Keynotes and firesides
High-profile speakers translate market shifts into practical thinking for operators and founders.
Speakers
Focused sessions for the decisions small businesses make every week.
SmallBiz Sessions feature keynote speeches, industry panels, and fireside chats across the core pillars of running and growing a business.
29-30 July 2026MCEC Melbourne
Panel discussions
Panels bring together specialists across policy, money, technology, operations, and growth.
Workshop-ready topics
Sessions are built for practical advice, not abstract inspiration.
Speaker archive
Previous speakers and companies users can recognise before they register.
The current program builds on previous SmallBiz speaker cohorts across finance, cyber, marketing, hiring, technology, and city business support.
- AI, automation, and digital efficiency
- EOFY, smart money management, and growth capital
- Cybersecurity, data protection, and business continuity
- Marketing, customer growth, and brand positioning
- Leadership, hiring, compliance, and operational resilience
56
Profiles
37
Companies
2025-2024
Years
Showing 56 of 56 profiles
Official SmallBiz Sessions archive
2025Alison Newman
Director of Development
Cloudstaff
- Focus
- People programs and offshore team development
Strategic HR and development leader with global experience designing people programs that improve engagement, productivity, and business outcomes.
PeopleTrainingOutsourcing
2025Andy Pudmenzky
APAC Customer Marketing Manager
Constant Contact
- Focus
- Customer marketing for side hustlers and small businesses
Technology marketer and early web builder who helps founders and small business owners turn digital channels into practical customer growth.
Email marketingDigitalCustomer growth
2025Benny Balaaji
Sales Director
Zoho
- Focus
- CRM growth for small businesses and startups
SaaS sales and customer-experience leader with more than 15 years helping customers adopt practical CRM and business software.
CRMSaaSSales
2025Bianca Blades
APAC Field Marketing Manager
Constant Contact
- Focus
- Simpler marketing systems for creators and owners
Field marketing lead with communications experience across fashion, travel, and technology, focused on making marketing easier to execute.
MarketingCreatorsCommunications
2025Cathy Middleton
Senior Licensing Manager
OneMusic Australia
- Focus
- Music copyright and public performance licensing
Music copyright specialist who advises businesses on public performance licensing and leads teams helping owners understand music-use obligations.
LicensingComplianceMusic
2025Cheyne Jonstone
Co-founder & Co-CEO
Nexigen Digital
- Focus
- Digital infrastructure for Australian businesses
Technology founder who helped grow Nexigen Digital and VentraIP into a major privately owned Australian digital services group.
TechnologyHostingScale
.png)
2025Clint Hong
Host
SmallBiz Sessions
- Focus
- Event hosting and local economic development
Experienced host, MC, and local-government professional working across events, tourism, community services, and small business activation.
HostLocal businessEvents
2025Councillor Andrew Rowse
Councillor
City of Melbourne
- Focus
- Innovation, education, and city economy
Melbourne councillor contributing to innovation, education, city economy, business, and design excellence portfolios.
City economyInnovationPolicy
.png)
2025Councillor Kevin Louey
Councillor
City of Melbourne
- Focus
- City economy and business portfolio leadership
Business, government, and community leader with long experience in Melbourne civic work and the City Economy and Business portfolio.
City economyBusinessCivic
.png)
2025Crystal Benson
Founder & CEO
Booked Solid AI
- Focus
- AI-enabled booking and customer engagement
Growth strategist combining marketing, sales, and AI automation to improve customer engagement and operational follow-through.
AIAutomationSales
2025Damon Jasinski
Presales Engineer
Zoho
- Focus
- CRM demonstrations and business workflow fit
Presales engineer translating business requirements into CRM demonstrations, workflow advice, and software adoption support.
CRMPresalesWorkflow
2025Elise Balsillie
VP Revenue ANZ
Thryv
- Focus
- Small business revenue and digital tools
Revenue leader with deep experience across media, education, and technology, helping small businesses grow through practical digital systems.
