SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
CAROLINE DOUGLASS
Caroline is the Executive Director Flood and Coastal Risk Management at England’s Environment Agency.
Flooding from rivers and the sea is the second highest risk on the UK Natural Hazards National Risk Assessment after pandemic. Caroline is responsible for leading England’s preparedness and response to flooding and coastal erosion risks, including a A$9 billion flood defence capital programme.
Caroline is an Australian who has worked in the UK since 2013. Prior to leaving Australia, Caroline was an Executive Director at the then Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment. Over two decades, Caroline worked in most areas of the department’s responsibilities – catchment management, forestry, flora and fauna, water and fire management and in both policy and operational roles. During this period Caroline undertook a number of incident management roles including being a State Duty Officer at the Victorian State Control Centre. She also led a team of 45 Australian and New Zealand firefighters to the US in 2008 to support Californian bushfire response.
Caroline will draw on her natural emergency services experience in Australia, the USA and England and her partnership work with the Netherlands and other European partners to highlight the issues facing England and the latest ways in which these are being tackled.

SPEAKERS A - Z:

Emeritus Prof Frank Archer
Emeritus Professor, Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative
Wednesday 5 July | 11:10 AM
PANEL: How Australian disaster resilience can learn from international humanitarian programs

Angelo Botuyan
Municipal Emergency Management Officer, Corangamite Shire
Wednesday 5 July | 2:30 PM
72 hour resilience – an emergency preparedness campaign
Angelo Botuyan (he/his)
Municipal Emergency Management Officer, Corangamite Shire Council
Angelo’s interest in natural hazards and response drove him to complete a Master’s degree in disaster management from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His expertise lies in the dynamic relationship between social capital and disaster resilience. Angelo is excited to be part of the Gen Z voice as cultivating the next generation in the sector is critical for ensuring strong intergenerational collaboration and resilient communities in the future.

Dr Rina Bruinsma
Deputy Coordinator-General, Disaster Resilience and Recovery, National Emergency Management Agency
Wednesday 5 July | 9.00 AM
National Emergency Management Agency – A new vision for coordination and management

Dr Rachel Carey
Senior Lecturer, Food Systems, School of Agriculture and Food, University of Melbourne
Tuesday 4 July | 2.15 PM
Building the resilience of agri-food systems to compounding shocks and stresses: A case study from Melbourne
Dr Rachel Carey
Senior Lecturer, Food Systems, University of Melbourne

Ella Cheeseman
Young Peer Worker, Indigo Shire Council
Tuesday 4 July | 1:40 PM
Future Proof: Young people, disaster recovery and (re)building communities
Ella Cheesman (She/her)
Young Peer Worker, Indigo Shire Council
Ella has a background in climate change volunteering, and working with young people to be the change they want to see. Ella’s role as a Future proof Peer Worker includes supporting young people as they navigate becoming more disaster resilient. As a young person herself, Ella is aware of the power young people have, and looks forward to helping facilitate such an incredible project.

Andrew Crisp
Emergency Management Commissioner, EMV
Tuesday 4 July | 9:00 AM
Opening Address

Rohan Davies
Head of Cyber Risk and Assurance, Department of Government Services
Tuesday 4 July | 2:15 PM
Cyber Security: A global risk with local consequences
Rohan Davies
Head of Cyber Risk and Assurance, Department of Government Services

Mariela Diaz
Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Recovery Victoria
Wednesday 5 July | 3.25 PM
The hidden challenges in the long tail of flood recovery
Mariela Diaz
Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Recovery Victoria
Mariela returned to ERV as Chief Executive Officer after being instrumental in its establishment following the 2019-20 Eastern Victorian bushfires. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in emergency management and people-centred service delivery to the role.
With 30 years of experience in diverse public and private sector roles, Mariela has a demonstrated history of values-based leadership, with a community-focused approach. She’s skilled in strategic planning, project management, stakeholder relations, people management and driving change through developing and implementing reforms. Mariela’s previous role of Deputy Secretary and Deputy State Controller, Industry Engagement and Enforcement Operation, where she led the high-profile operation ensuring industries are COVID-19 compliant and critical community safety outcomes were being delivered.
Mariela is committed to ensuring communities, families, and local businesses impacted by all emergencies are supported during every step of their recovery journey.

