Marketing, Communication & Distribution Manager at Kaizen Recruitment.

Julia's journey began with a Double Degree in Management and Marketing from Monash University, a launchpad for what would become a decade-long career defined by one driving force: connecting exceptional people with their perfect purpose.

As the leader of Kaizen's Marketing, Communications and Distribution recruitment function, Julia has carved out her reputation as a true architect of talent in financial services. She sees beyond résumés and job descriptions, identifying the chemistry between ambitious professionals and forward-thinking organisations. Every placement she makes is not just a hire, it's a strategic move that transforms teams and accelerates careers.

Chief Marketing Officer at CompNow

Stephanie Re is a senior marketing leader with over 25 years’ experience spanning financial services, professional services, technology, and transformation-led organisations. She has built her career at the intersection of brand, growth, and commercial impact, with a strong track record of connecting marketing strategy directly to sales outcomes. As the Chief Marketing Officer for Compnow, Australia’s largest privately owned IT services and systems integration company, Steph leads brand, go-to-market strategy, vendor partnerships, and demand generation across industries.

Customers include Australian ASX200–listed organisations, universities, and over 2,500 schools. Known for her energy, curiosity, and out-of-the-box thinking, Steph brings a practical, people-first approach to leadership and career development. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and passionate about helping marketers think more intentionally about their careers, personal brand, and long-term impact in a rapidly changing industry.

Founder of Denver & Liely

Denver Cramer is the co-founder and creative force behind Melbourne-based glassware brand Denver & Liely, globally recognised for its spirit-specific designs that elevate the drinking experience through precision engineering and human-centred design. With a background in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design, Denver has built his reputation on blending technical rigour with a deep understanding of how people interact with objects. What began as a passion project designing a whisky glass for family and friends has evolved into an internationally acclaimed brand, with products regularly ranked among the world’s best by publications such as Forbes, GQ and Robb Report.

Known for his unconventional yet authentic approach to both design and marketing, Denver has carved out a niche by focusing less on tradition and more on function, experience and storytelling. His work draws on immersive research, global travel, and close collaboration with distillers and enthusiasts, resulting in products that challenge the way wine, beer, and spirits are experienced. Equal parts engineer, creative and entrepreneur, Denver brings a fresh perspective to brand building, showing how obsessive attention to detail and a clear point of view can cut through in even the most established categories.

Founder of Shadow Social

With nearly a decade of experience in social media for brands such as Lululemon, Australian Open, QT Hotels, government & education, Lessi lives and breathes all things social media strategy, influencers, and content creation. Especially the kind that tells a great story and actually makes people feel something. She spent years crafting scroll-stopping, social-first content, designed to entertain and engage.

In 2024, Lessi launched Shadow Social, a wedding content creation business, capturing the magic behind the scenes on her couple’s most special day. When she's not chasing love stories with my gimbal, she collaborates with creative and inspiring brands to produce bold, authentic content that stands out in a sea of sameness. Lessi is also currently working with AE Creative Communications, looking after all things influencer relations and VIP talent management for exclusive opening nights for shows and musicals across Australia. 

Loyalty Specialist of The Point of Loyalty

Adam Posner is one of Australia's leading loyalty and customer engagement specialists, with more than 30 years of experience helping brands build stronger relationships with their customers.

His journey into the world of loyalty began in 1994 when he established and marketed a shopping centre loyalty platform called Scratch & Save, laying the foundation for a career dedicated to understanding what keeps customers coming back.

As the founder of Directivity and The Point of Loyalty, Adam has worked with organisations across retail, hospitality, financial services, education, leisure, and B2B industries to develop customer loyalty strategies that drive long-term growth. Known for his belief that great loyalty goes beyond points and rewards, Adam champions the concept of "Joyalty", creating meaningful moments that customers genuinely value and remember.

Adam is also the creator of the renowned For Love or Money™ loyalty research series, one of Australia and New Zealand's most comprehensive studies into customer loyalty behaviour. His insights continue to shape how brands think about customer experience, engagement, and loyalty in an increasingly competitive market.

