Professor Jim Bright, FAPS
Jim is a recognised world authority on Career Development whose research has been published in 8 languages, included in leading text books, and has presented by invitation in many European countries, North America and Asia Pacific as well as in every State and Territory in Australia. As well as being a Partner in Career Management specialists Bright and Associates, Jim is Professor of Career Education and Development at the Australian Catholic University where he coordinates the Graduate Certificate in Career Education taught in Melbourne and Sydney. He works with individuals and organisations, assisting both with transition processes and training. In addition he has written many expert witness reports in relation to vocational capacity. He has a degree and a PhD in Psychology.
Jim has worked with some of the largest organisations in Australia including Westpac, BHP Billiton, Commonwealth Bank, AMP Financial Capital, Lend Lease, Datacom, Compass, Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance, and many others. He provides executive coaching and career transition services to many senior executives around Australia.
Jim has pioneered the application of chaos and complexity theory approaches to career development. His research in this area is now included in leading international text books on Career Development. He is also well known for his evidence-based job hunting advice, and his self-help books Resumes that get shortlisted, Getting a brilliant Job: the students guide, Should I stay or should I go: how to make that crucial job move, and Land that job in Australia: the migrants guide. He has published nine books, and has well over 300 peer reviewed scientific journal articles, chapters and conference presentations.
Jim writes a weekly column on career development, The Ladder for the Sydney Morning Herald. He has worked extensively in radio, including over five years as the ABC radio Sydney employment expert, and also on a range of commercial stations. He is a registered psychologist, a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and a past Chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Australian Psychological Society College of Organisational Psychologists. He is a Fellow of the Career Development Association of Australia, and a member of the National Career Development Association. For 11 years he taught and researched Organisational Psychology at the University of New South Wales.
Tim Costello AO, Chief Executive of World Vision Australia
Tim Costello is recognised as one of Australia’s leading voices on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. Since February 2004, as Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, Tim has also been instrumental in ensuring that the issues surrounding global poverty are placed on the national agenda. His passion for justice and for helping to alleviate the suffering of poor communities in the developing world quickly became evident when the devastating Asia tsunami struck on Boxing Day, 2004. The leadership he showed at the time helped to inspire an unprecedented outpouring of generosity from the Australian public, with World Vision Australia raising more than $100 million for tsunami relief. Tim has also played a prominent role in the Make Poverty History campaign and in April 2008, he chaired the Strengthening Communities, Supporting Families and Social Inclusion Committee of the Australian Government’s 2020 Summit in Canberra.
Prior to joining World Vision Australia, Tim served as Minister at the Collins Street Baptist Church in Melbourne, and as Executive Director of Urban Seed, a Christian not-for-profit outreach service for the urban poor. Between 1999 and 2002, he was also National President of the Baptist Union of Australia.
After ordination as a Baptist Minister in 1984, Tim established a vibrant and socially active ministry at St Kilda Baptist Church between 1986 and 1994. In 1993, he demonstrated his commitment to serving the community by successfully running for the position of Mayor of St Kilda. Tim studied law and education at Monash University, followed by theology at the International Baptist Seminary in Rueschlikon, Switzerland. He also received a Masters Degree in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity.
In 2004, Tim was named Victorian of the Year; in June 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO); and in 2006 was named Victorian Australian of the Year. He has written several books, including Streets of Hope: Finding God in St Kilda; Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher and Wanna Bet? Winners and Losers in Gambling’s Luck Myth (co-written with Royce Millar).
Tim and his wife Merridie have three adult children, Claire, Elliot and Martin.
Brenda Cherednichenko
Brenda is the Executive Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Equity and Indigenous at Edith Cowan University. Before joining ECU, she was Director, Access and Success Project at Victoria University in Melbourne’s western suburbs. After many years as an early childhood, primary and secondary teacher, Brenda has developed her research and practice in teacher education, teacher professional learning and educational reform for the achievement of equity and social justice. Brenda’s work has been significantly shaped by the development of education partnerships between schools and universities for improved young people’s learning access, aspiration, participation and success.
