Concurrent Speakers

Dr Nick Allsop

Nick is the Group Executive Lifetime Schemes at Insurance and Care NSW (icare) with responsibility for Lifetime Care, Dust Diseases Care, CTP Care and Workers Care.  He has worked in accident compensation for over 20 years in both Australia and New Zealand in both corporate and consulting organisations across the public and private sector.  Prior to taking on the Lifetime Schemes leadership role, Nick was the Chief Actuary for icare.

Before joining icare, Nick was the General Manager Actuarial & Analytics at Allianz Australia and also held a number of roles at Ernst & Young, the Accident Compensation Corporation, PwC and AON.  He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics and is a Fellow of the Actuarial Institutes in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

David Bacon

David originally trained as an occupational therapist and worked in community private practice for the first 6 years of his career. After a few years of lecturing at Sydney uni while he completed his masters thesis David moved into insurance over 15 years ago. Over his time in insurance he has managed risk, actuarial, research, claims, and healthcare functions.

For the last 5 years, David has been the General Manager of People Risk Claims (underwritten Workers Compensation and CTP) claims at QBE. David and his team approach this work focusing on really helping people bring their life back together after an injury. They do this in collaboration with a range of progressive and healthcare, analytics, and academic partners. David is a member of the CLARA Advisory Panel based in California which is a group of deep experts that are helping CLARA Analytics in transforming claims operations with AI and machine learning. 

Shikha Bajpai

Shikha is a Senior Actuary at icare, providing advice to the Lifetime Care and Support scheme, the Dust Disease scheme and the CTP Care scheme on a range of financial and operational matters.

She was also involved in accident compensation schemes when working at Allianz and PwC. For a number of years she went off to become a non-actuary and worked in infrastructure and project finance.

Paul Beinat

Paul has been building AI based systems since the early 80s. He developed the Colossus knowledge-based system. In 2004 the chairman of Allstate Insurance was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying “that’s worth $200 million a year to Allstate” when referring to their use of Colossus. Paul is a co-founder of EagleEye Analytics, a US company where he acted as chief scientist. In 2015 US insurance companies voted it the best analytics company in the United States. Systems designed, and built, by him are in use by insurance companies around the world. 

Kim Birch

Kim is South Australia’s first CTP Regulator.  Kim commenced in the role on 1 July 2016 with the start of private underwriting of the Compulsory Third Party Insurance Scheme in SA.

Kim’s career spans Federal and State jurisdictions in the public and private sector delivering front-line services, designing and delivering systems for people with injury and disability and regulating CTP insurers. 

Leah Brown

Leah is the Head of Customer (Insurance) at Konekt Workcare - a company with a very proud history in providing workplace rehabilitation, RTW, injury prevention, disability and employment services for more than 28 years.

Leah brings to Konekt a strong business acumen specialising in customer relationships, business development, leadership, operational service management, driving portfolio and business growth and building strong customer partnerships whilst motivating and empowering teams to high performance.

Leah approaches leadership on that of Bennes and Nanus 1985, “Whoever heard of a world manager? A world leader yes”. Her innovative mindset and product development that she brings to Konekt and its customers has seen her business and personally be awarded and recognised through several award programs including; RTWSA (formally Workcover SA) Recovery and RTW Excellence winner twice; Telstra Business awards innovation category twice; Telstra Business Woman in organisation and innovation categories three times and ASORC prize for most outstanding academic in 2007.

She is passionate about customer centricity and experience, using journey mapping to underpin innovation and strategic service delivery and growth pathways.

Dr Petra Bywood

Dr Petra Bywood is a senior researcher at the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research. Petra works closely with a team of researchers to deliver high quality research to meet the needs of our clients. Petra has over 20 years’ experience working as a researcher in a variety of medical research fields, including neuroscience, public health, drugs and alcohol and primary health care. She has experience collaborating with, and writing for, many different audiences, including policy-makers, clinicians and researchers.

Petra holds a PhD and Honours degree in Neuroscience, a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Psychology, and post-graduate qualifications in Public Health and Public Policy. 

Dr Ian Cameron

Ian is a researcher clinician who is Head of the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney Local Health District and the University of Sydney. He is a Rehabilitation Physician with interests in injury related disability. 

Dr Robin Chase
AM MBBS DPH FAFOEM (RACP) FFOM(hon) RCPIreland

Robin is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). He was President of the Faculty from 2010 to 2012 and Chair of the Faculty Policy and Advocacy Committee from 2104 to 2018 and again from 2020. He was former chair of the RACP South Australian Committee. He is the College representative to the Collaborative Partnership and the Lead Fellow for the Partnership’s General Practitioner Support Project. He became a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2017 for significant services to Occupational and Environmental Medicine, professional medical organisations and to medical education.

