2020 Australia New Zealand MBA Directors Forum

Sara Caplan

Sara is a Partner in PwC Australia’s Consulting Practice, leading on education, skills and employment. She has over 25 years’ experience in the VET sector, in both the UK and Australia.

Sara leads PwC’s Skills Service Organisation (SSO), PwC’s Skills for Australia, as well as our Higher Apprenticeships services and work on areas such as careers support for the future of work. She is the territory lead for the digital upskilling approach for our clients, and has led the development of PwC’s workforce of the future transformation agenda.

Sara is a member of the Council of Australian Governments’ STEM Skills Partnership Forum, chaired by the Chief Scientist; the Department of Education and Training International Skills Working Group; the National Careers Education Advisory Group; and is Deputy Chair of the National Youth Employment Body Advisory Board. She has been appointed to the recently formed VET Stakeholder Committee, which is advising on the implementation of the Australian Government’s VET reform program. She has published thought leadership on issues such as the future of vocational training qualifications, STEM, the link between industry, higher education and government and skills needs relating to Industry 4.0.

Dr Michael Cavanagh

PhD Clin Psychology, Coaching and Clinical Psychologist

Dr Michael Cavanagh is both a practicing Coaching Psychologist, and an academic. In his academic work, Michael is the Deputy Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the University of Sydney, where he has been involved in the development of the world’s first coaching degree programme from its inception to the present day. He is also currently the National Convenor if the Australian Psychological Society’s Interest Group in Coaching Psychology (IGCP). The IGCP was formally established several years ago and has over 650 members across Australia and internationally. As a practitioner, Michael works with senior leaders in a range of multinational and national organisations. Michael’s coaching practice and teaching emphasises the use of empirically-validated techniques and draw on cognitive-behavioural, systemic and solution-focused approaches. His areas of special interest include coaching in complex systems, communication and interpersonal skills, solution focused approaches to goal achievement and problem solving and working with challenging executives.

Associate Professor Lan Snell

Academic Program Director Global MBA Macquarie Business School

Associate Professor Lan Snell is the Academic Program Director for the Global MBA at Macquarie Business School. She is the academic lead for curriculum development, accreditation, partnerships, marketing and recruitment, and all student matters. Prior to her appointment at Macquarie University, Lan was the Director of Education Services and MBA Director for UTS Business School.

Lan’s industry experience spans over 15 years where she is considered a leader in strategic marketing and change management within the professional services sector. Lan’s academic and teaching experience comes from institutions including UTS, Charles Sturt University, and the University of Sydney. She is a Board member for the Centre for Volunteering and a Visiting Professor for RMIT Vietnam.

Lan is committed to research that delivers impact and benefit for individuals, organisations, and society. This is evidenced from her early interest in services marketing including service quality and satisfaction, the economic and social outcomes of service consumption, and co-creation in high involvement services.

Laureate Professor Veena Sahajwalla

Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) – University of New South Wales
Director of the Circular Economy Innovation Network, New South Wales

 Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer and inventor revolutionising recycling science. She is renowned for pioneering the high temperature transformation of waste in the production of a new generation of ‘green materials.’  In 2018 Veena launched the world’s first e-waste microfactory and in 2019 launched a plastics microfactory, a recycling technology breakthrough.

As the founding Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Veena is producing a new generation of green materials and products made entirely, or primarily, from waste. Veena also heads the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for ‘green manufacturing’, a leading national research centre that works in collaboration with industry to ensure new recycling science is translated into real world environmental and economic benefits. In 2019 she was appointed inaugural Director of the Circular Economy Innovation Network by the NSW Government through its Office of Chief Scientist and Engineer. In 2018 she was elected as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2016, Veena was named one of Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers and in 2015, Veena named Australia’s 100 Most Influential Engineers, both by Engineers Australia. In 2013, Veena received the ‘Howe Memorial Lecture Award’, Pittsburgh, USA in appreciation for her lecture on ‘The Power of Steelmaking – harnessing high temperature reactions to transform waste into raw material resources’.

Dr Keith Suter

Since moving to Australia from London in 1973 at the age of 25, Dr Keith Suter has achieved three doctorates. The first of these was about the international law of guerrilla warfare (University of Sydney), and the second about the social and economic consequences of the arms race (Deakin University) and a third doctorate on scenario planning (Sydney University).

He has been appointed to many prestigious roles throughout his career, including Chairperson of the International Humanitarian Law Committee of Australian Red Cross (NSW), Chairperson of the International Commission of Jurists (NSW), Director of Studies at the International Law Association (Australian Branch) and Managing Director of the Global Directions think tank.

He is also an active member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and his activities include conducting monthly webcasts with business leaders. He frequently appears on radio and television discussing politics and international affairs.

