2008 MBA Directors Forum Program

Wednesday 14th May

10:45

Registration and Morning Tea

11:15

Welcome & Introductions

 

Opening Presentation:

11:40

Happiness and positive psychology coaching: Why people & influencing skills are essential for leaders and managers
Dr Timothy Sharp (psychologist, coach and CHO, Happiness Institute)

 

Plenary : Whither the MBA?

12:30

Ivory Towers and other myths: Navigating the future of business education.
Dr Richard Hames, Corporate philosopher and founder of globally distributed think-tank The Hames Group.

13:30

Lunch

14:30

Wrong Way - Turn Back (or at least Detour) - Business Schools and MBAs of the Future?
Prof John Toohey, Head, Graduate School of Business and Professor of Organisational Behaviour, RMIT University

15:20

Ask the Experts'- panel and discussion groups,
Phil Clark, JP Morgan and Prof John Toohey, RMIT University

16:15

Afternoon tea

16:45

Pushing the envelope or moral disengagement? Can a MBA get in the way of ethical practice?
Dr Attracta Lagan, Principal, Managing Values

17:35

Free time

19:00

Pre-dinner drinks, Promenade Room 2

19:30

Dinner

Speaker: Dr Brian Fisher
Executive Director, Economic Analysis, Concept Economics, former Executive Director, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE)

The challenges of climate change for managers and management education

Thursday 15th May

08:15

Assemble for sessions

Plenary: Keeping the MBA Relevant to the Needs of Business

08:30

Does business education keep pace with employer needs?
Michael Pain, Managing Director Management Consulting, Accenture, Australia

09:20

What does business need from the MBA?
Alex Malley, National President, CPA Australia

10:10

Group Discussion

 

Morning Tea

 

Plenary: Keeping Pace with Students' Needs

10:40

What women want
Allison Doorbar, Managing Partner, JWT Education

11:30

Enabling technologies–Their impact on business and MBAs
Philip Bullock, Director, Healthscope, former CEO and MD, IBM Australia and NZ

12:20

Lunch
The MBA: Innovation and tradition

Prof Roy Green, Dean, Macquarie Graduate School of Business

14:10

Open Space Session

15:10

Afternoon Tea

15:40

Concluding remarks

16:00

Close

Program format: 30 minute presentations followed by 20 minute for question time.

2008 MBA Directors Forum Speakers

Dr Richard HamesDr Richard Hames is one of the world’s most influential intellectuals and strategic foresight practitioners. A pre-eminent corporate philosopher and founder of globally distributed think-tank The Hames Group, Richard works internationally as an adviser to governments and with many of the world’s most innovative business corporations. An Australian citizen, educated in Europe and domiciled in Thailand, he has been honored with numerous awards including a French Government Scholarship, a Leverhulme European Fellowship, the Mondadori Professorial Fellowship and the Lord Attlee Fellowship. He is personal mentor to heads of state and CEOs in UK, France, Switzerland, US, China, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Richard is a member of the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, a strategic adviser to Dortmund University, an adviser on futures to Singapore Power and President-Elect of the Asian Institute for Global Futures in Bangkok. He is also the driver and inspiration behind New Life Isaan – a multimillion dollar economic development initiative being undertaken in the northeast of Thailand. A celebrated speaker and writer, Richard is author of the best-selling books The Management Myth, Burying the 20th Century and The Five Literacies of Global Leadership.

Dr Brian FisherDr Brian Fisher, joined CRA International in October 2006. Prior to this he was Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE). Before to heading up ABARE in 1988, Brian was Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney and became Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in 1987. He was appointed Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Resources Development in 2003. Brian played an integral role in the international climate change negotiations as economic adviser to Australia's negotiating team in the lead up to, and at, the third Conference of the Parties in Kyoto and at the fourth, fifth and sixth Conferences of the Parties. He advises government and private enterprises on climate change, emissions trading and the economic impact of current and future climate and energy policies. Dr Fisher has published over 250 papers and monographs. He received the Farrer Memorial Medal in August 1994, became a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in November 1995, was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2002 and received an Order of Australia in 2007.

Philip  BullockPhilip Bullock, is currently is a Non-Executive Director for Healthscope, a leading provider of hospitals and pathology in Australia. Prior to this, had a long and distinguished career with IBM, which saw him become the CEO and Managing Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand. He had four assignments into Asia. Philip served on a number of boards, including, the Business Council of Australia (chairing their Education and Innovation Taskforce), the Australian Information Industry Association, Advisory Board of the Australian Graduate School of Management and the Federal Minister of Education and Science Business and Industry, Higher Education Council. He was selected as the ‘Leading CEO for The Advancement of Women’ by the Federal Government’s EOWA in 2004 and participated regularly in programs such as “Principal For A Day” which was designed to bring industry and education closer together.

