As we move into a period of isolation and separation the exchange of stories and ideas has never been more important. So Saxton, in partnership with Scene Change, are launching a series of virtual Fireside Chats with some of the world's greatest storytellers and thought leaders.
Running every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am (AEST) on ZOOM you will gain unprecedented access to the greatest minds from around the globe. These sessions will allow our Talent to share their personal stories or knowledge around a theme, in a Fireside Chat with Saxton CEO Anne Jamieson or Scene Change CEO Ian Whitworth, before opening up to attendees for questions and to share their own stories.
These sessions are FREE to register for on Eventbrite and attendees will receive a Meeting ID and passcode via email 24 hours before the event.
A full schedule of upcoming sessions with links to register can be found here.
We kicked off the series with award-winning global futurist, Chris Riddell.
In this intimate discussion, Chris shares his personal story and what life is like as a Speaker on the global stage before moving towards the future of events and conferences and how they can adapt to our changing landscape.
Check out the footage from the session below with thanks to Scene Change for our incredible technical set up and Dann Event Hire for our furniture.
On Thursday the vibrant, game-changing founder of Collective Hub, Lisa Messenger joined the conversation.
Lisa shared the tools her teams use to stay productive and motivated while working remotely from all around the world (hint: it's about rituals, routines and aligning purpose.)
Lisa also broke down her strategies for dealing with crisis and how she prioritises ideas and opportunities.
View the session in full below.
Cian McLoughlin is a salesman like no other. With a business career spanning 20 years, including senior management roles in a number of the world’s largest software companies, Cian provides a unique perspective on what motivates (and demotivates) people when making a buying decision or influence attempt.
In this session, Cian unpacks how to start a Sales conversation in our current environment and provides a seven-step framework to do so. His takeaways; lead with empathy, add value and pick up the phone. There were a few questions in this session we didn't get time for which Cian very graciously provided some answers for afterwards. You can find that Q&A here.
Sabina Read is a psychologist who works with organisations, groups, individuals, couples and families on relationships, well-being, stress, mental health, career development, leadership, change, life transitions, job loss, and parenting. She is passionate about normalising the universality of the human experience.
In this session, Sabina chats with Saxton CEO, Anne Jamieson, about living and working in the New Normal. She shares information on how to access mental health services as well as how to manage boundaries and relationships.
Nadine Champion is a rare speaker who makes such a profound impression, your audience will still be talking about her long after the event. Having overcome life-threatening challenges, Nadine’s story of perseverance is truly unforgettable and filled with instantly useable mindset tools.
In this intimate session, Nadine chats with Scene Change CEO, Ian Whitworth, about Resilience and Courage. She shares the mindset tips she uses every day to maintain resilience and mental health.
Dr Norman Swan is Australia’s most respected health journalist, broadcaster and commentator who has emerged as the go-to health correspondent during the COVID19 pandemic and is regarded as one of the most trusted voices in the country on Coronavirus. He hosts the daily ABC podcast Coronacast which aims to help answer questions about coronavirus or COVID19. The podcast breaks down the latest news and research to help the community understand how the world is living through a pandemic.
In this intimate session, Dr Norman Swan answers our questions about COVID-19 including whether we'll see a vaccine or a treatment first, whether or not Australia can eliminate the virus and when we can expect life to return to some semblance of normalcy.
Holly Ransom is a specialist in disruptive strategy, a private company director and advocate for social and economic inclusion, Holly is recognized globally for her super-human ability to synthesize and simplify complex issues, and create engaging, thought-provoking conversation.
Holly has been named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review. She has delivered a Peace Charter to the Dalai Lama, interviewed Barack Obama on stage and was Sir Richard Branson’s nominee for Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List’ of Future Game Changers to watch in 2017. In 2019 she was awarded the US Embassy’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Leadership Excellence and received a Fulbright scholarship to study a Masters of Public Policy at Harvard University.
In this session Holly and Saxton CEO Anne Jamieson discuss leadership and the global response to COVID-19.
Richard Gerver has been described as one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation. He is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker.
Richard began his career in education, most notably as headmaster of the failing Grange Primary School. In just two years, he famously transformed the school into one of the most acclaimed learning environments in the world. He was celebrated by UNESCO and the UK Government for its incredible turnaround.
In this session, Richard discusses the rapid change occurring in the Education sector, the key challenges being faced, how this will impact the way we teach and learn more broadly and how to help children cope with the current pace of change.
Bernard Salt AM is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators by business, the media and the broader community. Bernard heads The Demographics Group which provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business. Prior to that Bernard founded KPMG Demographics.
