Keynote Speaker Profiles and Presentations
- Keynote Speaker 1: Joe Ross
- Keynote Speaker 2: Sivaram Vemuri
- Keynote Speaker 3: Chief Clarence Louie
- Keynote Speaker 4: Bob Beadman
- Keynote Speaker 5: Terri Janke
- Dinner Speaker - Andrew Forrest
Speaker notes are now available for download.
Keynote Speaker 1
Joe Ross
Chairman of the Prime Ministers, Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce
Mr Joe Ross is a member of the Bunuba people in the Kimberley region of Western Australian and lives in Fitzroy Crossing. He is Chairman of the Prime Ministers – Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce. The Taskforce is a high level independent group of Australian experts drawn from broad areas, including indigenous business, science, conservation, agriculture, and the minerals and energy resource industries. The Taskforce is currently examining the potential for new development's in northern Australia that rely on significant local or regional water resources.
Joe is also the Chair of the Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) within the Northern Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance. As Chair of the IWPG, Mr Ross facilitates the group's direction and objectives, to inform the Indigenous peoples of northern Australia about water reform under the National Water Initiative and to engage in research relating to Indigenous interests, rights, responsibilities and interest in water resources in the north of Australia.
Mr Ross is a Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and was awarded a Centenary medal for his active role in creating innovative leadership programs to provide skills development opportunities for young Indigenous leaders, enabling them to contribute in shaping the future of their Rural communities and Australia. [top]
Keynote Speaker 2
Sivaram Vemuri (Ram)
Associate Professor of Economics at Charles Darwin University, Darwin
Sivaram Vemuri (Ram) received his Batchelor's degree in Economics from the University of Western Australia, a Master of Arts from University of Bombay and his doctorate from University of Birmingham, England.
Since 1976, Ram has worked in various academic institutions including University of Birmingham (England), Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay), Yarmouk University (Jordan), and University of Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby). Currently he is Associate Professor of Economics at Charles Darwin University (Darwin).
His academic work is in the area of applying economics to the general area of sustainable development. His research expertise is in the area of interdisciplinary application of economics. Ram has worked on several areas including: environmental management, health care planning, macroeconomic management, economic, social and legal impact assessment, role of indigenous knowledge systems in decision making and natural resource management including waste management. [top]
Keynote Speaker 3
Chief Clarence Louie
CEO of the Osoyoos Indian Band Centre and National Aboriginal Economic Development Board Chair, Canada
Since 1984, when he first became Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band in British Columbia, Canada, Clarence Louie has consistently emphasized economic development as the fundamental method for improving the standard of living of his people. Under his direction, the Band has become a multi-faceted corporation that owns and manages numerous successful businesses. In addition to the businesses, the band is enjoying socio-economic development that is vastly improving the community's social, educational and health needs. Under his leadership, there is virtually zero unemployment.
Chief Louie has been recognized for his work with many honours, and numerous Board appointments. He has been featured in The Economist, in Profit Magazine and in Maclean's as one of 50 Canadians to watch. Chief Louie is a man who understands that economic development is the way of the future. [top]
Keynote Speaker 4
Bob Beadman
Co-ordinator-General for the remote services delivery policy including 20 Growth Towns
Bob Beadman ‘retired’ on 18 December 2001 on reaching 60 years of age, following a career spanning 43 years’ service in the Australian and Northern Territory Public Services.
Key appointments have included services as Senior Private Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Regional Director (Northern) Darwin, Regional Director Central Australia Alice Springs (taking in the Central Reserves of SA and WA), First Assistant Secretary, Heritage and Legal Division with responsibility for the Aboriginal Lands Rights (Northern Territory) Act, sometimes acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ATSIC, numerous appearances before Parliamentary Committees, representing at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva for its revision of the Indigenous Tribal Peoples Convention in 1989, representing at the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva during its work on the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 1990.
In 1994 the Territory Government appointed Bob Beadman as Secretary of the Department of Lands, Housing and Local Government, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Aboriginal Development, and he held these positions until retirement (Departmental names changed in various Administrative Order revisions).
Bob Beadman was appointed Chairman of the Northern Territory Grants Commission with effect from 1 November 2002, and Chair of the Review Committee established under the Swimming Pool Fencing Act in July 2003. He accepted an appointment to a Red Cross Committee concerned with early childhood development in 2005.
On 20 May 2009 Bob was appointed as Coordinator General for Remote Services, to oversee the implementation of major Government initiatives about transforming closed remote communities into vibrant, open, regional townships. [top]
Keynote Speaker 5
Terri Janke
Director, Terri Janke and Company Pty Ltd
Terri Janke is an Indigenous arts lawyer, published author and consultant. A significant part of Terri’s client base involves the advancement of protection for Indigenous Australian people in respect of intellectual property matters. Terri has been involved in a wide number of matters in representing Indigenous composers, writers, film directors, film producers, artists, and others across many fields of the arts and culture. She has drafted documentation and special provisions in complex commercial documentation to cover cultural attribution and integrity issues for Indigenous peoples. Terri was born in Cairns, Queensland and has family connections with the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula (Meriam & Wuthathi). Terri is on the Board of Tourism Australia, National Indigenous TV and AIATSIS. [top]
Dinner Speaker
Andrew Forrest
CEO of the Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. and founder of Australian Employment Covenant
Andrew Forrest grew up jackerooing on sheep and cattle stations before graduating from the University of Western Australia; he now serves as founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.
Andrew has created two major Australian Resource Houses from scratch, that are now major suppliers of nickel, cobalt and iron ore to the world’s steel industries.
At Fortescue he oversaw the implementation, project construction and commissioning in record time, of world-scale port, railway lines and iron ore mines, including along the way raising $4billion to fund the project.
Previous roles held by Mr Forrest include director of Australia’s Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, the Western Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy and Chairman of Athletics Australia. He currently serves as Chairman of Poseidon Nickel Ltd and The Australian Children’s Trust.
Mr Forrest has been awarded the Australian Centenary medal, the Australian Sports medal and multiple global finance awards for the companies he has started. Mr Forrest is also a long-standing fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, but the toughest and most rewarding job he's ever done is raising kids. [top]