Speaker Bios

Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer and comedian who is best known for his work with The Chaser and as the presenter of The War on Waste - the landmark ABC series that sparked action across the nation.

Mike is the Managing Director of MRA Consulting Group.He was a senior executive in the waste industry with 25 years of experience in Visy, SITA and Waste Service NSW. He was also a Director of Liverpool Council and senior adviser to the Mayor of Brisbane.Mike was a Sessional Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court and a member of the VictorianMinisterial Advisory Council on waste governance.MRA Consulting Group advises governments and business on waste and recycling. They specialise in economics,planning, education and auditing. MRA was voted the best small consultancy in Australia in 2013, 14, 15 and 16.Mike was Vice President of the Waste Management Association of Australia and NSW President. He was aDirector of the Western Sydney Regional Waste Board. Mike’s qualifications include Qualifications: Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Science, and Bachelor of Sciencewith First Class Honours. Mike's goal is to help make waste management economically rational and environmentally sustainable.

Peter is an awarded and applauded senior retailer, specialising in digital transformation within disrupted markets. From creating and developing start-up’s to working with some of Australia’s largest public and privately-owned companies, including Myer, Dymocks, Thrifty and the Co-op. Peter is also in the unique position of having exposure to leading edge retail best practice from judging Inside Retail and Online Retail Industry Awards. Peter was a founding Director and Board Member of the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) representing 13 million Australian Co-operative and Mutual members and Deputy Chairman of the Retail Council, representing Australia’s Top retailers. He is recognised by Inside Retail and Deloitte as one of Australia’s top 50 people in E-Commerce in 2015 and 2016, while currently being a founding member of Hopsters Ltd, Australia’s first Co-operatively owned craft brewery, integrated omni-channel expert, fintech, retail and board advisor, consultant, non-exec director, advisory boards and speaker. Peter most recently was the CEO of the Co-op, with 2 million members and 65 stores on University campuses across the nation. The Co-op is an ORIA winner, one of the largest Top 50 online retailer’s and an NRA Multi-channel Retailer of the Year. He diversified the business into Digital and Financial Services, stationary, apparel, tech, FMCG, campus catering services and integrated Cafes. Peter is now with St Vincent de Paul Society NSW as Executive Director of Central Councils and Commercial Operations which operates 250 Vinnies Shops, recycling and export businesses.

Leonie has a long history of leadership and management roles in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors across a wide range of areas including children, young people and families; social enterprise development; employment and training; and homelessness and housing. Prior to commencing at The Smith Family, Leonie spent six years as the NSW/ACT State Director for Mission Australia. From 2012 to 2013 she was a member of the NSW Premier's Advisory Council for Homelessness. In addition to her role at Mission Australia, Leonie has also held leadership roles at Work Directions Australia and Work Ventures. As a result she has had significant experience developing and managing complex and multi-year partnerships, including with government.

Bianca Gray holds 23 years’ of service in the Queensland Government covering such areas as operational and project accounting, financial and legislative auditing, project design and management, policy and legislation development and regulatory compliance. Bianca is currently the Manager of the Litter and Illegal Dumping Programs team and is responsible for the delivery of Queensland’s Litter and Illegal Dumping Action Plan 2013-2017 and development of the renewed strategic plan for Queensland. Bianca and the program team members are responsible for; data collection and analysis; education, engagement and awareness raising; capacity building; strategic planning and monitoring; stakeholder engagement; and programs that target behaviours that contribute to littering and illegal dumping in Queensland.

Bianca works with Strategic Grants’ not for profit clients in Queensland, providing mentoring, rant strategies and grant-writing. She is passionate about community and driven to help grow the capacity of organisations to deliver their projects. Before joining Strategic Grants, Bianca spent thirteen years working in the not for profit sector in marketing, fundraising, business development, event management and grant writing roles across a number of state-based, national and international charitable organisations. Bianca holds a degree in Marketing from RMIT.

After 5 years in the IT industry with IBM, Richard moved into the retail sector joining Australian Geographic as it evolved from a publishing business to establish a network of 45 stores and 60 authorised stockists. After a decade with Australian Geographic, culminating in the roles as an Executive Director and General Manager Retail, Richard worked in general management roles with Angus and Coote and Bras N Things. He entered the NFP sector four years ago, joining Australian Red Cross as Head of Retail. Australian Red Cross has retail representation in every state and territory. An online and catalogue business support the store network. Over the past four years the organisation has grown from 145 stores to 170 stores, providing opportunities for around 5,000 volunteers.