Bernard also writes a weekly column for The Australian newspaper that deal with social, generational and demographic matters.
In this session Bernard and Anne Jamieson discuss the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on consumer behaviour and what the future looks like for Australia's business landscape.
Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist, founder of Australia’s leading innovation consultancy Inventium, and co-creator of the Australian Financial Review’s Most Innovative Companies list. Amantha has helped companies such as Google, Apple, Disney, LEGO, Virgin Australia, Commonwealth Bank and many others innovate more successfully and reinvent the way they approach their work.
Amantha is also the host of the number one ranking business podcast How I Work, where she interviews some of the world’s leading innovators about their habits, rituals and strategies for structuring their day.
In this session, Amantha and Anne Jamieson discuss the science of productivity and share easily implemented strategies to optimize your work day.
The Hon. Wayne Swan served as the Treasurer of Australia for nearly six years, including three years as Deputy Prime Minister. He was one of the longest-serving finance ministers in the G20 and was recognised as one of its leading contributors, drawing on his unique experience overseeing Australia’s economic outperformance among the developed world. Wayne Swan was awarded Euromoney Finance Minister of the Year in 2011 for his ‘careful stewardship of Australia’s finances and economic performance’ during the global financial crisis. He was only the second Australian to receive this accolade and the first for almost 30 years. In 2015, he attended the UN General Assembly as a member of the Australian delegation.
In this session, Anne and Wayne discuss the government's economic response to COVID-19 as well as the ongoing impact on the Australian economy.
Naomi Simson is one of Australia's most prominent entrepreneurs and business leaders. Following the growth of Red Balloon and the experience economy, Naomi co-founded the Big Red Group (BRG) with business partner David Anderson in 2017. With the shared purpose to 'shift the way people experience life', BRG serves 'activities' to different audiences through its various marketplaces: RedBalloon, Adrenaline, Lime&Tonic, Redii.com.
In this session, Naomi and Anne Jamieson discuss leadership in challenging times and what parts of our current work arrangements will remain post-COVID-19.
Andrew May is recognised as one of the world’s leading strategists on workplace performance and wellbeing. As a high-performance coach, researcher and keynote speaker he is focused on helping people unlock their full potential, sustain performance, and providing people with the skills and mindset to flourish in the new world of work (NWW).
In this session, Andrew and Ian discuss the challenge of staying emotionally and physically well in the midst of a crisis and how to maintain resilience.
Dr Janine Garner is a global thought leader on powerful networking, collaboration and unleashing leadership brilliance. She is passionate about building high performing leaders and teams and bringing brilliant people together to achieve remarkable results.
In this intimate session, an expert on collaboration, connection and leadership Dr Janine Garner shares her expertise into how to keep real connections alive in a virtual world and how to use your networks to improve your life and career.
Dr Charlotte Keating is a passionate advocate for mental health. She’s a psychologist, with a PhD in neuroscience and works predominantly with adolescents and executives.
Charlotte is particularly passionate about helping people manage the unique pressures and psychological impacts of: a workforce functioning remotely; working from home as well as educating young people; the ongoing uncertainty and anxiety about the crisis, the actual and potential financial impact of it on individuals, and the physiological impact of these ongoing stressors on our resilience, mentally and physically.
In this session Charlotte and Anne Jamieson discuss strategies and services to improve on your mental health with a focus on how to help young people adjust to uncertainty.
Dr Kirstin Ferguson is a business leader, company director, award-winning leadership expert and author. Kirstin is an experienced Australian business leader and company director. In addition to being Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Kirstin also sits on a number of publicly listed and private company boards.
Kirstin is also a high-profile advocate for diversity and inclusion and in 2017, attracted considerable attention as an ‘Accidental Activist’ after she created the widely acclaimed #CelebratingWomen campaign and in 2018 published her first book called Women Kind.
In this intimate session join Kirstin shares her insights on modern leadership, she unpacks who we should be looking to as the 'gold-standard' for leaders in this crisis and why emotional intelligence is critical to great leadership.
Jodie Fox is an entrepreneur who may or may not make it. Over 10 years, Jodie Fox built a fashion technology empire that captured the world’s imagination and attention. Shoes of Prey raised AUD$37M, delivered shoes to more than 100 countries a month, and even built a factory in China. She heartbreakingly closed the business in March 2018, after-sales growth didn’t match the pace needed for further investment.
In this session, Jodie chats with Scene Change CEO, Ian Whitworth, about her entrepreneurial journey with Shoes of Prey sharing her insights on corporate culture and the hard-won leadership lessons she learned during the success and closure of Shoes of Prey.
