SPEAKERS
Learn from Industry Leaders.
David Macdonald
CPO & Vice-President, Optus
Procurement and cost management leader with 20 years industry and consultancy experience across a variety of sectors.
With a wealth of cost reduction and value improvement experience in many direct and indirect categories, I am totally committed to leading organisations through change to deliver higher value supply solutions. Flexible and results focused, I have an in-depth understanding of Procurement technology, process and organisational design.
Viewing every challenge from the perspective of driving corporate strategy I am considered an excellent communicator and an enthusiastic, delivery-focused leader.
Andy Windsor MCIPS
National Director, Procurement & Supply Chain & Health Technology, Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand
Andy Windsor is a commercial leader with more than 25 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, and general management across the public and private sectors. Since joining Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in 2024, he has served as National Director for Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology Management. Previously, Andy led procurement and supply operations for the UK's NHS Supply Chain, overseeing more than £4.5 billion (NZ$9 billion) in products and services. He has also held senior leadership roles with Kimberly-Clark, including Managing Director for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Regional Procurement Director for EMEA. Andy holds an MBA from Henley Business School, along with business degrees from Lancaster University and ICADE University in Spain.
Kendall Richardson FCIPS
Founder & Director - Mindset Procurement
Kendall Richardson FCIPS GAICD is the Founder and Director of Mindset Procurement, a specialist procurement and commercial consultancy that helps organisations navigate complex sourcing, contract management, supplier relationship management, governance and commercial challenges across Australia.
With more than 18 years' experience spanning government, healthcare, defence, energy and the private sector, Kendall is an experienced procurement executive recognised for delivering strategic procurement outcomes in complex, high-risk and highly regulated environments. She has successfully led and advised on multi-million-dollar procurement projects across goods, services, ICT and infrastructure, supporting organisations to strengthen commercial performance while managing risk and delivering sustainable value.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (FCIPS) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Kendall is also Chair of the CIPS South Australia Branch, Founder of Adelaide Women in Procurement, and a Director of the LGA Procurement Board. She is a passionate advocate for advancing the procurement profession through mentoring, capability development and leadership.
Known for combining strategic thinking with practical, real-world outcomes, Kendall brings a collaborative and engaging approach to procurement. She is passionate about helping organisations build stronger supplier relationships, improve governance, foster innovation and create long-term commercial value in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing procurement landscape.
Chris Hodgson
Director - Propello
Chris Hodgson is a Chartered procurement professional (MCIPS) with 30 years' experience leading major cost transformation programmes across Energy and Natural Resources, Government, Financial Services, FMCG and Technology in the Asia-Pacific region. As Director of Propello Procurement, he specialises in procurement transformation, category strategy and helping organisations unlock the commercial value that traditional supply-side approaches leave behind. A regular PASA contributor, Chris is known for making complex procurement concepts practical and for challenging the assumptions that keep functions operating below their potential.
Damien Sheehy
Global Head of Procurement, Flight Centre Travel
Damien Sheehy leads Flight Centre Travel Group's global procurement function, having spent the past two decades building procurement teams inside some of Australia's most operationally complex businesses — from aviation and waste management to building materials. His career runs through The Star, Winc, Qantas, Veolia, Ventia and Holcim before landing at Flight Centre, where he now leads the global non-travel procurement function.
Damien was runner-up for The Faculty's 2024 CPO of the Year, recognition of a career built less on cost-cutting and more on turning procurement into a genuine commercial lever – from complex vendor negotiations to enterprise-wide contract and risk management. He holds an MBA and a Masters of Logistics from the University of Wollongong.
Derek Myers
CEO - EnergyAction
Derek Myers is CEO of ASX-listed Energy Action and was founder of Beond, a leading UK energy consultancy acquired by eEnergy. He helped establish the Victorian electricity pool, designed key NEM pricing rules, advised on the UK's transition to NETA, and founded PowerEx, the UK wholesale electricity exchange later sold to EPX. Previously working for Accenture and Macquarie Bank. He is currently supporting new data centres sourcing new renewable energy assets.
John David
Procurement Operations & Contracts Manager, Wesfarmers Health
John David is the Procurement Operations & Contracts Manager at Wesfarmers Health, where he leads procurement operations, contract management, supplier governance, and procurement systems across a diverse portfolio of business functions. With extensive experience in strategic sourcing, commercial negotiations, outsourced services management, and business transformation, John has successfully delivered complex procurement initiatives spanning technology, workforce, operations, and enterprise services. He is passionate about leveraging digital innovation and AI to improve procurement outcomes, enhance stakeholder engagement, and drive operational efficiency. Recognised for his pragmatic and forward-thinking approach, John works closely with executive stakeholders and business leaders to align procurement strategy with organisational objectives while delivering sustainable commercial value and managing risk.
Scott Alden
Partner - Mills Oakley Lawyers
Scott has over 25 years of experience advising government clients on major projects, procurement, and commercial transactions. He is recognised as a leading government lawyer, combining legal, procurement, and strategic probity expertise to support complex projects from planning through to delivery. Scott was one of the first Law Society Accredited Specialists in Government and Administrative Law and currently serves as the Law Society of NSW's Head Assessor for Specialist Accreditation in this field. He also lectures in procurement law for the College of Law and the University of Melbourne. His expertise includes contract law, major project documentation, tendering, commercial agreements, and governance, helping organisations navigate complex procurement and contracting processes with confidence.
