Speakers
Business leaders who bring deep, real-world experience to the stage. Focused on practical insights over theory, they share case studies, lessons learned, and candid reflections from inside today’s most ambitious companies. You’ll hear directly from those shaping and executing strategy at scale — with a sharp focus on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next.
Phil Phelan
Chief Strategy Officer
Publicis Sapient
Phil Phelan is the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at digital business transformation partner Publicis Sapient. He has more than 25 years of experience in strategy and technology consulting and innovation. In the last decade Phil has helped many Australian clients grow through the journey of digital transformation working across government, financial services, retail, energy, CPG, transport and media. He also plays a pivotal role in the development of Publicis Sapient’s own corporate strategy, setting long term market strategy, identifying merger and acquisition opportunities and executing strategic investments and partnerships.
Nico Sarti
VP, Global Strategy
Candé Nast
Nico Sarti is a creative leader with over two decades of experience at the crossroads of content, media, and marketing. He has shaped strategy for some of the world’s most influential platforms, from POLITICO to The Economist and Condé Nast, helping organisations communicate with impact across politics, economics, and culture. His expertise lies in turning ideas into influence — designing creative platforms, integrated campaigns, and partnerships that resonate with policymakers, business leaders, and consumers alike. Nico is recognised as an all-rounder in content and media strategy.
Clara Smith
VP, Strategy & Transformation
Seco Tools
Clara is Vice President of Strategy & Transformation at Seco Tools, where she leads global strategic initiatives across operations, corporate development, and transformation. An internationally experienced leader, she has worked closely with boards and C-level executives to deliver high-impact strategies and change programs across industries including mobility, digital technology, energy, and FMCG.
Her portfolio spans corporate strategy, operations, and M&A, with a strong track record in driving complex, cross-border projects. Clara also leads teams delivering on critical transformation themes such as decarbonisation and digitalisation, enabling organisations to adapt to fast-changing market, regulatory, and technological landscapes.
Shivika Singh
Head of Global Strategy
TikTok
Shivika Singh is a senior strategy and business development leader with deep experience driving growth, innovation, and transformative partnerships across global markets. Based in London, she heads Global Strategy & Business Development, shaping M&A, investments, partnerships, and joint ventures across product, infrastructure, automotives, trust & safety, OEMs, and payments.
Previously, she led Regional Strategy and Business Development for EMEA at TikTok and ByteDance, delivering impactful partnerships to accelerate adoption, retention, and product excellence. With a track record in building first-of-a-kind initiatives and aligning stakeholders, Shivika offers a sharp perspective on how strategy and execution combine to deliver value.
Ben Ramalingam
Chief Strategic Development Officer
Unicef
Ben Ramalingam is an executive leader, strategist, and author with a track record of driving innovation and transformation in complex global contexts. He is Chief Strategic Development Officer at UNICEF UK and has held senior roles at the British Red Cross, the UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub, and the OECD. His writing includes contributions to Harvard Business Review and the books Aid on the Edge of Chaos and Upshift, which have shaped how organisations approach leadership, strategy, and innovation. Ben was named a Humanitarian Change Maker of the Decade for his pioneering work across international crisis responses. Read his HBR article on adaptive leadership here: 5 Principles to Guide Adaptive Leadership
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Janna Sarkisova
Head of Client Strategy
CBRE
Janna Sarkisova is a senior commercial and client strategy leader with over 12 years’ experience driving revenue growth, market expansion, and high-value client engagement across Europe. As Head of Client Strategy at CBRE, she oversees strategic sales initiatives spanning the UK and continental Europe, aligning multi-country teams to win complex, enterprise-scale opportunities. Known for transforming fragmented sales approaches into unified, high-performance programmes, Janna blends deep sector expertise with a data-driven, relationship-first mindset to accelerate growth in fast-moving markets.
Rashell Habib
Head of Strategy
Paramount
Rashell began her career at News Corp as a cadet journalist, where she worked for local newspapers and The Daily Telegraph. She then pivoted her skillset into online and was the first News Local social media manager. She later joined news.com.au as their social media editor, then went on to become the social media editor for Netflix ANZ before joining Network 10 as deputy news editor and eventually taking up the role of head of digital news and strategy at Paramount.
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Gordon Harris
VP, Strategy, Government & Global Print
Thompson Rueters
Gordon is a senior strategy executive at Thomson Reuters, serving as Vice President, Strategy for the Government and Global Print segments. He leads the formulation and execution of organic growth initiatives in addition to cultivating an active M&A pipeline with a particular focus on the Legal Tech, Gov Tech and Risk & Fraud verticals.
Recognized as a trusted advisor to C suites and boards, Gordon was appointed a Global Scot during his decade living and working in Switzerland and continues to mentor high-growth startups across tech sectors globally following his return home to the UK in 2024. Prior to Thomson Reuters, Gordon spent over a decade at Norwegian tech unicorn Meltwater helping build it from startup to industry leader in the media monitoring space
Matthew Egan
Transformation Director
Microsoft
​Matthew Egan is a Transformation Director at Microsoft, where he assists leading global organizations in leveraging technology to drive value. With more than two decades of experience in transformational leadership roles at companies such as Vodafone and Centrica, and as a former consultant with PwC, he brings deep expertise in change management. Matt is dedicated to fostering both organizational and personal growth, and is the author of The Failure Advantage (2025), which explores the mindset and strategies leaders use to turn setbacks into strategic opportunities. He is also a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
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Silvia Ruggeri
Director of Strategic Planning
Virgin Media o2
Silvia Ruggeri is Director of Strategic Planning at Virgin Media O2. She has spent her career in strategy roles across the telecoms and media sectors, with previous experience at Colt and Sky in both the UK and Italy. Silvia has worked on a range of strategic projects, including market analysis, commercial strategy, and sports rights auctions. She is particularly passionate about the evolution of the media and telecoms industries and the strategic challenges they face in a fast-changing landscape.
