We are extremely lucky to have eight highly experienced judges that form our judging panel. Coming from varied backgrounds and industries the judges view each nomination with an open mind and score them based on the information provided. Michael Charman leads our judging panel and has done so since 2018.
Michael is the Chair of our judging panel and has worked in the WHS&E industry for over 30 years. Having originally trained as an aircraft mechanic he saw the challenges in applying safe work procedures into daily operations, and was compelled to try and make a difference.
He spent the next 12 years as an Environmental Health and Safety Officer for the RAAF, overseeing all facets of safe work and environmental compliance across several large air force bases both in Australia and overseas. He then went on to hold senior positions with Sydney Airport, the NSCA, CSIRO and Suncorp among others as he continued his career in assisting organisations to implement best practice safety and environmental management systems across their operations.
Today he operates his own consultancy business where he continues to assist organisations to undertake a safety improvement journey.
Christian is the Group Executive for SHEQ at Ventia. He is an experienced people, risk, HSE and workers’ compensation leader having worked in large, complex organisations and high-reliability environments. His experience includes establishing and leading a function in a start-up environment, leading a large functional transformation, integration and consulting. Christian prides himself on improving safety and health performance through simplification, improved capability and leadership engagement.
David began his career at Australian Iron and Steel and studied science at the University of Wollongong. After graduating with an honours degree, David worked in various fields of applied chemistry, before completing his Masters of Business Administration.
During his time in line management, David participated in the extraordinary turnaround in safety culture at the Port Kembla Steelworks: going from an organisation where tragedy was seen as an unavoidable consequence of a hazardous industry, to becoming, arguably, the safest steel plant in the world.
Subsequently, David changed career paths to become Health and Safety Manager for BlueScope Illawarra before leaving to form Sequence Consulting, a consultancy specialising in developing safety management systems, processes and leadership capability that supports contemporary safety thinking.
Elizabeth started her career as a Chemical Engineer at BHP Steelworks in Port Kembla NSW, before moving into a role in the safety team six years later. She then went on to lead the safety function in a range of high risk industries including the privately owned mining company, Sibelco, GrainCorp, construction companies Leighton Holdings and LendLease Australia, and FMCG organisation, Goodman Fielder. She recently spent three years as a Director for the safety regulator, SafeWork NSW, before returning to private industry, where she now leads the safety and risk function for InvoCare.
Dr Marilyn Hubner is the Managing Director of BuildUp Research and Interactive Training Services who partner with SME’s and growing organisations to develop and manage their educational and training systems. After spending more than a decade consulting in training, adult education and safety for large and small organisations across construction, manufacturing, service and utilities industries, Marilyn knows what truly drives effective training and safety performance —and it’s not ticking the legislative compliance box. It’s how well you connect with the heart-beating people you’re trying to educate and communicate your understanding back to them.
A big believer in providing relevant training opportunities Marilyn encourages organisations to strategically plan training interventions so as to provide for and capture real-time educational needs. Marilyn has designed, developed and delivered training programs across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and has spoken at international conferences in the USA, Germany, Canada, Korea and other Asia Pacific Nations. Her passion for improving workplace training and safety behaviour drives her to excel at every opportunity. In addition to her extensive adult education and training experience, Marilyn is a qualified safety professional with experience in safety systems development, auditing and inspections.
Drawing on her experience in adult education and safety, Marilyn now focuses on designing, developing and evaluating workplace training systems that encompass a holistic organisational approach.
Marilyn holds a Masters in Adult Education from Victoria University, Advanced Diploma of Work Health and Safety from Swinburne University and completed a PhD on the effectiveness of safety training within the Construction Industry in 2017.
To contact Marilyn please email Marilyn@buildupresearch.com.au or phone on +61 (0) 457 777 748
Michael is the Manager for Risk Management Solutions for GIO Workers Compensation who has an extensive background consulting with a variety of industries including mining, transport, construction, healthcare and manufacturing, resulting in a broad understanding of safety issues that arise within such industries. Holding a Masters in Health & Safety and various professional qualifications, Michael has a strong understanding of various scheme and occupational risk requirements across Australia having worked in the industry for over 20 years.
Rod is a General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing at Australia Post and has worked as the Head of Safety in several organisations covering a range of industries from Public Transport, Food Manufacturing, Health, Waste Management, Oil and Gas. Rod helps transform organisational cultures and capability that delivers tangible and sustainable safety performance. Rod started his career in general business roles before embracing the opportunity to impact people’s lives through a safety career.
Shane is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Moving Mindz, a company he co-founded in 2019. He brings a wealth of mental health analytics and scientific rigor to the organisation, setting it apart from others. He has authored one of the largest scientific papers in the mental health space, with several others on track to be released in 2021. With strong industry experience Shane works with leading Australian and international organisations to measure, evaluate and benchmark mental health and wellbeing. Shane is extremely passionate about making change in this space. He was the original co-founder of the Global Corporate Challenge.