Speakers

Graeme Newton

Chief Executive Officer Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

Andrew Mahon

Deputy Director-General (Policy, Planning and Investment) Department of Transport and Main Roads

Eugenie Buckley

Deputy Director-General Dep of Sport, Racing & Olympic Games

Mel Forbes

General Manager Outback Highway Development Council

Chris Mills

Chief Executive Officer Sunshine Coast Airport

Steven Thirkell

Engineering Delivery Director (Design and Delivery of the European Train Control System) Hitachi Rail

Cr Andrew Wines

Civic Cabinet Chair of Public Transport Brisbane City Council

Garry Mueller

Director, Investment NAIF

Peter Milward

General Manager Department of Transport and Main Roads

Kylie Nixon

Associate Active Transport Lead - Australia Arup

Professor Zuduo Zheng

Professor & Deputy TMR TAP Chair University of Queensland

Warren Briggs

Chief Financial Officer Brisbane Airport

Jay Sharma

Project Manager Georgiou

Jo Sheppard

Chief Executive Officer Queensland Farmers Federation

Darren Wagstaff

Project Director ACCIONA

Lauren Hewitt

CEO Queensland Transport and Logistics Council

Clare Robertson

Director Infrastructure Advisory Group

Brayden Soo

Manager, Freight and Supply Chain National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Jonathan Dalton

CEO Hailo

Mike Kain

Lead Technical Consultant – Autodesk Forma ARKANCE

Alex De Campo

Technical Consultant – Bluebeam ARKANCE

Santiago Velasquez

CTO Hailo

Kieran Cook

Principal, Infrastructure Advisory WSP Australia

Peter Scuderi

Principal, APAC - Advisory Leader, Management Consulting Arup

Jess Fraser

APAC - People & Organisations Leader - Management Consulting Arup

Mac Irvine

Chief Financial Officer Jet Zero

Jack Shelley

State Director WT Partnership

Prof Sebastien Glasier

Professor - Intelligent Transport Systems Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety CARRS-Q

Carla Garvie

Commercial Director Alstom

Michael Kilgariff

Chief Executive Officer Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia

Graeme Newton

Chief Executive Officer, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

Graeme Newton has led the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority as its Chief Executive Officer since 2017. Cross River Rail is Queensland’s largest single infrastructure project and will transform the way people travel across the whole of South East Queensland. The Delivery Authority, under Graeme’s leadership, is also delivering multiple supporting projects and activities. Together these projects will increase rail network capacity and reliability, act as a catalyst for future rail improvements, and drive urban renewal at major station locations. Prior to taking the helm of the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Graeme has had extensive senior executive experience leading large and complex, high profile, multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects within both the private and public sector. He was appointed by the Queensland Premier as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority in 2011 and prior to that served as both Director-General for Infrastructure & Planning and State Government Coordinator-General. Graeme has also been awarded an Outstanding Alumni Award by QUT. In his current role at the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Graeme takes great pride in leading high performing teams that continue to set new benchmarks for integrated delivery, safe construction, collaborative partnerships, and technological innovation.

Andrew Mahon

Deputy Director-General (Policy, Planning and Investment), Department of Transport and Main Roads

Andrew has over 24 years’ experience shaping Queensland’s transport system. He leads strategic policy and planning across a $41.7 billion integrated investment program, covering road, rail, public and active transport, and freight. Andrew also oversees safe, efficient access to land and maritime networks statewide.

