The name, “Murrundindi,” means Home in the Mountain and was given to Murrundindi in a naming ceremony by his mother Gumbri. Murrundindi is the Ngurungaeta (Head Man) and Elder of the Wurundjeri tribe and he is also a direct descendant of Bebejern, Ngurungaeta (King) of the Wurundjeri- who signed the 1835 treaty of Melbourne with John Batman.

Murrundindi is much more than a peace keeper and a spiritual custodian of the land around the Melbourne region. He has spent the last 40 years sharing his culture and his message of love and acceptance through education in schools, many communities, and at Healesville Sanctuary. He is keenly motivated to share his knowledge of plants, animals, food and cultural practices of the Wurundjeri with all people.

Murrundindi’s culture now has his own range of clothing and accessories. The Murrundindi brand was created to not only acknowledge the offerings of Murrundindi back to his communities and to share Murrundindi’s culture but to purposeful shine a light on his values which include Respect, Unity, and Inclusivity.

Murrundindi is committed to preserving and sharing the legacy of Victoria’s First Nations. His mission is to be a bridge between the timeless traditions of Indigenous cultures and the modern world, fostering respect, understanding, and recognition for their invaluable contributions to the global tapestry of human heritage.

Jacinta Allan has two big jobs:

Premier of Victoria and mum of two.

Growing up in Bendigo, Jacinta first ran for Parliament in 1999 to stand up for workers like her dad – who lost his job when the State Electricity Commission was sold off.

She is the longest-serving female Minister in Victorian history and became Premier in 2023.

The Allan Labor Government is delivering real help, right now – like free TAFE, free kinder and free public transport for kids.

It’s protecting and expanding our frontline services – with record funding for hospitals, nurses and new schools.

It’s building more homes to open doors for young people and building more transport projects to get Victorians home sooner.

She lives in Bendigo with her husband Yorick, her two children and two kelpies.

Gayla Brock-Woodland joined the Canadian Chamber as Chief Operating Officer in 2020 bringing more than 30 years of experience in both the private and public sectors.  Core to her role has been driving implementation of the Chamber’s strategic plan, Chamber 2025, which has resulted in the launch of whole new divisions and offerings, doubling the Chamber’s size.

Gayla has served as a trusted strategic counsellor for C-suite executives and has a broad business network. She has worked with Canadian and global leaders on national and mission critical mandates in energy, telecommunications, retail, health care, pharma, lifestyle and packaged goods, food, financial and professional services, insurance, technology and more.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Gayla served as President of MSLGROUP in Canada, a division of global leader Publicis Groupe, building a full-service team that won strategy PR Agency of the Year.

Rhett Buttle is an entrepreneur, advocate, and one of the most trusted leaders at the intersection of business and policy in Washington, DC. He has worked for President Biden, Vice President Harris, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in government and campaign roles.

Rhett is the founder of Public Private Strategies (PPS) and President of the Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI), which works to bring together the public and private sectors to build coalitions, activate campaigns, and create strategic partnerships to drive policy and market outcomes. In these roles, he advises leading policy makers, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations. In addition to PPS and PPSI, he has helped found the Small Business Roundtable, Small Business for America’s Future, and the Next Gen Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a regular contributor to Forbes, where he writes on the intersection of business, policy, and politics. Rhett has also been featured in The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and several other business publications.

Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

His five-year term commenced on 1 June 2021.

Working with OECD members, his priorities as Secretary-General are:

• Optimising the strength and the quality of the post COVID recovery while responding to the economic and social impacts of the war in Ukraine.
• Leadership on climate action to help secure global net-zero by 2050 in a way that is effective and fair.
• Seizing the opportunities of the digital transformation while better managing some of the associated risks, challenges and disruptions.
• Helping to ensure well-functioning global markets and a global level playing field with a rules-based trading system in good working order.
• Global engagement: advancing OECD standards, through membership and partnerships and a sound approach to development.

Prior to his appointment to the OECD, Mathias served as the Australian Minister for Finance, the Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate and as Federal Senator representing the State of Western Australia.

In these roles, he has been a strong advocate for the positive power of open markets, free trade and the importance of a rules-based international trading system.

Mathias was born and raised in the German-speaking part of Belgium.

He migrated to Australia in 1996, attracted by the great lifestyle and opportunities on offer in Western Australia.