Brian Walker, ‘the retail doctor’, is the award-winning CEO and founder of leading retail advisory and consultancy firm Retail Doctor Group. Over the years he has also become a leading media commentator and author on retail issues, regularly appearing on TV, radio and print including ABC, Channel 9 News and A Current Affair, Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review. Brian has been nominated as a Top Retail Influencer by FSB 2018, was awarded the International Retail Leadership Award: Asian Retail Congress, was listed in Vend’s Top 100 Global retail Influencers 2018, and was a finalist for the NRA ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Industry’ award for 2017. He won the Australian Institute of Management’s National Scholarship, and was nominated for the Business Leadership Award: CPA Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Ernst & Young and Telstra Business Awards, Retail Doctor Group is the Australian elected representative member of Ebeltoft Group, a global alliance of retail experts.

John joined Lifeline in January 2003 and currently holds a senior state leadership role with Lifeline Retail Queensland with emphasis around managing external partnerships, risk and its extensive retail property portfolio. He has spent 25 years in management roles in the Queensland charitable sector including State Centres Coordinator St Vincent de Paul (1993 – 2000) and CEO Foodbank Queensland (2000-2003). Prior to entering the sector, John has held senior mainstream retail management roles at David Jones, Vox Retail Group and Waltons Ltd. John’s academic qualifications include a Batchelor of Business (Economics) and Master of Business Administration. He is an avid AFL Lions supporter and self confessed cricket tragic still playing competitive cricket with the Queensland Veterans Cricket Association – injuries permitting!

Barbara is General Manager of the Garage Sale Trail Foundation, a council enabled reuse program which sees over 400,000 Australians and 150 councils nationally get involved in an annual weekend of garage sales. Aside from an addiction to op shop and garage sale shopping, Barbara has over ten years’ experience working in private and public sector partnership management in both Australia and the UK, including a stint heading up the British Olympic Association's fundraising efforts. Barbara has a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology and is passionate about the role environmental programs can play in bringing the community together to affect long term change.

Pete Shmigel has over 25 years of diverse experience in environmental sustainability, politics, business, consulting and mental health. Prior to ACOR, he’s proudly served as CEO of Lifeline Australia, the Buy Recycled Business Alliance, and the Beverage Industry Environment Council, and in senior roles with Veolia and Nolan-ITU. He’s also been a senior advisor to nine Premiers and Ministers, including most recently in Ukraine. Pete’s a voluntary Board member with Australian Men’s Health Forum, Baseball Australia, and Roses in the Ocean, and volunteers on the phones at Lifeline. His articles have been widely published, including by the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Daily Telegraph, Business Insider and Huffington Post. He served in the US Army and was a teacher in a New York City high school before migrating to Australia in 1990. He holds degrees in politics and education from the State University of New York and Columbia University. His two poetry books are approaching a grand total of 350 international sales and his adult son, Tim, is attempting to become the first Aussie to physically walk around the whole planet.

Tony has been involved in the waste and recycling industry since 1990, with expertise on the many and varied business challenges faced by recycling operators. From demands for better customer service, to cost control, higher productivity, better planning, WHS issues, the skills shortage, the urban sprawl, environmental issues and appropriate training. In 2015, Tony was appointed as a director of the board of Sydney Catholic Cemeteries. In 2017, he completed a formal program admitting him into the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Tony is a CPA, a registered tax agent, and a fellow of the Governance Institute. Tony lives in Wollongong, enjoys regular beach walks and supports the Wests Tigers.

Gemma Rygate has over twenty-five years’ experience as an executive, senior manager, consultant and facilitator across the not-for-profit, public and private sectors. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of The Centre for Volunteering. Prior to that, Gemma held the position of Executive Director, National, of the Institute of Public Administration Australia. Gemma is a graduate of ACU and UNSW. After completing her Bachelor of Education Degree and Master of Arts, she spent many years as a Department Head in secondary education in NSW. Gemma managed a state wide assessment team for over 10 years; she volunteered in Cambodia for over 10 years, and she also manages a large pastoral holding in the state’s Central West. She is a non-executive director on a NFP Board and Company Secretary for two NFPs. Since transitioning from teaching, Gemma has held Chief Executive positions for several years and has facilitated leadership workshops for groups locally and abroad.