Eugenie Buckley

Deputy Director-General, Dep of Sport, Racing & Olympic Games

Eugénie Buckley is passionate about the role of major events in transforming cities and improving economic, social and environmental outcomes. She has held CEO roles with Suiko Consulting (major event specialists), Swimming Australia, Brisbane Roar FC, ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 and the Professional Footballers’ Association. Eugénie was a member of the ASC Executive Sponsor Team for the development of Australia’s High Performance Sport Strategy 2032+ and the AOC Powering Australia’s Future 10+10 Working Group. She appreciates the specificities of the Paralympic Games through her planning and integration role with Paralympics Australia and proudly sat as representative on the Brisbane 2032 Carbon Footprint Reference Group. Eugénie has formal legal and financial qualifications (Masters of Law (Sports Law), Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce) and held General Manager of Legal and Business Affairs roles with the International Cricket Council and Football Australia, and was Head of Legal and Commercial, Rugby World Cup 2003. Eugénie is an inaugural member of the World Aquatics Integrity Unit Supervisory Council and the National Sports Tribunal. She was the first female to be appointed to an Asian Football Confederation Committee and the first Australian to be an AFC Match Commissioner. Previously she was an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mel Forbes

General Manager, Outback Highway Development Council

Melanie Forbes is a regional development professional with extensive experience across tourism, community development, stakeholder engagement and strategic marketing in remote and regional Australia. As General Manager of the Outback Highway Development Council, she has played a leading role in the delivery of the Outback Way and the broader economic and social opportunities connected to the project. Her background spans regional tourism publishing and promotion, regional activation, partnership development and community engagement, with a strong focus on creating collaborative outcomes that benefit regional communities, industry and visitors alike. Responsible for the concept and project management of the Outdoor Billboard Gallery in the Northern Territory, an innovative public art initiative showcasing large-scale contemporary artworks along 110kms of the Plenty Highway NT.

Chris Mills

Chief Executive Officer, Sunshine Coast Airport

Chris Mills has over 35 years’ experience in varied industries including aviation, tourism, events, and property development. He has worked in Australia and overseas across the private and public sectors. Chris has been CEO of Sunshine Coast Airport since October 2023. He leads the team to deliver key strategies to grow passenger volumes, including the current airport terminal expansion and other major development projects. As CEO of Queensland Airports Limited for eight years until 2022 he led that business to increase aviation connectivity and deliver key projects including the Gold Coast airport terminal expansion and an airport hotel. Chris is currently a Board Member of Events Management Queensland (which delivers the Gold Coast marathon and other major sporting events), Australian Airports Association, Queensland Tourism Industry Council and Visit Sunshine Coast. His passion for tourism is evident in previous board and executive roles which include Tourism and Events Queensland, Dreamworld theme park, South Bank Corporation, d’Albora marinas, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Steven Thirkell

Engineering Delivery Director (Design and Delivery of the European Train Control System), Hitachi Rail

Steven Thirkell is the Engineering Delivery Manager at Hitachi Rail. He brings over 25 years of global rail experience, from major projects in the UK to transformative signalling and metro programs in New Zealand and Australia. He’s now helping lead Queensland’s shift toward next‑generation digital rail systems as the state prepares for the 2032 Olympics. Steven is passionate about collaboration, innovation, and building a cleaner, more efficient transport future.

Cr Andrew Wines

Civic Cabinet Chair of Public Transport, Brisbane City Council

Councillor Andrew Wines is the Councillor for Enoggera Ward and has proudly served the community as Councillor since 2008. He currently holds the role of Civic Cabinet Chair for Public Transport, playing a key part in shaping Brisbane’s road and transport strategy. Previously, he served as Civic Cabinet Chair for Infrastructure from 2021 to 2025 and Chair of Council from 2019 to 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Business (dual major in Economics and Marketing) from the Queensland University of Technology. Councillor Wines advocates for a better Brisbane through enhanced transport networks, quality public parks and spaces, and continued support for local sports and community clubs. Councillor Wines has championed projects that focus on easing pressure on our roads, including expanding rapid transit, improved intermodal connectivity, and smarter infrastructure planning to meet Brisbane’s growing demand.

