Workplace Relations Conference

Heidi Cooper

CEO, Business Chamber Queensland

Heidi Cooper is the CEO of Business Chamber Queensland and is committed to driving Queensland’s strategic growth.

Throughout her career, Heidi has worked extensively for the advancement of business in Queensland. With over 20 years’ experience in corporate affairs, law and public policy, Heidi has successfully driven strategies for major ASX companies and industry bodies with strong growth agendas and significant customer and community relationships. She has specialised in leading sustainable business initiatives with a key focus on economic growth, job creation, education, sustainability and community engagement.

Joanna Glynn

General Manager, Group Workplace Relations, Virgin Australia

A highly experienced employment lawyer and employee relations professional, with over 20 years in multi-jurisdictional employee relations and employment law advising the executive and senior management teams of large multi-national companies.

Joanna Minchinton

General Manager - Workplace Services, Business Chamber Queensland

Joanna joined the Business Chamber Queensland team in October 2022.

Joanna is a recognised workplace relations expert, having been awarded life membership of both the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland; and Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association in recognition of her service to the field.

In her role with Business Chamber Queensland, Joanna provides employers with practical, real-world advice and assistance on a wide range of matters relevant to the workplace. In addition to managing the workplace relations function, Joanna also works with stakeholders to provide positive workplace solutions, such as Workforce Evolve, a Queensland government funded program to assist employers with their recruitment and retention practices. 

Ezra Pyers

Manager, Workplace Relations, Business Chamber Queensland

Ezra is an experienced Workplace Relations and Human Resources Advisor across multiple industries including hospitality, fuel retail, government and not-for-profit.

Prior to joining Business Chamber Queensland, Ezra was the Employment Relations Manager with the Queensland Trucking Association, the peak employer association for the Queensland road transport sector. In this role, he also supported Queensland businesses in the bus and waste sectors, advocating for members at both state and national levels. 

Troy Spence

Barrister-at-law

Troy Spence has a diverse practise with a focus employment and industrial relations, work health and safety and crime. Troy has extensive experience in dispute resolution, agreement negotiation, corporate governance, and public administration.  

Since being called to the bar in 2018, Troy has appeared, both led and unled, in appeals before the Full Federal Court, the Queensland Court of Appeal, the Industrial Court of Queensland and Full Benches of both the Fair Work Commission and the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.  

Prior to being called to the Bar, Troy worked for 18 years in both public sector and private sector industrial relations appearing in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission and the Fair Work Commission. During this time, he also negotiated a significant number of Enterprise Agreements including leading negotiations for project greenfield agreements for major civil construction projects throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Elsa Bland

Senior Industrial Relations Technology Consultant, TANDA

Elsa Bland is a Senior Industrial Relations Technology Consultant at Tanda. In her current role, she oversees Tanda’s product compliance, including developing and maintaining modern award templates and ensuring Tanda's compliance features are up-to-date with legislative requirements and industry standards.

Elsa also consults with SMEs to large enterprise-sized organisations on leveraging technology to manage compliance challenges effectively. She's passionate about helping make compliance easier for the benefit of both businesses and their employees.

Prior to joining Tanda, Elsa held positions as a compliance officer in the occupational health and construction sectors and completed her law degree at the University of Tasmania.

David King

CEO, Tribal Habits

David King is passionate about breaking down siloed cultures through knowledge sharing. As a successful trainer, he created Tribal Habits, an online learning platform that empowers employees to share expertise and access collective organisational knowledge. The platform also incorporates comprehensive compliance training modules, ensuring organisations can stay ahead of regulatory requirements. 

A well-known trainer, facilitator, coach, and presenter, David has lived and worked in Sydney, Tokyo, New York, and London. He now resides in his hometown of Brisbane with his family.  

Outside of work, David enjoys playing the drums, watching sports, and indulging in travel that combines his love for food and wine. 

Kelly Pike

Regional Director, Hinchen Recruitment Group

With over 20 years of industry experience across the HR/ Executive search space, Kelly has passionate about driving performance through people.  Kelly initially joined an international recruitment agency in 2004 recruiting across the Industrial and Professional services markets. In 2007 she transferred to London to broaden her international recruitment experience and quickly established as a specialist placing Human Resources professionals into the Consumer, Finance & Professional Services and media markets. Kelly has been responsible for placing key decision makers into blue chip organisations. Relocating back to Sydney in 2012 she had exposure working within Human Capital, Sales, Market and Communication supporting business with executive appointments across all industry group.