RevenueDigital toolsSMB
.png)
2025Elizabeta Galevska
Manager Dispute Resolution
Victorian Small Business Commission
- Focus
- Small business dispute resolution
Dispute resolution leader supporting low-cost mediation, awareness of rights and responsibilities, and fairer commercial relationships.
DisputesMediationGovernment
2025Gabe Enslin
Continuity Founder and Leader
adapt
- Focus
- Business continuity and resilient SME operating models
Founder helping SME owners build resilient, sustainable, and scalable businesses after leading ventures across logistics, trade, and immersive technology.
ResilienceContinuitySME
2025Gavin Diamond
VP of ANZ
Box
- Focus
- Cloud content and collaboration for business teams
ANZ leader for Box, representing secure content collaboration and document workflows for modern teams.
CloudCollaborationDocuments
2025Irwin Hau
Founder
ConversionCow and Chromatix
- Focus
- Website conversion and lead enhancement
Founder of ConversionCow and Chromatix, known for practical website analysis and conversion-focused design for B2B businesses.
WebConversionUX
2025Jack Stewart
Presales Engineer
Zoho
- Focus
- Business automation and software requirements
Presales engineer who maps business requirements into tailored software features, demonstrations, and automation options.
AutomationZohoPresales
2025Joel McKay
Assistant Director - Procurement Capability Branch
Department of Finance
- Focus
- Government procurement capability
Public-sector procurement specialist with experience across policy, trade, whole-of-government contracts, and supplier capability programs.
ProcurementGovernmentCapability
2025Julie-Anne Whitfield
Workplace Engagement Manager
R U OK?
- Focus
- Workplace mental health engagement
Workplace engagement lead building strategies and resources that help employers create more effective wellbeing conversations at work.
WorkplaceWellbeingLeadership
.png)
2025Kate Dillema
Chatbot Program Director
Booked Solid AI
- Focus
- AI chat strategy and customer conversations
Chatbot program leader shaping intelligent conversation flows that improve user experience and streamline customer communication.
AIChatbotsCX
2025Kate Jolly
Global Head of Talent
Employment Hero
- Focus
- High-velocity hiring and talent acquisition
Talent acquisition leader with global hiring experience across startups and large businesses, focused on high-performing recruitment teams.
HiringTalentPeople
2025Keeley Pasfield
Assistant Director, Public Education
IP Australia
- Focus
- Intellectual property education for small business
Public education lead with small-business experience who helps owners understand intellectual property and protect business ideas.
IPEducationSmall business
.png)
2025Kelsie Gaffey
Owner
Gracie's Wine Room
- Focus
- Hospitality entrepreneurship and social storytelling
Hospitality founder who used an authentic social-media launch story to build early recognition for an inner-south Melbourne wine bar.
HospitalitySocial mediaFounder
2025Kiril Shaginov
Co-Founder
Mörk Chocolate
- Focus
- Specialty food retail and product-led growth
Specialty chocolate co-founder representing product-led hospitality, retail craft, and the realities of growing a distinctive local brand.
RetailHospitalityBrand
2025Lyndon Russell
FIPA FFA Principal
Next Level Accountants
- Focus
- Financial clarity for profitable small business
Accountant, virtual CFO, and author helping owners understand their numbers and build more profitable, sustainable businesses.
AccountingFinancePlanning
2025Marek Drummond
Managing Director
Optimus Systems
- Focus
- IT, cybersecurity, and cloud support for SMBs
IT founder with more than 25 years delivering cybersecurity, cloud management, and consulting solutions for small and medium businesses.
ITCybersecurityCloud
2025Matt Ford
National IKEA for Business Specialist
IKEA Australia
- Focus
- Furniture and workspace solutions for business
Business specialist supporting IKEA's Australian commercial service, with experience growing practical workspace and furnishing solutions.