Samantha Gash and Mark Wales are the King and Queen of Resilience.
Samantha is a former lawyer turned ultra-marathon runner and social impact champion who has raised over $1.4 million through running and social impact campaigns including the viral Relief Run for the Red Cross Australian Bushfire Appeal which saw 19,000 participants run in over 60 countries. Sam also creates and leads expeditions (linked to social impact and fundraising), the most recent one being a 3253km, 77 day run from the West to the East of India as an Ambassador for World Vision.
Mark spent 16 years in the Australian military and 6 years with Australian Special Forces. As a Troop Commander in charge of 30 elite soldiers, Mark's role was to lead combat missions deep behind enemy lines. At the end of his career, he had completed 10 tours of duty to Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor, Lebanon and the Solomon Islands. Mark then pursued a high-profile career in business and studied with the Wharton School of Business - before joining the elite consulting firm McKinsey & Company in New York City.
In this session, Mark and Samantha share the rituals and routines that have helped them maintain resilience and mental and physical wellness throughout this pandemic.
A true story of triumph over tragedy, Curtis McGrath is a para-canoeist like no other. On the 23rd of August 2012, young soldier Curtis McGrath’s life changed forever. The decorated Sapper was two months into a tour of Taliban-rife areas of Afghanistan when he stepped on a homemade landmine, otherwise known as an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The then 24-year-old tragically lost both his legs in the blast.
Thirty minutes after losing both his legs in a horrific blast in Afghanistan, in those traumatic moments as he was being stretchered from the bomb site, Curtis was already thinking about pursuing a career as an amputee athlete. He didn’t know what sport he was going to do, but his positive outlook and determination to rebound and get on with achieving his driving ambitions are what has made this man get to where he is today.
In this session, Curtis discusses the strategies he puts into place to maintain momentum when you are working towards a goal.
Ron Gauci has a reputation as the “Go To” executive for organisations who are looking for significant growth, transformation, asset leverage, good governance and/or quality leadership.
He has an extensive track record of rapidly achieving success regardless of how difficult the challenges, through the development of a visionary strategic plan that all stakeholders buy in to. He enjoys taking organisations yet to realise their growth opportunities, setting them on a journey of reaching that potential. Ron has an innate ability to navigate through complex environments & stakeholders generating opportunity & growth despite any adversities, challenges or industry.
In this session Ron discusses his work with the Melbourne Storm and Federation Square and shares in his insights about leadership and culture.
Jacqui Cooper represented Australia in the sport of aerial skiing for over 20 years. She has competed in 139 World Cup Events, nine World Championships and has been selected to five Winter Olympic teams, the first Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Games) to have enjoyed this honour. And with a record five world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 25 World Cup wins and three major World Championship medals, Jacqui Cooper is indisputably the greatest aerial skier of all time.
In this session, Jacqui and Anne discuss goal setting, embracing change, the value and reward of being a mentor, and the mindset tools Jacqui used to overcome adversity and achieve her goals. Jacqui also shares the story of journey to motherhood through IVF.
Dr Catherine Ball is an associate professor, advisor, author, speaker, founder, executive producer, executive director, company director, charity patron, future-thinker, wife, mother, and a bit of a rebel. She enjoys working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education and environmental needs alongside world-leading academics and outliers.
She also likes to create businesses, champion movements, collaborate with peers, and advise game-changers.
In this session, Catherine unpacks her journey to Australia (and into the world of Drones) and share insights on the importance of data literacy as well as three key takeaways for our community.
Gill Hicks is considered to be one of the most thought-provoking, powerful and life-affirming speakers in Australia and the UK. She is globally known as an advocate for sustainable peace and a valuable resource in countering violent extremism.
In this session, Gill shares the story of her artistic beginnings, her journey to London and how her life changed after the London terrorist attacks of 2005. Gill is widely regarded as one of the most life-affirming Speakers in the world for good reason, her takeaway from this session: this too shall pass.
Andrew Baxter successfully led and grew major professional services firms for well over a decade. This included time as the CEO at Ogilvy which saw the agency create iconic campaigns such as AAMI's “Rhonda and Ketut” and Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”, and help turn around businesses such as Officeworks and the Bank of Melbourne.
In this session, Andrew shares his insights on the marketing and communications landscape and why brand trust is more important than ever.
Content Warning: This video discusses domestic violence, harassment and other forms of gender-based violence.
Zoë Condliffe is the CEO & Founder of She’s A Crowd and a researcher in gender and crowdsourcing technology at Monash University. Zoë’s work uses crowdsourcing technology to make cities safer for women and address the gender data gap.