Phil ClarkPhil Clark is a member of the J P Morgan Advisory Council and was BCA representative on Research Quality Framework Committee. He was Managing Partner and CEO of Minter Ellison, Director and Head of Corporate with ABN Amro Australia, and Managing Partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques. Phil is currently director of ING Management Limited, CRI Asset Management Limited, The Garvan Foundation, St James Ethics Centre and is Executive Chairman of DJ Clark Limited. Phil has Bachelors degrees in Arts and Law from Sydney University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Allison DoorbarAllison Doorbar is Managing Partner of JWT Education, a division of Walter Thompson, which provides research, strategic marketing and communications services to clients operating in the education sector. Over the past decade she has worked with many education providers and government bodies in Australia and overseas. These have included more than half of Australia's universities, as well as the Australian, British, American, Canadian and German government education departments and many associated organisations, such as IDP. Ms Doorbar is widely regarded as an expert in her field.

Professor Roy GreenProfessor Roy Green BA LLB (Adelaide) PhD (Cambridge), is Dean of Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM). Prof Green worked in universities and government in Australia, the UK and Ireland. During the 1990s, Professor Green was Director of the Employment Studies Centre (ESC) at the University of Newcastle, then Dean of the Faculty of Commerce at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Professor Green has published widely in the areas of innovation, industry policy, regional development and workplace analysis. He has also served on public bodies and undertaken projects with industry and organisations such as the OECD, European Commission and Enterprise Ireland. Prof Green is now a board member of the Society for Knowledge Economics (SKE) and the NSW Government’s Manufacturing Council, and co-author of the recent Business Council of Australia (BCA) report, ‘New Pathways to Prosperity: An Innovation Framework for Australia’.

Attracta LaganDr Attracta Lagan, is Principal of ‘Managing Values’, a national consultancy working in the areas of workplace values, business ethics, organisational performance and sustainability. Attracta has 15 years experience working with the Boards and senior management of many of Australia's ‘blue chip' companies and government enterprise. Prior to joining ‘Managing Values’ she led KPMG's business ethics and corporate citizenship practice in Australia for 6 years and prior to that she was the founding Director of Consulting at the St James Ethics Centre. Attracta was an early advocate of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability Attracta sat on the External Sustainability Advisory Council of the Minerals Council of Australia for several years and continues as a member of two community boards. She holds an honours degree in sociology, a Masters degree in social ecology and a Ph.D.

Alex MalleyAlex Malley FCPA is president of CPA Australia. He is also the chief executive officer of professional medical association USANZ. Prior to this appointment, he has had more than 20 years experience consulting to the private and public sectors and held senior posts in academia. Alex concurrently serves on a number of boards and government sector committees, including as independent chair, Audit and Risk Committee, Audit Office of NSW; independent chair, Audit and Risk Committee, Office Police Integrity, Victoria; Chairman of the Australasian Reporting Awards; and a board member of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. Alex has a history of involvement with CPA Australia, having been elected NSW Divisional President in 2003, a board vice president in 2005 and board deputy president in 2006.

Dr Timothy J SharpDr Timothy J Sharp, (a.k.a. Dr Happy) has three degrees in psychology (including a Ph.D.) and an impressive record as an academic, clinician and coach. He runs Sydney’s largest clinical psychology practice, a highly regarded Executive Coaching practice, and is the founder & CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) of The Happiness Institute, Australia’s first organisation devoted solely to enhancing happiness in individuals, couples, families and organisations (http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com). Dr. Sharp is also a best selling author whose books include “The Happiness Handbook”, sought after public speaker, and he makes frequent appearances in the local and international media (http://www.drhappy.com.au).

Professor John TooheyProfessor John Toohey, is Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Head of the Graduate School of Business at RMIT University in Melbourne. He was previously Principal and Deputy Director of AGSM and Director of several business and technology programs at UNSW. He has held senior positions in the private sector mainly in risk management and re-insurance and in the public sector in health, community services and industry policy. He has consulted to industry in organisational performance and work stress. John has studied management, public administration and organisational psychology in Australia, Canada and Sweden and holds a Doctorate in organisational behaviour from MGSM. He is a Trustee of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and was previously a Commissioner of the Australian Government's Comcare Commission, a member of the NSW Health, Safety and Rehabilitation Council and a member of the NSW Drug and Alcohol Authority.

Michael PainMichael Pain, MBA (Hons), INSEAD, France, B.Sc. (Hons), University of Sydney, is the Managing Director, Management Consulting for Accenture's South East Asia and Korea region, based in Sydney. Previously, he has consulted principally to Financial Services organisations as part of the FS Operating Group. His current role oversees Accenture's business in Strategy, Human Performance, CRM, Finance & Performance Management and Supply Chain consulting. In the past, Michael has led Accenture's Advanced Technology practice as well as its Banking Industry practice in Australia. In addition to Australia, he has lived, worked and studied for extended periods in France, Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand. Within Accenture's Australian business, Michael co-leads Accenture's Corporate Citizenship activities, including coordinating the linkages with the Accenture Foundation, and is personally active in supporting several philanthropic organsations in the area of medical research and the environment.

You may be interested in browsing through some of the speakers from the 2007 MBA Directors Forum. Click here to see the list of speakers.