\
HR Nicholls Society XXXIII Conference
12 June, 2012, Melbourne
Cost, loss and disruption
Another year of the Fair Work Act
Brief speaker biographies
Kyle Kutasi
Kyle was formerly the Secretary & General Manager of the National Electrical & Communications Association (NECA), Western Australia Chapter. NECA is the peak industry association for electrical and communications contractors in Australia, representing businesses who employ over 200,000 Australians. Prior to this, Kyle spent his early years deeply involved in his family's food manufacturing business.
Doug Williams
Doug is now an independent company director after serving as the 14th, and last, Registrar in the 104 year history of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in its various incarnations.
He has deep experience in change management, risk management, developing distribution networks, customer service delivery, R&D management, commercial negotiation and regulation in tough, changing and competitive business environments.
Mark Textor
Mark commenced his career as a staffer for the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory and is now a principal with the campaign and consulting firm Crosby Textor. He has and his firm have wide experience in advising on corporations and running campaigns both domestically and internationally. Most recently they advised on the successful campaign for the re-election of Boris Johnson as Lord Mayor of London.
Dr Alex Robson
Alex is a widely respected economist who now lectures at Griffith University in Queensland. He has research experience in Law and economics, Applied microeconomics,Public economics and Public policy. Alex also worked as the Senior Economic Adviser to the then Opposition Leader, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull.
Stuart Wood SC
Stuart is a Barrister and the Victorian Bar and a member of the HR Nicholls Society.
He is the only Australian barrister listed in the Labour and Employment sections of Euromoney’s AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers in 2009 & 2010, Best Lawyers in 2010 & 2011 and Chambers Asia Pacific 2011.
On 22 November 2011, Stuart was appointed Senior Counsel by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
He has acted for most of the major employers in Australia in some of the largest industrial and employment disputes in the country and is currently advising Ms Kathy Jackson of the HSU.
Grace Collier
Grace Collier is an Industrial Relations Management Consultant and Commentator.
She spent almost a decade in the union movement followed by a decade as an expert workplace relations consultant.
In 2003 Grace formed Industrial Relations Consulting, as a response to a need in the business community for a strong, focused industrial relations group to support employers in the realization of business objectives.
She now is the managing Director of the Melbourne based consulting firm Australian Dismissal Services.
Louise Staley
Louise is a Research Fellow with the Institute of Public Affairs. She is a regular contributor to debates surrounding superannuation reform and transparency and the author of the ground-breaking “Keeping Super Safe” report.
Prior to joining the IPA she was a portfolio manager at AXA Australia, and head of the global telecommunications research cluster. She worked as an equities analyst specialising in telecommunications, food & beverage and retail stocks. She has a Masters in Public Policy.