Born and bred in wild Patagonia, Gus Balbontin never allowed his small town and humble beginnings get in the way of his big dreams. A healthy disrespect for authority and a severe case of fomo (fear of missing out) landed him in Australia at the young age of 17.
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By the age of 22 he had dropped out of uni, hitchhiked South America, set up his first business and landed his dream job at Lonely Planet. Fast forward a few more years and he was leading the company globally, working with companies such as Google X, Nokia and Amazon on the latest technology, creative cultures and high performing teams.
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Seeking a change from corporate life, he hung up his boots as the Executive Director and CTO of Lonely Planet and decided to move back to his entrepreneurial roots, becoming an investor, founder and mentor across the start-up ecosystem in Melbourne. He loves sharing a story, he loves even more, knowing those stories make a difference to people, helping them in their own business and life.
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Over the last 3 years Gus has presented to audiences of 10 across regional Australia and New Zealand, to audiences of 10,000 across North America, Europe, South America and Asia. To him there’s no difference. Small, large, private, public, board room to mail room, his lessons hit a chord, his simplicity disarms you, his energy infects you and his counterintuitive way of looking at the world will motivate you to do things different.
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Often thought as futurist, not because he predicts the future, but instead because he helps you focus on what you can control to deal with any future. Still want to talk trends? Sure! He loves as much as the next person trying to imagine a world run by AI, but he warns that getting too distracted with future guesses will only take time away from you and your company to actually do something about the future.
Grant Dusting is a social researcher and the Director of Strategy at the internationally recognised McCrindle.
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With a background in public policy, community engagement and boardroom experience in the NFP sector, Grant is experienced at advising organisations on how to respond strategically to current and future trends.
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Grant brings a wealth of research experience to his engaging presentations and consulting. He loves providing data-led insights so decisions can be made with wisdom and stories told with clarity.
MATES provides suicide prevention through community development programs on sites, and by supporting workers in need through case management and a 24/7 help line. We serve the construction industry in Queensland and Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, the Energy industry in Queensland and New South Wales, and nationally to the Mining industry.
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MATES was established in response to a major report on suicide (the ‘AISRAP Report’) within the Queensland Commercial Building and Construction Industry. This report found that suicide rates in the industry were higher than the Australian average for men, and that youth suicide within the industry could be as much as 2.38 times more common than among other young Australian men.
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The MATES program is based on the simple idea that suicide is everyone’s business. If the building and construction industry in Australia is to improve the mental health and well-being of workers and reduce suicide, then it cannot be left to mental health professionals:
everyone in the industry must play their part.
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Working for the construction industry in general, MATES is independent of employers and unions and never works directly for an employer. Programs are delivered across the industry regardless of employer or union affiliation.
Johnny is an experienced Legal Practitioner specialising in Workplace Relations law. He has more than 30 years of legal experience in different jurisdictions. and holds a Law Degree and a Graduate Diploma in Labour Law and was a partner in a law firm in South Africa before moving to WA.
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He was admitted as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of WA in 1999 and worked in private practice in Perth for about 3 years and served as Workplace Relations lawyer and In-house Counsel for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA for 11 years.
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Johnny has a pragmatic approach with a proven track record in giving legal advice and practical guidance on employers’ legal responsibilities in relation to industrial laws. He joined ECA Legal as Legal Practice Director on 1 July 2013.
With over 20 years of experience in safety, and 11 years in management roles, Matthew Blampey is a seasoned expert in driving safety excellence across some of Australia’s largest industrial and resource projects. His career spans industries including electrical, instrumentational, commissioning, mechanical, communications, construction, mining, and renewables; with high-profile projects such as the Boddington Gold Mine, Woodside LNG (Phase V & Pluto I), Hope Downs 4 Iron Ore Mine, Gudai-Darri (Koodaideri) Sun Metals, Greenough & Haughton River Solar Farms, Tianqi Lithium and the Kemerton Lithium Project.
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Matthew specialises in HSEQ management systems, ISO standards, and risk management, with a strong focus on ensuring safety compliance, conducting audits, and delivering effective training programs. Known for his hands-on approach and commitment to quality, Matthew has successfully led safety initiatives on multi-million-dollar projects, making him a trusted leader in workplace safety, rehabilitation & injury management.
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