Thursday Presenters TBA
Here's who we had last year:
Lawrence Hayles
WesTrac
Lawrie is a Plant Mechanic by trade having spent a total of 22 years with the Caterpillar Dealership in WA—WesTrac.
Having grown up on a farm he developed a passion for machinery at a tender age. He started his apprenticeship in January 1985 and is still in the earthmoving industry today—38 years later.
Originally trained as a Plant Mechanic, he then moved into a product support role that progressed to a machine sales position looking after the South West and Great Southern Regions of Western Australia. He is now a product manager for heavy construction and paving products at WesTrac WA.
He will talk on compaction equipment and technology that can assist local government shires in improving efficiencies in road construction and maintenance.
Tony Friday
Director, Brainbox
Tony is a seasoned senior executive who is able to lead effectively and deliver aggressive growth whilst building a positive and community-spirited culture. With experience across a number of sectors and as an extremely competent generalist, he is able to leverage this knowledge to lead and govern effectively whether it be in a government, corporate or non-profit setting.
Tony has previously served as a chairman and director across a portfolio of directorships spanning corporate advisory, international property development, tourism, disability services, volunteering, and arts management. He led the expansion of an Australian firm into Singapore, Malaysia and India; helped drive reform for the Zambian stock exchange, and delivered a multi-million-dollar portfolio of infrastructure and services as a Regional Local Government CEO.
As a registered lobbyist, he has been instrumental in gathering political and bureaucratic support for tackling both federal and state issues including migration, air services and workforce regulation. Tony has also appeared before various Federal and State Senate Inquiries as an expert witness; and has authored several Parliamentary submissions relating to regional economies, northern Australia, and foreign defence and trade policies. He is a Director of Brainbox Advisory, Blue Zoo (Australia), Brainsource Corp, Red Earth (Philippines) and Red Earth LLC (USA).
Away from the corporate world, he is a passionate adventure traveller, visiting more than 120 countries in the past few decades, usually on his motorcycle. These adventures have taken him through several war zones while also enjoying Olympic bobsledding, surfing a volcano, and staying as the guest of an African King.
Louise Barkle
Director, Plan + Do HQ
Louise and her team specialise in holistic business management and strategies, with a focus on empowering leaders and teams to reach their professional and personal goals.
With over 20 years experience in the mining, construction, and finance industries, Louise has worked her way through the ranks from an entry level position in a big corporate office, to project coordination on remote sites, and more recently into the business consulting world. She doesn’t have any fancy letters after her name or a degree, but she does have experience in difficult work situations and has spent years learning about business operations, management and leadership.
Louise knows that a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership no longer serves teams or organisations these days, and she believes that a highly productive team is built on the foundations of understanding each individual’s way of working, compassion and genuine connection.
Mathew Gannaway
Manager Native Vegetation Regulation, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Mat Gannaway has over 15 years experience working within the environmental industry.
Mat earned a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree with Honours from Murdoch University, after which he joined the private consultancy sector and worked as a botanist for several years. During his consulting days, Mat conducted flora and vegetation surveys across Western Australia as well monitoring rehab and preparing documentation to support regulatory approvals across Part IV and Part V of the EP Act and the EPBC Act.
Since joining the Department in 2016, Mat has worked as a Manager in Native Vegetation Regulation. His role as a Delegated Officer of the EP Act is to determine outcomes of clearing permit applications and to review and endorse offset packages. Mat also contributes his expertise to the Department more broadly, including assisting with compliance and enforcement investigations and providing expert advice for matters that relate to Part V of the EP Act. Mat has a strong passion for the environment and is always looking to further expand his knowledge in this area to share with his colleagues and further their development.