WorkspaceRetailBusiness services
2025Max Ferguson
Founder & CEO
Lumin
- Focus
- Document workflow, eSignatures, and AI products
Founder leading a document workflow platform used by millions of customers, spanning editing, eSignatures, APIs, and AI-powered tools.
DocumentsWorkflowAI
.png)
2025Megan Forbes
Assistant Director, Business Industry and Regional Outreach Victoria/Tasmania
Department of Home Affairs
- Focus
- Migration pathways and workforce information
Outreach officer helping business, industry, and regional stakeholders understand visa pathways when local workers are unavailable.
MigrationWorkforceGovernment
2025Michael Price
Head of Business & Strategy
Nexigen Digital
- Focus
- Customer experience, service management, and strategy
Business strategy leader with experience in customer experience, employee engagement, service management, and reporting analytics.
StrategyCXDigital services
2025Paul Dove
Senior Vice President of Sales APAC
Cloudstaff
- Focus
- Outsourcing, operations, and global team growth
Sales leader with experience across outsourcing, financial services, global team management, venture capital, and M&A initiatives.
SalesOutsourcingAPAC
2025Paul Maguire
Principal
Maguire Legal
- Focus
- Employment, workplace relations, and commercial law
Melbourne lawyer advising small businesses, industry associations, and employers on workplace relations and commercial legal issues.
LegalEmploymentCompliance
.png)
2025Rakesh Prabhakar
General Manager ANZ
Zoho
- Focus
- Regional SaaS growth and business operations
Zoho ANZ leader who moved from technical consulting into business operations and regional growth across the Australian and New Zealand market.
SaaSOperationsLeadership
2025Renée Chaplin
Vice President - Asia Pacific
Constant Contact
- Focus
- APAC SaaS marketing and commercial growth
Marketing and commercial leader with two decades across APAC B2B technology companies, from startups to multinational SaaS organisations.
SaaSMarketingAPAC
.png)
2025Salina Chu
Patent Examiner for Medical Devices & Senior Advisor, Public Education and Awareness
IP Australia
- Focus
- Patent education and customer awareness
Medical-device patent examiner and public education advisor helping customers understand intellectual property, backed by biomedical engineering and science training.
PatentsIPEducation
2025Samuel Panther
Pre-sales Engineer
Zoho
- Focus
- Customer experience software and solution fit
Pre-sales engineer helping businesses align customer-experience goals with Zoho software through demos, consultation, and practical solution design.
CXZohoPresales
AT
2024Adrian Towsey
AVP Small Business A/NZ
Salesforce
- Focus
- Small business CRM and customer platforms
Featured in the 2024 archive as Salesforce's A/NZ small business leader, representing CRM and sales platform expertise.
CRMSalesPlatforms
BC
2024Ben Campbell
Director - Advertising & Data Products
Nine Ad Manager
- Focus
- Advertising data products
Featured in the 2024 archive as Nine Ad Manager advertising and data products director, representing media data for growth campaigns.
AdvertisingDataMedia
CS
2024Carl Solder
CTO
Cisco
- Focus
- Technology architecture and secure networks
Featured in the 2024 archive as Cisco CTO, representing technology strategy, networking, and security infrastructure.
TechnologyNetworksSecurity
CV
2024Corien Vermaak
Director of Cybersecurity
Cisco
- Focus
- Business cybersecurity
Featured in the 2024 archive as Cisco cybersecurity director, representing practical cyber protection for business teams.
CybersecurityNetworksRisk
NR
2024Cr Nicholas Reece
Deputy Lord Mayor
City of Melbourne
- Focus
- Melbourne civic leadership and small business policy
Featured in the 2024 archive as City of Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor, representing local government and city business leadership.
City economyGovernmentMelbourne
DW
2024David Walsh
Head of Digital, CX & Marketing
pay.com.au
- Focus
- Payments, customer experience, and marketing
Featured in the 2024 archive as pay.com.au digital, CX, and marketing leader, representing payment-led business growth.
