We are working extremely hard to create en engaging conference program and are delighted to announce the following keynote speakers.
CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


DAVID GREIG | CEO GMHBA LIMITED
KATE BARLOW | CHIEF PEOPLE & CULTURE GMHBA LIMITED
TOPIC: A case study of an organization Needing to evolve in the face of intense competition and how a CEO & OD Leader worked together to design and execute a plan THAT delivered exceptional results
GMHBA is an Australian health insurance and healthcare company providing services to 330,000 Australians since 1934 from its base in Geelong. It’s a not-for-profit, 100% member-based organization and is an active contributor in building the health and wellbeing of communities.
GMHBA is strongly values-based: “Bring your best and strive for better; we’re present and bring our best every day; we help others to be remarkable; we’re curious about and open to change; we’re passionate about always improving; we celebrate success and embrace learnings“.
During their presentation, David and Kate will share the story of the challenges their business was facing, and how they worked closely together in response. They will share what they did, how it worked and give insight into the metrics they use to understand how their actions are working

Christopher “CJ” Gross | TEDx Speaker, DEI OD Consultant & Author
TOPIC: Navigating the intersection of class-bias and racial disparity to drive positive change in organizations
CJ’ is the author of “What’s Your Zip Code Story” and will share his research findings to help clarify the intersection of class bias and racial disparity in the workplace.
CJ positions organizations with the knowledge to not only have productive discussions, but also adopt effective solutions. He instructs class-migrants —whether college students, recent graduates, or overlooked employees— on how to climb the career lattice and transform themselves from undervalued employees to respected leaders. His research tackles challenges that class-migrants encounter when navigating the workplace and provides operative practices that can be utilized to hone new professional skills and drive positive change in workplace culture.
His presentation will inform OD practitioners on ways to support and inspire marginalized employees who are hungry for personal and professional growth, as well as give insight to business leaders seeking a new way to engage beyond their demography.

CASEY KAMINSKYJ | CHAIRPERSON WOMBAT’S WISH, BOARD DIRECTOR AT SPECTRuM ORG & SENIOR LEADER AT ENERGY AUSTRALIA
TOPIC: LEADING A GROWING COMMUNITY ORGANISATION, PROGRESSING A CORPORATE CAREER & BECOMING A PARENT… ALL FROM A REGIONAL CENTRE
Casey is an engaging and inspiring leader who brings energy and purpose to the many roles she holds in her life, and all from a regional base. We will hear about Casey’s journey so that we can consider the implications for OD and how our profession builds the scaffolding to support people like Casey to do what they do.
Casey is a transformational leader at Energy Australia, one of Australia’s largest energy companies. Among her many roles there, she headed up the substantial Geelong business which she built from the ground up to become an award-winning organisation.
Casey is also the Chairperson of Wombat’s Wish – a community focussed not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support children and young people after the death of their parent/carer. Under Casey’s strategic Board leadership, this regionally-based organization has grown substantially to provide critical services across the entire State.

MORE TO COME
More speakers soon to be announced, stay tuned!
CONFIRMED CONCURRENT SESSIONS

MIchelle De Bruyn | south africa
TOPIC: People, place and pivots - Lessons & questions from South Africa’s City Economic Development Managers' Forum
A Case Study: The session will have an interactive format of sharing the case study of the South African City Economic Development Managers’ Forum and its co-design and facilitation through storytelling and images, as well as participants discussing questions of how this could inform their work and the role of OD in helping cities and their people to pivot. This session will provide an opportunity to explore what role OD can play in supporting cities and their people to pivot.

jen wilson | USA
TOPIC: Investigating Your Immunity to Change: Self-work for OD Use of Self
An Experiential Workshop: Have you ever signed up for a training but were too busy to go? Paid good money for a gym membership that you used three times? Even when we deeply desire a change that will make our life and work significantly better, we often don’t follow through. We may conclude that we lack willpower or discipline, but what if something else is happening?
Developed by Robert Keegan and Lisa Lahey of Harvard University, Immunity to Change mapmaking is a powerful diagnostic tool that reveals what’s really going on in our hearts and minds in the face of change. This “x-ray view” of our inner world empowers us to move beyond our current limitations to an expanded way of being. Join me for this highly interactive session to create your Immunity to Change map and see what’s possible.
“Without the habit of life-long learning, our [OD] practice will not be able to sustain. It is for the sake of those we serve, we will want to improve in our trade knowledge, expand our mind… When that happens, the brilliance of our real purpose, of our calling, will be shining and make our hearts sing.” (Cheung-Judge and Jamieson, 2018)

dr. Tariqul kabir | bangladesh
TOPIC: Integrating OD at a Community Level to facilitate the Innovation of Household Silos to prevent post-disaster crisis
A Workshop / Case Study: During one of the last Cyclones and Floods in Blangladesh, people ran to shelter leaving all their belongings at home. When they returned, in most cases, there was nothing left and they had to wait for the rescue people to bring food and clothing as well as seeds for cultivation.
We will present an innovative project that was implemented in Bangladesh which focused on Household Silo distribution to more than 26.000 flood-affected people. After one year of distribution, a yearly impact evaluation was conducted which found that 100% of respondents found the Household silos very useful and all of them were able to store seeds and foods in their household during a disaster. As a result, other neighboring farmers also showed interest to have household silos. In 2014, the World Bank and Government of Bangladesh designed another project called Modern Food Storage Facilities Project (MFSP) and included the distribution of household silos among 500.000 beneficiaries.

PROf. dr. brent oberholzer | spain
Heidi Feickert | USA
TOPIC: Will your organizational development skills be relevant in 2030?
Case Study: You’ve probably heard the research that 85% of the jobs needed in 2030 don’t exist yet. If that statistic doesn’t make you revise and revisit your organization development practice, and your recommendations to clients, it should.
Where are the changes
Where is the consistency
What tools help you advise clients in this world
The challenge everyone faces: how am I relevant in 2030? Based on our work, we will offer you our case studies and current best practices.

more to come
stay tuned
