Day 1
09.10 OPENING KEYNOTE – Finding strength and clarity when everything feels overwhelming
- Holding focus and purpose when demands are constant and time feels stretched
- Navigating competing priorities with resilience, finding a path forward without always needing to escalate
- Making thoughtful decisions in uncertainty, and trusting your judgment while knowing when to seek more insight
- Bringing calm and balance to multiple stakeholders with different expectations
Exciting speaker to be announced!
10.10 Building a powerful network starts with one story that matters most – yours
- Understanding why WHO you are – your identity, values and unique perspective – must come before anything else, and how this clarity attracts the right people to your network naturally
- Discovering the 3 essential stories every strategic influencer needs – and how to share yours in a way that builds trust and invites others to open up
- Walking away with the tools to build a high-value network through the one thing tactics can never replicate – authentic human connection
- Leaving with clarity on your single most important first step to showing up with greater authenticity and impact in every connection you make
Carolyn Butler-Madden, Chief Purpose Activist, Speaker, Author, Podcast Host, The Cause Effect
10.55 Morning tea
11.25 EA PANEL: Redefining productivity for today’s EA when you’re ‘beyond busy’
- Becoming outcome-oriented rather than task-focused
- Identifying low-value work and reducing or delegating it
- Shifting from reactive task management to proactive workflow design
- Measuring success in impact, not activity
Sue Larsen, EA to Branch Head, National Security & International Coordination, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water
Rachael Nathan, Executive Assistant to the Chief Communications Officer, .au Domain Administration (auDA)
Rebecca Finlay, Executive Assistant to the General Manager, TAL
MTC
12.10 From resilience to opportunity: Finding strength, influence and purpose through change
- Building resilience through adversity, uncertainty and change, and developing the confidence to keep moving forward when life doesn’t go to plan.
- Staying anchored in purpose and priorities, using focus and self-awareness to navigate challenges and make meaningful progress.
- Building confidence in decision-making by trusting your judgement, backing yourself and taking intentional action despite uncertainty.
- Turning challenge into opportunity by making your value visible, cultivating authentic relationships, and taking ownership of your career direction
Linda Bailey, Senior EA, Environment Protection Agency Victoria
12.40 Lunch
13.40 Thinking like a decision-maker: Strengthening your business lens
- Understanding what drives executive decisions
- Connecting daily work to organisational outcomes
- Identifying risks before they surface
- Contributing insights, not just information
Laurel Smith, Manager, Office of the CEO, Executive Team, State Library of Victoria
14.20 Keeping your footing when the ground is constantly shifting
- Using your natural strengths to filter high-impact priorities and silence the noise of constant ‘urgency;
- Understanding your specific stress patterns to respond with calm precision and clarity rather than reacting to environmental pressure
- Building a ‘personal operating system’ backed by AI-driven insights that support your health, nutrition, and mental stamina
- Turn biological awareness into a competitive advantage by harnessing your ‘flow state’ to increase output and collective team resilience
Darren Conlon, EA to CFO and EGM Operations and Experience, Lifestyle Communities
14.50 Afternoon tea
15.20 Digital confidence with smarter tools for simpler days
- Using technology intentionally to streamline scheduling, inbox management, and daily priorities
- Cutting through tool overload and identifying the platforms that genuinely save you time
- Staying current with digital trends without getting distracted by every new app or feature
- Get more from Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and more) to work faster and with less friction
Mario Halouvas, CEO and Founder, MHPP
16.15 SENIOR EXECUTIVE PANEL: From support to copilot: Evolving the EA–executive partnership
- Anticipating needs without overstepping
- Creating alignment on priorities and working styles
- Challenging constructively when needed
- Becoming a trusted sounding board, not just a doer
Andrew Douglas, Managing Principal, Workplace Lawyer, FCW Lawyers
MTC
Day 2
09.10 EA PANEL: Understanding how your organisation works to build business acumen
- Interpreting financial, operational, and strategic signals
- Speaking the language of different departments
- Adding value in cross-functional environments
- Strengthening your commercial awareness
Jayne Romeril, Executive Assistant, The Lottery Corporation
Tessa Curtain, EA to the Chief Executive Officer, Treasury Wine Estates
Chloe Welsh, EA to General Manager, Business, Economy and Activation, City of Melbourne
MTC
09.55 From doing the job to defining the role: Owning your career narrative and advancing with intent
- Defining what ‘next’ looks like for you and the steps to get there
- Building visibility in the right way for the right reason
- Positioning your value beyond your job title by positive action
- Taking deliberate steps toward leadership or specialist paths
Katrena Friel, International Speaker, Award Winning Author, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach, Business Mentor, Refresh Your Thinking
10.40 Morning tea
11.10 Partnering with AI to create efficient workflows for advantage
- Use AI as a practical partner to streamline tasks, anticipate needs, and deliver higher-quality support
- Balance efficiency with relationship-building to enhance your impact and strengthen your advantage to the organisation
- Connect calendars, inboxes, task managers, and documents into seamless, low-friction workflows
- Make small, strategic time investments now that deliver significant long-term efficiency gains
Mario Halouvas, CEO and Founder, MHPP
12.10 The strategic EA advantage: Navigating tension, competing priorities and boundaries with confidence
- Reading the environment, identifying early warning signs, and acting before issues escalate
- Managing relationships when priorities, expectations and agendas compete
- Setting and maintaining boundaries while preserving trust and relationships
- Exercising sound judgement, discretion, credibility, and neutrality in sensitive situations to build trust and influence outcomes
Leigh-Anne McGill, Principal Executive Assistant and Business Manager, Office of the Secretary, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
12.50 Lunch
13.50 EA PANEL: Influencing buy-in without formal authority
- Framing ideas so they land with impact
- Building quiet credibility over time
- Influencing across different levels of seniority
- Knowing when to push and when to pause
Natalie Moore, EA to Regional Head of Australia, Global Client Solutions – Australia, IFM Investors
Katie Higginson, EA to Executive Director, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Deborah Rice, Senior EA, Department of Transport and Planning
Tara Louise Bedwell, EA to the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Risk Officer, Tabcorp
14.35 Managing pressure without losing perspective
- Staying composed when stakes are high
- Breaking down complexity into manageable action
- Supporting executives through uncertainty
- Maintaining perspective in demanding environments
Jacqueline Delarue, CEO and Founder, Jacqueline Delarue Coaching and Consulting