2016 SPEAKER PROFILES
George Megalogenis
George Megalogenis is an author and journalist with three decades’ experience in the media. His books include The Australian Moment, which won the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-fiction and the 2012 Walkley Award for Non-fiction, and formed the basis for the ABC documentary series Making Australia Great. Annabel Crabb said “George Megalogenis is Australia’s best explainer”, David Marr posits “this man is perhaps the sanest journalist in Australia.
He believes in facts and figures. He has a unique grasp of politics in all its messy detail. The result is this splendid account of the great reforms of the last 40 years that have made Australia”.George is also the author of Faultlines, The Longest Decade and Quarterly Essay 40: Trivial Pursuit – Leadership and the End of the Reform Era.
His most recent book Australia’s Second Chance was launched by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. This year George will publish Quarterly Essay 61: Balancing Act: Australia Between Recession and Renewal.
Pip Marlow, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia
As Managing Director, Pip Marlow is responsible for Microsoft’s overall business in Australia. She ensures the company meets the needs of its customers and more than 11,000 partners and independent software vendors that sell or build on the Microsoft platform.
Pip began her 18-year career with Microsoft in 1995, working in the Australian partner team on anti-piracy efforts, and the system builder channel and distribution strategy. She then moved to Microsoft’s head office in Seattle, US, where she held a succession of senior roles, including General Manager for US channel sales.
After eight years in the US, Pip returned to Microsoft Australia. She worked in various positions across the business, including as Director of Small and Medium Business Solutions, and Partners. Before being appointed Managing Director in January 2011, Pip held the joint role of Enterprise and Partner Group Director and Public Sector Director.
Robert de Castella AO MBE
Robert de Castella is recognised as one of Australia’s greatest athletes after dominating the world in the gruelling event of the marathon. He was the first person to win the Commonwealth Games marathon twice and set the course record at the Boston Marathon.
Robert started running aged eleven at Xavier College in Melbourne, where one of his teachers was 1962 Commonwealth Games athlete Pat Clohessy. Pat
continued as his coach throughout his career. Robert won the Canberra Pan Pacific Conference Games in 1977 over 10,000m and the 1978 Australian
Cross-Country title. He finished 10th at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, then won Gold at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in a tight battle with Juma
Ikangaa from Tanzania.
He soon won the Rotterdam marathon and the IAAF World Championships in Holland but finished in fifth place in the 1984 Olympics. In the 1988 Olympics he finished fourth, then at the 1992 Olympics finished in 26th place. Robert became Director of the Australian Institute of Sport from 1990 to 1995, and has since continued his advocacy and support for athletics and marathon running in particular. He was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government
Paul Fletcher is the Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects.
He entered parliament in December 2009 as the Member for Bradfield, was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications in September 2013, and was appointed to his present role in September 2015.
Before entering parliament, Paul was Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Optus for eight years; established a consulting firm serving the communications sector; and in 2009 his book about broadband, Wired Brown Land was published by UNSW Press.
Earlier in his career Paul was Chief of Staff to the Minister for Communications in the Howard Government, Senator Richard Alston.
He has dual first class honours degrees in law and economics from The University of Sydney and an MBA from Columbia University in New York where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
Paul has been politically active since the age of 16 and was active in student politics at Sydney University. He was a champion university debater, twice reaching the finals of the World Universities Debating Championship.
Paul lives in oseville with his wife Manuela, step son Gabriel and son Hugo.
The Hon Julie Collins MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government
Julie Collins was born in Hobart. She was State Secretary of the Tasmanian Labor Party between 2006 and 2007.
Ms Collins was first elected the Member for Franklin in 2007. She successfully held her seat in the 2010 federal election and was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services on 14 September 2010 in the first Gillard Ministry. In 2011, Ms Collins became Minister for Community Services, Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, and Minister for the Status of Women in the second Gillard Ministry. In 2013, she gained additional responsibilities as the Minister for Housing and Homelessness and promoted to the Cabinet in the second Rudd Ministry.
Ms Collins now serves as Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government and Shadow Minister for Employment Services.
Ms Collins’ priorities are ensuring equal access to a quality education, decent health services and fairness in the workplace, issues she cares about due to her own life experiences. She is an active local Member and was humbled to have been made the first Tasmanian Cabinet Minister since 2001.
She lives on the Eastern Shore with her husband Ian and their three children.