Managing Communications Through Uncertain Times
Date: April 11
Time: 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Venue: The Wheeler Centre
Join us for our first breakfast panel of 2012 as we discuss the challenges of managing communications during uncertain times.
Speakers Laura Dumbrell (Head of Communications, BBC Worldwide), Will Hetherton (Head of Public Affairs, Future Fund), Christine Khor (Carerra Partners) and Rita Zonius (Head of Internal Communications, ANZ) will be tackling some of the issues many, if not all, communicators are currently facing.
Engaging our panel in a workshop style presentation, we will be covering:
- How do organisations maintain best practice communications whilst undergoing cuts?
- What does doing more with less actually mean? Tips and tricks for a thrifty comms approach
- What did we learn from the GFC?
- Are we immune here in Australia or is there more bad news to come?
- Is there are new set of skills emerging for the professional communicator?
- How important is leadership, brand and personal resilience?
- What can we learn from overseas?
- Employment trends for comms practitioners
Time: 7:10am for registration and breakfast and a 7:30am start. Event finishes at 9am
Venue: The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne
Members - $65
Non-members - $80
Laura Dumbrell, Head of Communications, BBC Worldwide
Laura is the Acting Head of Communications for BBC Worldwide Australia, where she oversees corporate communications for the BBC’s commercial interests across a wide range of business areas. Throughout her 20 year career in publicity for television broadcasting and content creation across free to air and subscription TV, Laura has successfully launched new brands and repositioned existing ones, advised and raised the profile of senior executives, handled complex, sensitive issues and managed crises. She has worked for BBC Worldwide, the BBC, Granada Media, London Weekend Television, Granada Sky Broadcasting and Roy Addison PR. She counts, among the highlights of her career, initiating new ways of working and maintaining high levels of creativity during mergers and efficiency drives.x
Will Hetherton, Head of Public Affairs, Future Fund
In 2007 Will was appointed as the inaugural Head of Public Affairs at the Future Fund which manages some $90 billion of investments on behalf of the Commonwealth. Prior to joining the Fund, Will spent five years in the corporate affairs team at the National Australia Bank including roles in Australia and the UK. Will began his career in communications consultancy in London before moving to Australia and joining Turnbull Porter Novelli in Melbourne. He has a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and post-graduate qualifications in Applied Finance.
Christine Khor, Director, Strategy & Innovation, Carerra Partners
Christine has more than 15 years of product and marketing management expertise, developed through her employment in multinational market leaders such as Hallmark Cards, Kraft Foods and Simplot Australia. Christine founded Market Partners in 2000 after recognising a gap in the recruitment industry for an agency which could knowledgably recruit for sales and marketing roles. She was also the Victorian Small Business Winner of the 2004 Women Chief's of Enterprises International Business Awards. Christine is a founding director of Carrera Partners.
Rita Zonis, Head of Communications, Australia Division, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group
Rita Zonius is the Head of Communications, Australia Division at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, one of the world’s top 50 banks, the leading bank in NZ and the leading Australian bank in Asia and the Pacific. Rita’s 20 years in communications spans roles in a number of PR consultancies and extensive experience in corporate communications, particularly internal communications.
Rita joined ANZ in 1999 as the Communications Manager for the Strategy and International Division, before spending a number of years in the Corporate Centre as Media Relations Manager. She has also worked in Government & Regulatory Affairs and was the Head of Communications for ANZ’s Operations, Technology and Shared Services function and Group Internal Communications before taking on her current role as Head of Communications, Australia Division.