Tricia Hobson

Tricia Hobson is an expert in litigation and insurance law and a recognised industry leader.  In her current position, Tricia is Partner and Global Head of Insurance, Australia and Asia Pacific for Norton Rose Fullbright.  To add, Tricia is the immediate Past (and first female) Global Chairman and Global Leader, Insurance and Diversity & Inclusion at Norton Rose Fullbright.

Tricia advises both local and London insurers on complex coverage disputes and acts as lead defence counsel on class actions and difficult/multi-party litigation. With a keen interest in innovation and the changing face of the insurance and legal sectors, Tricia has demonstrated her leadership by developing the firm’s “Extend” program, a bespoke technology platform allowing law students to work remotely and flexibly on discrete, task-based projects.

Tricia sits on the firm’s Global Board and is the Global Board leader for Diversity and Inclusion. She is also the Executive Sponsor for the LGBTI inclusion group.  Tricia holds a Bachelor of Laws LLB from the University of New South Wales (1990) and a Bachelor of Science BSc, Physics and Mathematics major, University of New South Wales (1990).  Tricia has attended global leadership programs and is a graduate of Harvard Business School, Wharton University of Pennsylvania and the China European Internationals Business School.

Ulrich Hommel

Director – Quality Services Department 
Director – Business School Development

Previous to his current positions, Ulrich was the Director of EFMD’s Research & Surveys Unit and, in this role, created the Annual EFMD Higher Education Research Conference.

Ulrich Hommel is a Professor of Finance at EBS Business School and heads the Chair
of Corporate Finance & Higher Education Finance. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics
from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and has been awarded the Habilitation in Business Administration at the WHU, Germany. His current research focuses mainly on corporate risk management as well as higher education management and financing. He has published more than 100 journal articles, books, edited volumes and contributions to edited works including articles in Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Research, Annals of Operations Research, Venture Capital, Journal of Business Economics and the Journal of International Entrepreneurship.

Helen Steel

Chief Executive Officer – Shared Value Project

Helen has more than 18 years business development experience including stakeholder engagement and communications, networking, high-impact functions, and cultural exchange for organisations in Australia, the USA, Hong Kong and Japan. Established in 2014, the Shared Value Project (SVP) is the peak body for advancing the adoption of shared value in the Asia Pacific through research and education on how to build and implement a shared value business strategy. The Shared Value Project aims to empower businesses to achieve shared and durable prosperity by addressing the social issues that intersect with their business challenges. More recently the Shared Value Project was instrumental leading a collaboration with AIA, NAB, PwC and IAG together with Professor Allan Fels, releasing a report on mental health and the link of mental health concerns to the financial performance of business.

Jason Lawrence

Jason Lawrence is the Market Development Director for East Asia, for the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®). Based in Hong Kong, Jason is charged with working with business schools and other organizations to develop graduate management education within the region. His responsibilities include sales, marketing, strategy, strategic partnerships, new business development, professional education and training, and consulting business schools on their marketing, recruitment and admissions plans. Jason currently focuses on markets from North East Asia, through South East Asia and into Oceania.

Jason possesses a Master of International Business, Bachelor of Business (HRM), as well as having completed a range of executive education programs, including leadership programs with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL); strategic marketing and Asia strategy programs at NUS Business School; blue ocean strategy at INSEAD; and Driving Strategic Impact at Columbia Business School.

Naomi Sanchez

Naomi Sanchez is Assistant Dean at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington.  She has held several senior executive positions in government, education and business sectors.  Naomi has also served on numerous community organisation Boards including, the Seattle Leadership Tomorrow Board of Directors, Japanese American Citizens League, President – Centre for Career Alternatives, President – Asian Counselling and Referral Service, SEAFAIR Board of Directors and the Greater Seattle YMCA.  Naomi holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Washington and is the recipient of the 2013 Dean’s Leadership Award and the 2003 Dean’s Citizenship Award at the Foster School of Business.

Geoff Perry

Geoff Perry is Executive Vice President and Chief Officer, Asia Pacific for AACSB.  With initial degrees in the arts and the humanities, he subsequently undertook graduate study completing a PhD in economics with a focus on labour and international economics, utilising his capabilities as an applied micro-econometrician. Arising from this is a significant portfolio of peer reviewed journal articles, commissioned reports and presentations. He has academic and private sector experience and has worked, consulted and researched in his home country of New Zealand as well as in Asia Pacific.  Having served as business school Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Auckland University of Technology, a 28,000 student research intensive university, he has strong strategic, financial and people management capabilities.  Since September 2018 he has been co-chair of the Business Accreditation Task Force which was mandated by the Board to work with the AACSB community to develop the 2020 Business Accreditation Standards.