Associate Professor Paige Hilditch-Maguire

Chancellery Division, Business Development, Director's Office, Alumni & Corporate Partnerships, Queensland University of Technology

Paige is an innovative executive leader in the higher education sector with a significant track record in leading large organisation portfolios, implementation of business transformations, stewarding partnerships, negotiating deals, leading educational & business change and driving innovative models to increase revenue. She is a trained medical researcher who has applied her strategic mindset, technical skills and broad breadth of leadership and management experience to steer change and deliver outcomes across biotech, start-up, and university portfolios. She is skilled in pitching to investors, spanning the continuum of tech innovation to board seats and has been responsible for design and delivery of large organisational changes across teaching and partnering business areas within the Australian University Sector. She is a skilled and outcome driven leader who has a track record in maintaining core business while driving critical innovation.

Paige holds a PhD from UQ, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors , has been recognised as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), held dual fellowships at Harvard Medical School & MGH and has completed executive education at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Jakeline Wilson

Head of People, Culture and Safety, Everhard Industries

Jakeline is a commercially astute and hands-on professional with life and work experience spanning across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, USA, UK and Brazil within complex matrix structures, cross-functional leadership and in multicultural environments.

As an adept person, Jakeline has experience helping people and organisations achieve meaningful results. Jakeline is passionate about technologies and honed her talents in building high-performance cultures, managing projects and cultivating long-term relationships with colleagues, while working through complex organisational change.

Through her experience and tested methods, Jakeline has helped business leaders overcome complex problems related to people, organisation design and its impact in the workplace culture.

Cara Westerman

General Manager, Business Sustainability, Business Chamber Queensland

Cara Westerman joined the team in May 2023.  Cara is a passionate change-agent, systems thinker and strategist with a deep understanding of the environmental, social and governance considerations associated with businesses, and the systems in which they operate. 

Cara’s background in environmental planning, social impact, urban systems, business advisory and policy development allows her to tackle complex challenges with practical solutions. She has experience leading large multidisciplinary teams through transformative change, with a strong focus on unlocking advantages that come from collaboration, shared accountability and shared value.

Currently pursuing an MBA (Sustainable Leadership) at Griffith University, Cara further enhances her expertise in driving sustainable change and business leadership. With her international experience and focus on integrated city strategies, she adeptly navigates diverse stakeholders and technical disciplines, making her a valuable asset in achieving successful outcomes.

John Dwyer

Industrial Commissioner, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission

John was admitted as a lawyer in 1993. He practiced exclusively in the area of employment law. John's experience in practice covered the full spectrum of workplace matters and included: dismissals, unpaid wages, industrial disputes of all sizes, EB disputes, sexual harassment and discrimination, restraint of trade disputes, reasonable notice claims, adverse action, workers compensation and WHS matters.

In addition to these areas of experience John conducted numerous workplace investigations in respect of workplace misconduct, bullying & harassment complaints and/or workplace health and safety issues.

John’s practice involved acting for both employers and employees, as well as many Government departments. He is an experienced advocate and litigator, but is equally skilled in ADR and practical problem solving.

In July 2019 John was appointed to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. On 9 July 2019 he was sworn in as an Industrial Commissioner by the President of the Industrial Court.

Cletus Brown

Director Compliance Branch, Fair Work Ombudsman

Cletus Brown is a Director in the Compliance Branch at the Fair Work Ombudsman.

He has just over 30 years' experience in the workplace relations field and has held managerial roles in key operational positions in all major reforms over the last 20 years including the introduction of WorkChoices, the Fair Work Act, the implementation of modern awards and, more recently, the Secure Jobs Better Pay amendments.  

In his current role, Cletus leads two teams of Inspectors and another that monitors Enforceable Undertakings. This work also includes handling a number of the larger employers who are self-reporting underpayments to the workplace regulator.  

Cletus’ previous role was leading the team responsible for determining the FWO’s position on modern award provisions. This included monitoring the Modern Award Review to ensure the regulator is ready to provide advice and assistance to workplaces. 

Joel Zyngier

Principal Lawyer, Gilchrist Connell

Joel heads the firm’s national Workplace Relations and Safety practice. He has extensive experience in commercial workplace relations and safety law, having advised large and small public and private employers and senior managerial / executive level employees for many years.

Joel has a proven track record for delivering excellent results and in 2012 was certified by the Law Institute of Victoria as an Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations.

Joel is the Lawyers Weekly 2020 Partner of the Year Award winner for Workplace Health and Safety Relations, and he and the workplace team have consistently been recognised in the workplace category ‘top ten’ rankings nationally.

Ingrid Asbury

Vice President, Fair Work Commission

Prior to her appointment as Vice President, Ms Asbury was a Deputy President of the Commission from 2013. Ms Asbury is the Chairperson of the Northern Territory Police Arbitral Tribunal.  

Ms Asbury was appointed Commissioner of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in 2000 and has been a Member of the Fair Work Commission and its predecessors since 2001.  

Prior to her appointment to the QIRC, Ms Asbury was the National Industry Group Manager for the Australian Industry Group.