Dr Sherman Chan, Chief Economist Business NSW

Business NSW’s Chief Economist with experience in government, banking and consulting and has been a Lecturer at UNSW since 2014.   

Prior to joining Business NSW, Sherman was a Senior Manager in the Risk and Regulatory Consulting practice at MinterEllison following a six-year stint in NSW Government with agencies including NSW Treasury and the Audit Office of NSW. Sherman’s journey as an economist includes working at Moody’s Analytics and HSBC (Hong Kong) during the Global Financial Crisis, covering economies and financial markets across the Asia-Pacific region. 

Sherman drives strategic research and builds the evidence base for policy advocacy including managing the quarterly Business Conditions Survey – the flagship research product that generates insights into business opportunities and challenges across key industries in metropolitan and regional NSW. 

Tracy Paterson, Executive General Manager ‑ NSW & ACT / Head of Regional Sales, Southern Cross Austereo

Tracy’s experience in Sales and Operations spans over 30 years in the Media industry She is a commercially focused, authentic people Leader, highly experienced in leading Regional Radio, TV and Digital Teams. 

Tracy has been with SCA for 8 years and in her current role as Executive General Manager NSW/ACT, her responsibility is primarily focused on operations across SCA’s 11 Regional NSW/ACT markets and Sydney. She is also Head of Regional Sales, responsible for the performance of 38 Sales Teams across Regional Australia.

She is a strategic and results driven Leader, who is passionate about mentoring, coaching and developing people and Teams.

Nick Robinson, Meet Pat

Rebecca Ackland, Chief People & Culture Officer, Southern Cross Austereo

Rebecca Ackland is the Chief People & Culture Officer at Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), where she leads the company's people strategy and supports its digital transformation. Her role involves overseeing talent management, employee engagement, and organisational development, aligning HR practices with SCA's strategic objectives.

Since joining SCA, Rebecca has driven key initiatives across all departments, helping leaders navigate business challenges and capitalize on digital opportunities. She also contributes to the industry by advising Commercial Radio Australia. Rebecca holds a degree in Human Resources Management and is committed to continuous learning and development.

Tamsin Lawrence, Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Tamsin is a highly credentialled employment lawyer with Australian Business Lawyers and Advisors (ABLA) in Melbourne, acting for a broad range of employers across the public and private sector. She performs a mix of litigious and advisory work in workplace relations and is a regular author and presenter on a range of bargaining, employment, discrimination and WHS related topics. 

Prior to joining ABLA, Tamsin was Deputy Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Workplace Relations team, on the Council of Industrial Legislation, on the Attorney General’s Workplace Relations Working Groups, before the Fair Work Commission in relation to matters of industry importance and in her role as employer advocate during the Annual Minimum Wage Review.  

Rachel Kerrigan, Future Skills Organisation

Rachel is the Workforce Planning Lead for FSO, driving strategic initiatives through the development of the workforce plan. Her extensive career includes roles as a Project Manager with Digital Skills Organisation and was a Production Engineering Manager at Boeing Defence Australia.  Rachel began her professional journey as an Electrical Engineer in the Royal Australian Airforce. Her varied professional path also includes entrepreneurship as a business owner and experience as a contract administrator and project manager within heavy industry and mining. A proud veteran, mum, and an accomplished athlete, Rachel brings a wealth of experience to her role.

Andrew Hollier, Strategic Industry Manager, ICARE

A degree in Medical Science and postgraduate qualifications in risk management and corporate governance. Andrew has worked in the health and insurance sectors for the majority of his career. Working with organization such as Johnson & Johnson, and Medical Indemnity Protection Society as National Manager. He’s been with icare for 3 years.  

Associate Professor Cate Thomas PhD (USyd)

Charles Sturt University Australia has a diverse working and academic career, a diverse qualification base, and is a dynamic leader and strategic thinker. Her research focuses on intersectionality, gender equity and organisational development and training to inform social change and reduce systemic and structural barriers for all. She is the founder of the Social Equality, Intersectionality and Inclusion Research Group with national and international membership. Cate was awarded the inaugural HERDSA Heroes in Higher Education Award (2021), the ANZSWWER Social Work Educator Award (2017), and is an Executive Committee member of the Gender and Education Association (UK).

