Speakers
Dr Tessa Bailey is the CEO of The Opus Centre and a registered psychologist. She completed her PhD focusing on psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and psychosocial factors at work, earning the 2019 Ian Davey Award for the most outstanding PhD thesis at the University of South Australia.
In her previous role as a research fellow at the University of South Australia, Dr Bailey helped coordinate the Australian workplace barometer project, which collected data on working conditions, worker health, and productivity outcomes from over 7000 workers across Australia.
Her focus on applied practice led to the creation of The Opus Centre for psychosocial risk, which collaborates with international industry partners to design integrated workforce health and safety systems that ensure safe environments, protect worker health, and promote wellbeing.
As an industry leader, Dr Bailey has supported a wide range of organisations in designing safe systems of work that optimise both health and productivity outcomes.
Theo Venter is an inspirational speaker known for surviving a 22,000-volt electric shock.
In a split-second decision to remove his insulated gloves while working atop a transmission pole, Theo narrowly escaped what should have been a fatal outcome.
Following the accident, he underwent extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, including numerous surgeries and a long journey of relearning everyday tasks.
Today, Theo shares his experience to promote workplace safety, advocating for strict adherence to procedures and the use of personal protective equipment across all work environments.
His story has resonated with professionals in the mining, electrical, and construction sectors throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.
Pierre de Villiers is a global leader in quality, health, safety, environment, and risk management. He has over 18 years of executive-level experience across the energy, infrastructure, and high-risk sectors.
As head of operational risk assurance at Sapura Energy, a leading integrated energy services provider, Pierre leads the development and implementation of strategies that foster a strong culture of care, resilient risk management, and compliance with international standards.
He holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business and is certified in auditing, project management, and ESG (environmental, social, and governance). His work has earned multiple awards for innovation and leadership in operational risk.
Passionate about creating meaningful outcomes for people, businesses, and the environment, Pierre brings a pragmatic, people-focused approach to embedding risk thinking at all levels of an organisation.
Professor Joel Pearson is a neuroscientist, neuro futurist, author, and director of the Future Minds Lab. He also serves as deputy director of human readiness at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) AI Institute and is an ARC future fellow at the University of New South Wales.
Initially studying art and filmmaking at the College of Fine Arts, Joel later turned to the scientific mysteries of human consciousness and the complexities of the brain. He is a prolific public speaker, writer, and world expert in intuition, the psychology of artificial intelligence (AI), mental imagery, and aphantasia.
His debut book, The Intuition Toolkit: The New Science of Knowing What Without Knowing Why, was published in 2024. His pioneering research has significantly advanced our understanding of intuition, imagination, aphantasia, and the psychological impact of AI on humanity.
He now helps companies prepare for the disruptive changes brought by the AI revolution.
Karen Maher is a leading Australian workplace health and safety and culture consultant, as well as a keynote speaker. Her career spans over 20 years, beginning as an employment and safety lawyer in both Australia and the UK. She is the founder of SmartCulture®, an Australian organisation dedicated to eliminating poor workplace behaviours, including sexual harassment.
Karen has worked on hundreds of real-life cases across the legal, investigative, advisory, and process improvement domains.
She works with a diverse range of government and private organisations and is passionate about making workplaces safer and enhancing culture. Her approach focuses on the fundamentals of great leadership and organisational culture to drive lasting change.
Brad Blaze is a world-renowned speed painter and keynote speaker who has performed globally for audiences ranging from corporate leaders to royalty. Known for his dynamic blend of live art and storytelling, Brad uses creativity as a powerful metaphor for business transformation, adaptability, and innovation.
His high-energy sessions inspire audiences to think differently, embrace change, and reimagine what’s possible in their work and leadership. Brad’s work has been featured at major conferences and leadership forums where motivation and creative thinking are central themes.
Dr Tim Driscoll is a clinical psychologist and state manager for mental health at the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland section). He leads the strategic delivery of mental health and wellbeing services across rural and remote Queensland, with a strong focus on community connection, access, and cultural responsiveness.
Raised in regional Western Australia, Tim combines lived experience and clinical expertise to support farming communities. His work spans program design, disaster recovery, workforce development, and mental health literacy, often in places where the paddock and the clinic are separated by hours of red dirt.
Passionate about supporting the agricultural sector, Tim advocates for services that address the unique pressures faced by primary producers, including drought, isolation, succession stress, and economic uncertainty. He works closely with agribusiness, community leaders, and government to ensure services make sense on the ground.