Kiera Sjogren is a senior marketing and partnerships leader with more than 14 years of experience driving brand growth, customer engagement, and commercial partnerships across luxury retail, sport, entertainment, and professional services.

Currently a Program Manager at Deloitte, Kiera has previously held senior marketing and partnership roles with Kennedy and Tennis Australia, where she helped deliver high-profile partnerships, premium brand experiences, and integrated marketing initiatives that connected brands with passionate audiences.

Known for combining strategic thinking with commercial acumen, Kiera has built a career creating meaningful partnerships and experiences that strengthen brand presence, drive customer engagement, and deliver long-term business value.

Passionate about collaboration, innovation, and building brands that people genuinely connect with, Kiera brings a unique perspective on modern marketing, partnerships, sponsorships, and premium brand experiences.

CEO of RedPandas Digital

Moby Siddique thinks it should be your biggest source of revenue. The customer database you already own is the most underused asset in the building. Most teams barely scratch the surface of the retention, revenue and loyalty sitting inside it. Siddique proved the point on himself. He built RedPandas from zero to a US acquisition, then bought the business back when he saw a clearer path to growth by doing exactly what he now teaches. Today he helps sales and marketing teams get certainty of data and ROI from their CRM, turning it from a glorified address book into a growth engine. He’s been engaged by brands such as HubSpot and LinkedIn. With 20 years on stage, his style has been described as “engagingly authentic”. Moby speaks at marketing, sales and industry events and educates leaders on how to turn their CRM into their biggest source of revenue.

SEO Team Lead at Spicy Web

Renae first found herself in the digital space as a communications officer after studying visual communication design. With experience in social media management, graphic and brand design, and website maintenance, she’s always had an interest in the creative side of things and this has led her to a career in SEO. While websites might appear techy, Renae sees them as a way to explore creative opportunities to boost brand awareness and performance. Her diverse working experience (from hospitality and retail to qualified pet groomer, turned SEO Specialist) makes her an adaptable spicy member of the team.

Outside of work, you can find Renae playing Netball, camping in the wilderness, soaking up the sun at the beach, reading a book with her two cats or keeping social with friends and family.

Head of Marketing, Leading Marketing for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein for the MEA + markets.

Lisa Farfour is a seasoned Marketing Leader with over 15 years of experience crafting transformative brand strategies across the sports, fashion, and beauty industries. Throughout her career, she’s worked with global brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, VANS, The North Face, and Timberland, as well as multi-brand destinations like Sun & Sand Sports, Harvey Nichols, and Bloomingdale’s.

Lisa has led marketing efforts in over 20 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, and has recently relocated to Melbourne to take the next step in her career. As a strategic advocate for long-term brand growth and consumer loyalty, Lisa specializes in blending creative direction with data-driven insights to fuel both brand equity and business performance. She’s known for leading cross-functional teams, shaping unique brand identities, and crafting compelling consumer experiences that foster lasting brand affinity.

Principal of Maria Camacho Design Thinking Consultant

Dr. Maria Camacho is a globally recognised expert in design thinking and strategic innovation with 30 years of experience across academia, industry, and consulting. With a PhD in Design Thinking and a decade-long partnership with Stanford University's flagship programs, Maria has helped shape innovation practices at global companies and institutions, including Frog, the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, Westpac, European group Sonae, and several large organisations in Latin America.

Maria's career spans founding and directing award-winning academic programs, mentoring teams to embrace human-centred approaches, and delivering impactful workshops and keynote speeches around the world. Known for her evidence-based methods, she empowers leaders and teams to tackle complexity with creativity, empathy, and humanity.

Today, Maria runs her independent practice as a speaker, corporate trainer, and mentor, inspiring organisations to foster cultures of innovation and collaborative problem-solving. Her work blends deep academic insights with practical tools, enabling clients to navigate uncertainty, drive meaningful change, and create solutions that are both impactful and human centred.