Garry Mueller

Director, Investment, NAIF

Garry Mueller joined the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) in January 2025 as Director, Investment. He brings extensive experience from a career spanning from Sydney to London with major financial institutions, specialising in corporate and investment banking. Garry has led advisory and execution investment across sectors including infrastructure, renewables, healthcare, and industrials. His expertise spans project and structured finance, syndication, debt advisory, and relationship management. With a strong track record supporting complex transactions across EMEA, APAC, and North America, Garry brings a global perspective to NAIF’s investment activities.

Peter Milward

General Manager, Department of Transport and Main Roads

Peter Milward is the General Manager for Olympic and Paralympic Coordination at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, appointed in October 2025. In this role, he leads the department’s strategic coordination to support the successful delivery of transport outcomes for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Prior to this, Peter was appointed Acting Deputy Director-General (Translink) in June 2023 through to August 2024, where he oversaw the delivery of customer-focused passenger transport services across Queensland, including policy, planning, ticketing, contract management, and customer service. Over the past 16 years, he has played a key role in shaping transport policy and delivering major initiatives that improve mobility and connectivity across Queensland. With over 35 years of experience across both public and private sectors, Peter has held senior leadership roles in superannuation management, economic and transport policy, infrastructure projects, and service delivery.

Kylie Nixon

Associate Active Transport Lead - Australia, Arup

Kylie Nixon is an associate principal at Arup with a background in civil engineering and transport planning. Kylie is dedicated to creating more inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred transport systems, and was a co-author of the Australian Government’s The Whole Journey: A guide for thinking beyond compliance to create accessible public transport journeys, which has shaped thinking nationwide around inclusivity in transport design. Kylie had a key role for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, laying the foundation for both Games-time operations and long-term legacy transport outcomes, and has contributed to various early planning for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Professor Zuduo Zheng

Professor & Deputy TMR TAP Chair, University of Queensland

Professor Zuduo Zheng is a Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland, an ARC (the Australian Research Council) Future Fellow, former ARC DECRA Fellow, and a member of the ARC College of Experts. He also serves as the Deputy TAP Chair sponsored by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, and is the founder of the Multi-Modal Connected & Automated Transport Lab (M2CAT; http://www.connectedandautonomoustransport.com/ ). Professor Zheng has an outstanding record in emerging mobility research, having secured over $8 million in research funding over the past 12 years, primarily from nationally competitive grants. Professor Zheng’s work is highly cited, and he has been consistently ranked among the Top 2% of Scientists in Logistics and Transportation by Scopus and Stanford University since 2020. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Dwight David Eisenhower Fellowship, Cunard Award, Greenshields Prize, UQ Research Culture Award, etc., and serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals. He is also a strong advocate for reproducible research and open science, having co-founded the REproducible Research In Transportation Engineering (RERITE) Working Group (https://www.rerite.org/) and received UQ’s inaugural Open Research Fellowship.

Warren Briggs

Chief Financial Officer, Brisbane Airport

Since joining BAC in 2016, Warren has held a range of positions including Treasurer, Head of Corporate Finance and Head of Finance and Treasury. Warren was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in May 2023. He is responsible for financial accounting and reporting, treasury, corporate finance, tax, procurement, financial systems and technology. Prior to joining BAC, Warren had an extensive career working with global investment banks in the areas of debt capital markets, leveraged finance and debt advisory. In this capacity Warren advised some of the largest ASX listed companies as well as privately owned infrastructure, utilities and resources assets across a broad range of capital raising, M&A as well as ratings advisory assignments. Warren started out his career as a physiotherapist, running a successful injury rehabilitation company in Brisbane. Warren holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Queensland, a Master of Business (Applied Finance) from the Queensland University of Technology and is a Certified Practicing Accountant.

Jay Sharma

Project Manager, Georgiou

Jay is a highly skilled and accomplished Civil Engineer with over 15 years of experience in the construction of public transport infrastructure. He holds several professional certifications including CPEng, NER, and RPEQ, and has worked on projects ranging in value from $30 million to $2 billion dollars across Australia. Most recently, Jay has been appointed Project Construction Manager on the Coomera Connector Stage 1 North, where he originally looked after Coomera Link and then progressing onto a global role. Jay worked collaboratively with the Client, Third party asset owners and local council and stakeholders to mitigate over 10 months of delay on the Coomera Link project with complex PUP and traffic interface.