Mustafa Agha, Head of Policy Business NSW

Mustafa Agha is the Head of Policy at Business NSW. In this role, he leads BNSW’s policy agenda, focusing on creating positive changes in the business operating environment for members at local, state, and federal levels. Mustafa brings almost 15 years of experience in policy development and investment management. Having grown up in a small business family, Mustafa is passionate about small business empowerment, innovation, economic opportunity, and economic development. 

He holds degrees in Medical Science, Economics, and Finance, and is about to complete his MBA at the University of Sydney. He also serves as a board member of the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre (WSMRC) and the NSW Industry Capability Network (ICN). 

Ganna Pogrebna, Executive Director, AI and Cyber Futures Institute

Blending behavioural science, AI, computer science, data analytics, engineering, and business model innovation, Ganna helps cities, businesses, charities, and individuals to better understand why they make decisions they make and how they can optimise their behavior to achieve higher profit, better social outcomes, as well as flourish and bolster their wellbeing.

Ganna studied Economics at the University of Missouri Kansas City (US) and the University of Innsbruck (Austria). She holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Social Sciences.

Before coming to Australia, Ganna worked at Columbia University in New York (USA), the University of Bonn (Germany), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany), the University of Innsbruck (Austria), the University of Warwick (UK), and the University of Birmingham (UK).

Frank Zaknich, AlburyCity Council

Frank joined AlburyCity in March 2013 from Broken Hill City Council where he had been General Manager since 2006. 

Frank’s career has included senior positions in rural and metropolitan councils across NSW and South Australia and he is highly experienced in community governance, change management and strategic and regional planning.

Frank’s appointment to AlburyCity sees him lead one of Australia’s top twenty cities into what is a growing, vibrant and strategically located Albury Wodonga region.

In his spare time Frank enjoys music “time out" playing drums and percussion and has recently “got the band back together“.

Craig Lefoe, Toustone

Craig Lefoe is the CEO and Co-Founder of Toustone, an Australian AI/ML-driven advanced analytics company. He pioneered Sustainability Suite, a Climate Tech ESG platform that uses machine learning to predict environmental impact and top and bottom-line gains up to 24 months in advance. Recently recognised as a pioneer in this space by Amazon Web Services, Toustone's ability to leverage AI/ML in addressing business challenges has garnered global attention.

David Hunter, Habitat Planning

David Hunter is a Director of Habitat Planning and a Town Planner and Urban Designer. David holds a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (UNE) and a Master of Urban Development and Design (UNSW). David has experience in town planning and urban design, across regional and metropolitan NSW and Victoria. With high level town planning and urban design skills and knowledge, developed through a variety of complex and challenging urban development projects, David offers a unique skill set of town planning, urban design and environmental assessment. David offers services to development applications and planning permit applications, environmental assessments and reviews, strategic planning, amendments, subdivision planning, master planning, structure planning, concept plan development, design review and facilitation.

Kaitlin Fuller, Huntsman Recruitment

Kaity, is a seasoned Principle Consultant at Huntsman Recruiting, bringing over 8 years of expertise in the recruitment realm. Specialising across various sectors including  Community NGOs, Banking & Finance, Agriculture, Local Government and Manufacturing she has honed her skills in identifying talent and fostering connections that drive organisational success. 

 Kaity is deeply engaged in her local community, chairing and participating in not-for-profit organisations.  

At the heart of Kaity's approach is a commitment to understanding the cultural drivers of organisations and identifying key skills that drive success. She believes in creating synergies between employers and employees, facilitating connections that are not only professionally rewarding but also culturally aligned. 

Serena Hardwick, Riverina Murray Business NSW

Serena is the Regional Director, Riverina Murray Business NSW where she advocates for, educates, informs and connects business. Serena’s 18mths at Business NSW is preceded by 2 years' experience servicing the business community of Wagga Wagga as the General Manager of the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber and taking out the Regional Award for Outstanding Business Chamber. 

Prior to her career in advocating for the interest of business, Serena had a successful 14 year career in Local Government in various roles but most notable as the Corporate Strategy Coordinator for Wagga Wagga City Council where she received numerous accolades for her role at an organisational and industry level with highlights including:

•    Nomination and announcement as finalist for Young Achiever of the Year in the Ministers Women in Local Government awards

•    Winner of the Local Government RH Dougherty Awards for Excellence in Communication 

Her studies include Business Management, Communication (Public Relations) and IAP2 industry Certification.

Born and raised in the region, Serena is passionate about business and the economic growth of our region.