Loyalty Manager of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

Jacqui Solly is a self-confessed marketing nerd. She spent over 15 years in different marketing roles to discover that Customer Strategy and Loyalty are the most interesting parts of Marketing. She's worked across the lifecycle, performance digital, customer strategy, and MarTech in start-ups, small businesses, and corporations and most recently took on the new role of Loyalty Manager at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.

Jacqui is passionate about providing and amplifying customer value through value exchange and experience. Especially in our current landscape, our savvy customers expect their loyalty to be acknowledged and rewarded. She is known for galvanizing teams across functions to create customer magic and brand success.established categories.

Executive Producer of ANGRYchair

Dave Collins is the founder and Executive Producer of ANGRYchair, a Melbourne-based video production company. With a background in a range of Roles in TV production, from swinging the fluffy mic to series producing, Dave transitioned to creating authentic, compelling videos for businesses and organisations. Under his leadership, ANGRYchair produces impactful content for clients around the world, focusing on storytelling that resonates authentically with audiences across a huge range of platforms. Known for his collaborative approach and passion for visual storytelling, Dave leads a creative team dedicated to delivering high-quality, refreshingly authentic video content.

Executive Director of Aberrant

With a background spanning technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership development, Desley challenges conventional thinking, advocating for marketing approaches that align with how adults make sense of the world at different stages of development. Her work explores how shifting sense-making capacities influence consumer behavior, engagement strategies, and brand trust in an increasingly complex era.

An engaging speaker and thought leader, Desley offers a unique perspective to marketing by integrating contextualism, wise leadership, and adult development theory, which helps businesses navigate dynamic markets with greater insight and adaptability.

Founder & Marketing Director of Vivo Marketing

Laura is a seasoned marketing strategist and the founder of VIVO Marketing, boasting 16 years of extensive experience in the field. Her expertise spans across working with over 350 brands, ranging from top-tier corporates to SMEs. Laura's unique approach combines high-level marketing strategies with practical execution tactics, enhancing efficiency and optimising budgets. She has a robust background in psychology, which she skilfully integrates into her work to forge deep connections with audiences.

Professionally, Laura's journey includes significant roles in sales, category, and marketing at renowned companies such as Unilever, L'Oréal, and Carlton United Brewery. Since founding VIVO Marketing in 2016, she has guided over 350 SMEs in crafting impactful strategies and executing marketing tactics.

Laura is also an adept mentor and trainer, having facilitated numerous courses including the Lead Generation Maximiser and Business Momentum for Coaches. Her academic credentials include a double degree in Marketing and Psychology, complemented by various courses in business and marketing mastery.

Director and Founder of Agent99

Sharon Zeev Poole is the Founder and Executive Director of the highly regarded boutique PR and communications agency Agent99. Over the past 18 years, Sharon has grown the company from a one-man show to a full-service, award-winning agency located in the thriving creative hub of Surry Hills, Sydney. The agency specialises in integrated PR campaigns for brands in the food, beverage, entertainment, and lifestyle spaces, as well as working with corporate clients and their executives to build their thought leadership.

Sharon has worked all over the world on high-profile brands such as Warner Bros. Pictures and Starbucks Coffee. Agent99 has been recognised for its work by winning several National CPRA Golden Target Awards, including Boutique PR Agency of the Year (2022, 2021 & 2019), Small Budget Campaign of the Year (CPRA Golden Target Awards 2021), Highly Commended Medium PR Agency of the Year – Mumbrella CommsCon Awards 2022, and Boutique PR Agency of the Year – Mumbrella CommsCon Awards 2021, and Consumer PR Campaign of the Year – NSW CPRA Golden Target Awards 2017.

She leads her agency with a laser focus on integrated PR campaign performance, true business impact, and digital measurement for Agent99’s clients, which include: ASICS, California Wines, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Click Frenzy, Icon by Design, Luxo Living, and countless more.

