CONTACTS

Liz Buchanan has been involved in different industries, throughout her career, starting in the finance industry in Australia and the UK. She is currently the Marketing and Communications Manager for Equestrian Queensland, where she has been working in numerous positions since 1999. Previously, she worked for Queensland Cycling as their Sport Development Officer and was involved in the Olympic Games and the Goodwill Games.

She is also currently a tutor at Queensland University of Technology at their school of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations. Beforehand, was a tutor at Griffith University in various undergraduate and postgraduate marketing subjects for five years, as well as an assignment marker for postgraduate marketing subjects at University of Southern Queensland.

Liz has a Master of Marketing Management Degree, majoring in Sports, Arts and Entertainment Marketing, as well as a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. In addition, Liz holds a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. She has been invited to speak on marketing issues for the continuing education community.

Tess Brook is passionate about knowledge management and its integration with organisational communications and project management. She is an experienced communication and knowledge management consultant working with international organisations. She has successfully project managed large international projects and teams and is recognised as delivering change management and business solutions that are real. 

Tess has extensive Knowledge Management (KM), Information Management and Organisational Communications experience. This experience is supported by sound project management skills having been trained Prince2™ project management methodology.

Tess is a Director of 1st Call Construction P/L and runs the Communications and Knowledge Management Division. Typically the project involve developing and implementing knowledge management frameworks and practices, corporate or project practices to manage communications and practices to manage contractual communication including tracking action items.

More recently, Tess has been working as a professional coach, who takes her executive clients on a learning process focused around change management, decision making and communications. Tess is a sort after speaker at Knowledge Management conferences in South-East Asia and Australia.

Zoe Boyd is a Director of Strategy & Planning who is currently working for the Australian Communication Exchange - an innovative not-for-profit organisation that partners with the Deaf, hearing impaired, speech impaired and the hearing.

Prior to this role, Zoe worked with Gulf Leighton on communication strategies for major building projects including Tameer Towers (US $2.5Bn) and Dubai Pearl (US $1.7Bn). Zoe is also studying her MBA at the University of Queensland.

Zoe's career aspirations have always been to work in interesting places, in challenging industries and with high performing teams!

Sharon Standen is a marketing and communications professional with over 12 years of experience in NGO, private, and Government sectors. Her expertise lies in developing and implementing National or State based strategic marketing and communications strategies.

She has a passion for change-management communications and combining program and project management methodologies with marketing and communication strategies.

Early in her career, Sharon worked across marketing and communications, as well as developing corporate partnerships and fundraising strategies for NGO's such as Royal Flying Doctor Service, Mission Australia, Vision Australia, and a Medical Research Institute across QLD and NSW.

She later made the transition to the private sector, specialising in marketing strategies for ICT industries. Sharonh has previously held positions such as Member, FIA (Chapter 2) Mentoring Program Committee, Board Member - Women in Information and Communication, and Member of the Fundraising Committee - SHINE for Kids

Sharon has previously held positions such as Member, FIA (Chapter 2) Mentoring Program Committee, Board Member - Women in Information and Communication, and Member of the Fundraising Committee - SHINE for Kids.

Patsy McCarthy is an Adjunct Professor in Speech Communication in the discipline of Media/Communication in the Creative Industries Faculty at the Queensland University of Technology.

Patsy's current teaching activities are in the areas of Persuasion, Broadcast Journalism, Group Communication and Interpersonal Communication.

She is currently involved in research into these areas using Rhetorical and Dramatistic methodologies as a base. She has had many commendations for teaching, including being nominated by the university for a national teaching award in 1998.

Patsy has been published widely on these topics in Australian and international journals. She has written a book with colleague Dr Caroline Hatcher, the 2nd edition of this book: Speaking Persuasively: Making the most of your presentations is currently in press with Allen & Unwin in Australia and with Sage in London (2002). With Dr Hatcher she has also designed 2 CD/Roms on Speaking Strategically.

Other interests include theatre studies. She has wide experience as an actor. She has performed major roles in 30 plays in Queensland theatres, and written theatre criticism for the national magazine Theatre Australia as well as others. She has worked for the Dallas Theater Center in the US. Her work there as an actor, assistant director, teacher, and publicist exemplifies the internationally accepted standard of her artistic practice.

Patsy has consulted widely as a speech specialist to both the public and private sector in Australia, and previously worked as a consultant in one of Europe's large business consultancies in London.

Peter Chaly is the Managing Director of SmartINK, where he helps organisations with their technical writing, copywriting, marketing and event related needs.

Over the past seventeen years, Peter has run many highly successful marketing campaigns around the world – from Chicago to Singapore, New York to Tokyo, Shanghai to Brisbane, Atlanta to Hong Kong, and all across Australia.

Peter is the author of the book “Engineering” – a career guidebook for people wishing to enter the engineering profession, published by Career FAQs. He also writes plays, and short stories, and has just finished writing his second book, a travel memoir, which is based on his time living and travelling in Asia.

Rob Lovegrove is the Digital Manager at Rowland – Australia’s largest business advisory firm. With ten years of marketing communication consultancy experience Rob helps his clients understand the opportunities and implications of operating in a digital world, developing strategic communication plans in the process.

Since joining Rowland in May 2005, Rob has worked on many award-winning projects for international brands as well as local councils, Government departments and privately owned SMEs.