Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get.

Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and the Leadership Institute in 2017. Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life – in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI’s Women in Leadership line of events.

Brad, a proud Muruwari man and trailblazer in Indigenous leadership, will draw upon his historic rise from operational roles at Rio Tinto to becoming the first Indigenous CEO of an ASX-listed company (Energy Resources of Australia), as well as his board appointment at nib Holdings, to inspire and guide senior Indigenous professionals on accessing functional and high‑impact P&L roles.

He will share how shifting from community-facing functions into operations catalysed his leadership growth, and how bringing Indigenous thought—not just presence—into the boardroom creates strategic advantage and cultural transformation. By weaving real-world examples of rebuilding trust and leveraging “Indigeneity in the balance sheet,” he offers a powerful blueprint for Indigenous leaders to drive value, navigate pivots, and claim meaningful space within corporate decision-making channels.

Creating meaningful opportunities for First Nations people requires more than intention. It requires leadership that can translate opportunity into real jobs, real skills and long term career pathways. Across many industries, the challenge is not just access, but building systems that support people to enter, stay and grow in the workforce.

This session explores how organisations and leaders can create practical employment pathways that deliver lasting outcomes for First Nations communities. It will examine what works in practice, how barriers can be reduced, and how businesses can move beyond short term initiatives to create sustainable employment and career progression. Delegates will gain insight into how leadership, industry and community can work together to turn opportunity into real impact.

Katriina Heikkanen has built her career at the intersection of sport, community and strategy, from more than a decade shaping Indigenous programs and social policy within the AFL to her current role as Indigenous Business Development Manager at GHD. She has seen firsthand how First Nations leadership is often positioned within dedicated engagement or policy roles, vital work that can at times narrow where influence is expected to sit.

In this session she will explore what it takes to move beyond functional labels into broader commercial, operational and strategic influence, how First Nations leaders can navigate expectation and opportunity without being siloed, and what organisations must shift to ensure Indigenous leadership is embedded across decision making, not confined to it.

The Australian Defence Force is working to increase First Nations participation and influence across its uniformed and civilian workforce through its Defence First Nations Commitment and Closing the Gap initiatives. This includes strengthening culturally safe recruitment and development pathways, expanding cultural awareness training, and building long term partnerships with Indigenous communities and businesses.

In this session, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle will outline what Defence is seeking to achieve beyond representation, focusing on embedding Indigenous leadership across operational, strategic and capability roles, and what it takes to translate commitment into measurable, system wide change.

As one of Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous women, Jessica Mauboy has built an extraordinary career on national and global stages while remaining grounded in culture, community and Country. A proud Kuku Yalanji and South Sea Islander woman, Jessica understands the responsibility that comes with visibility and representation.

In this keynote conversation, Jessica reflects on identity, pressure and leadership in the public eye. She shares what it means to carry culture with integrity, navigate expectation with strength, and grow influence without losing connection to who you are and where you come from. This session explores leadership that is visible, values led and deeply human.

Dana Lightbody is the CEO of The Leadership Institute. She is a staunch advocate of equality for women in business and believes women should be helping other women every chance they get.

Dana established Konnect Learning in 2013 and the Leadership Institute in 2017. Since then she has advocated for equality for women in all aspects of her entrepreneurial and professional life – in particular by chairing and assisting the production team in the development of TLI’s Women in Leadership line of events.

From frontline clinician to enterprise strategist, Glenn’s career defies conventional paths. Beginning as an orthopaedic physiotherapist and emergency department clinician at St Vincent’s Hospital and now serving as Head of First Nations Strategy at Bupa, he brings rare insight into how First Nations leadership can influence not only engagement, but the very systems that govern healthcare, business, and organisational growth.

In this session, Glenn will explore how to move from being the cultural advisor at the table to shaping core business decisions, while holding clinical, cultural, and commercial credibility simultaneously. Join Glenn to rethink leadership beyond titles, discover how organisations can intentionally create pathways where First Nations leadership is embedded across governance, strategy, and system transformation, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are not just consulted but central to decision-making, growth, and innovation.

Across many organisations, Indigenous leadership roles are still concentrated within designated functions such as Indigenous engagement, strategy or community relations. While these roles are critical, they often limit how and where First Nations leaders are able to influence decision making.

This session explores what leadership beyond Indigenous specific roles looks like in practice. It considers how organisations can create broader pathways for First Nations leaders into executive, operational and strategic positions, and how leaders themselves navigate opportunities, barriers and expectations along the way. Delegates will reflect on what genuine progression looks like, how leadership capability is recognised and developed, and what needs to change to ensure First Nations leadership is embedded across organisations rather than siloed

For decades, institutions across Australia have acknowledged injustice, committed to reconciliation and pledged reform. Yet many First Nations communities continue to experience the same systemic barriers, the same harm and the same resistance to meaningful change. So what does real accountability actually look like?

In this powerful and direct session, Scott Gorringe, Director and CEO of MURRI Matters, challenges leaders to move beyond symbolic gestures and public commitments. Drawing on years of national advocacy in anti-racism, justice reform and systemic change, Scott explores how institutions protect themselves, why reform efforts stall, and what it truly takes to shift power rather than simply manage perception.

Essential services like water sit at the intersection of infrastructure, community and Country. In this session, Dan will explore how leaders in critical industries can embed cultural respect and reconciliation into everyday operations, not as a side initiative but as core business practice.

He will share practical insights on creating culturally safe workplaces, strengthening Indigenous participation across supply chains and workforce pathways, and building genuine partnerships that recognise connection to Country as central to sustainability. Delegates will gain a clear view of how to move from intention to action and how Indigenous leadership and allyship can shape more responsible, inclusive systems in sectors that impact communities every day.

Victoria has become the first state in Australia to legislate a formal pathway to treaty with its First Nations peoples. This landmark shift did not happen overnight. It was the result of sustained leadership, cultural authority, political negotiation and a clear commitment to self determination.

This opening session explores how Victoria’s treaty process came to life, the role of the First Peoples Assembly, and what it took to move from recognition to shared decision making. Delegates will gain insight into the leadership lessons embedded in this process, including how culture can be protected within Western systems, how power is negotiated, and what treaty means for the future of First Nations communities in Victoria and beyond.

This session sets the foundation for the summit and frames the conversations that follow.