Alex Collie

Alex is Professor (Research) and Director of the Insurance Work and Health Group in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He conducts applied research in workers' compensation, life insurance, social welfare and injury compensation within Australia and internationally. Alex leads a number of large data analytics research projects that use and extend insurance claims data to develop new insights, support evidence-informed decision making, and to improve individual and public health. He provides technical and policy advice to government and private sector organisations.

Nicola Clark

Nicola is the Acting Executive Branch Manager, Insurance Branch. The Insurance Branch has responsibility for the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme and the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme in the ACT, and provide support to the MAI Commissioner and the LTCS Commissioner. Following acceptance by the Chief Minister of the report from the ACT’s Citizen’s Jury on CTP Reform, Nicola was involved in the development of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2019. 

Amy Clarke

Amy is a data translator and analyst, leading analytical projects at WorkSafe Victoria. A graduate of Latrobe University’s Master of Business Analytics program, she has a diverse background in the small business, sporting and government sector on digital and technology projects. Having recently led a major project on mental health, where unrealised data helped improve characterisation of mental injuries, she has pioneered a fundamental building block to improving the ways WorkSafe can use data to understand the mental wellbeing of workers.

Paul Driessen

With more than 25 years’ actuarial experience in insurance, Paul leads Taylor Fry’s Injury Schemes practice, covering CTP, lifetime care and workers compensation. Joining Taylor Fry in 2009, Paul advises insurers, self-insurers and government scheme regulators. Paul's long term goal is to learn how to play the banjo. 

Michael Duke

Michael joined Comcare in June 2016 and leads a range of functions covering workers compensation policy design and guidance, rehabilitation, provider management, self-insurance, premium setting, data analysis and secretariat support for both the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission and the Seacare Authority.

Michael has a broad range of public sector experience with 20 plus years’ experience in the Australian Public Service with a particular focus on leading data analysis and reporting functions. 

Scott Duncan

Scott is an actuary and Principal at Taylor Fry. He has advised a range of insurers, corporates and regulators, and has held several appointed actuary roles. Scott recently chaired the Actuaries Institute’s Financial Services Royal Commission Steering Committee. Scott has a keen interest in the social purpose of insurance and the importance of applying a combined social and technical lens to actuarial work.   

Ben Edwards

Ben has worked within the injury and disability industry for the better part of 15 years, first as part of pwc’s actuarial team and over the past 8 years as part of Quantium, where he leads Quantium’s personal injury capability. Ben’s team supports Quantium’s clients across a spectrum of domains – from data and analytics strategy, to the design and build of data-driven solutions for bespoke industry problems. He has been a member of the organising committee for both the 2019 and 2021 Injury and Disability Scheme Seminars – and can confirm that any doubts the committee had about himself as a speaker, were more than offset by their trust in his co-presenter.  

Michael Francis

Michael has been the CEO at ReturnToWorkSA since September 2019, prior to which he was Deputy CEO Participants and Planning Experience with the National Disability Insurance Agency.

As a Deputy CEO at the National Disability Insurance Agency Michael led service delivery operations nationally, including eligibility determination and planning as well as the local area coordinator and early childhood early intervention partner networks.

Michael has extensive experience in work injury insurance having previously spent five years with ReturnToWorkSA in the roles of General Manager Insurance and General Manager Scheme Improvement & Regulation, as well as 15 years of combined service delivery and leadership experience working across a range of injury prevention, rehabilitation, insurance and regulatory roles in the Queensland Work injury insurance scheme between 1998 and 2013.

Andrew Fronsko

Andrew is the Principal of the Australian Disability and Injury Insurance Services Group (ADIIS Group), a consulting firm he established in 2014 specializing in motor accident and workers’ compensation scheme design, strategic claims/case management, and injury prevention. He has been active in providing advice to number of regulators and insurers within Australia, Africa and to the OECD, and is currently a consultant with the World Bank Group advising on the design, operation and financing of a significant reform program to improve road safety and post-crash care outcomes in India.

Prior to this, Andrew had more than 25 years experience in senior management and regulatory supervision roles, covering accident prevention, post-injury care, claims/case administration, research translation, and financial risk management across several motor accident and workers’ compensation schemes. He is a regular presenter at seminars and conferences on personal injury insurance scheme design and operational interaction with public safety and health outcomes. Andrew has a Doctorate in the field of Insurance, MBA from Monash University School of Economics, Degree in Applied Science, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a sessional university lecturer in the field of personal injury scheme design and scheme evaluation. 

Shannon Gray

Shannon is a Research Fellow in the Insurance Work and Health Group. She has a background in Biomedical Engineering, and pursued her doctoral studies at the Monash University Accident Research Centre investigating injury-causing hazards at fitness facilities. Shannon has worked with internal researchers and external stakeholders in injury epidemiology and prevention and policy and practice research to enact real-world, positive changes. Her particular interests are return to work, mental health and recovery trajectories including health service use. 