Caroline Douglass
Executive Director Flood & Coastal risk management, Environmental Agency, UK
Tuesday 4 July | 9:25 AM
KEYNOTE: Flood management in the UK – learnings for Australia
Caroline Douglass
Executive Director Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency, UK
Caroline is an Australian who has worked in the UK since 2013. Prior to leaving Australia, Caroline was an Executive Director at the then Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment. Over two decades, Caroline worked in most areas of the department’s responsibilities – catchment management, forestry, flora and fauna, water and fire management and in both policy and operational roles. During this period Caroline undertook a number of incident management roles including being a State Duty Officer at the Victorian State Control Centre. She also led a team of 45 Australian and New Zealand firefighters to the US in 2008 to support Californian bushfire response.
Caroline will draw on her natural emergency services experience in Australia, the USA and England and her partnership work with the Netherlands and other European partners to highlight the issues facing England and the latest ways in which these are being tackled.

Mark Duckworth
Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University
Wednesday 5 July | 11:10 AM
PANEL: How Australian disaster resilience can learn from international humanitarian programs

Cath Greaves
CEO, Life Saving Victoria
Tuesday 4 July | 2:15 PM
PANEL: Adapting to climate change

Carla Hall
Disaster Resilience Programs Coordinator, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Tuesday 4 July | 1:40 PM
Future Proof: Young people, disaster recovery and (re)building communities
Carla Hall
Disaster Resilience Programs Coordinator, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Carla’s role involves the development of a youth-centred approach to bushfire recovery engaging directly with young people and community members in rural and regional areas about their experiences of, response to, and recovery from the devastating Black Summer bushfires across Eastern Victoria.
Carla leads a coalition of youth workers across Victoria’s east/north-east to engage, upskill and create networks for young-people in disaster recovery and community building.
Carla assists communities to improve and expand roles in place-based, disaster management, address underlying drivers, innovations and challenges for young-people across the sector.
For the past 15 years Carla has worked in the Youth Sector in Local Government, Generalist youth work, employment, and homelessness. Carla lives and was raised on the lands of the Gunai Kurnai People.

Josh Hallwright
Acting Director, Centre for Humanitarian Leadership
Wednesday 5 July | 11:10 AM
PANEL: How Australian disaster resilience can learn from international humanitarian programs
Josh Hallwright
Acting Director, Centre for Humanitarian Leadership
During this time, he has run hospitals in Afghanistan, negotiated access in Ethiopia, co-led the introduction of distributed ledger technologies to the sector, and raised over AUD $40m for emergency operations from international and domestic donors. Josh is in the final stages of completing his doctoral research on crisis financing.
His research interests lie in the evolution of the humanitarian system, how disaster responses are financed, the use of advanced technologies in the humanitarian sector, and how to connect the local with the global. He has co-authored eight peer-reviewed academic articles along these themes.
Josh is currently the Deputy Director at the Centre, focusing on its strategic priorities, partnership development and engagement, and business sustainability. Josh contributes to the Centre’s teaching and facilitation, its policy and research outputs, and many of its events, including the biannual Humanitarian Leadership Conference.

Chris Hardman
Chief Fire Officer, Dept of Energy, Environment & Climate Action
Tuesday 4 July | 2:15 PM
PANEL: Adapting to climate change

Braedan Hogan
Director, Emergency Management, DFFH
Tuesday 4 July | 10:50 AM
Partnering with communities to support people at greater risk before, during and after emergencies
Braedan Hogan
Director, Emergency Management Strategy and Policy, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
Braedan has extensive experience in emergency management, disability and broader social policy having worked in a range of policy roles for Commonwealth and State Governments, international development organisations and community service organisations. Braedan has a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.

