Speakers

There are many components to ensuring elections are fair, transparent and accurate. Liz will talk about election integrity, how it is measured and how we stack up.

Liz Williams worked in election administration for the majority of her career including 15 years as Deputy Electoral Commissioner at the Victorian Electoral Commission, overseeing state and local council elections and redivisions in Victoria. Her work has also allowed her to engage across a range of local, national and international settings including parliamentary committees, industry and academia.

Since her retirement from the VEC, Liz has been appointed to a number of independent expert panels to review and recommend improvements to Victoria’s political finance laws (Chair) and local government electoral structures.

Liz believes that Victoria demonstrates good practice in election delivery but the integrity and independence of our electoral bodies and the way elections are funded are ongoing priorities.

Bad Days happen. At work. At home. Sometimes before 10am. And when they do, having a plan can make all the difference.

Dr Gayle Smerdon is the author of The Bad Day Playbook, a guide to navigating tough days with clarity, humour and practical actions.

Gayle is a workplace learning specialist, speaker and author who helps people make work less exhausting and more meaningful.

For more than two decades, she has worked across universities, government and not-for-profits, helping leaders and teams navigate change, build capability, and create healthy cultures. She studies how organisations function (and malfunction), exploring the interplay of systems, culture and behaviour. Her favourite question is simple: “Is this important and are we helping?”

Gayle lives in Melbourne and is the contented slave to her feline overlord, Mr Spooks.

AI isn't just for tech professionals, and it isn't just a faster way to search the web. This talk shares practical ways individuals and small businesses are using AI tools to save time, sharpen their communications, and get more done every day — safely and without needing a technical background.

Jon Scheele has been leading the adoption of technology in business for several decades. He writes and speaks regularly on technology, hosts The Loop Asia podcast, and organises the annual Apidays Singapore conference.

Jon holds a Bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering, a Masters degree in Business Administration, and Graduate Diplomas in Applied Finance and Digital Communications. He has lived and worked in Australia, USA and Singapore. While in Singapore, Jon was an adjunct lecturer on Fintech at the National University of Singapore’s School of Computing, and a Volunteer Career Adviser at Workforce Singapore.

Acting Sergeant Ellani Little is a proud Australian / Papua New Guinean woman. She is a wife and busy mother of three primary school-aged children. In her personal life she enjoys playing sports, dancing, being creative and practising her faith. She is also a general committee member of St Andrews Basketball club in Werribee and coach of her daughter’s U10s basketball team.

Her journey with Victoria Police began in September of 2012. After graduating from the Academy, she began duties at Sunshine Police station. During her10 years there she completed various roles and secondments. A highlight was being a family violence liaison officer where her passion for victim-centric work and thirst for improving her practice grew. She was part of the North-West Orange Door working group where she learnt how to foster relationships with external stakeholders which set her up for her next destination.

In 2022, Ellani was successful in obtaining a position at the Proactive Policing Unit (PPU) located at the Caroline Springs police station which services Brimbank and Melton areas. Currently she is an Acting Sergeant leading the unit through changes in the youth space, resourcing constraints with a heavy focus on improving practice.

Working with young people can be challenging, however it inspires her to continue to grow personally and professionally. She sees every interaction with young people as a chance to change the course of lives.