Jo Sheppard

Chief Executive Officer, Queensland Farmers Federation

Jo Sheppard is the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s Chief Executive Officer and a strong advocate for Queensland agriculture and regional communities. Originally from a sheep and cattle property near Cunnamulla, Jo has worked across agriculture, small business, local government, education and the not-for-profit sector. A former Mayor of Paroo Shire Council and CEO of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, she brings extensive leadership and advocacy experience to her role. Jo holds qualifications in business, executive leadership and sustainable investing, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is currently a Director with the Clean Energy Regulator.

Darren Wagstaff

Project Director, ACCIONA

With a career spanning over 35 years, Darren Wagstaff has an impeccable track record delivering complex civil infrastructure projects along Australia’s eastern seaboard including Sydney’s Westlink M7 (consisting of the M4/M7 Lighthorse Interchange, the largest in the southern hemisphere), Pacific Motorway upgrades (from Yelgun to Brunswick Heads), Gateway Upgrade Projects, M1/M3/Gateway Merge project, and Coomera Connector Stage 1 North project. A key career highlight has been the delivery of over 120 bridge structures including the 1.6km Gateway Upgrade bridge over the Brisbane River and the 30-span Coomera River bridge on the Gold Coast. Darren’s passion for building collaborative, high-performing teams to successfully deliver technically challenging projects in high-risk construction environments has underpinned his successful career. A proud advocate for diversity, Darren proactively participates in mentoring opportunities, creates career pathway opportunities for new entrants to the industry, and champions strong Indigenous participation on the projects he leads.

Lauren Hewitt

CEO, Queensland Transport and Logistics Council

As CEO of QTLC, Lauren’s passion is bringing modal players and government bodies together to understand and develop solutions to tricky freight issues. At QTLC Lauren’s skills have been put to work creating Queensland’s Future Freight Energy Hub program, looking at hydrogen transportation on Inland Rail and reform required to enable Queensland’s energy transition with windfarm transportation. Lauren has previously applied her skills as head of policy at Queensland’s peak ag body, AgForce where she bought farmers and legislators together for landmark reforms on land tenure and water regulation in Queensland. In 2015, Lauren was awarded Queensland Rural Woman of the Year in recognition of her impact and leadership skills. When not thinking about how to solve problems, Lauren keeps busy raising some active and inquisitive children, beekeeping and tending to the family farm (though not necessarily in that order).

Clare Robertson

Director, Infrastructure Advisory Group

Clare Robertson is a Director at Infrastructure Advisory Group with 20 years’ experience delivering complex transport programs across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. She brings a unique whole-of-system perspective, shaped by previous roles with Metro Trains Melbourne (rail operator), CPB Contractors and Jacobs, giving her deep insight into how government, operators, advisors and contractors can work together to deliver major infrastructure outcomes. Clare is currently supporting the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) on several major projects and strategic initiatives focused on collaboration, procurement and integrated delivery. She facilitates interactive workshops that bring together government and industry partners to accelerate decision-making, strengthen alignment and improve delivery certainty across complex infrastructure programs. She has played a key role in supporting the development and implementation of TMR’s Collaborative Procurement and Delivery Model and TIPDS Phase 1, helping embed more integrated and collaborative ways of working across the transport infrastructure sector.

Brayden Soo

Manager, Freight and Supply Chain, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

As Manager, Freight and Supply Chain at the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), Brayden leads policies and projects, and management of freight data, research and advice, to advance access and productivity outcomes for the heavy vehicle road freight sector, that is also balanced against meeting Australia’s Net Zero and Vision Zero commitments.