Along with her team, Sharon gives back to the industry and community by providing pro bono support to the likes of Warrior Foundation (where she also sits on the Advisory Board) and Life Changing Experiences Foundation, as well as judging awards such as the CPRA Golden Target Awards for the past 5 years.

Executive Director of Click Frenzy

Grant Arnott is the founder of Click Frenzy, Australia’s original and best known online shopping event, and Power Retail, the dedicated media and insights resource for the e-commerce industry. He also launched the E-Commerce Leaders’ Playbook in 2012, the Power Retail Top 100 in 2013 and the All Star Bash in 2016. He is a highly respected veteran of online retail and business media, and an accomplished entrepreneur.

His pathway into e-commerce and entrepreneurship was somewhat unconventional – a university dropout, Grant spent six years in California teaching water skiing before deciding to get a real job. In 2009, Grant helped launch the first Online Retailer Conference in Australia, and saw the greenfields opportunity for e-commerce at that time. On a conference visit to the US in 2011, he studied up on Cyber Monday, which was the genesis of Click Frenzy, a dedicated event to put Australian online retail on a pedestal. It launched in 2012, crashed due to the incredible demand from two million plus Australians, and continues to be an important stimulus for retail today.

Commercial Partnerships & Events Executive of The Lume Melbourne

Natasya started her career working in various marketing roles in tertiary education before moving into the sports industry for five years where she specialised in major sporting events. During this time she also facilitated workshops for over two thousand young people, created her own startup specialising in career education, completed her postgraduate degree in Journalism, and had her work published in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, SBS, ABC and Channel 31.

Senior Internal Communications Manager at Sportsbet

Caitlin is a strategic and creative communications leader, who has spent the last seventeen years guiding global and national brands on how they can authentically tell their stories and communicate even better than before. She has worked across a wide range of sectors, spanning from Australia’s most diverse broadcaster, SBS, through to Vanguard, one of the world's most respected investment managers.

Founder and CEO of R-Co

Richard Henderson is a thinking creative and the founder of R-Co. He has a long standing reputation as one of Australia’s brand design experts.

During the course of his career, his experience includes significant brand identity projects such as Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Telstra, AustralianSuper, Crown, MCG, Tennis Australia, TerryWhite Chemmart. The projects that form Richard’s credentials are the result of the talented people he has worked with, who are attracted to the challenge of collaborating in a high demand environment to deliver impactful solutions. Now a Brand Advisor to organisations, Richard has a design partnership in China, and recently co founded the brand, design and marketing group, colllective.

Senior Loyalty and Personalisation Manager of Grill’d

Having worked in customer-centric roles for the last 15 years, Jaimi love to champion the customer. she worked across some of Australia’s most well-loved and award winning brands such as Nando’s, Lovisa, Click Frenzy and Grill’d, using data to develop loyalty and personalisation strategies, implement retention and acquisition life cycles and really focus on the fans of the brands to drive and change behaviour.

Co-Founder and Director of BrandScent

In 2015, Suji Sanjeevan and her husband Jeeva Sanjeevan, co-founded Light & Glo Designs Pty Ltd, an Australian fragrance house, which consists of two key operational arms - Light & Glo and BrandScent.

With a mere investment of $237 Light & Glo began as a product-based business. Having bootstrapped all the way through, the success has been built on delivering feelings and emotions through senses and scents.

BrandScent followed shortly and offered a service-based option to what is conventionally thought to be product-based. It focuses on scent marketing and creating a signature scent for brands.

Think of it as an olfactory logo.

BrandScent has forged partnerships with American Express, Mimosa Homes Pty Ltd, Four Pillars Gin, and Arnotts to name a few and was named APPA Australian Boutique Supplier of the Year 2020

Founder of One Earth Marketing

Mia Bowyer is an award-winning entrepreneur who harnessed social media to address environmental and humanitarian crises. She founded One Earth Marketing, was awarded Young Entrepreneur of The Year finalist, and is a social media thought leader.

