Our Newday Advisors
Dr Gill Hicks
M.A.D for Peace
Gill is a powerful and thought provoking communicator, challenging us to think deeply about the relationship we have with the world around us, with each other and importantly hold with ourselves.
Her vital work, particularly in countering violent extremism, became her focus after she was left severely and permanently injured from the actions of a suicide bomber in the co-ordinated terrorist attack on London’s transport network in July, 2005.
Prior to the bombings, Gill was a respected figure within the fields of Architecture, Design and the Arts in London. As Publisher of Blueprint, the contemporary culture magazine, she established herself within the world renown British design scene. She later went on to be Founding Director of The Dangerous Minds Design consultancy and then Head Curator at the Design Council.
‘Designing a sustainable peace’ has become the core focus to Gill’s body of work. Under the acronym for Making a Difference ‘M.A.D.’, Gill has created both an agency, a ‘think’ and ‘do’ tank, M.A.D. Minds and a creative business, Music Art Discussion, where she brings her performance and visual art together to express her wonder and observations of life.
Her vital work, particularly in countering violent extremism, became her focus after she was left severely and permanently injured from the actions of a suicide bomber in the co-ordinated terrorist attack on London’s transport network in July, 2005.
Prior to the bombings, Gill was a respected figure within the fields of Architecture, Design and the Arts in London. As Publisher of Blueprint, the contemporary culture magazine, she established herself within the world renown British design scene. She later went on to be Founding Director of The Dangerous Minds Design consultancy and then Head Curator at the Design Council.
‘Designing a sustainable peace’ has become the core focus to Gill’s body of work. Under the acronym for Making a Difference ‘M.A.D.’, Gill has created both an agency, a ‘think’ and ‘do’ tank, M.A.D. Minds and a creative business, Music Art Discussion, where she brings her performance and visual art together to express her wonder and observations of life.
Mickey Kumatpi O’Brien
Cultural educator and advisor
Mickey Kumatpi Marratyu O’Brien is an Aboriginal person and descendant of the Kaurna (Adelaide Plains) and Narrunga (Yorke Peninsula) peoples. He has been providing cultural advice for many years and is a proud ambassador for the Kaurna people. His warm Welcome to Country is always a highlight at our summits.
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country. He is truly valued as a Newday Leadership advisor.
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country. He is truly valued as a Newday Leadership advisor.
Durkhanai Ayubi
Writer and restauranteur
Durkhanai is an Afghan-born migrant to Australia. She is a restaurateur, running restaurants with an ethos of food as a means for sharing stories, breaking down barriers and reshaping narratives. She is also a writer, with opinion pieces in various publications nationwide and an editor and co-founder of an online magazine, Sultana's Dream, written by Muslim women from across Australia.
Durkhanai is an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity – a global Fellowship which brings together change makers from across the world with a shared vision of advancing fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies. She is currently writing a book on food and migration.
Durkhanai is an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity – a global Fellowship which brings together change makers from across the world with a shared vision of advancing fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies. She is currently writing a book on food and migration.
Kate Berry
Chief People Officer at Discovery Holiday Parks
Kate Berry is known for her Human Resources expertise, leadership capability, strategic planning consulting skills and commercial acumen.
Prior to joining Discovery Parks as their Chief People Officer, Kate worked in Senior HR leadership roles within the AFL, Professional Services (PwC and KPMG), Retail and Hospitality (Peregrine and the Southern Pacific Hotel Group) sectors in various locations throughout Australia.
Key areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, Talent Management and Succession Planning, Mentoring of Women, Driving Change Programs, Managing Remuneration and Benefits Programs, Performance Management, developing High Performance Cultures and Corporate Governance. Over Kate’s working career, she has successfully lead teams of Human Resources professionals.
She holds a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, from Deakin University.
Kate is passionate about working with women in business to assist them to achieve their career aspirations and to succeed. She has successfully coached many women to build their personal brands, accept new opportunities to grow and develop, build their resilience and to focus on their overall wellbeing in order to be at their very best.
Kate is a current Board Member of the Royal Society for The Blind; a member of the South Australian Universities, Centre For Excellence Human Resource Management, Advisory Group and a Board member of the University of South Australia’s Business School Advisory Board.
Prior to joining Discovery Parks as their Chief People Officer, Kate worked in Senior HR leadership roles within the AFL, Professional Services (PwC and KPMG), Retail and Hospitality (Peregrine and the Southern Pacific Hotel Group) sectors in various locations throughout Australia.
Key areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, Talent Management and Succession Planning, Mentoring of Women, Driving Change Programs, Managing Remuneration and Benefits Programs, Performance Management, developing High Performance Cultures and Corporate Governance. Over Kate’s working career, she has successfully lead teams of Human Resources professionals.
She holds a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, from Deakin University.
Kate is passionate about working with women in business to assist them to achieve their career aspirations and to succeed. She has successfully coached many women to build their personal brands, accept new opportunities to grow and develop, build their resilience and to focus on their overall wellbeing in order to be at their very best.