Before migrating to Perth, Mathias had graduated in law at the Flemish Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven), following studies at the University of Namur and, as part of the European Erasmus Student Exchange Program, at the University of East Anglia.

Between 1997 and 2003, he worked as Chief of Staff as well as Senior Adviser to various State and Federal Ministers in Australia and for the Premier of Western Australia

Between 2003 and 2007, Mathias worked for major Western Australian health insurer HBF in a range of senior management roles.

John W.H. Denton AO is the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). He is a global business leader and international advisor on policy and a legal expert on international trade and investment.

In 2022, John was appointed by the United Nations (UN) Secretary General to represent the global private sector on the Steering Committee of the UN Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance.

John serves on World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General’s Business Advisory Group and the World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation Strategic Advisory Group. He is also a member of the IEA Global Commission on People-Centered Clean Energy Transitions and the OECD Blue Dot Network Executive Consultation Group.

In 2024, he was appointed Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of Business Interlocutors of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).

John is a board member of the UN Global Compact, the UN Business and Human Security Initiative, and the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals Impact Investing Steering Group. He is also a member of the Global Leadership Council of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU).

John is a founding member of the Business 20 (B20), of which he co-chairs the Finance and Infrastructure Task Force; Co-founder of the Australia–China CEO Roundtable; and Patron of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Australia.

He is Chair of the ICC Merchants of Peace Foundation and the Moeller Institute Advisory Board at the University of Cambridge. He is a board member of IFM Global Investors, Veracity, the African Green Infrastructure Investment Bank (AfGIIB), and the World Trade Board by Finastra.

A former diplomat, John co-led the Australian Government’s 2012 White Paper on “Australia in the Asian Century” and previously chaired the APEC Finance and Economics Working Group. Prior to his appointment as ICC Secretary General, John served on the ICC Executive Board from 2015-2018. He was also Partner and CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia’s leading independent law firm, for two decades.

In 2015, John was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the business community, the arts and the rights of refugees, including as a founder of Human Rights Watch (Australia) and Teach for Australia.

Layla Derraz is the Director for Strategic Events at Dubai Chambers, where she leads the organisation of the Chamber’s flagship international business forum, a key platform for promoting Dubai as a global destination for trade, investment, and innovation. With over 25 years of experience in chambers of commerce, Layla specialises in strategic event design, association engagement, and business development.

She also serves as Director for the Dubai Association Centre, where she plays a central role in building a dynamic ecosystem for international and regional associations in Dubai. Her work focuses on curating impactful programs that support their growth and contribution to Dubai’s economic landscape.

Layla is a passionate advocate for the role of associations in driving innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development. Her events and initiatives have connected global stakeholders, fostered knowledge-sharing, and helped position Dubai as a leading hub for business.

Layla holds a bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from the University of Westminster in the UK and a Masters in Marketing.

Paul is an internationally experienced leader and businessman having held CEO/ Managing Director and Chairman level roles across Asia Pacific, spanning several key industries.

Paul is the Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria’s largest business advocacy organisation, and was previously the Chief Executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), incorporating the Royal Melbourne Show and venue management of the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Prior to his work with RASV, Paul was Managing Director Asia Pacific for Optum International, a subsidiary of the UnitedHealth Group, one of the world’s leading providers of health services.

Paul was the Victorian State Director for Vodafone, and prior to this appointment, he held an extensive 17-year career with Motorola, finishing as the Director and Vice President for Motorola Asia Pacific.

Paul is a former Non-Executive Director of Red Dust Role Models, a non-for-profit organisation that aspires to improve the lives of our Indigenous youth.

Paul is a past Chairman of the Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd. His current board roles include Director at Racing Victoria, and the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation. Paul is an Australia Day Ambassador and a proud Victorian.

As Global CEO of one of the world’s fastest growing non-profits, Sally’s mission is to inspire and support the World Commerce & Contracting (WorldCC) team and global community to collectively drive recognition and excellence in Commercial and Contract Management.

She is an experienced and accomplished commercial and contracts management professional, holding senior commercial positions at a range of corporate and multi-national organizations. Her focus is on the creation of positive and successful business relationships, constantly striving to ensure that businesses realize their true potential and value.