Key achievements for the NHVR include delivering Australia’s first national access instrument for heavy agricultural vehicles, which has eliminated over 80 per cent of permit requirements for the agricultural industry; developing Australia’s first Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan (and its most recent refresh); and releasing interactive tools to raise awareness of the long-term safety, productivity and sustainability effects of vehicle choice to undertake the road freight task.

Brayden considers himself a ‘plangineer’ and has about 15 years’ experience in transport, infrastructure and planning for the public and private sectors. He is a member of the Austroads Freight Task Force and is regularly sought to advise freight network and industrial development projects nationally.

Jonathan Dalton

CEO, Hailo

Jonathan Dalton is an entrepreneur and recognised Australian leader in sustainable buildings and infrastructure. He has founded three businesses, including Viridis, which he has led for over 20 years and is now transitioning to a Chair role, and Laros Technologies, which he successfully exited. He delivered Australia’s first Green Star rating in 2004 and played a key role in developing Green Star, NABERS, and Infrastructure Sustainability rating tools, shaping how sustainability is measured and delivered.

Mike Kain

Lead Technical Consultant – Autodesk Forma, ARKANCE

Mike is a highly accomplished technical consultant with over two decades of experience in the technology industry. He holds a Diploma in Systems Administration, CCNA accreditation, and is recognised as an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Additionally, he has successfully completed IBM's Software University and Global Sales Schools programs.  As a distinguished authority in the technology field, Mike has a proven track record of delivering innovative digital solutions for the construction industry. He supports businesses in optimising operations, achieving digitalisation goals, and reducing costs. His expertise covers all stages of the construction pipeline, including design, pre-construction, construction, and asset lifecycle management.  Currently, in his role, Mike serves as a trusted advisor to customers within the construction and related sectors, guiding them through their digital transformation journeys. He facilitates the seamless integration and customisation of the Autodesk Forma platform and its associated tools.

Alex De Campo

Technical Consultant – Bluebeam, ARKANCE

With a background as a draftsman and designer across architectural, construction, and renovation projects, Alex brings a deep understanding of the industry’s challenges. At ARKANCE, he helps teams unlock the full potential of Bluebeam – streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and delivering customised solutions that make a real difference.

Santiago Velasquez

CTO, Hailo

Santiago Velasquez is the first blind electrical engineer in the Southern Hemisphere (2025) and an internationally recognised advocate for accessible transport and inclusive design. A 2024 Churchill Fellow, he investigated public transport accessibility across the world, examining how systems perform for people with a disability under real‑world conditions. Santiago has spoken at TEDx QUT (2018) and TEDx Brisbane (2026) and has been (twice) a Keynote Speaker for the United Nations.

Kieran Cook

Principal, Infrastructure Advisory, WSP Australia

Kieran Cook is a Principal in Infrastructure Advisory at WSP with over 17 years’ experience delivering complex freight, transport and infrastructure initiatives across Australia. He has a strong track record advising government on freight policy, heavy vehicle access and intermodal strategy, including leading major reforms and reviews such as the national Oversize Overmass (OSOM) review and significant freight initiatives for Transport for NSW. He has balanced strategic policy and investment review with practical implementation across nationally significant freight projects. Most recently, he led the Safe and Sustainable Pilot and Escort Framework for Queensland and led alongside the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator delivery of the improved Freight PASS, contributing to improvements in freight productivity, safety and network access. He brings strong insight into the real-world impacts experienced by governments, industry and communities in delivering major freight and transport projects across Australia.

Peter Scuderi

Principal, APAC - Advisory Leader, Management Consulting, Arup

Peter has been working with business leaders in government and industry across Australia, Asia, United Kingdom and the Middle East for almost 4 decades. He advises on improving business outcomes through better performing assets, efficient operating teams and effective critical systems. Peter facilitates organisational and business reviews, strategy development through to implementation of functional and operational improvements. He has delivered and implemented performance strategies, operational design and improvement, diagnostic, roadmaps for improvement, and change management approaches.