Judith Leeson AM
Judith has played a major role in the evolution of career development services in Australia, serving five terms as elected National President of the Career Development Association of Australia (formerly AACC) and was founding member and inaugural President of the peak body for the career development industry, the Career Industry Council of Australia. She has substantially influenced career development policies and implementation at a national level.
In the Australia Day Honours List of January 2005, Judith was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community, particularly through support for people seeking opportunity for life long learning and career development. She has also been appointed as Fellow and Life Member of CDAA, and recognised for her services by her inclusion in the inaugural and subsequent editions of Who’s Who of Australian Women, 2006 – 2008, and Who’s Who of South Australia 2007 - 08. Judith also holds the position of Adjunct Lecturer in Career Development at Edith Cowan University in Perth WA.
Judith believes in the principle of “think globally, act locally”, has twenty years of international and national experience in assisting people to explore their career options and develop detailed, realistic plans that enables them to achieve their career aspirations. She has recently provided career development services for two Regional Development Boards at the Career Development Centre in Murray Bridge, and in the Adelaide Hills, funded by SA Works in the Region, where Judith is providing, applying her experience and understanding of the value of people managing their life, learning and work effectively.
Megan Lilly
Megan is the Associate Director – Education & Training for the Australian Industry Group. In this role Megan is responsible for the development of all education and training public policy on behalf of the Australian Industry Group.
Megan is also the chair of Manufacturing Skills Australia; member of the National Quality Council, chair of the Training Packages standing committee; a member of the Victorian Skills Commission, the Australian Qualifications Framework Council and the Australian College of Education.
Prior to this Megan was the CEO of Business Services Training Australia, the national industry advisory board for the business services and related industry sectors. Before joining the national ITAB Megan held several senior management positions in various Victorian TAFE institutes and managed the Australian Competency Research Centre. Megan has a Masters in Educational Policy & Administration.
Professor Robert Pryor
Robert Pryor has worked continuously in the career development field since 1974. For 17 years he was employed with the New South Wales Government as a careers counsellor, researcher, trainer, policy analyst and team manager. He was the first psychologist to become a Senior Research Scientist in the Public Service. For the last 15 years he has worked in his own training and test development consultancy, CONGRUENCE. In addition he is a consultant and director of a multidisciplinary medico-legal consultancy, the VOCATIONAL CAPACITY CENTRE. Robert conducts employability assessments for organisations and courts not only in Australia but also in Great Britain and South Africa. He has lectured at the University of Sydney, Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales. He has been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow (University of NSW) and is currently the Adjunct Professor, School of Education, Australian Catholic University. He is the longest ever serving member of the APS Ethics Committee (18 years) and also spent another five years on the Ethical Guidelines Committee. Robert authored over 150 government publications and has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters as well as over 30 other professional articles. He has constructed and developed over 20 psychological tests and served on the editorial boards of several national and international journals. Robert is a Fellow of both the Australian Psychological Society and the Career Development Association of Australia. He has served on the editorial boards of a variety of international and national careers related profession journals including the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, the Australian Psychologist, the Journal of Employment Counselling and the Australian Journal of Career Development.
Sue Seawright
General Manager, Business Development and Consulting Services, Centre for Adult Education (CAE)
Sue’s early HR career progressed through manufacturing with ACI and CIG, followed by five years in Canberra consulting to public service organisations such as CSIRO. Sue later established a career development and HRM consultancy working in Bristol-Myers Squibb, BHP, Cargill, DHS and University of Melbourne. In 2004 Sue commenced working with VECCI in the VET arena, becoming a Regional Manager in 2005. Commencing as General Manager, Corporate Services and Organisational Development at Wodonga TAFE in January 2006, Sue is proud to have been part of Wodonga TAFE achieving success as 2008 Victorian Large Training Provider of the Year. In October 2008 Sue joined the CAE in her present role in which she is responsible for workforce development solutions to employers and growth in commercial revenue at the CAE. Sue holds the qualifications of M. Education; M. App. Sc. (Organisation Dynamics); G. Dip (Career Education and Development), and B. Business (HR/IR). Sue is a Fellow and past Victorian President of CDAA.