Australia's Leading MBA Conference

Jamie is responsible for SEEKs Employment business across Corporate, Government, Healthcare and Education Sectors. As well as SEEK Business (SEEKs online marketplace for buying and selling businesses and franchises) and SEEKs Digital media offerings. Prior to working at SEEK; Jamie spent 10 years at IBM in a variety of Marketing, Program Management and Client Team Leadership head of Enterprise and Government for NSW and ACT.

As a leader in Australia’s leading employment marketplace Jamie has been an active part of the future of work discussion participating in the governments senate review into the FoW, Advisory discussions into the Future of Employment Services and the Review of the APS. Jamie has also participated in industry group discussions on this topic including Business Council of Australia, CEDA and Australian Human Resources Institute.

Jamie’s brings a strong digital and technology background together with his understanding of HR and the Employment marketplace to the role of leading SEEKs business into two of its largest customer segments and through it supports SEEK on its mission to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and to help organisations succeed. 

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW, and has recently completed his Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School.

In her 17 years at Microsoft, Sharon has held a range of leadership roles across enterprise, public sector, corporate, SMB and consumer segments.  Currently she is the Director for Small, Medium and Corporate Business responsible for enabling Australian organisations to innovate and grow through digital transformation.

Previously, Sharon was the Director of Microsoft’s Office Business Group and responsible for Australia’s leading business productivity platform. 

Sharon also led Microsoft’s OEM division as Director of Sales and Marketing where she was responsible growing share through a differentiated devices portfolio in the Australian market.

From 2011-2015, Sharon held the role of Queensland State Director, based in Brisbane, where she was responsible for commercial and public sector sales and leading Microsoft’s branch office of 120 people.

Prior to her time in Queensland, Sharon was the Enterprise Partner Director for Microsoft Australia, overseeing Microsoft’s engagement with global alliance and industry solution partners helping customers realise the value of their investment in solutions based on Microsoft technology.  

Ms Schoenborn joined Microsoft in April 2001 as an Organisational Consultant focused on leadership development, change management and the integration of corporate acquisitions.  

Prior to Microsoft, Sharon led the leadership development program at Great Plains Software, working extensively across Europe, the Asia Pacific region and North America.  Before entering the ICT industry, Sharon worked for 5 years at Minnesota State University.

Sharon is currently a member of the board of directors for the Queensland Museum and in 2013 was recognised as Microsoft Australia’s Leader of the Year. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science Degree in Organisational Leadership from Minnesota State University.  Sharon lives in Sydney with her husband Robert. 

World Vision Australia CEO Claire Rogers is a social innovator with a proven track record of strategising and delivering major change initiatives, helping organisations adapt to the tech-disrupted economy, and aligning physical and digital execution to maximise opportunities.

In her previous role as head of ANZ Australia’s digital banking, Claire spearheaded the bank's digital channels transformation, and is recognised for her capacity to grow customer facing business across both physical and digital channels.

A highly networked influencer, Claire brings to different environments finely honed communication and negotiation skills, strength and compassion that creates strong community buy-in and support.

Chair of Ridley Theological College for the past eight years, Claire has long had a passion for equal opportunity for all, and understands the challenges facing not-for-profits as they adapt to the new economy.

Claire is passionate about creative and agile engagement with World Vision supporters. She sees the digital revolution as an exciting opportunity to reach new generations who want to fight global poverty as well as lifting the experience for existing donors.

Claire is well-equipped to lead World Vision through fast changing, complex environments, responding to disruption while building on existing strengths. She is inspired by the organisation’s vision of a just and peaceful world, where every child can experience life in all its fullness.

Claire is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Board. She has also volunteered as a mentor for Springboard Enterprises, supporting women entrepreneurs as they take concepts to market in the technology and digital sectors.

Claire received an MBA in General Management, International Studies, Leadership from the University of Melbourne - Melbourne Business School in 1995, and earned her BA in  English Literature, Mathematics and Linguistics at the University of Melbourne.

Her interests include global justice, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and agile practices to drive rapid transformation, and she enjoys tennis, cycling and time with her family.