Esra Cafer
SVP Global Brand Strategy & Management
Hasbro
Esra Cafer (she/her) is Senior Vice President, Global Brand Strategy & Management at Hasbro, where she defines the long-term franchise vision and growth strategy for global icons PEPPA PIG and MY LITTLE PONY, while shaping Hasbro’s next generation of storytelling franchises. With more than two decades of experience at the BBC, Sony, Universal, Entertainment One, and Hasbro, Esra is recognized for steering purpose-led brands that not only resonate deeply with audiences but also sustain long-range commercial value. She brings a future-focused, strategic lens to every stage of brand building—from content and franchise development to global consumer products and marketing—anchored by a high-performing international team. A respected industry voice, Esra champions inclusive storytelling and believes in the power of brands to shape culture, inspire generations, and deliver enduring business results.
Neha Dodeja
Head of Product Strategy & Innovation
BT
Neha Dodeja is Head of Product Strategy & Innovation at BT Business, where she built an innovation engine to drive new growth opportunities. She brings extensive experience in corporate strategy and transformation, spanning telecom, e-commerce, and digital sectors. Her career includes leadership roles at Wayfair, Accenture, and Telstra, where she successfully led multi-national teams and delivered strategic growth initiatives. Neha holds an MBA from INSEAD and is passionate about translating bold ideas into scalable impact.
Jim Hogan
Chief Innovation Evangelist
Google
Jim Hogan is an innovation strategist, global thought leader, and doctoral candidate at Griffith University specializing in the intersection of cognitive diversity, organizational agility, and economic impact. With a career spanning executive leadership roles in Fortune 100 technology companies and deep expertise in building high-performing, innovation-driven teams, Jim now focuses on helping organizations embed neuroinclusion as a core business strategy.
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Renata Bindo
Director, Corporate Strategy
Haleon
Renata Bindo is a strategic leader with over a decade of experience guiding organizations through high-impact transformations, from global market expansions to digital reinvention. She has led multi-disciplinary teams across countries, bringing a global perspective to innovation, operational scale, and sustainable growth. In her current role at Haleon, Renata drives the identification, prioritisation, and implementation of high-value data and AI use cases—embedding them into decision-making, product development, and customer experiences. Her work focuses on helping senior leadership navigate the organizational and cultural shifts required for data and AI adoption, and on aligning strategy across functions to ensure AI use cases deliver measurable commercial impact.
Victoria Pomarnevska
Director, Strategy & Transformation
Laing O'Rourke
Victoria is an experienced strategic business leader focussed on delivering business results. She has extensive experience in strategy, business planning and transformation across sectors including energy and construction.
Victoria joined Laing O’Rourke in 2025 and oversees the development and execution of the Europe Hub’s strategic direction. Victoria has led the strategic direction of British Gas Services, McKesson and Mantrac Group as well as advising infrastructure and finance companies in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Victoria holds an MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management and an economics degree from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Neil Cutting
Transformation Director
Oracle
Neil is a Transformation Director at Oracle Corporation and former Vice-President of Finance at Jacobs Solutions (a Fortune 250 company), where he spent 17 years in roles including Divisional CFO, International Accounting Director, and Transformation Director. He began his career with PwC before holding global finance leadership positions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Mars. Passionate about solving complex business problems, Neil has led turnarounds, post-acquisition integrations, and finance transformations, including a secondment to the UK Ministry of Defence. He serves on ICAEW Council, writes regularly on transformation, and lectures on strategic performance at the University of Bath.
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Joshua Carless
GM, Strategy
QBE Insurance
Joshua Carless is a seasoned finance and strategy executive with global experience across QBE Limited, Credit Suisse AG, Westpac, and Lloyds Banking Group. He has led enterprise-wide strategic reviews and multi-year transformation initiatives, delivering measurable improvements in performance, alignment, and long-term impact. His strategic work spans both domestic and international contexts, including the development and execution of country-level plans and value creation strategies. With a focus on unlocking growth and operational efficiency, his approach combines analytical rigor with practical leadership across complex environments. Joshua holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris and is a Chartered Accountant. He is also an Industry Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney Business School
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Vito Menella
Strategy Director
Aviva
Vito Mennella is Advice Strategy Director at Aviva. He has spent the last 20 years helping financial services firms elaborate and execute on mergers, acquisitions, disposals and capital markets transactions. Most recently he played a pivotal role in Aviva entering the UK financial advice market through a $500m acquisition and integrating it with the core objective to drive shareholder value and greater customer outcomes through synergies. He previously worked in M&A with KPMG Corporate Finance, investment banking with Nomura and HSBC, and prior to his current role, he has worked in Aviva Group M&A and Group Strategy. A keen sailor and tech enthusiast, he is a graduate of Italy’s Bocconi University ( BSc & MSc) in Business, International Economics and Management of New Technologies.
