Libby Lyons

Libby Lyons is one of Australia’s most powerful advocates, with decades of leadership experience in corporate affairs and issues-based advocacy.

Libby’s experience includes heading up BHP’s Olympic Dam corporate affairs division, as well as senior executive roles at Atlas Iron, CITIC Pacific Mining, Alcoa of Australia, the Western Power Corporation and Telstra.

In April 2021, Libby completed her appointment as the Director of the Commonwealth Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), a role she held for five and a half years.

As agency head, Libby led a transformational program through which WGEA is now recognised as a national powerhouse in promoting evidence-based change for gender equality in Australian workplaces. Over this period, WGEA became internationally recognised, with Libby invited to speak to governments, private enterprise, industry bodies and unions in Singapore, Chile, Argentina, Mauritius, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Libby was listed in Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People Working in Gender Policy for both 2018 and 2019. She was featured in the book 200 Women and was awarded Woman of the Decade for Gender Policy by Women Economic Forum in 2019.

She also presented at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2018 and 2019.

Libby started her career as a primary school teacher in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne. She has served on the boards of non-profit organisations SIDS and Kids WA, and was Executive Chair of Kiind (formerly Kalparrin), a Western Australian charity that supports the families of children with special needs.

Libby’s current board appointments include Chair of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Ltd. and board member and WA Chapter Chair of Chief Executive Women.  Libby is also Strategic Counsel for ReGen Strategic and is Adjunct Professor Australia Catholic University.  Libby is the Chair of Building Safe and Respectful Workplaces Program.  A learning program developed by a collaboration between Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue to address bullying, racism and sexual harassment in workplaces.  The Program will be available to all industries and organisations in Australia in the coming months.

In February 2022, Libby was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Curtin University in recognition of her distinguished service to the social sciences through outstanding and influential advocacy for gender equality in the workplace in Australia and internationally. She is an Adjunct Professor at Australian Catholic University and was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024.

Heather Watson FCA

Dr James Johnson

Dr James Johnson has more than 35 years’ experience in the geoscience sector, including almost two decades at Geoscience Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and represents ATSE on the SAGE Board.

Dr Johnson’s significant contributions to Geoscience Australia include overseeing the development of the current $100 million Exploring for the Future Programme. He also shepherded the Onshore Energy Security Program (2006-2011).

He has also personally championed Geoscience Australia’s inclusive culture initiatives, seeking to make Geoscience Australia a place where everyone has equal opportunity to contribute, participate and progress.

Recipient of the 2021 AHRI CEO Diversity Champion award

Boards and Committees:
Geoscience Australia Executive Board, 2006 – present
Department of Industry Innovation and Science Executive Board, 2017-19
National Computational Infrastructure Advisory Board, 2017 – present
CO2CRC Board, 2014-2019
CRC Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME) Board, 2006- 2008

Australian Antarctic Science Council, 2019 – present
Australian Climate Service Program Control Group, 2020 – present
Space and Spatial 2030 Roadmap Steering Committee, 2020 – present
CSIRO Mineral Resources Advisory Council, 2017 – present
Champions of Change Coalition STEM Group, 2018 -present

Professor Katherine Belov

As Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global and Research Engagement) at the University of Sydney, Professor Belov has responsibility for pivotal areas of the University’s Research Portfolio related to academic research partnerships, centres and institutes. She leads the Office of Global Engagement, oversees the University’s multidisciplinary initiatives and stewards relations and agreements with the University’s affiliated research institutes. She also focuses on developing the University’s national and international partnerships to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Professor Belov is one of Australia’s leading geneticists and leads a team of researchers using immunogenetics to study immunity and health in Australia’s native wildlife, including Tasmanian devils, koalas, wallabies, platypus and other species.

In recognition of her research discoveries, she is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of NSW. She was awarded the Fenner Medal by the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2014, the Crozier Medal by the Genetics Society of Australasia (2013) and the MJD White Medal by the Genetics Society of Australasia (2021).

She is a member of the NSW Koala Expert Advisory Group and serves on scientific advisory boards at Taronga Zoo and the Ramaciotti Centre. She is co-chair of the International Policy Advisory Committee of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and a trustee of the Australian Museum, where she chairs the Science Advisory Board. Kathy is also on the Council of the Royal Society of NSW and is a past president of the Genetics Society of Australasia.

Kathy is also passionate about mentoring others and has supervised 11 postdocs, 20 PhD students, 13 masters and 29 honours students.