Judging Panel

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.

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.

An experienced leader-led transformational change safety professional. Experience in the oil & gas, retail, manufacturing, transport and supply chain businesses. An enthusiastic advocate of Safety, Injury, Well-being, and Environmentally Sustainable safety management. Dedicated to developing and embedding operational safety and injury management systems with a revolutionary safety approach, focused on building vital Safety & Injury professionals, coaching and mentoring functional leaders and ensuring proactive and continuous improvement of HSSE strategies across multiple locations/facilities. Experienced in developing strategic direction for large and multi-location businesses – bringing innovative thinking determined by a risk-based approach, with strong governance and assurance practices.

With over 25 years’ experience in WHS, injury management, and workplace conflict resolution, Gina Nardone brings a wealth of legal, strategic, and hands-on consulting expertise to her role as a judge for the National Safety Awards.  As founder of PeopleVision and Commissioner for the South Australian Employment Tribunal, Gina understands the operational and cultural challenges facing businesses. She is passionate about recognising practical, innovative safety initiatives that deliver measurable, lasting impact—especially for self-insured and high-risk employers

Dr Natalie Flatt Ph.D is a Psychologist and co-founder of Connect Psych Services. Natalie is from a psychology management background and her passion lies in early identification and intervention.  After witnessing firsthand, the reduction in the mental health status of professionals, Natalie moved into corporate wellness to create an innovative solution in Connect Psych, to support employees, leaders, and teams from all industries and to highlight the importance of self-care, stress management, and communication.

Natalie creates and conducts awareness sessions, has spoken on a number of podcasts, as well as being regularly invited to sit on industry panels and present as a keynote speaker across a wide range of industries. Natalie enjoys working with teams to find solutions to mitigate the impact of absenteeism and presenteeism. Her passion also lies in research around health tech efficacy; working with academics to investigate qualitative and quantitative experiences and outcomes of the Connect Psych user

Kim is the Chief Health & Safety Officer at The University of Sydney. She is a highly experienced people leader, having held senior roles in large, complex organisations across safety & wellbeing, legal and operational disciplines. Kim’s approach to the development and execution of an effective, best in class safety & wellbeing strategy is grounded in creating an environment of care and connection. She delivers significant transformation outcomes through an authentic and transparent leadership approach and genuine partnership with internal & external stakeholders.

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

Natalee Johnston is the director of Skilful Decisions, a consulting company that focuses on education of human interactions and performance to enhance safety. Natalee’s expertise in understanding human factors and the influence of organisational culture stems from her 20plus years military service as a helicopter pilot instructor and safety specialist. Natalee is a member of the TOLL ACE Training Centre Human Factors team developing and delivering human factors courses for TOLL’s HEMS and AVN capability. She is passionate about safety and education, with a Masters in Business, Post grad certificate in Accident Investigation and Diplomas in Quality Auditing and WHS.

Rod Maule brings over two decades of transformational safety leadership experience across Australia’s most complex operating environments. From his recent role as General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing at Australia Post to executive safety positions across logistics, public transport, healthcare, and manufacturing, Rod has consistently delivered sustainable safety performance improvements through cultural transformation and capability building.

As a Strategic Advisory and Safety Executive Consultant with The Safe Step, Rod helps organisations navigate the evolving safety landscape. His unique blend of operational and strategic experience, combined with his current role as a director of the Australian Institute of Safety, gives him valuable insight into both emerging challenges and practical solutions.

Rod’s commitment to advancing the safety profession is demonstrated through his extensive industry leadership roles. As a current director of the Australian Institute of Safety, he helps shape the future of safety in Australia. His expertise is regularly sought after, contributing to authoritative industry publications including key chapters of the Body of Knowledge project on Safety Culture, Risk and Manual Handling. Rod has served as a judge for the National Safety Council of Australia annual safety awards since 2019 and is a respected speaker at major industry conferences, including the World Safety Congress 2023 where he shared insights on technology and innovation in safety.

His governance experience includes advisory roles to multiple boards, including Vision Australia and Harbour City Ferries, bringing a depth of understanding to safety oversight at the highest organisational levels. This combination of strategic insight and practical experience allows him to bridge the gap between governance requirements and operational reality.

Marian, a dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience in Health and Wellbeing, is renowned across Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, she received the National Safety Council award for the Best Wellbeing Program. Specialising in Health, Mental Health, and Injury Prevention, Marian designs bespoke programs for major organisations in Energy, Manufacturing, Healthcare, and more. As a mentor and speaker at wellbeing conferences, she shares strategic frameworks and solutions. Marian’s leadership, shaped by personal challenges, inspires resilience. Holding a Bachelor’s in Human Movement and diverse qualifications, she is dedicated to fostering high-performing teams and empowering individuals to thrive.

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.