Liz Mackinlay
CEO, Australian Business Volunteers
Wednesday 5 July | 11:10 AM
PANEL: How Australian disaster resilience can learn from international humanitarian programs
Liz Mackinlay
CEO, Australian Business Volunteers

Bronnie Mackintosh
Station Officer, Fire and Rescue NSW | Girls on Fire
Tuesday 4 July | 12:00 PM
Teach us how to fish – case studies in building community capacity & emergency preparedness
Bronnie Mackintosh
Station Officer, Fire and Rescue NSW | Girls on Fire
Bronnie aspires to steer Girls on Fire enabling a global movement, providing mentorship, educational resources, and empowerment programs to teenage girls from all walks of life. As the CEO, Bronnie leads with compassion, determination, and a deep understanding of the challenges girls face today in Australian society. Bronnie's visionary leadership extends beyond Girls on Fire. She actively collaborates with sector stakeholders and corporate partners to advocate for innovative initiatives that promote and celebrate the contribution that diverse and inclusive teams can make. Her influential voice and strategic partnerships have garnered support and resources to amplify the impact of Girls on Fire's programs.
Bronnie Mackintosh is a dedicated Station Officer with Fire and Rescue, NSW, boasting an impressive 21-year career as a firefighter. Throughout her journey, she has held various roles within the department, showcasing her versatility and commitment to serving her community. From general firefighting to Rescue, Operational Communications, Community Safety, and Education & Training, Bronnie has demonstrated her expertise and passion for every aspect of her profession.
Bronnie was awarded a prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2015 to conduct research on the recruitment strategies employed by international fire agencies that have successfully improved their gender equity scorecards. Her research took her to various countries including Hong Kong, Japan, India, UK, Sweden, France, Canada, and the USA, providing her with invaluable insights into enhancing diversity within the firefighting profession.
In what she describes as the greatest metaphor for the fire sector, Bronnie has been a passionate player and change-maker in Women’s Rugby. She proudly represented Australia in 15 International test matches as a member of the Australian Women's rugby team, the Wallaroos. Bronnie's athletic background instilled in her a strong work ethic, discipline, and teamwork, which she carries over into her firefighting career.
Bronnie will speak about the journey of Girls on Fire and how a movement of change can create a new normal in community resilience and emergency preparedness.

Dr Ben Meadley
MICA Flight Paramedic, Ambulance Victoria
Wednesday 5 July | 10:35 AM
Person-centred performance in emergency response: optimising the human dimension
Dr Ben Meadley
Improvement Lead/Researcher, Ambulance Victoria
Ben is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Monash University Department of Paramedicine and works in a process improvement role at Ambulance Victoria, where he is also a senior Intensive Care Flight Paramedic. He has a passion for enhancing human performance and building well-functioning systems to ensure paramedics and other professionals are poised to perform at their best. Ben is also a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine, and he was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) in 2023.

Dr Blythe McLennan
Node Research Manager, Natural Hazards Research Australia
Tuesday 4 July | 11:25 AM
Sticking points for tackling challenges to sustainable emergency management volunteering, and how to shake them loose
Blythe McLennan
Node Research Manager, Natural Hazards Research Australia

Rebecca McDonald
Operations Officer - Emergency Management, Victoria SES
Tuesday 4 July | 1:40 PM
Cross-border communications during significant flood
Rebecca McDonald
Operations Officer - Emergency Management, VICSES

Chris Moon
Chief Information Officer, Fire Rescue Victoria
Tuesday 4 July | 1:40 PM
Lessons Learnt from FRV’s Cyber Incident
Chris Moon
Chief Information Officer, Fire Rescue Victoria

Michael Morgan
Chief Officer, South Australia Metropolitan Fire Service
Tuesday 4 July | 3.30 PM
Claire Zara Memorial Oration
Michael Morgan
Chief Officer & CEO, South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
Joining the MFS in February 1986 as a firefighter, Michael progressed through the ranks and gained a Master of Business Administration, specialising in Human Resource Management in 2010. Awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for developing wellness, welfare, and support programs within the MFS in 2014, Michael represents the MFS across the emergency services sector and government including the Emergency Services Sector Executive, State Emergency Management Committee, and advisor to the Emergency Management Council.
He is a member of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC), including the Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee, Champions of Change Coalition, and sponsor of the Workforce Management Group.

Krista Milne
Co-Chief Heat Officer, City of Melbourne
Wednesday 5 July | 1:20 PM
The experience of heat exposure in the City of Melbourne
Krista Milne
Co-Chief Heat Officer, City of Melbourne
Krista has a background resource and environmental management and prior to City of Melbourne worked for 10 years in environment protection including regulatory reform, policy development and corporate sustainability.

