Keynote Speakers

Wednesday, 5 September

Michael McQueen

Michael McQueen understands what it takes to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Recently ranked #12 among the world’s top futurists, Michael is widely recognized for having his finger on the pulse of change, helping clients ranging from Google to Toyota and Mastercard navigate uncertainty and stay ahead of the curve.

A bestselling author of 10 books, Michael’s latest release was named by Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant as one of the top five must-read new leadership books. He is a sought-after media commentator, with his insights regularly featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and CNN.

Having presented to over 500,000 people across five continents since 2004, Michael is a familiar face on the international conference circuit, sharing the stage with Bill Gates, Mel Robbins, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. 

Formerly named Australia’s Keynote Speaker of the Year, Michael has also been inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame.

Thursday, 6 September

Dr. Fiona Kerr

Dr. Fiona Kerr is the Founder of The NeuroTech Institute, and Director of Strategic Research for the MindChamps Group, Singapore. 

Globally recognised for her work on the neurophysiology of interaction and proximity (between humans and with technology), Dr Kerr combines qualifications in cognitive science, systems engineering, psychology and anthropology with over 40 years in industry to consult on contemporary issues such as how virtual vs proximal interaction impacts trust and decision making, leading hybrid organisations and creating human-tech partnerships that maximise the unique capabilities of both. 

Fiona advises a broad international list of clients across government and corporate sectors from healthcare, law and robotics to Defence and Cirque du Soleil. She holds academic roles here and overseas, speaks globally, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Friday, 7 September

Dr. Chadden Hunter

Dr. Chadden Hunter is an award-winning filmmaker and wildlife biologist. For most of the last two decades he has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough on the world’s most seminal nature documentaries.

While escaping armed bandits and brain parasites he completed a ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ style PhD on baboons in the mountains of Ethiopia. Chadden then worked as an on-screen host for National Geographic, PBS and Discovery Channel, filming everything from tribal ceremonies in Africa to snow leopards in Pakistan.

On the BBC series Planet Earth he became known as 'the guy covered in bat poop', and whilst filming arctic wolves for Frozen Planet learnt that minus 40C was cold enough to freeze his eyes shut. As a Divemaster he has worked alongside underwater crews around the world, exploring the issue of plastics in the ocean and how the ‘Blue Planet 2 Effect' encouraged changes in corporate behaviour and global politics.

His television series, including Wild Arabia, Seven Worlds One Planet and most recently The Platypus Guardian have scooped over twenty Emmy and Bafta awards.

His anecdotes are as inspirational as they are entertaining. Sometimes heart-breaking, often humorous, always riveting. Using a stunning multi-media presentation, including never-before seen footage from wildlife blockbusters, Chadden shares stories about achieving goals through resilience, communicating with wider audiences, the importance of team building, and creative leadership. Not to mention what to do if you find yourself face to face with a grizzly bear.

Summit + ALTACON Speakers

David Atherton-Cooper

He moved to Australia in 2006 and has spent the last nineteen years launching and managing productivity and workflow tools for the Pacific legal profession, working closely with teams in Australia, UK, Canada and US.

David describes his role at Dye & Durham as trying to understand the challenges facing firms across the region and helping them adapt in the face of changing client expectations, compliance obligations, technology improvements and changing working practices.

Joel Barolsky

Joel Barolsky is a specialist adviser to managing partners, executive teams and practice group leaders on issues of strategy, culture, governance, partner remuneration, succession, pricing and capability development. He has advised over 100 leading law, accounting and advisory firms. Around 70% of his clients are repeat clients or come directly from referrals from existing relationships. Joel is a Principal of Edge International, Managing Director of Barolsky Advisors, a Senior Fellow of the University of Melbourne Law School and Chair of the Managing Partners Forum.  He writes for the Australian Financial Review Legal Affairs section and the LCA’s Law Management Hub. Previously, Joel was head of the strategy practice of Beaton Research & Consulting.

Sumith Perera has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hall & Wilcox Lawyers since 2006. Since then, the firm has grown from 17 to over 140 partners and from one to eight offices. The firm's client list now includes many of Australia's leading corporations and government agencies, and it has a thriving private client practice. 

Glin Bayley

Glin Bayley is a negotiation specialist, personal transformation strategist, a non-exec board director and accomplished author of The Negotiation Playbook and Unstoppable Woman. With a mission to help mission-led changemakers accelerate and elevate their impact through inner transformation, Glin seamlessly integrates her deep expertise in negotiation with a heartfelt focus on personal growth and resilience.

To Glin, being The Value Negotiator isn’t just about what you do. It is about who you become.

Courtney Blackman

Courtney Blackman is the Head of Partnerships at Lander & Rogers and sits within the firm's innovation function, its award-winning iHub, which is made up of a dynamic team of problem solvers and innovators creating smart solutions for everyday and complex business challenges.

Courtney oversees the LawTech Hub, a first-of-its-kind global-reaching accelerator program that enables startups to develop, test, and scale new legal tech products. 2025's intake is once again focused on AI.

She is a core member of the firm's AI Lab, where she designs and runs AI Clinics with leading academic institutions. 

Before joining Lander & Rogers, Courtney worked with hundreds of industry-agnostic startups and scaleups at one of Australia's largest tech and innovation hubs where she launched and directed the Lift Off Awards (celebrating women and culturally diverse founders in fintech) and the Online Startup & Innovation Awards.

Prior to her time in Australia, Courtney was a founder and entrepreneur in her own right, having launched, grown, and successfully exited startups in the digital media space in the UK and Canada. 

Courtney is a tri-citizen (American, British and Australian) and thrives on innovation. Her career has been dedicated to driving positive change through entrepreneurialism, technology and creativity. 

Kath Bowler

Kath Bowler works at Holley Nethercote – a financial services regulatory firm that has been providing legal and compliance services, including AML advice for over 20 years.

Kath is the General Manager at Holley Nethercote. She is responsible for strategy development and implementation, overseeing operations and managing the HN Hub, their online compliance subscription service.  Kath's diverse role reflects her background as a regulator, financial adviser, accountant, policy adviser, licensee head, consultant and mother of three.

Kath finds herself in an interesting position, being responsible for developing and delivering AML services to an expanded range of clients, while also being responsible for implementing AML for their firm.

David Bowles

David has been a solicitor for 30 years, for the last 14 with the Ethics Centre at the Queensland Law Society. (“QLS”)

He is a regular conference speaker at both QLS functions and for third party organizations such as the Society for Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP), assorted District Law Associations, LEAP, Thompson Reuters, Cybersecurity conferences and policy forums. He doesn't maintain a show-reel but there are some materials on the QLS website that demonstrate my speaking style: Innovation Insights - Queensland Law Society 

In addition to relevant legal qualifications, he has a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity from the Harvard University Extension school and in AI from the Said Business School at Oxford University. David is also a director of the Australasian Computer Law Institute.

Renee Branson

Renee Branson and Tim Corcoran bring a powerful combination of expertise in resilience, well-being, and law firm leadership.  

Renee Branson is a Certified Resilience Coach (CReC) and Compassion Fatigue Therapist with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. As the founder of RB Consulting, she equips law firms and businesses with immediately usable tools to enhance resilience, well-being, and optimism in the workplace. She works with legal professionals, business leaders, and non-profits to integrate well-being as a core strategic priority. A global speaker and author, Renee helps firms foster sustainable, high-performing cultures. 

Tim Corcoran is a former CEO who now advises law firm and law department leaders on modernizing business models for profitability and growth. He is a Trustee and Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, a former President and Hall of Fame member of the Legal Marketing Association, an American Lawyer Research Fellow, and a Teaching Fellow in the Master in Legal Business program at the Australian College of Law. A sought-after speaker and writer, Tim’s insights regularly appear in leading legal industry publications.  

Together, they provide law firms with actionable strategies to create thriving workplaces where professionals feel valued, engaged, and motivated to stay.

Adair Donaldson

After 25 years as a partner or director of law firms, Adair is now focusing his expertise on assisting people to move from the challenges of the past to the opportunities of the future.  Specifically, helping individuals and organisations to engage, listen, communicate and discover solutions themselves, to resolve conflict, address social issues and drive cultural change.

In 2023 he was appointed by the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, to the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council. Also in 2023, he was named Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Small Firm) at the Queensland Law Society's Excellence in Law Awards.

Since 2007 Adair has developed educational programs and consulted on legal issues affecting organisations. He has created the acclaimed preventative law resources that address the legal consequences of alcohol abuse, sexual assaults, gendered violence, discrimination, illicit drugs, violence, social media, and the illegal use of technology. 

Adair has presented to many thousands of employees, students, parents and athletes over the past 16 years and continues to work closely with the NRL to develop and implement educational resources for their players and clubs.

Jenn Donovan

I’m Jenn Donovan, a marketing strategist, best-selling author, and speaker passionate about helping businesses simplify their marketing and build communities that drive results. I’m the founder of Social Media and Marketing Australia, creator of the viral Buy From a Bush Business Facebook group, and co-founder of the Spend With Us marketplace, supporting rural and regional businesses across Australia. 

With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and a background in law, I bring a unique perspective to marketing for the legal sector. I understand the importance of building trust, delivering value, and creating meaningful connections in a world where competition and complexity can be overwhelming. My sessions are designed to cut through the noise and give you practical, actionable strategies that align with your goals and values.

From interactive workshops to engaging keynote presentations, my aim is always the same: to leave attendees inspired, informed, and ready to take action. Whether you’re looking to enhance client engagement, future-proof your practice, or simplify your marketing efforts, I’ll help you turn ideas into momentum.

As someone with deep roots in rural Australia, I also understand the unique challenges of regional businesses and how to address them strategically. I’d be thrilled to share my expertise with ALPMA’s members and support your mission to deliver impactful learning and development opportunities. Let’s work together to help your organisation thrive in this ever-changing business landscape.

Amanda Fajerman

Amanda is the Head of Digital Change, Australia for the Digital Legal Delivery practice group at HSF. With over 20 years of experience in legal, technology, and consulting roles, Amanda is passionate about helping lawyers solve business problems using data and technology. Amanda brings strategic insight, strong stakeholder relationships, and expertise in change management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic design to deliver impactful solutions for her clients.   

Anna Glynn

Anna Glynn is a leading expert in sustainable high- performance, impactful leadership, and thriving workplace cultures. She helps ambitious leaders and teams achieve exceptional results in high-pressure environments - without burnout, overwhelm, or inconsistency - by building stronger foundations for long-term success.

Anna is the author of STRONG: How the Best Sales Leaders Engage, Achieve, and Thrive, which explores the intersection of resilience, engagement, wellbeing, and high-performance. She is also the creator of the STRONGER framework, equipping leaders and teams with the mindset, toolset, and skillset needed to navigate challenges and sustain success.

With 15 years of experience across industries including legal, Anna blends cutting-edge research, real-world business expertise, and practical, results-driven strategies to drive meaningful and lasting impact. She spent a decade in financial services, including leading national sales teams, and holds a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology (First Class Honours) from the University of Melbourne. 

Anna’s insights have been featured in Forbes USA, Smart Company, and CEO World Magazine, among others. Known for her engaging style, frontline stories, and no-nonsense simplicity, Anna makes complex research digestible and actionable - helping leaders and teams not just learn but apply real-world strategies that drive long-term success.

Amanda Goodfellow

Anna Glynn is a leading expert in sustainable high- performance, impactful leadership, and thriving workplace cultures. She helps ambitious leaders and teams achieve exceptional results in high-pressure environments - without burnout, overwhelm, or inconsistency - by building stronger foundations for long-term success.

Anna is the author of STRONG: How the Best Sales Leaders Engage, Achieve, and Thrive, which explores the intersection of resilience, engagement, wellbeing, and high-performance. She is also the creator of the STRONGER framework, equipping leaders and teams with the mindset, toolset, and skillset needed to navigate challenges and sustain success.

With 15 years of experience across industries including legal, Anna blends cutting-edge research, real-world business expertise, and practical, results-driven strategies to drive meaningful and lasting impact. She spent a decade in financial services, including leading national sales teams, and holds a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology (First Class Honours) from the University of Melbourne. 

Anna’s insights have been featured in Forbes USA, Smart Company, and CEO World Magazine, among others. Known for her engaging style, frontline stories, and no-nonsense simplicity, Anna makes complex research digestible and actionable - helping leaders and teams not just learn but apply real-world strategies that drive long-term success.

Katrina Gowans

Katrina is a leading Legal Operations professional in Australia, having spent 5 years in the role at Origin Energy and a further 2 years at IFM Investors.  She describes her role as helping inhouse lawyers manage change, whether it involve introducing new technologies, tackling knowledge management or any other challenge that lands in her inbox.  Since 2020 she has been Co-Chair of CLOC Australia, a role she loves because of the opportunity it creates to bring like-minded legal ops professionals together to tackle real problems. 

Mark Greenslade

Mark Greenslade leads the Client Success and Training teams at Verlata Consulting. With a background in practice management including overseeing the introduction of AML and SaaS technology to a small practice, he has been working with law firms on integrating technology into practice for 18 years. 

Tuna Kutsal

Tuna is the Head of Legal Operations Advisory at HSF, a team that partners with clients to optimise the efficiency and operational effectiveness of their legal functions.

Tuna advises clients on legal function strategy, process optimisation and digital-driven transformation and provides ongoing support to legal operations teams with the execution of their strategy and technology-enabled initiatives for key workflows.

As a former in-house lawyer, Tuna is passionate about helping legal teams create efficient, streamlined and user-friendly processes that drive lasting change and foster critical business relationships. Tuna has over ten years of experience in transformation that is enabled by technology and has supported the successful delivery of projects across all stages of a transformation journey and to functions of varying sizes, sectors and geographies.

Tuna has held a variety of roles at HSF including leading the firm’s automation and legal technology delivery capability globally and the Legal Operations Advisory team in London.​

Tuna and her team are ranked Band 1 in the Chambers & Partners Legal Transformation Consulting (NewLaw, Global-wide) 2024 guide and Tuna has been recognised as a global leader in document automation by Thomson Reuters. 

Priya Lele

Priya is a transformative leader at the intersection of law and innovation, with over two decades of experience evolving from a senior M&A lawyer in London to a global legal innovator. She has driven transformative change in multiple global law firms and multinational corporations, including Fortune50/FTSE100 companies.

As Co-founder and Chair of She Breaks the Law, Priya has built and leads a global network of women leaders (#lawbreakers) from diverse backgrounds and disciplines revolutionising the legal ecosystem. A thriving community of 4000 women from 50+ countries, it’s a powerful platform for women leadership, providing a safe space to connect, share, develop, mentor and grow together. Combining her legal expertise with Lean Six Sigma, Agile Project Management, and Design Thinking approaches, Priya develops human-centered solutions that transform legal service delivery. Her recent roles include Director, Legal Transform & Operate at EY (Oceania) and Head of Legal Transformation at Gilbert+Tobin (Australia).

An award-winning innovator, Priya received the European Women of Legal Tech Award (2020) and was a Global Female Founder Finalist at the Australian Legal Technology Awards (2022). A frequent speaker and keynote, she inspires global audiences on legal technology, innovation, and driving diversity and equity in the legal ecosystem.

Melissa Lyon

Melissa is the Executive Director & Experience Designer, Hive Legal, an innovative law firm which, over the last 11 years, has inspired change in the legal ecosystem by introducing value pricing, legal design thinking and truly flexible work practices. She is an innovation specialist committed to assisting the legal ecosystem to think differently about the delivery of legal services, pricing and ways of working. She is committed to sharing her experiences and insights with the legal ecosystem and is a strong advocate for those with skills other than legal and the vital roles they play.

She is a member of the Centre for Legal Innovation’s Advisory Board, and her work has been recognised at the Australian Law Awards with her winning Business Development Professional of the Year (2017) and Innovator of the Year (2020).

Fiona Mclay

Fiona McLay is a legal technology consultant, author, and speaker, who helps law firms navigate digital transformation and AI adoption. She works with firms to optimize their existing technology, implement new tools, and drive successful change management strategies.

With over 20 years of experience as a litigation lawyer, Fiona understands firsthand the challenges lawyers face in balancing efficiency, risk management, and client service. She is the author of The Tech-Enabled Lawyer and has developed The AI-Enabled Law Firm Roadmap, a structured framework for firms looking to move beyond experimentation and integrate AI into their daily workflows.

Fiona regularly presents at legal industry events, teaches at the College of Law and regularly presents for the Centre for Legal Innovation, providing practical insights on legaltech adoption, AI strategy, and digital transformation. She is passionate about ensuring that legal professionals can harness technology to improve service delivery and regain control of their worklife.

Zakary Nash

Zakary Nash is a Co-Founder and Director of HarperLloyd Recruitment. Based in Brisbane, HarperLloyd is a specialist legal recruitment and consulting firm with national reach. Zakary is a former dispute resolution lawyer out of MinterEllison and Johnson Winter & Slattery. Zakary also is an experienced HR professional, holding a Masters in Human Resource Management from the Queensland University of Technology. Now, he consults with Australia's leading law firms on building high-performing and sustainable teams. He achieves this by partnering with organisations to develop competitive attraction and retention methods across all positions in law firms.

Madeline Porter

Technology and legal innovation have been core interests to Maddie throughout her legal career. With a strong focus on risk management, compliance, and guiding lawyers on how to meet their professional obligations, Maddie has carved out a diverse and impactful journey across the legal industry. Most recently, Maddie served as the Manager of Conflicts, Ethics, and Commercial Advisory at Ashurst, Australia, where she led the APAC Conflicts & Ethics team in championing compliance, safeguarding data security, and resolved high-level conflicts with precision. Maddie’s passion for AI legal solutions has shaped her vision of how technology is transforming the legal sector, keenly attune to the agility and efficiencies it offers to the profession. Maddie is particularly interested in how Gen AI can enhance legal processes, improve efficiency, draft responses, and predict counterarguments. She is excited to continue exploring how AI can drive change in legal practice. Maddie recently joined iManage as the Legal Industry Expert (APAC).

Matt Schlyder

Matt Schlyder, "The Lawyers’ Accountant," is the Founding Director of FWO Chartered Accountants, a boutique accounting and consulting firm based in Brisbane’s CBD, specialising in financial advisory for SME law firms. With over 35 years of experience, Matt is a leading expert in profitability, cash flow management, and strategic financial planning, helping law firms optimise their financial performance.

An innovator in financial technology, Matt developed MiNumbers, a dynamic budgeting system that integrates Xero payroll data with Practice Management Software to provide real-time financial insights and dynamic fee earner budgeting. MiNumbers simplifies budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, allowing firms to monitor performance with accuracy and ease.

Through his client-focused and technology-driven approach, Matt has transformed the financial health of many law firms through Australia, making him a sought-after advisor in the industry. His insights provide firms with practical strategies to achieve sustainable profit and cash flow growth.

Adam Simms

Adam is a passionate corporate crime legal practitioner, investigative expert, and risk professional with a rich blend of public and private sector experience. Over three decades, he has refined his skills, starting with specialist police detective work before transitioning to corporate consultancy, ultimately rising to the roles of Partner and Solicitor with leading firms. Recently, Adam has embarked on his latest venture, launching a boutique legal advisory firm, Acclivity, where he is pioneering a fresh approach to advisory services in the investigations, anti-financial crime and compliance space. Acclivity is focused on delivering high-quality, accessible expertise to empower organisations to navigate complex regulatory and investigative challenges in the post-COVID era.

Mollie Tregillis

Mollie is the founder of Mollusc, a facilitation agency that helps teams tackle complex challenges through tough yet constructive conversations. 

With a background in law, strategy, and coaching, she excels at guiding teams through disruption, ensuring that every voice is heard and navigating change with clarity, comfort, and trust.

Mollusc works with organizations across a variety of sectors, driving transformation with a human-centered approach. 

Mollie’s expertise lies in building strong, lasting relationships, and she’s known for her ability to read the room and adapt strategies to create momentum, even in the toughest of environments.

Passionate about the future of work, Mollie is driven to help teams embrace uncertainty and turn disruption into opportunity. She believes in the power of deep, open conversations to foster collaboration, build trust, and move teams forward.

With a reputation for being relentless in surfacing hidden fears, cutting through jargon, and creating positive outcomes, Mollie’s work is grounded in her unique ability to tackle the intangible factors that shape organizational culture. She partners with teams ready to navigate change and make meaningful progress in a rapidly evolving world.

Elena Tsalanidis

Elena Tsalanidis is the COO and Co-founder of Deeligence, an AI-powered collaboration platform halving the time Corporate lawyers spend on legal due diligence. A former lawyer, and legal process expert, helping implement tech solutions to teams across the UK, Elena has firsthand experience implementing innovative tech solutions for lawyers and understands both the opportunities and challenges AI brings. 

From hundreds of conversations with lawyers at firms of all sizes, including in house teams, Elena shares her widsom of what is happening right now in market. Not tied to any particular law firm, Elena pulls back the curtain of what’s working well, and where there’s room for improvement.  

A frequent speaker at conferences, Elena blends her deep knowledge of operational workflows with an accessible, results-driven approach.

Elena sits on the board of the Australian Legal Technology Association and subcomittee, WALTA.  

Gene Turner

Gene Turner leads legal automation firm LawHawk, which helps lawyers and businesses improve and automate their processes. He was a corporate & finance partner at Buddle Findlay before founding LawHawk in 2015. 

He is a Fellow of World Commerce & Contracting, is on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Legal Innovation and holds an MBA (Distinction) from Victoria University.  

With a focus on outcomes, LawHawk projects have won World Commerce & Contracting Awards for Operational Improvement in 2019 and 2021.

Much of LawHawk's work with law firms is in assisting them in the transition from thinking about traditional legal practice and hourly billing through to the broader problems and opportunities that their clients have and how law firms (and partners) can help their clients achieve greater transformations, and share in the value of that. 

Lara Wentworth

Lara is an experienced Leadership and Performance Coach, certified by the International Coaching Federation (PCC). As a former law firm partner, she understands the high-pressure demands of professional environments and specializes in coaching leaders to navigate complexity, build resilience, and enhance performance.

As Co-Founder and Director of Coaching Advocates, a global coaching and training firm for professionals, Lara has worked extensively with lawyers, executives, and leadership teams, helping them develop the self-awareness, communication, and leadership skills needed to excel.She has been coaching professionals one-on-one, in teams, and through leadership programs since 2017. 

Lara is a certified Master Practitioner and Trainer in Neuro Linguistic Programming which is a powerful transformational tool that she incorporates into her coaching, training and facilitating to create effective and sustainable mindset development.

Lara has coached senior partners of international law firms as well as other professional and executives in the leadership space. As an international speaker, Lara frequently presents on leadership, mindset, and the future of professional development in an evolving workplace.

Carl White

Carl White is a leading voice in transforming client experience (CX) in the legal industry, bringing deep expertise across global, national, and boutique law firms.Carl, Founder of CXinLaw and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Legal Innovation, is a recognised authority in legal CX. His market-leading research has shaped industry standards, driving firms to reimagine how they engage with clients.

He bring dynamic, engaging, and practical insights to CX, making it an accessible and actionable area for law firms. The session will explore how human engagement—enhanced by technology, systems, and processes—can drive client loyalty, firm differentiation, and sustainable growth.