Janene Hillhouse

Janene's role is responsible for the policy and regulatory functions of Queensland's workers' compensation scheme, involving developing and and providing strategic advice on workers' compensation policy and legislation.

Janene also oversees the functions of Queensland’s workers' compensation regulator, including the review and appeal of insurer decisions; the licencing, performance monitoring and compliance of the scheme’s self-insurers; the Medical Assessment Tribunals; workers' compensation prosecutions; and engagement services focused on educating doctors and rehabilitation and return to work coordinators. Janene worked in a private legal practice prior to joining the Office of Industrial Relations (OIR) in 2001.

She has undertaken numerous roles at OIR, including managing legislative, policy and other projects across work health and safety, electrical safety and workers' compensation.

Jade Hurst

Jade is the Lead for Strategic Research Management in the Transport Accident Commission’s Research and Evaluation team.

She has over 20 years of broad business and health sector experience spanning clinical, insurance claims management, project management, strategy development and research management.   

She holds a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours and close to achieving Accreditation in Research Management.

In her capacity as Lead for Strategic Research Management, she is responsible for strategic research planning. This entails identifying research needs, developing the health, disability and compensation research program, and building strong internal and external stakeholder relationships to maximise utilisation of evidence in decision making and ultimately improve client outcomes.   

Amanda Hyatt

Amanda is a Director at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Participant Advocacy Branch. Amanda has been leading the work to design and implement the Participant Service Charter for the NDIA. Amanda joined the NDIA in 2015 initially to develop the Agency’s Complaints Management Framework. During her 6 years at the Agency, Amanda has worked in a variety of roles including operations, complaints, ministerial and government relations and executive support.

Prior to joining the NDIA, Amanda worked at the Department of Human Services – now known as Services Australia. Again, Amanda held a variety of roles working in different portfolios which spanned service delivery as a Service Delivery Manager, leading projects and developing leaders and coaching capability. Amanda has had a range of experience in customer service and assisting people living with a disability during her 21 years in the Public Service. She also has her own lived experience as a parent of a child with a disability.

A/Prof Ross Iles

Associate Professor Ross Iles is the Deputy Director of the Insurance Work and Health Group at Monash University. He has a Physiotherapy degree and PhD from La Trobe University, and a postgraduate diploma in Work Disability Prevention studies from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. Prior to joining the IWH Group at Monash he taught physiotherapy and research skills to university students for over ten years.

Ross’ particular research interests focus on methods of identifying individuals at risk of prolonged work disability and has led projects in Victoria, NSW and Qld related to the development and implementation of methods to enable early and appropriate intervention. He was also part of the team who developed education for physiotherapists managing clients injured at work or on the road in Victoria and South Australia. He is currently leading a project using computer modelling to measure the movement of people within Australia’s many systems of income support for people ill or injured and unable to work.

His approach to research focuses on developing a partnership to understand not only the problems to be solved, but also to identify solutions that fit best with the demands of all stakeholders. 

Prior to joining the TAC at the start of 2020, he worked as an in-house actuary supporting EML’s Victorian and South Australian operations for around 18 months, which followed 8 years in consulting at Taylor Fry.

His two- and four-year-old girls describe his job as “graphs and meetings”, which is pretty accurate.

His greying hair but youthful exuberance make him the perfect person to discuss ageing in the context of an injury scheme. 

Bronwyn Martin

Bronwyn is an experienced leader in personal injury scheme design, policy and legislative reform, with strong commitment to delivering value for the community and improving customer outcomes. 

Currently Acting Director, Health Policy Prevention and Supervision at the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority, Bronwyn has supported delivery of key initiatives arising from SIRAs Healthcare Review.  

Prior to this, Bronwyn has led key workers compensation reform initiatives, including development of SIRAs Standards of practice and reforms arising out of the 2018 dispute resolution amendments.

Prior to joining the public sector in 2015, Bronwyn worked with both insurers and workplace rehabilitation providers, gaining extensive experience in claims management, audit and compliance, legal and governance, and workplace rehabilitation.

Bronwyn completed degrees in Law and Occupational Therapy, and is currently completing an Executive Masters of Public Administration through the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).  

Ramona Meyricke

Ramona is an actuary with over 15 years’ experience working across the areas of life, health, general insurance and disability in research, evaluation and actuarial roles. She has extensive expertise in economic and financial modelling, predictive analytics and risk modelling for disability, mortality and physical and mental health risk management. 