Dr Maureen Murphy
Research Fellow, Food Systems, School of Agriculture and Food, University of Melbourne
Tuesday 4 July | 2.15 PM
Building the resilience of agri-food systems to compounding shocks and stresses: A case study from Melbourne

Fyowna Norton
State Manager Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross
Tuesday 4 July | 2:15 PM
PANEL: Adapting to climate change

Lisa Palma
CEO, Wildlife Victoria
Tuesday 4 July | 2:15 PM
PANEL: Adapting to climate change

Natalia Titisari
Municipal Emergency Management Officer, Corangamite Shire
Wednesday 5 July | 2:30 PM
72 hour resilience – an emergency preparedness campaign
Natalia Titisari (she/her)
Municipal Emergency Management Officer, Corangamite Shire Council
Natalia is a Municipal Emergency Management Officer at Corangamite Shire Council. Her expertise lies in community-based disaster risk reduction. She strongly believes in the importance of engaging with communities to find sustainable solutions to disaster-related issues. Natalia is interested in the intersectionality between climate change adaptation, community resilience in disaster and sustainable development.

Cath Sharpe
Access Easy English
Tuesday 4 July | 11.25 AM
PANEL: Targeted communications – The implications of low literacy at all levels of emergencies

Mathew Trigg
AWMA Water Control Solutions
Tuesday 4 July | 11:25 AM
Solutions to reducing flood impact
Mathew Trigg
FloodFree Sales Engineer, AWMA Water Control Solutions
Mat's mechanical knowledge and extensive emergency management experience makes him a valuable project partner when developing flood mitigation solutions. Mat joins us today to discuss options available for better preparedness pre-flood events. Having experienced first-hand Victorian emergency flood situations, Mat works with stakeholders to minimise flood risk and eliminate downtime post flood events.

Tim Wiebusch
Chief Officer Operations, Victoria State Emergency Service
Tuesday 4 July | 10:50 AM
Flood response in Victoria 2022-23
Tim Wiebusch
Chief Officer Operations, Victoria State Emergency Services
Tim has been the Chief Officer Operations at VICSES for just over five years and day to day leads the planning for and building of capability for readiness and response to large scale, multi-agency operations, including leading and/or participating in the State Control and State Emergency Management Teams and has contributed to numerous emergency management sector reviews and reforms.
Tim has also spent time on secondment to Department of Economic Development, Job, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) as they established their Emergency Management Branch as Director Capability and Response and Emergency Management Victoria as Manager Capability and Standards. He also chairs the national AFAC SES Operations Group.
Tim regularly performs the State Response Controller role for natural hazard emergencies such as Floods, Fires, Earthquakes and Storms and has provided leadership to the response of other large scale emergencies such as the State Controller for Health during the COVID Pandemic, the State Controller for the Blue Keep Cyber Emergency, and supported the Norwegian Star Cruise ship incident to name just a few.
Tim is highly motivated, community minded, outcomes driven change leader who advocates for building trusted relationships across organisations and with communities.

James Williams
Emergency Management Coordinator/MEMO, City of Darebin
Tuesday 4 July | 12.00 PM
Culturally appropriate approach by Emergency Management for First Nations communities
James WIlliams
Emergency Management Coordinator, Darebin City Council

Trevor Weston
Commander, COVID Incident Management Team, Ambulance Victoria
Wednesday 5 July | 1:20 PM
Utilising a surge workforce during a period of peak demand
Trevor Weston
Commander, COVID Incident Management Team, Ambulance Victoria
Trevor is a well regarded and experienced senior leader within Ambulance Victoria who has worked in a number of leadership roles across the operations directorate.
Throughout his career, Trevor continues to work as a Clinician, and has previously held appointments of Senior Team Manager, Area Manager and most recently spent the past three years as a Regional Director across two rural regions. Currently Trevor is AV’s Commandeer, COVID Incident Management Team and provides critical leadership and oversight to AV’s COVID response.
Outside of AV, Trevor is a member of the Country Fire Authority where he holds the position of Brigade Captain and enjoys exploring Australia with his family.

Sarah Wilson
National Strategy Director, Volunteering Australia
Tuesday 4 July | 10:50 AM
Future of volunteering