Brian Wexham - SkillsOne - CEO and Chair of National Skills Week

Ms Samantha Boreham- Assistant Principal CathWest Innovation College

Assistant principal at Cathwest Innovation college. Bronze recipients at 2024 Australian Training awards for School Pathways to VET Award 2024, 2023 plus Innovation award 2022. Cathwest also has wone numerous awards for their students at the NSW training awards and as ATA finalists. Samantha is an experienced Assistant Principal with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in E-Learning, K-12 Education, Educational Technology, Instructional Design, and Curriculum Development. Strong education professional with a Masters of Educational Leadership focused in Leading Educational change from the Australian Catholic University. Sam is committed to VET in School progams and guiding parents and students through the process of career options focusing on options available through VET."

Iain McDougall Hospitality Group Training

Iain McDougall is Managing Consultant for Hospitality Group Training WA (HGT) which has been servicing the hospitality industry for 40 years. Apart from the core group training business supporting apprentices and trainees, HGT is involved in school-based apprenticeships/traineeships, workplace-based traineeships, skills recognition, training and general consultancy services. Iain has been with HGT as the General Manager since 1995 and came to HGT with twenty years of senior management experience with the Federal Government - the last ten years in the strategic policy areas of VET and labour market programs, including oversighting the introduction of traineeships in WA and group training policy. After 30 years he has moved into a Managing Consultant role to oversee and support the succession plan of a new General Manager. Iain was the National Chairman of Group Training Australia (now National Apprentice Employment Network – NAEN) from 2006 to 2013 and has been a Member elected Director since. He was awarded GTA (NAEN) Life Membership in 2013. He was the State Appointed Member of the Australian Industry Skills Committee from 2018 to 2023 and a Member of the Industry Reference Committee for Tourism, Travel & Hospitality managed by Skills IQ from 2017 – 2023 and a Board member of FutureNow Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council in WA. Iain was the recipient of Restaurant & Catering Australia Employer of the Year in 2011 and the Hospitality Industry (AHA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was recently appointed to the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group for Service and Creative Skills Australia in June 2024 and is a member of the Technical Education Committee for Cookery Qualification Pathway Reform.

Valentia Gonzalez- Communications Manager at Service and Creative Skills Australia

Valentina Gonzalez is the Communications Manager at Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA), where she joined in July 2024. She brings extensive experience in strategic communications, brand positioning and marketing. Before joining SaCSA, Valentina was the Global Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Luma Pictures, where she led all marketing and communications for the studio’s visual effects (VFX) ivision. She spearheaded award campaigns for acclaimed films such as Jojo Rabbit, Black Panther and the Spider-Man franchise, securing Luma’s first AACTA Award and earning top industry nominations. Valentina played a pivotal role in strengthening Luma’s global reputation, positioning it as a leading VFX studio in Australia and attracting top international talent and clients. She worked closely with government agencies to support the growth and development of the VFX industry in Australia by creating and implementing impactful campaigns for key initiatives. Valentina is skilled at shaping meaningful narratives and driving strategic communication efforts.

Ms Gemma Beall-TAFE NSW Literacy Team Leader

Based in Sydney, Gemma is a TAFE NSW Literacy Team Leader. With more than 16 years’ experience in the provision of adult literacy and numeracy initiatives Gemma is well respected for her expertise, energy, passion and her commitment to disadvantaged learners. She has strived to deliver student-focused and responsive adult LLND education, working across classrooms, workplaces and in distance learning. Gemma is also a generous and valued contributor to the literacy field in general. She is an active member of the National Reading and Writing Hotline Steering Committee, the Executive of the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council and the TAFE NSW Foundation Skills Teacher Engagement Network. She was the co-creator of the individualised program “TAFE Statement in Reading and Writing for Adults” and of the pilot teacher- training program “TAFE Statement in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Teaching”. Gemma was the winner of the 2024 Australian Training Awards Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice.