PaymentsCXMarketing
EJ
2024Emma Jensen
Vice President for Small Business
Optus
- Focus
- Telecommunications for small businesses
Featured in the 2024 archive as Optus small business vice president, representing connectivity and communications for SMEs.
TelecomConnectivitySME
GS
2024Gary Smith
CEO
BioPak
- Focus
- Sustainable packaging and business leadership
Featured in the 2024 archive as BioPak CEO, representing sustainability-led product businesses and responsible growth.
SustainabilityPackagingLeadership
KT
2024Katreena Tyson
General Manager of Marketing (Business Bank and IB&M)
CommBank
- Focus
- Business banking marketing
Featured in the 2024 archive as CommBank business marketing leader, representing customer engagement across banking services.
MarketingBankingBusiness
KS
2024Kelly Sabo
Segment Leader: Small & Medium Business and Commercial Mid Market, Cisco ANZ
Cisco
- Focus
- SMB and mid-market technology
Featured in the 2024 archive as Cisco ANZ segment leader, representing small, medium, and commercial mid-market technology needs.
SMBTechnologyCisco
MM
2024Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness
National Cyber Security Coordinator
National Office of Cyber Security
- Focus
- National cyber security coordination
Featured in the 2024 archive for national cyber leadership, representing the Australian Government's cyber coordination work.
CybersecurityGovernmentRisk
LC
2024Lisa Cohen
Director Public Education
IP Australia
- Focus
- Public education on intellectual property
Featured in the 2024 archive as IP Australia's public education director, representing IP literacy for founders and business owners.
IPEducationGovernment
LM
2024Lynda McAlary-Smith
Commissioner
Victorian Small Business Commission
- Focus
- Small business advocacy and fair trading
Featured in the 2024 archive as Victorian Small Business Commissioner, representing dispute support and fairer business relationships.
AdvocacyDisputesGovernment
MC
2024Mark Cochrane-Holley
Director, Invest Melbourne
City of Melbourne
- Focus
- Investment attraction and Melbourne business growth
Featured in the 2024 archive for Invest Melbourne, representing city investment, growth, and business development.
InvestmentMelbourneGrowth
MG
2024Mark Gorrie
Vice President APAC & MEA
Gen
- Focus
- Consumer cyber safety across APAC and MEA
Featured in the 2024 archive as Gen regional vice president, representing online safety and cybersecurity products.
CybersecurityAPACSafety
NC
2024Nick Clare
General Manager of Product and Insights
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Focus
- Business product insights and chamber support
Featured in the 2024 archive for Victorian Chamber product and insights leadership, representing employer and business support.
InsightsChamberBusiness
AN
2024Prof. Andrew Noblet
Professor, Department of Management
Deakin Business School
- Focus
- Management research and workplace performance
Featured in the 2024 archive as a Deakin Business School management professor, representing evidence-based leadership and workplace insight.
ManagementResearchLeadership
RW
2024Rebecca Warren
Executive General Manager, Small Business Banking
CommBank
- Focus
- Small business banking
Featured in the 2024 archive as CommBank's small business banking executive, representing finance and banking support for SMEs.
BankingFinanceSME
TG
2024Tegan Gilchrist
Project Director
Cyber Wardens
- Focus
- Cyber safety education for small business
Featured in the 2024 archive as Cyber Wardens project director, representing cyber awareness and education for small business teams.
CybersecurityEducationSME
TF
2024Todd Fisher
Head of Nine Ad Manager
Nine Ad Manager
- Focus
- Self-serve advertising for business growth
Featured in the 2024 archive as head of Nine Ad Manager, representing advertising products for customer acquisition.
AdvertisingMediaGrowth
Source boards
Original 2024 speaker boards
The tile cards above make the archive easier to browse, with the original source boards retained for context.
Program
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SmallBiz Melbourne 2026
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