Mia has worked internationally at the forefront of pressing social and environmental crises we face – among them tackling plastic waste, refugee support, and bushfire support – bringing humanitarian marketing strategies to support some of the places and causes that needed it most.

Mia Bowyer will be presenting at our next event, in our lineup with BrandScent's Suji Sanjeevan, sharing with us the power people and organisations have to foster collective action for our world's most pressing issues with strategic marketing and social media use.

National Marketing Manager of Ritchies

Chris Jonker is a dynamic marketing professional and serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience driving innovative strategies across various industries. With a passion for blending creativity and data-driven insights, Chris has been an integral part of building Ritchies marketing plan as they continue to enjoy significant growth. His expertise spans digital marketing, brand development, and consumer engagement. When he’s not crafting compelling campaigns or mentoring emerging businesses, Chris enjoys travel, snowboarding and the world of Formula One.

Justin Kabbani is Australia's leading AI keynote speaker and trainer. He has trained 5,000+ professionals across 50+ industries and delivered 250+ events, helping organisations make AI the way they work through live demonstration, the 3P Method and the Ambition Gap. He runs his own business on AI and AI agents and shows audiences exactly how to do the same.

Founder of Exemplify

Ed has devoted over a decade to his work to helping businesses provide the best possible customer experience. He knows how just how crucial it is to ensure that the experience a person has of being customer of your brand something that they’ll never forget.

Co-Founder of Time Under Tension

Chat GPT is just the tip of the iceberg. Tim is co-founder of a consultancy focused on how generative Artificial Intelligence can benefit marketing and customer experience teams in agencies and brands. He’ll cover the basics of what you can do with AI, and show you the tools to create effective marketing with it.

Smith Brothers Media
Digital Marketing Strategists

Marketing platforms are changing faster than anyone realises. As veterans of the digital marketing landscape, Ross and Kale have seen brands and agencies lose more and more control over marketing campaigns, as platforms are giving more power to algorithms to make strategic decisions. Learn to master the emerging principles of data handling for machine learning, while synthesising that with foundational brand positioning and communication.

Head of Corporate Communications of GMHBA

Meg has worked in corporate communications with organisations such as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, and for the past six years as National Media Manager for Coles. 

She has a particular knack for crisis management, having led media responses during bushfire, flood emergencies, train derailments, needles in strawberries and numerous product recalls.  She was responsible for managing media and stakeholder relations for Coles during the COVID pandemic, (who could forget the Great Toilet Paper Panic), and for driving positive PR of the Coles’ brand in the eCommerce and data space.

Founder & Strategic Director of Refresh Marketing

Vikki Maver is the Founder and Strategic Director of Refresh Marketing (RM), Australia’s longest running copywriting agency. Based in Melbourne, RM writes marketing copy, develops brand voices and creates content strategies for a diverse client base.

Founder & Managing Director of Chubbiverse

Meet String Nguyen, the CEO of Chubbiverse, an NFT brand, and a 4x Top Voice on LinkedIn. With a decade-long experience in marketing and community growth, String brings her innovative approach to explore the intersection of creativity and community. She's always on the lookout for the latest trends in AI and how it can revolutionise businesses.

Senior Marketing Manager of GoDaddy

Alex O’Keefe is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of Marketing experience. Currently serving as a Marketing Manager at GoDaddy Registry, she oversees and manages strategies and plans for marketing campaigns in global markets. Specializing in domain extensions, Alex focuses on empowering brands to build a strong online presence through innovative approaches with alternate domain names. With expertise in domain name marketing, she has been instrumental in guiding businesses and individuals on leveraging the power of extensions such as .CO, .melbourne, .sydney, .boston, .nyc, and .miami.

General Manager of Marketing of National Basketball League

Ben Jenkins is the General Manager of Marketing at the National Basketball League (NBL).

