX: EGG) board member and Advertising Federation of Australia Chair.

Howcroft has written or co-written three best-selling books, with his most recent book Right Brain Workout II currently published throughout the world. He is a founding partner and Brand Design Advisor at Sayers Group. He continues to be actively involved in the advertising industry via investments including marketing software platform Mutinex, and in particular, the young creative agency Good One.

In 2023, Russel was inducted to the Advertising Hall of Fame – recognising his long career and impactful role in shaping the industry.