In 2019 Sally was invited to become Chair of the Board for the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) and in 2021 she was appointed Professor in Practice in Strategy and Innovation at the University of Durham Business School.

Mr Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu is the Chair of ICC World Chambers Federations (WCF) and the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the country’s largest business organisation, representing 366 chambers and commodity exchanges and over 2 million members. He also serves as  Chair of ICC Türkiye.

With an extensive background in international business and chamber leadership, he currently holds key positions in several global organisations, including Vice-President of EUROCHAMBRES, Vice-President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce, Vice-President of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Chair of B20 Türkiye, and member of the ICC Executive Board.

In addition to his institutional leadership, he is a prominent business figure in Türkiye and the surrounding region, serving as Chairman of Eskihisar Group, which operates in construction, real estate, the food industry and the automotive sector.

As Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Sintesa Group (www.sintesagroup.com), Shinta is responsible for the Management and Expansion of the Group’s business interests in Indonesia. The Sintesa Group is an Indonesian group with 16 subsidiaries, which operate in the Property, Energy, Industrial Products, and Consumer Products.

As a businesswoman, Shinta also involves in numerous business and social activities, including as the Vice Chairwoman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia) and Employers’ Association of Indonesia (APINDO), as well as President of Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD), Founder of Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN), Chairwoman of Indonesia Business Coalition on Women Empowerment, and as International Board Member of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). She is also the member of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Indonesia.

Shinta graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University New York in 1989 and Executive Education at Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 2002. As part of her achievement, she received awards amongst others from FORBES Asia’s 50 Powerful Businesswomen (2012, 2013, & 2016) and the Asia’s Leading Businesswoman of the Year Award from Women in Leadership Forum (2013), Women Entrepreneur of the Year from Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (2014), Women of Power from Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Abu Dhabi (2012), 30 Best CEOs by Business Indonesia Award in 2015. And in 2017, she was decorated as the Commander of the Polar Star by the King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and the Commander of the Order of Leopold of Belgium.

Bronwyn is a versatile and multi-disciplinary C-suite executive with over 18 years’ experience in the life sciences and technology sectors focused on commercialisation, corporate development, investment and advocacy. As a senior member of one of Australia’s leading venture capital firms Bronwyn managed major medical technology equity transactions comprising ~$A65m in pre-IPO and IPO capital and associated capital raisings on AIM and ASX and has been a part of the Investment team on a further $31.5m of venture capital investment. She was also a member of the team responsible for negotiating a first-in-class global supply and development agreement with a multinational pharmaceutical company for a digital technology to be supplied alongside a blockbuster respiratory medication. In 2017 Bronwyn founded ANDHealth, a novel, mid stage accelerator program specifically for digital and connected health companies. ANDHealth is now an internationally competitive accelerator and Australia’s leading health technology accelerator, incubator and commercialisation services company, which employs 20 highly specialised staff. Companies which have engaged in ANDHealth’s flagship programs have raised in excess of $212M in capital, created >590 jobs and impacted over 2 million patients since 2018.

Bronwyn was appointed by the Minister of Health and Aged Care as a member of the Council of the National Health & Medical Research Council for the 2021-2024 triennium and was reappointed for the 2024-2027 triennium as the Member with expertise in Business. She is an experienced ASX director and is currently a non-executive Director of Lumos Diagnostics (ASX.LDX).

Gary Litman, senior vice president of Global Initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is responsible for the Chamber’s policy advocacy for the economic reform agenda of the G20, G7, and international institutions. He leads the Chamber’s participation in a range of global business coalitions and related business summits focused on sustainable economic policies. Further, he oversees the policy development of the Chamber’s Global Resource Sustainability Task Force, the International Policy Coalition for Sustainable Growth, the Global Business for Health Partnership, and dialogues with the IMF, the World Bank Group, OECD, and U.N. agencies, among other institutions.

Previously, Litman served as the Chamber’s vice president for Europe and Eurasia. He managed the programs and staff working on transatlantic relations in Washington, D.C., and Brussels, as well as project-specific consultants working in the EU, Central Asia, and Russia. He has established the Chamber as one of the most influential business institutions on European affairs.