Fairfax Media call Tamara ‘PR to The Planet’. Having travelled to Antarctica in 2010 to learn about climate change and waste-free lifestyles, Tamara DiMattina returned to create Buy Nothing New Month, the global campaign for conscious consumption. She has worked extensively with Sacred Heart Mission, Salvo Stores and Brotherhood of St Laurence to promote the message ‘choose second hand first’. She created THE NEW JONESES Tiny House lifestyle hub to showcase lifestyle choices we can make for the health and wellbeing of our people and planet. Tamara has appeared on ABC 774, ABC Radio National, SBS News, Mornings with Sonia and David, CH7 Sunrise, The Age, Herald Sun, Sunday Life, she has been featured in books and publications on waste-free choices and the conscious consumption lifestyle.

Tony is responsible for developing strategy, policy and legislation to support the Government’s environment and heritage agenda. Tony leads the department’s strategy on environmental legislation and policy priorities in relation to: climate, water quality, waste, coastal management, planning and development, heritage, air and chemicals, state of the environment reporting, environment protection and reef policy. Tony supports the Minister and Director-General in representing Queensland’s environment and heritage interests at the national level.

Matt is the Executive Director of Zero Waste Network Australia (formerly CRN Australia), and has been a part of the organisation since early 2013. As administration coordinator, and later as Chair of the Board, Matt led the organisation through the process of becoming an independently incorporated non-profit, worked with committee members to deliver an expanded annual conference and improved member engagement, and helped to drive increased collaboration with a number of other organisations –including Australia Post, the Westpac Foundation, Resource Recovery Australia and the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils. Matt is a current MBA (Social Impact) Candidate at UNSW, and a consultant with the Social Impact Hub specialising in early-stage enterprise development and sustainable business models. His previous roles include General Manager of Resource Work Cooperative, Social Enterprise Officer with the Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tasmania), and Resource Mobilisation Officer with Quidan Kaisahan (Philippines).

Graham Ross was motivated to start his sustainable sportswear company, Kusaga Athletic, after learning the impact of clothing manufacture on the environment. With technology at the forefront, Kusaga worked with fibre manufacturers worldwide to develop four revolutionary fabrics as planet-friendly alternatives to cotton and polyester. From one of those fabrics, Kusaga created the Greenest T-shirt on the Planet which uses just 1% of the water used to make a regular cotton tee. Believing the textile industry needs to transition to closed loop sourcing, Graham again looked to technology for the solution, seeing the opportunity to adapt blockchain and the Internet of Things to address the global problem of consumer textile waste. The BlockTexx marketplace and advisory services will drive significant change within the textile industry and the way fashion brands work. Graham’s determination to drive positive change in the textile industry comes down to one question: If not us, then who?

Leigh has almost 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles and has successfully managed businesses with revenue in excess of $220m and 180 FTE’s. Leigh’s experience includes simultaneous retail and corporate management in regional, rural and CBD locations across multiple geographies in Australia, predominantly in the health and finance sectors with a proven track record in turnaround and change management of culturally-poor and financially under-performing businesses. Leigh set a benchmark in corporate responsibility when he initiated the first Indigenous School Based Traineeship Program at ANZ Banking Group Limited. He then went on to establish an Indigenous Scholarship through Southern Cross University. Most recently, Leigh has been a catalyst in the development, oversight and delivery of the Reconciliation Action Plan within Bupa Australia, before joining Lifeline Retail Queensland as General Manager.

Sean Burgess is no stranger to the retail and non for profit sectors. Born in England, he moved to Australia permanently in 1998. He has amassed 35 years of experience 15 in the former and 20 in the latter, having worked for the Coles Myer Group for 8 years in both the Perth City Myer store and the bulky goods venture in Megamart. This followed 12 years with The Salvation Army Retail stores. With a strong knowledge of both inventory and personel management, Sean places emphasis on having the right people in the right positions, and focusses largely on positive reinforcement and pushing continuously for betterment. Sean believes that retail workers should be able to express themselves through their day to day work. He lives by the principle that ‘retail is detail,’ and that this sentiment should stand out in the culmination of your efforts. Customer service is a large focus for Sean, and strongly believes that while the customer is not always right, they are always the customer and deserve to be treated in a way that makes their experience memorable and as easy as possible. This not only provides customer satisfaction, Sean believes, but also a point of difference that gives a store a competitive edge in the sector.

