OUR PROGRAM

Enter the Sofitel Foyer, register for the day, and grab yourself a freshly made barista coffee, proudly sponsored by Hall & Wilcox Lawyers 

Sam Riches has been a prominent figure in the Australian event industry for over 10 years, building a career as a highly respected event presenter and MC. She has worked on numerous high-profile events and continues to bring energy, professionalism, and engagement to every occasion. Known for her dynamic style and engaging presence, Sam will guide us through the day’s sessions at the Self Insurers Conference 2025.

Kylie Gould has recently returned to WorkSafe Victoria as the Head of Partners & Providers within the RTW Business Unit after serving as the Director of the Service Delivery Business Unit from 2005-2009. 

Kylie brings over 25 years’ experience in the Personal Injury Insurance Industry across public and private organisations. Known for her results-driven approach, Kylie has successfully co-designed and implemented impactful initiatives in various capacities, including roles within insurers, regulators and providers. Throughout her career, Kylie has consistently focused on driving financial sustainability while protecting and improving the client experience. Her passion for personal injury and commitment to positively impacting the lives of injured Australians has earned her a respected reputation in the industry.

Danielle Casamento is an actuary and Principal at Finity Consulting, Australia’s largest independent actuarial and analytics firm. She leads Finity’s self-insurance and corporate practice, providing strategic and actuarial advice to organisations on managing retained claims risk, conducting insurance reviews, and exploring alternative risk transfer options like self-insurance and discretionary mutual funds.

With extensive experience in workers' compensation, Danielle serves as the primary actuary for several self-insurers in Victoria and across Australia. She has helped many self-insurers assess the financial and other benefits of self-insurance. Danielle is passionate about leveraging actuarial skills and data analytics to drive social impact.

Our Keynoye Speaker. 

Seventeen years ago, a phone call changed Darren Flanagan's life forever. Summoned to the Beaconsfield gold mine collapse, he operated over 70 explosives in a continuous 30-hour stretch deep underground, helping rescue two men trapped nearly 1 km below the surface.

The impact of this experience ran deeper than initially realised. Today, Darren speaks extensively to organisations of all sizes, sharing his journey of pain, trauma, hope, and resilience. His story has taught him that conversations about these challenges can transform workplaces and organisations, proving that we have the power to spark dialogues and drive impactful change.

As a motivational speaker who covers topics including Workplace Safety, Risk Management, Mental Health, Leadership and Teamwork, Darren’s mission is to empower teams through transformative lessons built upon the foundation of the Beaconsfield mining disaster.

Enter Sofi's Lounge to enjoy Morning Tea, visit the Exhibitor Booths, and grab yourself a freshly made barista coffee, proudly sponsored by Hall & Wilcox Lawyers 

“Advancing a Biopsychosocial Approach to Claims Management and Future Opportunities”

 
Dr Faye Forbes, PhD is a Research Fellow at ISCRR with a PhD in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology from Monash University. She has extensive experience in psychology and public health research, with a strong focus on program evaluation across the government, non-government, and private sectors. Her expertise spans qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in evaluating mental health and workers' compensation programs.

She has managed large-scale evaluations that address mental health, occupational rehabilitation, and psychosocial risk factors, ensuring that policy and decision-makers have an informed and empathetic understanding of the people, contexts, and challenges their programs seek to address. Her research informs best practices and contributes to improving claims management and return-to-work outcomes for individuals with mental injury.

She currently leads the evaluation of the Federal Self Insurance, EML (Employee Mutual Limited) Biopsychosocial Profiling Tool.

Ally Palombi, Acting Operations Manager - Federal Self Insurance, EML

With over 13 years’ experience in personal injury insurance, Ally progressed her career within Suncorp and held a range of roles from Senior Case Manager to Technical Advisor and Team Leader. She joined ZEML in November 2018 as a Team Manager, managing several case managers that were accountable for a complex portfolio of claims with a diverse workforce within ACT Government, including the emergency services agencies.

Ally currently holds the position of Claims Operations Manaher, responsible for the operations of the Federal Self Insurance business, and prior to this held the position of Senior Manager of Performance & Assurance, responsible for the monitoring, reporting and direction of portfolio strategies. Ally’s experience in case management and operational leadership translates to a strong skill base to identify and drive portfolio initiatives on claim cohorts to deliver improved liability outcomes.

Ally has strong project management and analytic skills along with a progressive and inclusive leadership style that drives a high performing and motivated team. Ally is passionate about building strong stakeholder relationships. This is accomplished by putting the client and customer first to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

Ally holds a Cert IV in General Insurance.

Mike Hagan is a highly experienced Human Resources, Health, Safety, and Wellbeing consultant with nearly 30 years of expertise in helping organisations strategically manage workplace risks that affect health, wellbeing, engagement, and productivity.

Throughout his diverse career, Mike has held various roles, from fitter and turner, to Health and Safety Representative (HSR) and union representative, plant operations manager, and safety manager at a nuclear waste facility. Most notably, he spent over 12 years as the HR/HSE General Manager for the global German multinational, Bosch. This wide-ranging experience has provided him with valuable insights into workplace mental health across various industries, both in Australia and internationally.

Join us for an insightful panel discussion on the transformative impact of AI across various industries. Our esteemed panelists will share their expert perspectives on how AI is reshaping the landscape of business and technology.

Panelists:

• Scott Newlan, TG Legal & Technology
• Andrew Stevens, CEO of Mantalus
• Kate Ward, EML
• Dr. Michael Neary, DXC Technology

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from the experts and engage in a thought-provoking conversation about the future of AI and claims management.