Kate Russell
Chief Executive Officer, Supply Nation
Kate Russell is a proud Awabakal woman and the Chief Executive Officer of Supply Nation, Australia's leader in supplier diversity. With extensive experience across government, community, and international sectors, she is passionate about creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through inclusive policy, leadership, and organisational change. Before joining Supply Nation in 2023, Kate held senior roles with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the community sector, leading initiatives in Aboriginal employment, leadership development, and people and culture. She also serves as Chair of Diversity Council Australia's Indigenous External Advisory and is a Director of the Committee for Sydney. Kate holds a Bachelor of International Studies, an MBA, and an Executive Master of Public Administration.
Amit Dhingra
Corporate Procurement & Aurizon Business Services Head, Aurizon Holdings Limited
Amit Dhingra is an operations and shared services executive currently leading corporate procurement and Business Services at Aurizon Holdings Limited, Australia's largest rail freight operator. Amit is accountable for both the travel program and category, where he is driving a transformation across policy, process and systems — modernising the technology stack, tightening governance and data quality, and rethinking how the travel program delivers value to the business. He has 26 + years' experience across procurement, Shared Services, and IT Operations , with a focus on strategic transformation, commercial governance, and implementing a tech led operating model in enterprise functions across complex, multi-geography environments.
Melissa Born
International Travel Superintendent, Fortescue
Melissa Born is a corporate travel leader with more than 15 years of experience across the travel industry, having worked on the TMC, airline, hotel, and corporate buyer sides of travel.
As International Travel Manager at Fortescue, Melissa leads the company’s international travel program, with a focus on safe and efficient travel operations, traveller wellbeing, supplier partnerships, risk management, and cost optimisation.
Her diverse background gives her a practical understanding of the challenges and priorities across the entire travel ecosystem. Melissa is passionate about bringing stakeholders and suppliers together to solve complex travel challenges and develop sustainable solutions that balance traveller experience, operational requirements, risk, and commercial outcomes.
Richard Savva
Founder & Principal, Changing Times - Day 2 MC
Led a boutique travel company to become the largest independent travel management company in Australia. After selling to a global company took on the MD APAC role for two years.
Skill set includes mentoring, business coaching, matrix management, supplier negotiations, digital marketing, rebranding, building technology solutions, leading sales team, especially SaaS, client retention, P&L ownership and recognised within the Australian travel trade as a true leader.
Speaker, facilitator and moderator at numerous conferences and round table strategy meetings, including ACTE, btTB and GBTA events.
Experienced and passionate about start-up, marketing and engagement with new business models for technology.
Worked with most industries including financial, legal, telecommunications, charities, universities, retail, technology and manufacturing in large & SME markets.
Honoured to be a judge for Australia Federation of Travel Agents - National Travel Industry Awards
Adam Hughes
CPO – AusNet
Adam Hughes is a senior commercial, procurement and supply chain executive with more than 25 years' experience leading complex infrastructure, energy and transformation programs across Australia and Asia. As Chief Procurement Officer at AusNet, he leads the commercial, procurement, logistics and supplier stewardship functions supporting Victoria's energy transition and one of the state's largest infrastructure investment programs.
Having held senior leadership roles with AusNet, CLP, BP, Coles, Fortescue Metals, Downer Rail and Airservices Australia, Adam brings extensive experience in commercial strategy, global supply chains, major project delivery and organisational transformation. He is a strong advocate for the evolution of procurement from category management to supplier ecosystem stewardship, helping organisations secure the capability, capacity and partnerships required to deliver long-term business outcomes.
Peter Davis
Team Leader - Procurement and Contracts, Catholic Education Western Australia
Peter Davis is a highly experienced procurement and contracts leader with more than 30 years’ experience across education, mining, resources, transport, government, manufacturing, and racing sectors. He has a strong track record in establishing and improving procurement functions, implementing contract management frameworks, leading high-performing teams, and delivering value-for-money outcomes while maintaining strong governance, probity, and ethical standards.
In his current role as Team Leader Procurement and Contracts at Catholic Education Western Australia, Peter is establishing a best-practice procurement function supporting five offices and 150 schools across Western Australia. His achievements include developing procurement directives and procedures, introducing contract templates and electronic signatures, and implementing the Zycus procurement system to transform procurement at Catholic Education across Western Australia.
Peter has held senior procurement and contract leadership roles with Racing and Wagering Western Australia, Environex International, CITIC Pacific Mining, Tronox, Minara Resources, the Public Transport Authority, and local government. Across these roles, he has led major sourcing and contract initiatives, managed multidisciplinary procurement teams, delivered significant operational savings, negotiated high-value contracts, and implemented systems and frameworks that improve transparency, compliance, and performance.
Peter is recognised for his practical, strategic, and values-led approach to procurement and contract management. He brings a combination of commercial acumen, governance discipline, systems thinking, and people leadership, with a proven ability to build capability, reduce risk, improve supplier engagement, and deliver measurable organisational benefits.
Sachin Gaddam
Regional Vice President, Sales - Sirion
Equipped with 23+ years’ experience across multiple industries in helping procurement, legal and finance functions drive their Enterprise digital transformation strategy, Sachin enables leaders to transform their contracting journeys by automating contract processes, speeding up legal approval cycles and unlocking deep contract intelligence to minimize risk, ensure compliance, maximize hard dollar savings and create stronger contracts. As a sales leader for the region, Sachin is responsible for driving market & revenue growth for APAC & MEA.
SECURE YOUR PLACE