Kate is a current Board Member of the Royal Society for The Blind; a member of the South Australian Universities, Centre For Excellence Human Resource Management, Advisory Group and a Board member of the University of South Australia’s Business School Advisory Board.
David Griggs
Speaking Coach
David Griggs is a successful speaker, speaking coach and business pitch consultant with a difference. He works with leaders, CEOs and other professionals to transform them into persuasive and inspiring speakers.
David’s unique feature is his combined experience in theatre and business. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), David has taught acting and drama as well as directed many fine productions for the Adelaide Theatre Group. He then went on to manage, grow and successfully sell a family-owned business.
David teaches public speaking skills drawing on the techniques of the professional actor, and helps business people access their ‘inner performer’. He has helped many individuals and organisations to achieve confidence, credibility and a competitive edge through more effective public communication. His technique is not just to help produce confident speakers; it is to allow you the freedom to inspire others.
David is the principal and founder of The Speakers Studio. He is Past President of the National Speakers Association of Australia, and has represented Australia on the board of the International Federation for Professional Speakers. In 2007, David was inducted in to The Australian Speakers Hall of Fame.
David’s unique feature is his combined experience in theatre and business. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), David has taught acting and drama as well as directed many fine productions for the Adelaide Theatre Group. He then went on to manage, grow and successfully sell a family-owned business.
David teaches public speaking skills drawing on the techniques of the professional actor, and helps business people access their ‘inner performer’. He has helped many individuals and organisations to achieve confidence, credibility and a competitive edge through more effective public communication. His technique is not just to help produce confident speakers; it is to allow you the freedom to inspire others.
David is the principal and founder of The Speakers Studio. He is Past President of the National Speakers Association of Australia, and has represented Australia on the board of the International Federation for Professional Speakers. In 2007, David was inducted in to The Australian Speakers Hall of Fame.
Magda Nenycz-Thiel
Professor
As Industry Growth Professor at UniSA, together with a research team at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, Magda focuses on applying discoveries to improve the ways that growth investments are made within organisations.
Prior to her current role, Magda was Mars Professor of Marketing, a Chair funded by Mars Incorporated and she also led the Institute’s Mars Marketing Lab, a R&D initiative funded by Mars Incorporated from 2013-2016.
Magda’s core areas of expertise are category and industry growth, e-commerce and neuromarketing. Her work has been published widely including in the Journal of Advertising Research, European Journal of Marketing and Journal of Business Research. She is also the author of two chapters in How Brands Grow Part 2, “Building Physical Availability” and “Online shopping – is it different?”.
Magda is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Advertising Research responsible for the practitioners pieces corner.
Prior to her current role, Magda was Mars Professor of Marketing, a Chair funded by Mars Incorporated and she also led the Institute’s Mars Marketing Lab, a R&D initiative funded by Mars Incorporated from 2013-2016.
Magda’s core areas of expertise are category and industry growth, e-commerce and neuromarketing. Her work has been published widely including in the Journal of Advertising Research, European Journal of Marketing and Journal of Business Research. She is also the author of two chapters in How Brands Grow Part 2, “Building Physical Availability” and “Online shopping – is it different?”.
Magda is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Advertising Research responsible for the practitioners pieces corner.
Mike Worsman
The Happiest
Mike Worsman is a writer, filmmaker and global adventurer who has spent the past decade capturing and sharing stories that could move people to chase a happier, more connected life that would better our world.
From city streets and remote tribal areas, to warzones and refugee camps, from the Ganges to Wall Street to Beijing, the people and the socio-political issues he explores have the power to change our world, and they already are. Mike's work has reached more than 126 million people from every country on Earth, through his organisation The Happiest.
From city streets and remote tribal areas, to warzones and refugee camps, from the Ganges to Wall Street to Beijing, the people and the socio-political issues he explores have the power to change our world, and they already are. Mike's work has reached more than 126 million people from every country on Earth, through his organisation The Happiest.
Dr Fiona Kerr
Humanist, technologist and complex systems thinker
Dr Fiona Kerr is an expert in human synchronisation, building and leading flourishing systems and partnering with technology. The Founder & CEO of the NeuroTech Institute & FOCUSNTI, Fiona consults and researches globally to build bespoke solutions to emerging, complex problems. Her unique approach is based on qualifications in systems engineering, cognitive neuroscience, psychology and anthropology, coupled with forty years of industry experience.
Fiona holds international advisory positions in health and ageing; robotic / bionics; ethical AI and defence, with ministerial advisory roles in Australia and Finland, and honorary academic positions with SAHMRI and Adelaide University. An international keynote speaker and science educator, her media appearances include SBS Insight, ABC Catalyst, Radio National (Ockham’s Razor, All in the Mind, Counterpoint), Irish Times, and TedX.
Fiona holds international advisory positions in health and ageing; robotic / bionics; ethical AI and defence, with ministerial advisory roles in Australia and Finland, and honorary academic positions with SAHMRI and Adelaide University. An international keynote speaker and science educator, her media appearances include SBS Insight, ABC Catalyst, Radio National (Ockham’s Razor, All in the Mind, Counterpoint), Irish Times, and TedX.