In this session, Rod will discuss the value of adopting a holistic approach to employee health through integrating Injury Prevention, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Human Performance, and Workforce Longevity. Rod will explore how combining these elements into a unified strategy, rather than relying on isolated solutions, can create a clearer, more accurate understanding of health and boost resilience, productivity, and long-term workforce sustainability.

Axis delivers early intervention workplace healthcare through Premium Care, a dedicated hotline triage service, along with onsite physiotherapy and psychology support for Australia's and New Zealand’s top 500 public and private companies.

David is a specialist physiotherapist, lecturer, and expert witness, bringing extensive expertise to his field.

Rae Bonney OAM is a renowned Australian workplace mental health specialist, qualified counsellor, and advocate for men's health. She was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2025 for her significant contributions to mental health and men’s health, with a particular focus on creating environments that support psychologically safe spaces.

Rae collaborates closely with businesses to inspire cultures of care, inclusivity, and open communication, where people feel safe and equipped to manage life challenges and barriers to living. Her expertise in crisis and trauma management is unique and intentioned to hold space in a respectful, collaborative and compassionate manner.

She also holds key roles with the Australian Men’s Health Forum and Global Action on Men’s Health, advocating for systemic changes to support men's and boys' health globally and locally.

Enter Sofi's Lounge for afternoon Tea and grab yourself a freshly made barista coffee, proudly sponsored by Hall & Wilcox Lawyers 

Anna is a renowned international speaker, author, trainer, and workplace mental health consultant, celebrated for her expertise in psychosocial health & safety, leadership development, injury management, and best practices in workplace mental health. Recognised as a Global Top 10 Health and Safety Influencer in 2020 and voted LinkedIn Top Voice for Workplace Mental Health in 2022, Anna brings over 20 years of industry experience to her work.

Anna is dedicated towards empowering employers to embrace Psychological Safety and works closely with organisations to sustainably implement Psychosocial Risk management practices for improved overall workplace health and business prosperity. She specialises in guiding Australian businesses from uncertainty and apprehension to confidence and proactivity in navigating their Psychosocial Legislative obligations through human centric and evidence informed consulting, training and strategic planning.

Anna will invite the following panellists to the stage to share their thoughts and views on the evolution of Work Pressure. How the way we work has changed and what we will expect in the future. 

1.  Associate Professor Abdul Khalid, a Consultant Psychiatrist 
2. James Johnson, National Practice Group Leader, Sparke Helmore Lawyers
3. Andrew Smith, Director of Personal Injury, HAYLO People
4. Kylie Gould, Head of Partners & Providers, RTW Victoria

Mary Coustas has entertained and inspired top corporate, financial, political, sporting and cultural communities for over 3 decades. Her experience, warmth and humour has kept her in huge demand. 

Mary’s performing career and personal challenges have cemented her in the eye of the public as an authentic and admired agent of change. Whether the issue is race, diversity, gender, class, leadership, motherhood or politics, Mary can tackle life’s difficult, complicated issues in an illuminating and motivational way.

Her special gift is seeing possibility in everything and everyone. Her ability to articulate in an impactful, funny and memorable way is what sets Mary apart.

Join us for our Networking & Drinks Function at the end of the day! All conference attendees will receive a complimentary ticket and are encouraged to attend. This relaxed cocktail party offers the perfect opportunity to unwind, mingle, and connect with key professionals and industry stakeholders.

Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Event Format: Cocktail Party
Location: Atrium Bar, Level 35, Sofitel Melbourne

Don’t miss this chance to build meaningful relationships and discuss the day’s insights in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere!

Proudly sponsored by 

John is a Human Factors specialist, OHS professional with extensive experience in developing and managing safety, environment and rehabilitation programs across a broad hazard and industry spectrum.  John is currently the Safety Systems and Compliance Lead for WorkSafe Victoria who reinvigorated WorkSafes internal OHS Systems to become the first Government Agency to be certified to ISO45001.    Johns’ area of expertise is OHS management systems development which includes evidence-based frameworks for reporting and assurance of safety and has a specific interest in the management of psychosocial risk.

Darrin is a registered psychologist with extensive experience providing clinical and organisational psychological support services to workplaces. As Director of PeopleSense since 2002, Darrin has developed and delivered programs providing psychological assessment (medico-legal), psychological support services, vocational rehabilitation, organisational consultancy and training-related services to a wide range of organisations. Darrin enjoys applying his experience managing complex cases of both a physical and psychological nature and supporting individuals and organisations through workplace rehabilitation case management, where he has experience within both WorkCover WA and Comcare schemes.

Enter Sofi's Lounge and enjoy lunch. Take the opportunity to network and visit the Exhibitor Booths.

Grab yourself a freshly made barista coffee, proudly sponsored by Hall & Wilcox Lawyers 

Nick is the Executive General Manager for Cogent Thinking, a leading provider of workplace health services. Nick has over 10 years’ experience working within and alongside the health sector including clinical practice, workplace health, technology, payments and disability employment. He is passionate about the design and delivery of integrated healthcare models.

Brianna oversees workers' compensation, CTP, NDIS, and personal injury lines. A registered Senior Occupational Therapist with qualifications in psychology and behavioural neuroscience, she has extensive experience in mental health service provision, occupational rehabilitation, and complex claims management.

Brianna leads initiatives to improve workplace safety, return-to-work outcomes, and recovery strategies. She advocates for Occupational Therapists in mental health and rehabilitation, serving as a committee member with OT Australia, and lecturing at Swinburne and La Trobe University. Brianna is also an expert advisory board member for SuperFriend, a leading workplace mental health agency.