Claire is married with two children, and lives in Melbourne. Her family have been World Vision child sponsors since 2006. In November 2016, Claire was able to visit her sponsored child in Myanmar.

Benson Saulo leads with insight and impact from experience that he has develop throughout his working life from across Australian corporate, not-for-profit and government sectors. Following a career in one of Australia’s major banking institutions, Benson was appointed the 2011 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations. In which he undertook a national engagement tour to gain a deeper understanding of issues impacting Australian young people. Benson then represented Australian youth at the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly as an accredited member of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, leading negotiations on the Rights of the Child and the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Young People.

Benson became the founding director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA), which engages young Indigenous Australians to develop and drive youth-led social action campaigns. In 2013 – 14, NIYLA participants developed and launched ten youth-led social action campaigns focusing on suicide prevention, climate change, mental health and welcoming refugee and asylum seekers.

Benson is currently the Head of Community for one of Australia’s leading health, wealth and living organisations Australian Unity. The key focuses of Australian Unity’s work across its community initiatives are greater promotion and engagement of Indigenous peoples, peoples with disability, financial inclusion and mental health. Additionally, Benson manages the Australian Unity Foundation which supports charities across Australia to increase their impact in areas of community capability building.

Benson’s work has been acknowledged through various national awards including finalist for Young Australian of the Year and the Youth Human Rights Medal.

Emilio Romeo was appointed CEO & Managing Director of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand in January 2016 following eight years as a member of the ANZ leadership team. He is member of the Leadership team for Market Area South East Asia, India and Oceania.

Emilio was formerly the Director, Telstra Customer Unit where he was responsible for securing and building Ericsson’s strategic partnership over five years. Prior to this he was the Director, Vodafone Hutchinson Australia Customer Unit and Director, Hutchinson and 3GIS Customer Units. An experienced business leader, Emilio has over 28 years of combined experience in the telecommunications and IT industry, where he held various Senior Sales and IT Management positions within Ericsson and BHP.

Taking pride in customer relationships, he has been instrumental in driving business and technology evolution for customers across Australia and has played a key role in establishing Ericsson’s market leadership position in the region.  

Emilio graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor in Applied Science (Mathematics and Computer Science) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds an Accelerated Development Leadership program certificate from the London Business School, and has completed various leadership programs, including Leading in New Realties at Boston University.

An active contributor to the industry, bilingual Emilio is also a Board Member of the the European Australian Business Council, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (including Chair of the Finance Committee) and the Melbourne Networked Society Institute (The University of Melbourne) in an advisory capacity.

Dr. Brandon Gien is the Founder and CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of the annual Australian Good Design Awards. In 2015, Brandon was inaugurated as a Senator of the World Design Organization (WDO), the world body for Industrial Design. He was a member of the Board of Directors for three consecutive terms and elected President of the organisation from 2013 to 2015, the first Australian to hold this position.

During his term, he led the strategic transformation of the organisation, resulting in a new name, new vision and mission and a new global definition of Industrial Design. Through his work on the WDO Executive Board, he was instrumental in creating the World Design Impact Prize to honour Industrial Design driven projects that make a positive impact on our social, economic, cultural and environmental quality of life. 

Prior to founding Good Design Australia, Dr. Gien was the Executive Director of Design Strategy at Standards Australia, recognised by the Government as Australia’s peak standards body. 

He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Newcastle where he later graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design. He holds a PhD in Environmental Design from the University of Canberra’s School of Design and Architecture.

Brandon is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Professional Member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Internationally, Dr. Gien is a Board Member of Shanghai City Government’s International Creative City Advisory Board. He sits on the International Advisory Board of Srishti’s Institute of Art Design and Technology in India and has participated as a Jury Member for the Singapore President’s Design Awards, the Korean Government’s Good Design Award, China’s Red Star Design Awards, the Taiwan Golden Pin Design Awards, Rado Design Prize Africa, the Design for Asia Awards (DFAA) and was a member of the World Design Capital Selection Committee. 

Dr. Gien was made a Design Ambassador to Japan, an international design advocacy role organised by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP).  

He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Canberra and co-host of popular television series: Australia by Design Innovation on Network TEN and ONE.