The NBL is experiencing unrivalled growth over the last few years, with key metrics including broadcast consumption, digital engagement, attendance and fan growth increasing dramatically year on year.

Ben leads a talented team of marketing specialists, driving marketing activity for the League and all NBL owned products and brands, across marketing, digital marketing, data and insights, brand and creative.

Ben joined the NBL after experiencing 11+ years heading up marketing at the Richmond Football Club in the AFL. In this time, Ben oversaw dramatic growth in Club members, average attendance and overall fan-base, steering the marketing team through a very successful period on and off the field for the Tigers. AFL Premierships in 2017, 2019 and 2020 created some lifelong memories and career highlights.

Prior to the Richmond Football Club, Ben had a long career in leading the marketing and communications function for YMCA Victoria, a not-for-profit organisation managing health and wellness centres, sports stadiums, childcare, camps, and juvenile justice programs.

Head of Partnerships at Australian Open

The Grand Slam tennis event draws on the support of the big brands. And it’s up to Shaun and his team to make sure the sponsorships are win-win. With the Australian Open fast approaching, he will share the secrets of creating truly successful marketing partnerships and bringing the sponsors to the world stage when all eyes are on Melbourne’s tennis extravaganza.v

General Manager Marketing, Marketing & Brands Manager of Bakers Delight

Described as easy-going, quick witted and curious, my creative and resourceful approach has enabled me to bring people together and take them on a journey. I love establishing, leading, and mentoring internal marketing teams to drive a high-performance culture, and believe ideas can come from anyone, if you listen. I have extensive experience in the retail, QSR and franchising sectors and a strong ability to quickly identify new market opportunities and understand consumer behaviour. In my presentation I will showcase the recent journey Bakers Delight has gone on to understand our customers better, where the opportunities lie and what challenges we need to tackle head on. Bakers Delight is about to reposition, and I’d like to share the plan with you.

Jodi is the Marketing and Brands Manager at Baker's Delight. With previous experience in senior roles at TGI Fridays Australia, Boost Juice and RACV, she is an agile and values driven marketer who's an expert at tapping into new markets whilst maintaining brand integrity.

Head of Brand and Marketing of Kieser

Tim Dettman is a qualified and practicing Physiotherapist as well as being Head of Marketing at Kieser Australia. Kieser is one of the largest Physiotherapy groups in Australia and has grown from 1 Victorian clinic in 2010 to 23 National clinics in 2022.

Founder of MadeBox

Samantha Finnegan is a commercial development professional focusing on identifying and building growth opportunities using marketing-based solutions. Throughout her 20+ years working for media and major brands, she has sold $100m+ in sponsorship and advertising, using storytelling as the base. During Victoria's second lockdown, Samantha identified a need to help small producers who had just been affected by bushfires and were now facing further challenges to their businesses through loss of tourism due to the pandemic. Madebox, a curated B2B gifting service showcasing small producers, was the result and has sold and distributed over 45,000 products for small producers to date.

Head of E-commerce of CellarSpace

Mariano Favia is one of Australia's leading voices in marketing and growing online beverage businesses. With experience as Head of Marketing at Vinomofo, Head of Growth at The Whiskey Club and now, Head of eCommerce at CellarSpace, not many marketers understand the booming online alcohol space better than he does.

Founder of AP Web Solutions

Abrar Patel is the founder and Head of Strategy at A.P. Web Solutions, a growth agency specialising in SEO. Winning several awards at the APAC Search and SEMRush Australia awards, his team has driven incredible success for brands in a range of industries using the best practices to create incredible value and exposure through organic and paid search engine marketing.

Senior Communications and Brand Advisor of State Emergency Service

Chloe is passionate senior communication, brand, marketing and partnerships specialist. She seeks joy from leading teams to deliver integrated marketing campaigns, well crafted corporate affairs comms, brand strategies, major events and engaging and relevant digital and social content - taking it from ideation to post-analysis.

Enterprise Account Executive of Brandwatch