Hugh Miller

Hugh is a principal at Taylor Fry, where he has worked for 15 years. He provides advice in injury schemes as well as government social sector services such as employment, welfare, housing and disability. He has an interest in applying new statistical approaches to actuarial problems. Hugh serves on the Actuaries Institute Public Policy Council Committee, is an editor at Actuaries Digital and co-authored the recent Institute green paper on the intergenerational equity index.

Trudy Minett

Trudy is the Director Services at the Lifetime Support Authority in South Australia. She is a strategic leader with a focus on strategic leadership, execution and engagement. Trudy has significant experience in personal injury insurance across a diverse range of business functions – strategic and operational management; strategic and operational planning and tactical implementation; support, advice and reporting at Board and Finance/Audit Board Committee level, engagement of stakeholders and staff in leading transformation and change management projects; and considerable experience in designing, implementing and managing organisational governance frameworks.

Peter Mulquiney

Peter is a Principal of Taylor Fry. His role centres on analytics, drawing on more than 15 years’ experience in actuarial consulting. He provides advice to business clients, the social sector and injury schemes.

Mark Phillips

Mark Phillips is the Manager of Clinical Services at WorkSafe Victoria. This role includes responsibility for WorkSafe’s Clinical Panel. Mark has qualifications in physiotherapy, ergonomics, systems engineering and applied commence. 

Ari Pianta

Business Development Manager for Konekt Workcare, Physiotherapist

After working in the public and private healthcare setting Ari transitioned to working within occupational injury management 6 years ago. Since, Ari has worked closely with customers throughout Australia to provide best-practice injury management and return to work interventions with a focus on the individual. With ever evolving technologies, Ari has recently found interest in leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and accessible platforms to develop innovative methods manage injuries, via both prevention and recovery pathways. 

Donna Purcell GAICD

Donna Purcell is a Disability Advocate and a specialist in developing and leading change for the greater inclusion of people with disability in Australia.

Donna recently joined the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) as The Participant Advocate and as Branch Manager Participant Advocacy. Donna is also the NDIA Agency Disability Champion, representing the NDIA on the Australian Public Service (APS) Disability Champion Network.

Donna’s previous role was within Customer and Community Advocacy at Commonwealth Bank, where she specialised in accessibility and inclusion for customers and employees with disability and where she led the Enable Disability Employee Network.

In 2020, Donna was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake overseas study, researching successful international disability employment programs and initiatives to introduce into Australia.

Donna is a certified Access Consultant through the Institute of Access Training Australia. She is a member of the University of NSW's Disability Innovation Institute.

Donna is a current Director on the Australian Network on Disability Board and a former Board Director with the Northcott Society, Sydney-based community radio station 2RPH and the NSW Centre for Volunteering.

Donna is passionate about creating accessible and inclusive communities where people are supported to be their best.

Gae Robinson

Gae is an actuary with Finity Consulting who has been working in general insurance, and in the accident compensation space, for over 25 years.

Danny Rouel

Danny is a Director with EY’s Actuarial Service practice and has 15 years of experience across many aspects of actuarial work including pricing, reserving, capital management and risk management. Danny has extensive experience working in CTP insurance, and he is currently providing Scheme Actuary support to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority of NSW (SIRA) for CTP insurance. 

Tarja Saastamoinen
Acting Group Manager, Disability Employment and Carers Group, Department of Social Services

Tarja Saastamoinen started her public service career in the Commonwealth Employment Service. She has managed social policy and programs across a range of Commonwealth departments, including training and employment initiatives for jobseekers, health workforce reforms, and strategies to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, community safety and Closing the Gap.

Tarja is currently the acting Group Manager, Disability Employment and Carers Group, in the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. In this role, where she has responsibility for ensuring the effectiveness of the Government’s disability employment policy and programs and programs to improve the wellbeing of Australia’s carers. This includes the development of a new disability employment support model, the finalisation and implementation of the Disability Employment Strategy, and other employment supports for people with disability, including Job Access, the National Panel of Assessors, and supported employment. 

Neil Singleton

Neil holds the roles of Insurance Commissioner and Nominal Defendant and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer to NIISQ in June 2021. Neil has over 30 years of insurance experience across a broad range of management and executive positions. Neil’s responsibilities include providing strong strategic leadership to ensure viable, affordable and equitable CTP insurance and life-time care schemes in Queensland.

Nicole Stransky

Nicole has been an actuary at the National Disability Insurance Agency for three years, focusing on public reporting, experience investigations and monitoring of Scheme metrics. Prior to this role, she had over a decade’s experience as an actuarial consultant in the health and life insurance industries.

Michael Young

Michael is the Executive Group Manager of the ACT Government Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations office, where he is responsible for the territory’s industrial relations, workers’ compensation and work safety regulatory frameworks.

Michael is a personal injury management professional with over 15 years’ experience in senior workers’ compensation and work safety regulatory roles.