In this session, Zoë shares the story of how she came to found She's A Crowd, and how the stories being shared are making cities safer for women.
Dr Claire Stevens is an Animal Advocate, Practicing Veterinarian, Pet Blogger and Dog Care Author.
A practicing small animal veterinarian for 10 years, Claire shares her lifetime of veterinary experience on social media, educating pet owners on better pet care and animal health.
She is also a regular TV guest and media speaker on animal behaviour, Claire encourages pet-owners to share, discuss and celebrate the odd quirks and misfits that are our furry friends.
In this session, Claire discusses the incredible bond shared between people and their pets, the creative and unique path her career has taken and shares some tips on helping pets deal with separation anxiety as our routines begin to normalise.
Tim Cope is a masterful and deeply passionate storyteller who has broken with the stereotype of conquest-focused adventure and become renowned as a champion of the rare human wisdom found in some of the world’s least-known traditional cultures.
Tim spent three years on horseback among nomads traversing the Eurasian steppe, accompanied by his dog Tigon.
In this session, Tim shares the story of his epic three-year journey on horseback, among nomads traversing the Eurasian steppe, accompanied by his dog Tigon.
He also shares messages of success and happiness through resilience, taking responsible risks, embracing cultural and individual differences, and developing relationships based on understanding and respect.
Stephen Scheeler is an advisor, mentor and speaker who partners with Australia's business leaders to help them master digital strategy, culture & leadership, and build innovative, global, billion-dollar businesses.
Stephen is the former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, where he guided Facebook’s unprecedented rise from quirky Silicon Valley start up to media and technology titan. Working with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and Facebook’s Silicon Valley leaders, his tenure at Facebook saw the Australia and New Zealand business - including Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp and Oculus - grow to become one of the most successful Facebook markets in the world.
In this session Stephen Scheeler joins Ian Whitworth to talk about leadership, disruption and the fascinating work he is undertaking with Dr Charles Teo, as CEO of Omniscient Neurotechnology, on data-mapping the human brain.
Danielle Di-Masi is a multi-award-winning international Keynote Speaker, author and University lecturer that shows her audiences how to make their best impact online in a very noisy and transaction lead business landscape. Danielle has worked with the likes of Google, 3M, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, American Express, Uber, Mastercard, Cisco, Microsoft, Zendesk and Federal Governments. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, LA Times, GQ, Psychology Today, Business Insider and for many years was the resident expert on tech, business and social behaviours for Network Ten with her own segment on national television each week.
In this session, Danielle unpacks how the way we present ourselves online can impact trust and provides insights on the best ways to stand out in the crowded digital space.
Simon Doble is the Founder and CEO of SolarBuddy and an authority on the vital role education plays in breaking poverty cycles. Simon is passionate about ensuring every child has access to quality education in a safe environment by uniting a global community to gift six million solar lights by 2030.
In this session, Simon shares his insights on the issue of Energy Poverty, the importance of education and the power of people to tackle global issues.
Nasir Sobhani, also known as ‘The Streets’ Barber,’ has earned his affectionate title spending his time taking to Melbourne’s streets offering free haircuts and shaves to the homeless and less fortunate. His inspirational story of compassion and generosity has received significant attention globally.
In this session, Nasir shares his journey of addiction, rehabilitation and recovery. the impact finding his purpose has had on his life and the transformative power of using your gifts in service of others.
Philipp Kristian is a trust futurist, innovation strategist, TEDx speaker and author of The Trust Economy. His work was instrumental to two Fortune 500 innovation labs and one of Asia’s fastest-growing technology scale-ups. He works with Fortune 500s, C-Suites and technology disruptors on building a brighter digital future.'
In this session, Philipp unpacks the transformative power that building Trust can have on businesses and society as a whole.
Julia Banks is an experienced Business Leader and Company Director, a former Member of the Parliament of Australia, and a leadership, governance and risk management expert. Julia’s extensive business experience includes positions such as General Counsel, Company Secretary and Company Director for some of the worlds blue-chip companies. Julia is an advocate for gender equality and Special Advisor to Gender Equity Victoria.
In this session, Julia and Anne will discuss Julia’s life and work in both the corporate space and politics, her leadership experience in crisis & risk management and her advocacy for equal representation of women in leadership positions, in politics, business and all industry sectors.
To keep up to date on these events as we add more dates make sure you are subscribed to our newsletters and follow along on our socials.
If you have any questions in regard to these events or simply want to have a chat you can call our team on 1300 799 823 or make an enquiry online.