Ruth grew up on a mixed farming operation in central west New South Wales and now resides in South East Queensland. Her passion for agriculture has led her to diverse roles, including agronomy, territory manager with Nufarm, and projects and installations manager with Clipex Stockyards.
She is currently policy director at AgForce Queensland, where she drives positive change across the grains commodity, workforce and safety, telecommunications, and social policy.
This year’s event will be opened by our very own Queensland Mental Health Ambassador and Commonwealth gold medallist, Hayley Lewis. Hayley delivers a personal and powerful message on the importance of mental health and wellbeing.
Since her retirement from competitive swimming, Hayley has been a driving force for mental health advocacy in our community. She is dedicated to sharing her personal story to help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and advocate for mentally healthy workplaces.
Partner and organisation development consultant, iIllume Partners.
Belinda is a Founding Partner and Principal Organisational Development Consultant at illume Partners. She specialises in leadership development and workplace wellbeing, supporting organisations and individuals to craft sustainable, psychologically safe and positively challenging workplace cultures and careers.
Through her consulting, workshops & coaching, Belinda partners with individuals and organisations to define, plan & execute success pathways. With extensive experience coaching C-Suite executives through to future leaders, Belinda supports capability development to lead & engage psychologically safe, high performing teams. Working from a positive psychology framework, she activates strength perspectives in workplaces.
Belinda holds professional registration with the International Society for Organisation Development and Change (ISODC), and the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA). She holds a Master in Science (Organisational Psychology), from the University of London, and a Bachelor of Business from QUT. Belinda is PsychSafety, REACH LX, TMP & Talegent accredited, & holds certification as a Positive Psychology Practitioner.
Dr Morton is an internationally recognised well-being researcher and educator, author of three books, and has more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed science and medical journals. He is a part-time professor at Avondale University and the director of the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre.
Dr Darren Morton is also the founder of The Lift Project, an organisation that delivers educational programs to enhance wellbeing and mental health using evidence-based research. The Lift Project is now used in over 20 countries and is endorsed by peak organisations including the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr Morton specialises in the creation of evidence-based lifestyle interventions which can be applied in any setting, including workplaces, regardless of the industry and location. In 2020, Dr Morton received the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine’s inaugural “Change Maker” award in recognition of his pioneering work in health and resilience.
Bill is a Safety Advocate in the Office of Industrial Relations (OIR). During his presentation, Bill will share his personal journey of losing his son after receiving an electrical shock and the vital role we all play in creating mentally healthy and safe work environments.
Bill’s speech will demonstrate the human impact of support, resilience and the need to have a personal toolkit when times get tough.
Jasmin Smith is a Project Manager at Queensland Farmers’ Federation, where she leads workforce development and training initiatives through SmartAg Queensland.
Jasmin has delivered innovative solutions tailored to Queensland’s Agriculture industry, overseeing programs such as cotton picker operator training, advanced spray training and bespoke business training, alongside regular safety training. These initiatives have enabled over 3000 Queensland farmers to access quality training over the last 18 months.
Deeply committed to the advancement of Queensland’s Agricultural sector, Jasmin continues to advocate for strategic investment in skills, safety, and innovation.
Former media manager at Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Chris, has over 25 years of media experience. Throughout his extensive career, Chris spent nearly 21 years at Channel 9 and contributed to various radio stations, including 4BC, 4BK, and Triple M. At Channel 9, Chris actively served as a reporter, presenter, football commentator and Commonwealth Games reporter.
Chris is highly regarded for his skill as a host and master of ceremonies, overseeing numerous corporate functions for organisations including Surf Lifesaving QLD, Channel 9, Professionals Real Estate Group, Zupps, NRL, QLD Cricket, Brisbane Broncos, AMF Australia, and the Queensland Government.
David is a trusted advisor who helps organisations tackle complex workplace risks that impact safety, wellbeing, and reputation. He partners with senior leaders across government, resources, defence, and education to develop practical, controlled solutions for issues including sexual harassment, mental health, safety threats, and reputational challenges.
With expertise spanning psychosocial risk, behavioural threat safety, and regulatory innovation, David also designs tailored training in human factors, people risk, and psychological safety. Known for his strategic, real-world approach, he helps workplaces move beyond compliance to create safer, more resilient environments where people and performance can thrive.