CEO Summit 2025

Christine is a commercial and people focused Chief Executive Officer & Executive Leader who brings over 20 years' experience in transformation and change, performance improvement and growth in large scale consumer focused industries. Appointed as CEO Designate for Incitec Pivot Fertilsers and AGL Australia, Chief Customer Officer and interim Chief Executive Officer at Australia Post. Delivered strong financial results, managing revenue streams in excess of $7 billion and large workforce (>20,000 people), whilst driving innovation across all customer channels & products.

Christine is an experienced professional with a successful track record in managing large complex teams to drive results and deliver new revenue streams across mature and emerging markets.

Mark Bouris AM is an Australian entrepreneur who has been innovating for years, challenging the business landscape with disruptive models that help Australians succeed. Having built his reputation as a finance specialist taking on Australia’s banks, his unique brand of charisma & curiosity sees his influence cut across multiple worlds. From businesses large and small, to politics and sport, Mark pays forward his knowledge and experience, to help grow and nurture the next generation of Australian success stories.

Best known as the founder of ‘Wizard Home Loans’, Australia’s second largest non-bank mortgage lender, which he sold to General Electric in 2004. Mark is now the Executive Chairman of Yellow Brick Road, where he continues his mission to help Australians access their dream homes.

Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015 for his significant service to the finance industry, his sharp financial commentary and trademark “tell it straight” attitude resonates with everyday Australians and led to his foray into television. The former host of the Nine Network’s The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, as well as The Mentor on the Seven Network, Mark’s time on Australian screens cemented his place as a trusted voice in finance and business.

Gary Bertwistle has always had a passion for curiosity, creativity and doing things differently. His career has spanned the retail, music, media, corporate education, charity and radio industries. 

Gary’s greatest desire comes from having people and organisations think differently to finding ways of doing things.… to break the status quo and redesign the traditional formula. 
Considered a thought leader in progressive thinking, Gary has helped companies, teams and individuals in companies of all sizes, in all industries and categories, to look at how they currently do things and address what needs to change in order for them to think differently and maximise their potential. He is often called upon when companies or individuals lose their mojo . Today, in a world of constant change, Gary gets called when people or teams want to reset and get their mojo back.  Through easy to understand, interactive live and virtual keynote speeches, he presents to a wide variety of clients in the areas of performance, strategy, mojo, marketing warfare and innovation to improve performance and help individuals be at their best. He has built his reputation curating the best thinking of the world’s best to help companies and their leaders unlock great ideas to get their mojo working.

 

Paul Bloxham is HSBC’s Chief Economist for Australia, New Zealand and Global Commodities and is a Managing Director. He is chief spokesperson for HSBC on forecasts and trends for the Australian and New Zealand economies and their interaction with global financial markets and international economies and a key spokesperson on HSBC’s unique view on global commodity markets.

Paul is a regular commentator on local and international business television and a frequent contributor of opinion editorials to the Australian newspapers. 

 

Colleen Callander has over three decades of unparalleled expertise in the retail fashion industry, having served as the award-winning CEO of two iconic Australian brands Sportsgirl and Sussan, for 13 years. During her tenure, Colleen was renowned for building brands, fostering winning cultures, and creating environments that ignite high performance. Her visionary leadership has made a lasting impact on Australia's fashion industry, inspiring both today’s and future generations of leaders.

Beginning her career in retail at the age of 16, Colleen embarked on an extraordinary 30-year journey, culminating in her role as a modern thought leader. She is the founder of Mentor Me Women, widely recognised and sought after keynote speaker, business consultant and advisor, and co-founder of Human Elevation.

A two-time author, Colleen launched her debut book, 'Leader By Design,' in 2021, which received critical acclaim and became a finalist in the Australian Business Book Awards. Her second book, co-authored, 'ELEVATE – Unlock Your Extraordinary Potential,' was released in December 2023.

Richard is a renowned Australian Entrepreneur, Leader and Innovator. He and his family have founded three billion dollar businesses in Australia across Manufacturing, Distribution and Energy. He was Australian Entrepreneur of the Year for the Cleantech sector in 2010, South Australian Entrepreneur of the Year for two of those companies 14 years apart (1996 & 2010) and his most recent venture, ZEN Energy was recognised as the fastest growing company in South Australia for 2010 & 2011 and the 4th fastest growing company in Australia in 2012 (BRW magazine).  ZEN is now the largest Clean Energy Generator and Retailer in Australia supplying electricity to large segments of the Commercial and Industrial market. Richard is a specialist in re-invention and industry disruption, he is passionate about sustainability and wants to ideally assist companies that are driving change for the better, believe in their purpose and add value to future generations.

Richard founded the Entrepreneurs' Organisation in South Australia (1998) and was Entrepreneur in Residence for the University of South Australia (2019-2021) mentoring hundreds of early stage and scaling businesses and currently a Growth Expert at the Australian Centre for Business Growth, Entrepreneur in Residence for The Executive Hib and Board Chair for Coraggio Melbourne.

Richard has now put a lifetime of learnings in starting and scaling successful businesses into his book "The Essential Entrepreneur" released by Wiley Publishing globally in November 2022.

Rob Roy Rankin is a rare breed, he is an innovative, socially conscious legal entrepreneur, that has created an Australian-based national, virtual law firm, which has as its primary purpose to be a force for good.  Rob began his career in intellectual property law in the pharmaceutical industry. He then moved into Commercial law as a Partner in a traditional, Melbourne based law firm. 

Rob soon got restless, recognising that there had to be a better, more healthy way to practice law and generate better outcomes for clients and employees alike. Unable to convince his fellow partners to move away from the arcane way law was practised, he started his own boutique practice. 

Rankin Business Lawyers was built on the principle that if we create an amazing experience for our lawyers, they will in turn create an amazing experience for our clients. Creating such an experience for lawyers means empowering lawyers to work autonomously and flexibly through the clever use of Technology. Rob tells his lawyers that they are free to work where, how and when suits them best.

Rankin is a Certified B Corporation. Rob is committed to running the enterprise as a force for common good whilst meeting the rigorous BCorp standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. He believes in creating the type of world that all our employees, suppliers, clients and other stake holders’ want to live in. The firm’s approach was recognised by Forbes magazine in its Best for the World – Workers 2018, 2019 and 2021 Honoree List.

Chad Gates is the Managing Director of Pronto Software, a leading Australian developer of business management software and analytics solutions.

Chad has several decades of experience in the IT and Retail sectors with a deep understanding of the business and technology drivers of Australian organisations, across a wide variety of industries. He leverages his experience in marketing, product development and customer engagement to provide a fresh perspective on critical business issues – including how to drive innovation and leverage new technology to increase revenue and growth.

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