Mr Peter Lynch- Publisher and Managing director, Big Splash Media

Peter is an entrepreneur, communications expert, editor and journalist, . He has and continues to work with some of the biggest media companies - and some of the smallest. Managing director of Big Splash Media (www.bigsplashmedia.com.au), y with owned titles and audiences of over 500,000, client publishing and consultancy relationships, delivering compelling content and commercially viable enterprise plans online, in video, audio and print. We are also social entrepreneurs. Peter is a highly successful change manager holding senior positions in large media organisations in Australia, Europe and Asia, including News Corporation, Nine, the Daily Mail, The Times, London, The South China Morning Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Daily Telegraph, The Straits Times and others. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and board member with hand-on commercial and production experience.

Paul Kahlert - CEO of All Purpose Transport (APT

Paul Kahlert is the CEO of All Purpose Transport (APT). He has been in a senior leadership position since 2002 and with APT since 1988. Based in Berrinba (Logan) APT employs close to 400 people including 290 owner drivers and has many blue-chip customers including IKEA, Cotton On, Castrol and Rheem. APT has operated in the Queensland market for over 49 years. APT recognised that the industry in which they were operating had a rapidly ageing workforce that required a new approach to attracting and retaining workers to support its strong growth. In March 2012 APT embarked on a revolutionary project to skill its entire workforce in a certificate III or higher nationally recognised qualification. This workforce development initiative continues thirteen years later making APT the most qualified transport company in Australia. On the back of the workforce development program Paul undertook a study fellowship awarded by the ISS Institute where he visited logistics companies in the United States for the purpose of identifying opportunities to further enhance worker retention. In 2023 APT won the prestigious Australian Training Award for large employers on the back of this industry-first development program. APT latest innovation program commenced in 2019 with the introduction of electric trucks to perform new furniture home deliveries. APT now has 18 electric vehicles operating in Brisbane which have reduced their carbon footprint by over 32 tonnes of CO2 a month. Paul has held long-term memberships with the SCLAA / CILTA and is a board member and former President of the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA).

Ms Casey Fox

"Casey is passionately dedicated to providing people with the skills and knowledge they need to take their careers to the next level through Vocational Education. This has led to mer e being named as the 2022 NSW Vocational Student of the Year and a finalist for the 2022 Australian Vocational Student of the Year. Casey has over 20 years experience of developing teams and providing leadership in the Retail sector, and have combined this experience with vocational qualifications to now be able to train, deliver and assess learning programs in Training and Education, Business Leadership and Retail Management. Her focus is to showcase the VET sector as a pathway for adult learners to re-engage with the classroom and discover the framework needed to become exceptional trainers and assessors in their individual industries. "

Mr Tim Moss- Senior Marketing and Communications Lead, South Australian Skills Commission

Tim Moss is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with over 25 years of experience in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. He is currently the Senior Marketing and Communications Lead at the South Australian Skills Commission. Throughout his career, Tim has held senior marketing roles across several South Australian Government departments, including the Department of State Development, Department for Education, Department for Innovation and Skills, and TAFE SA. His expertise lies in government communications and marketing strategies that strengthen and promote the VET sector. Tim has contributed to national VET initiatives through his participation in various steering committees and working groups focused on VET promotion. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from the University of Adelaide

Anne Cazar - SkillsOne - Director- of Operations, National Skills Week and Skills Programs

Mr David Fisher-Director:Awards, Promotion and Alumni Australian Government

David is the Director of the Awards, Promotions and Alumni team in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). David leads a team that supports the delivery of several high-profile government funded events in the skills and training sector. These events include National Skills Week, WorldSkills Australia, Adult Learners Week and the delivery of the Australian Training Awards. David has worked in DEWR for more than 16 years where he has spent time in the corporate, workplace relations, employment and skills and training areas of the department. David is an experienced program manager and has led many programs throughout his time in the department, including employment programs, grants programs, a school leavers information service, as well as programs that support the promotion of vocational education and training (VET).