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah is the President & CEO of Dubai Chambers, one of the largest economic development arms in Dubai. In his current role, he oversees the implementation of Dubai Chambers’ strategic initiatives and plans, which aim to improve ease of doing business in Dubai, support businesses expanding globally, attract foreign companies and investment and advance the digital economy. 

Previously, Lootah served as CEO of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection for Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, where he was responsible for overseeing consumer protection, business protection, intellectual property protection and commercial compliance. 

He also held several other leadership positions at the Department of Economic Development, namely Deputy CEO of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection Sector, Deputy CEO of the Dubai Export Development Corporation, Executive Director of Corporate Quality and Excellence and Deputy Director of Information Technology Department at Dubai Land Department. 

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Arizona State University in the United States and an Executive MBA – Strategic Management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. 

Alicia Loxley is a Melbourne based journalist and co-anchor of Nine’s 6pm news. 

Her career began at the ABC in radio, which took her to Perth for 5 years, where she became the lead anchor for ABC TV News. She also hosted the state-wide Drive program on ABC Local Radio. 

After returning to Melbourne as a reporter for 9News, she again relocated to Sydney to join the Today Show team. 

Alicia has had a box seat to the biggest news stories of the past decade. She led Channel 9’s Black Saturday bushfires coverage in 2009, was a key member of the network’s Olympics team in London and Paris, and co-hosted Victoria Decides 2014, 2018 and 2022. along with the Federal Election in 2022. She’s regularly hosted the Today Show and was a reporter for Channel 9’s Inside Story. 

Alicia is a Patron of the Lighthouse Foundation and Children’s Tumour Foundation and ambassador for My Room Children’s Cancer Charity. 

Kieren Perkins OAM is an iconic Australian swimming Olympic Gold Medallist, widely regarded as one of the greatest middle-distance freestyle specialists in the history of the sport. Perkins rose to prominence for his remarkable achievements in the 1500-metre freestyle, a race in which he set multiple world records.

Perkins made his Olympic debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games, where he claimed a silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle. However, it was at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that he truly cemented his legendary status, winning the gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle with a dominant performance. He became a national hero for his thrilling victory.

Following Atlanta, Perkins continued to break records and redefine excellence in swimming. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he defended his 1500-meter freestyle title, winning gold once again in front of a home crowd. This victory solidified his position as one of Australia’s most beloved sports figures.

Kieran is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sports Commission

Prior to that he was the CEO of Australian Unity Bank.

He has held numerous high level management roles within the banking sector.

Palesa has over 20 years’ experience in the information and communication technology (ICT) and Telecommunications sector working for leading multinational companies within the ICT sector as well exposure and practical experience in government and Public Sector. Moreover, she has been active in working with non-governmental organisations and social initiatives especially in projects that affect in the outlying areas in KwaZulu-Natal. Palesa is currently the CEO of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and her key function is to drive and implement the core objectives of the Durban Chamber. She joined the Durban Chamber form MTN where she was the Regional Head for MTN Business in KwaZulu-Natal and prior to that she was also the executive Head of Vodacom Business in KwaZulu-Natal. Additionally, she has worked for multinationals and large corporates such as EMC Computers, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Dell, and Intel.

Her core competencies and functional expertise range from executive management; operations and strategic planning and management; business development and sales leadership; financial management (P&L management); resource management including project management; high-level government and private sector negotiations; corporate governance advisory role at board level; and mentoring and motivational talks.

She holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), an advanced Business Management Programme Certificate. She is a member of the esteemed South African Institute of Directors (IODSA)

Jacqui Savage is a globally recognised medtech entrepreneur and innovation leader with deep expertise in the commercialization, manufacturing, and global distribution of transformative medical technologies. She has successfully launched and scaled multiple medical devices across international markets, including founding two health-tech companies, MedCorp and Mioplay. Her work spans the full innovation lifecycle—integrating clinical insight, regulatory strategy, and advanced manufacturing to deliver products that improve patient outcomes and reshape healthcare delivery.

Recognised for her contributions and leadership, Jacqui’s accolades include the 2016 Telstra Business Woman’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, NASA’s Top 100 Global Engineering Innovations, the BioMelbourne Network Emerging Women in Leadership Award, and being named one of the Top 20 MedTech Innovators in Asia Pacific in 2021.

