Keynote and International Speakers
Senator the Hon. Ursula Stephens
 |
Dr Ursula Stephens was elected to the Australian Senate for NSW in 2001 and re-elected in 2007. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector in the Rudd Labor government. In this role she is driving an ambitious change agenda related to the Government’s social inclusion framework and third sector reform. Her vision is for a strong Australian democracy where everyone has the chance and choice to be actively engaged in their communities.
In opposition, Dr Stephens held responsibilities as Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition (2006-2007), Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Water (2005-2006) and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development (2004). She has served on several Parliamentary committees included the Senate Select Committee on Medicare (2004) and as chair of the Senate Economics References Committee (2005-2007). She joined the Labor Party in 1975 and has been active at all levels of the Party, serving as President of the NSW Branch 2001-2006 and as a member of the ALP National Executive Committee since 1995. |
John Brogden
 |
John Brogden is the Chief Executive Officer of the Investment & Financial Services Association of Australia (IFSA), which is the national peak body representing the retail and wholesale funds management, superannuation and life insurance industries. IFSA has over 140 members who are responsible for investing over $1 trillion on behalf of more than ten million Australians.
In August 2006 John was appointed CEO of Manchester Unity, which he successfully merged with HCF in December 2008. From 2006 to 2009 John was the Chairman of Abacus Australian Mutuals, the body representing Australia’s 130 credit unions and building societies. From 1996 to 2005, John was the Member for Pittwater in the NSW Parliament. In 2002, on his 33rd birthday, John was elected Leader of the Opposition – the youngest person ever to hold the role. |
Marsha Turner
 |
Marsha Turner is Executive Vice President of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), a 40-year old international trade association for independent architectural lighting design professionals based in Chicago, USA. In addition, Marsha serves as Executive Director of the IALD Education Trust, an educational, charitable foundation that raises and dispenses funds to benefit lighting design education worldwide.
She joined the staff of the IALD and IALD Education Trust in 2002. Marsha is active in the association management profession, holding memberships in The Association Forum of Chicagoland and the American Society of Association Executives since 1986, serving both organizations as a volunteer and speaker upon numerous occasions. She is a past chair of the CAE Commission, and currently sits on the ASAE Board of Directors. |
Robin Lokerman
 |
Robin Lokerman is the President Asia Pacific and Chief Executive Officer Institutional Division, MCI. In 1991 he founded GIC Management, which became Europe’s leading full service association management company. The company merged with MCI in August 2003, and today MCI is the foremost global Association, Communications and Event Management Group, with close to 800 professional staff working in 34 offices in 19 countries throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Robin is one of four members of the MCI Executive Committee and responsible for the Institutional Division, serving associations and governments.
Today Robin is responsible for strategic & business development of MCI’s services to association and government markets. He also leads the development of MCI outside Europe and relocated to Singapore in September 2007. Robin consults to associations on their strategic planning, board assessment and international development strategies and is a frequent speaker at business events around the world. |
