Speaker Biographies

Professor Margaret Gardner

Professor Gardner was appointed as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University in April 2005, having previously held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Queensland. He has engaged extensively with government and industry and served on numerous boards in the arts and education sectors.

Mr Stuart Hamilton AO

Stuart Hamilton is the CEO of Open Universities Australia; Secretary of the Australian Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; and Chair of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Mr David Hanna

David Hanna is CEO of the Victorian Government's Innovation Economy Advisory Board – a broad-based multidisciplinary board supporting the development of Victoria as a knowledge-based, innovation-focused economy. He has over 20 years experience in public policy at both national and state levels, mainly in economic development.

Mr Joel Kotkin

Joel Kotkin, from Los Angeles, is a journalist, academic and consultant on global, economic, political and social trends. His writing appears regularly for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and other US newspapers, and he lectures widely on city planning and development.

Mr Charles Leadbeater

Charles Leadbeater is a corporate thinker, strategist and consultant who has spoken and published widely, recently concentrating primarily on innovation theory. In 2003, he released an important report on public libraries in the UK, called Overdue: how to create a modern public library service.

Mr Matthew Liebmann

Matthew Liebmann is a Director in PricewaterhouseCooper’s Entertainment and Media practice, the principal author of The Australian Entertainment and Media Outlook 2005-2009 and a frequent commentator in the media.

Mr Sam Lipski AM

Sam Lipski was appointed President of the Library Board of Victoria in July 2000. He is Chief Executive of the Pratt Foundation and has been a journalist, foreign correspondent, editor and publisher for a wide range of Australian and Jewish publications. Sam Lipski became a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for his services to the media.

Mr Terry Moran

Terry Moran became Secretary for the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Victoria in July 2000. He was previously Director-General of Education in Queensland and Chief Executive of the Australian National Training Authority.

Ms Linda O'Brien

Linda O'Brien is Vice-Principal (Information) at the University of Melbourne, a role that incorporates Chief Information Officer and University Librarian. She was previously Vice-President (University Services) at the University of Newcastle.

Ms Mary Jane Stannus

Mary Jane Stannus is Head of Content Services for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She was previously Head of the ABC's Archives and Library Services.

Ms Jane Treadwell

Jane Treadwell commenced as Victorian Government Chief Information Officer (CIO) in May 2005. Prior to this appointment, she was the Deputy CEO and Chief Information Officer of Centrelink, one of Australia’s largest service delivery organisations.

Dr Vicki Williamson

Dr Vicki Williamson is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administrative & Academic Support) at the University of Ballarat, though she will move shortly to Canada to be Dean of the University Library at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr Williamson is currently Deputy President of the Library Board of Victoria, and Chair of the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries.