Keynote Speakers

Dr Jim Bright

Dr Jim Bright is an Organisational Psychologist specialising in Career Development. 

For 28 years he taught, researched and supervised Doctoral and Masters students in vocational psychology, career development and career education. He has held tenured positions at the University of New South Wales and Australian Catholic University where he was Professor of Career Education and Development. 

With Dr Robert Pryor, he pioneered the application of chaos and complexity approaches to career development, and has published extensively on this topic for over two decades, including the Chaos Theory of Careers (Routledge, 2011). He has also maintained a professional practice as an Organisational Psychologist offering coaching, assessment, medico-legal assessment, training and speaking services. 

Since 2006, Jim has written a weekly column in the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers. He is a regular on ABC radio, as well as most major television news and current affairs programs. 

He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Derby, UK. He is a fellow of the CDAA, and the Australian Psychological Society. He is also the Director of Research and Impact at Become Education, an Ed Tech Start Up, that offers innovative IT-infused career education programs to students from year 5 to adults.

Dr Cathy Brown

Dr Cathy Brown is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Career Coach. She runs her own organisational development consultancy in the UK, Evolve Consulting Services, (www.evolve.eu.com) where she works with individuals, teams and businesses to manage transitions and change. 

Over the past 20 years, she has helped hundreds of clients to undertake career transitions, and to realise their own career ambitions. Cathy undertakes research, generates insights and weaves these into her continually evolving practice for her clients' benefit. 

Within her areas of expertise, she writes books (under the brand Testing the Water®), articles (including Leadership Today, Career Matters and Career Development International), speaks at conferences and is a guest lecturer on Masters courses at several universities. More latterly, Cathy has been awarded a PhD within field of career mobility from University of Derby, UK. In addition, she has been invited to become a Fellow of NICEC.

Her clients include: Akzo-Nobel, Avis, BBC, Boots, Co-operative Bank, Co-operative Food, John Lewis Partnership, Loughborough University, NHS, Nottingham University, PepsiCo, Saint-Gobain, Travelodge, United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Clients describe Cathy as being warm, empathetic and insightful, enabling them to learn, grow and become sustainable. Recent feedback: "Inspirational stuff" "You have changed my life!"

Dr Paul J. Hartung

Dr Paul J. Hartung is Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University, USA. 

He serves on several editorial boards and is past editor for The Career Development Quarterly (2014-2021). He currently serves as Past President (2022-2026) for Division 16 (Counselling) of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP). 

For his contributions to vocational psychology and career development, he received the American Psychological Association Division 17 John L. Holland Award, the National Career Development Association Eminent Career Award, and the Society for Vocational Psychology Distinguished Achievement Award. 

He is a fellow of APA, IAAP, and NCDA.