Jess Fraser

APAC - People & Organisations Leader - Management Consulting, Arup

Jess leads Arup’s People & Organisations Discipline in APAC. As an experienced Organisational Psychologist, Jess applies her expertise to improve effectiveness within organisations and on major programmes. Jess has supported leaders in Australia, United Kingdom and America. She has proven success developing high performing teams and leaders, preparing ‘People’ for operational activation, and implementing tangible engagement plans to enable change. Jess has worked across a range of industries including Rail, Airports, Construction and Host City preparation.

Mac Irvine

Chief Financial Officer, Jet Zero

Mac is the CFO of Jet Zero Australia. He was previously Investment Director at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the Australian Government-owned green bank, for over 8 years where he led CEFC’s investments in bioenergy and the circular economy. Mac has extensive experience in corporate and project financing, deal structuring, and strategy and execution, both domestically and internationally across a variety of sectors. In addition to CEFC, Mac previously held banking and advisory roles at Barclays and KPMG in the UK.

Jack Shelley

State Director, WT Partnership

Jack is WT’s Queensland State Director and Infrastructure Lead. He has worked across several of Queensland’s highest-profile projects and clients, including the Brisbane 2032 Olympics 100-day Review, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Powerlink, Queensland Hydro, Seqwater, Sequana, and Sunwater. As a chartered member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Jack holds deep expertise in quantity surveying, cost estimation from first principles, commercial management, and cost control.

Prof Sebastien Glasier

Professor - Intelligent Transport Systems, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety CARRS-Q

Sebastien Glaser is Professor in Intelligent Transportation System at CARRS-Q, where he focuses on a safe and sustainable development/ deployment of Automated Driving System in interaction with others road users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians ...). He has obtained his PhD in Automatic and Control in 2004 (defining a driving assistance system in interaction with the driver) and worked, as a researcher in the development of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV). He was involved in several European Union initiatives (EU FP6, such as SAFESPOT on V2I communication) and in French National Research Agency (ANR) initiative (such as PARTAGE on shared control between the driver and the vehicle). Since 2009, he has worked across academic and industrial sectors and held senior researcher positions. He led the French ABV project, gathering 8 academic and industrial partners, to develop a CAV solution at low speed. He has created, with Dominique Gruyer, CIVITEC, which commercialized the research outputs on virtual environment and simulation (and is now a part of the ESI Group). He has been the deputy director and director of LIVIC (a research unit of IFSTTAR, the French institute of science and technology for transport, spatial planning, development and networks) from 2012-2015 and project leader of VEDECOM (public private partnership research institute) between 2015-2017, developing the Autonomous Vehicle prototypes. He was involved in French (ANR) and European (FP7 and H2020) initiatives on AV development, test, and evaluation. He was also leading the technological roadmap task force in France for the AV.

Carla Garvie

Commercial Director, Alstom

Carla is an experienced commercial director and transformation leader with over 25 years of global experience in diverse industries. In her current role as the Commercial Director at Alstom, she is responsible for driving the growth and profitability of the company's rail and mobility solutions in Australia and New Zealand. She applies her skills in data analysis, operational excellence, and business development to deliver competitive tenders, negotiate strategic partnerships, and identify new market opportunities. She also leads and empowers teams through change and fosters a culture of inclusion and innovation. Carla is passionate about creating sustainable and efficient transport and energy systems that benefit customers, communities, and the environment.

Michael Kilgariff

Chief Executive Officer, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia

Michael Kilgariff is Chief Executive Officer of Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia, the national voice of Australia’s heavy construction materials industry. Michael Kilgariff has a strong background in transport and infrastructure associations, stakeholder engagement and collaboration. He brings deep expertise in stakeholder engagement and understanding of economic, social and policy drivers affecting industry. Michael holds an Economics degree from Australian National University, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and completed the Advanced Leadership Programme at University of Cambridge Judge Business School in 2017.

*Speakers to be confirmed