Mark Purcell AM is a Rear Admiral who served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1985 until his retirement in 2016.  He was engaged in a wide range of roles during his time in the Navy and has a Master of Science in Military Electronic Systems Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration.  After he left the Navy, Mark has focused on advising government and other organisations on strategic and defence issues, and renewable energy.  Please see the Announcements page for further information.

Walter is an innovation and technology specialist with international experience that traverses the industries of information and communications technology (ICT), finance, media, software development, biometrics, health, automotive/logistics and government ranging from publicly listed companies to small business including his extensive interest in start-up organisations and the mentoring of business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Walter studied business at the University of Technology, Sydney and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. He has been a senior advisor and campaign director to the Prime Minister, Premier of NSW and Mayor of a major New South Wales local government. Walter is presently the Managing Director of Outcome Group, a Sydney-based corporate advisory firm focusing on government relations and competitive advantage through technology and innovation.

He is an Advisory Board member of two not-for-profit organisations: Echo Economics, which promotes financial and economic literacy through the NSW school system and the Dental Truck, which provides dental services to remote and disadvantaged communities.

Sami Kara is a professor of sustainable manufacturing and life cycle engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney (www.lceresearch.unsw.edu.au). He has a professional background of more than 30 years in industry, research and tertiary education, including several engineering and management positions in manufacturing companies in Australia and around the world.

His research interest is in developing technology solutions with a life cycle view by using circular economy strategies to decarbonize and reduce environmental impact of manufacturing industry while helping them create value. He is regularly invited as a Subject Matter Expert to review Australian and international government proposals for decarbonisation of the manufacturing sector and environmental sustainability. He also works as an advisor for various international organisations, providing strategic directions to them on how to decarbonise as they move towards achieving their net-zero targets.

Professor Kara is an elected fellow of the International Academy of Production Engineering (CIRP), the Royal Society of New South Wales, UNSW Scientia Education Academy, the International Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET), and the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (ACATECH).

John Mavrogenes grew up in Chicago, Illinois and majored in Geology at Beloit College in Wisconsin. He completed a PhD in Geochemistry at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1994 before moving to the Australian National University in Canberra for a three-year post-doctoral fellowship funded by Western Mining Corporation. He is still at ANU as Professor of Economic Geology, researching and teaching ore deposit geology. He has supervised more than 50 honours and 25 PhD students over these years, covering a range of ore deposit types and experimental simulations of ore forming processes.

For the past decade John has focused on the study of Australian rare earth deposits, including hosting the first two national conferences on rare earth deposits at ANU (REECON). In 2023 he received the Joe Harms medal from the Geological Society of Australia for lifetime achievement in economic geology research.

Warren has worked in both government and private organisations in the arts, media and management. After graduating from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), he was a curator at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney. This was followed as the manager of a publishing company, two bookshops and as a data manager in media and events businesses.  He has been interested in renewable energy and the energy transition since 2012, especially hydropower, and more recently rare earth elements, their importance and applications in modern technology.

Warren has co-authored three books and his interests include Roman history and archaeology, the history of photography and Australia during the decade of the 1850s.

After graduating from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Barry worked in the heritage sector and museums for a number of years. Using his writing and marketing skills, he moved into fundraising and then marketing as a copywriter and creative director for agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather and K&D Bond.

In the early 1990s, he co-founded Boomerang Integrated Marketing & Advertising, which grew to a staff of 70 before being sold in 2009. Barry specialises in building client relationships, creative direction and strategy development. He has advised many dozens of clients, including companies and organisations such as Toyota, Fuji Xerox, Australand (now Frasers Property), IBM, The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Smith Family and The Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

Barry is a published author and spends his spare time reading history books, among other things.

Greg is a hydraulic engineer with a proven record of accomplishment in project and design management for large scale public and private sector infrastructure projects.  He has led many teams in the role of design manager for site wide infrastructure, orchestrating the delivery of supply connections to high voltage transmission networks and reticulation to kiosk transformers and substations, ring main units, low voltage, communications, external lighting, and security networks.  Above the ground, Greg is skilled in the co-ordination and management of REVIT and 3D BIM delivery across all MEPF building services sectors.  He also corresponds, negotiations and seeks approvals from supply authority and utility operators for various utility connections.

Over his career, Greg has developed significant experience in project planning, documentation and delivery of in-ground and above ground infrastructure services working across all sectors including mining, commercial buildings, correctional centres, healthcare and residential markets.  During his 40-year career, he has worked for companies such as Connell Wagner/Aurecon, Rio Tinto, Jacobs, Axis Consulting and Henry & Hymas.  Greg currently leads the Advice Design Engineering and Delivery - Procurement and Construction Management teams of architects, quantity surveyors and engineering advisors for MMC's refinery project.