Jeff is General Manager of Vinnies Victoria Retail and the Victorian NACRO State Rep. Vinnies Retail has 110 shops with over 6,000 team members, three warehouses and a fleet of trucks. Last year the shops served almost 4 million customers. Vinnies shops are the face of the Society in Victoria raising significant funds to support local communities in need. Jeff is an experienced retail executive possessing over 30 years’ experience. His roles have included general management, network development, operations, recruitment, product management, warehousing and distribution. Jeff’s extensive franchise management experience has allowed him to grow shops and work with his teams through influence not direction. Jeff has held senior roles with Woolworths, Specsavers and Sigma Pharmaceuticals.

Australia needs a bold approach towards a circular economy to control its waste, recycling and its environmental destiny. Cos believes that environmental sustainability can only be achieved through social inclusion and community engagement. Cos is the Supply Chain Manager of Good Samaritan Industries. A strong operations professional, he has over 24 years demonstrated international working experience gained in multinational companies and not for profit organisations in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Cos started his career in Romania, as Regional Sales and Distribution Director for South African Breweries for whom he designed, developed and implemented the sales, distribution and logistics network. He immigrated to New Zealand in 2000 where he worked for Bridgestone Corporation as a Quality Group Leader, and then moved to Australia and worked in the energy sector as a Contract Manager for Service Stream and then Operations Manager for Linfox. His specialisations covers supply chain, manufacturing, quality and contract management, sales and distribution, and is a member of ADE Procurement Reference Group in WA.

Louise is the Manager of Submission Writing at Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland. She collaborates with staff across the agency to prepare applications and tenders for government, private industry and philanthropic organisations. Louise has worked in the not for profit, government and tertiary education sectors in management, project management and secretariat roles. She has significant writing and editing experience. She believes not-for-profit organisations play an integral role in supporting communities build their capacity and resilience. She believes that sustainable and efficient not-for-profit organisations can provide effective responses to a range of issues and deliver services with significant and lasting social impact. She appreciates a good cup of tea and would almost always rather be reading.

With over 17 years retail experience across Australia and the UK, Edwina is people focussed and passionate about the customer journey and understands that customer insights drive a better customer experience. Since joining the retail arm of the Salvation Army in 2011, Edwina has worked across multiple roles including Area Manager, Regional Manager, Senior Project Lead and is now Head of Customer and Strategy for Salvos Stores. Edwina is responsible for the marketing, eCommerce, merchandise and corporate partnership functions across 220 stores in VIC, TAS, WA, SA and NT. With her 360 view of the retail landscape, Edwina is armed with the experience and understanding to take Salvos Stores from being a traditional retailer to one that is future focussed. Since 2017, she has built the Customer and Strategy team; reviewed and implemented a new pricing strategy; successfully introduced new product lines; and has been responsible for strategising and overseeing marketing campaigns and driving research to better understand the customer and their purchasing patterns as well as the donation journey. By driving innovation, sustainability and growing a stronger digital presence for the organisation, Edwina and her team are well placed ensure the future growth and success of Salvos Stores as one of Australia's largest charity retailers.

Laura has 15 years’ experience in advertising and partnerships across broadcast, print and digital media. She’s held a variety of positions across direct, agency and strategic sales with the likes of Channel 9, Fairfax and has been heading up advertising and partnerships at Gumtree since 2014. At Gumtree, Laura sits on the leadership team and is responsible for all display and text advertising and leads a team of sales, operations and analysts who are focused on delivering data-led advertising solutions to Gumtree’s wealth of clients. She launched Gumtree Media in 2016 - a programmatic-first approach to advertising which leverages Gumtree’s rich first-party data to deliver highly qualified audience segments in order to meet the needs of today’s advertisers. Laura is committed to bolstering the Gumtree Media offering and to position the brand as a publisher of choice by offering an enhanced experience for both advertisers and users. Laura is also responsible for executing partnerships which add value and enhance the user experience of Gumtree.