Known for combining commercial rigour with visionary thinking, she brings a systems-level view to healthcare innovation. Jacqui also serves as Deputy Chancellor of La Trobe University and is a Director of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she champions the intersection of innovation, education, and industry to drive meaningful change across the healthcare ecosystem.

Gönül Serbest was appointed Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa in February 2023, based in Paris, to elevate the State’s global trade and investment presence and reach across the region. Immediately prior, she served as the inaugural CEO of Global Victoria, where she led the State’s trade efforts overseeing 23 international offices. With over 20 years of experience, Gönül has been at the forefront of delivering high-level trade delegations, driving impactful results across the globe. Passionate about empowering young leaders and women, Gönül champions initiatives that foster active participation in trade, culture and sport. In 2023, she was awarded with the prestigious Order of the Star of Italy for her contributions to international relations. She holds a Bachelor Honours from RMIT University and executive education from Harvard University.

Rim is an active Egyptian role model, advocating for better inclusion of women at all levels across the business not only in the MENA Region but Globally. She is committed to helping to increase the proportion of women in leadership roles and build a pipeline of talent and creative young entrepreneurs through partnerships and initiatives such as:” Empowering 20,000 Women and Youth by 2020″ & ” Teaching Woman Art & Craft Carpentry Skills”

Rim has been instrumental in creating an inclusive women’s culture at the Chambers of commerce across Egypt by bringing awareness to Chamber’s impactful and inclusion initiatives and programs. In March 2015, She became the founder/president of the “ Economic Business Women Council” in Egyptian Chambers of commerce. Rim’s activities internally focused on empowering women economically, bridging generation gap ,changing the business culture of the workplace, increasing the number of female owners/partners and creating an inclusive atmosphere for all.

Externally, Rim launched #WEBB-middleeast.com an internet-based women’s marketplace that brings together female entrepreneurs to form a powerful economic force of change, focusing on increasing the number of women digitally, giving them access to market their products, franchising, networking and partnerships. In November 2015,WEBB-Middle East put in action SDG5 and received support from the United Nations Global Compact.

Previously, Rim chaired the Women’s committee for the Canada-Egypt Business Council and served as a director in Egypt for the Asian-Arab Chamber of Commerce and the Regional country manager for the Hot Mommas Project affiliated to the George Washington University School of Business .

Siam has participated in corporate social responsibility and sustainability activities (CSR), with a focus on equipping women business owners with knowledge of the importance of being a socially responsible company to bolster a company’s image and build its brand. She is passionate about equipping these groups with knowledge to increase their competitiveness in business. She is also a strong advocate for women’s economic empowerment and has been recognized with several awards. For the last two years she has been named one of the 16 UNIDO Women Economic empowerment success stories ,She is also a notable alumni Ambassador of the Global Entrepreneurship summit(GES2016-2019) .

Philippe Varin was elected Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce in June 2024, having served on the executive board since 2018 and as First Vice-Chair from 2022-2024.

Mr Varin began his career in 1978 with Pechiney, where he held various R&D, Plant, and Business Unit Management roles in France and the United States. By the time he left Pechiney, he was Group Executive Vice President for the Aluminium sector. In 2003, Mr Varin became CEO of the Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus, where he led a major turnaround, culminating in the company’s acquisition by Tata Group in 2007. Mr Varin continued with Tata for two years, working in Mumbai and London, before joining PSA Peugeot Citroën as Chairman of the Managing Board (2009-2014). He subsequently served as Chairman of Areva and Orano, leading nuclear energy companies, until 2020.

In 2020, Mr Varin was elected Chairman of the Board of Suez, where he defended against Veolia’s acquisition bid, stepping down in 2022. Mr Varin has also held a number of key industry roles including as Chairman of “France Industrie” and Vice-Chairman of the National Council for Industry (Conseil National de l’Industrie), both from 2017-2021, and on the board of Saint-Gobain from 2013-2021.

Mr Varin has chaired the World Materials Forum since 2014, and in 2022, the French government enlisted him to propose measures for securing Critical Raw Materials supply. He is also an operating partner of the GVP Climate investment fund and chairs the French C’Possible Association, supporting the professional integration of vocational high school students.

A graduate of the Paris École Polytechnique and École des Mines, Mr Varin is an officer of the Legion of Honour, a knight of the National Order of Merit in France, and a Commander of the British Empire in the UK.