Professor Sandy O'Sullivan

Professor Sandy O’Sullivan is a Wiradjuri transgender/non-binary scholar, leading the Intimacies theme of the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures.

Sandy has been an academic for over three decades, leading research centres and focusing on research, teaching and community engagement that supports the agency of Indigenous peoples.

They are a current senior ARC Future Fellow working on the project Saving Lives, and have a commitment to research that explores complexities of identities within the public imaginary.

Professor Mustafa F. Özbilgin

Mustafa F. Özbilgin is Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Associate Dean for EDI at Brunel University of London.

His research focuses on equality, diversity, and inclusion at work, with a particular emphasis on comparative and relational perspectives. He has authored over 25 books and more than 200 papers in leading academic journals.

A founder of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Conference, Professor Özbilgin has held editorial and advisory roles globally.

His work critically examines the intersection of organisational structures, social policy, and inequalities, with recent focus on higher education, algorithmic governance, and the global backlash against equity initiatives.

Professor Michelle Ryan

Professor Michelle Ryan is a world-renowned gender equality expert, Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology, and the inaugural Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at The Australian National University.

Her work centres on understanding the psychological processes underlying workplace gender inequality, and designing and implementing innovative and evidence-based interventions to increase gender equality.

Giridharan Sivaraman

Giridharan Sivaraman has been Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner since March 2024. Previously, he was Principal Lawyer with Maurice Blackburn where he led the firm’s Queensland Employment Law department. He also held the position of Chair of Multicultural Australia from 2021-2024 and was a member of the Queensland Multicultural Advisory Council from 2019-2024, where he was an advocate for the rights of victims of racial vilification.

Commissioner Sivaraman was born in India and migrated to Australia as a child. His anti-discrimination legal and advocacy work is based on his strong passion for human rights, as well as his moral conviction to speak truth to power and fight for the rights of the marginalised, oppressed, and vilified.

The Race Discrimination Commissioner is a statutory position within the Australian Human Rights Commission, responsible for promoting equality between people of different backgrounds, conducting research and educational programs to combat racial discrimination, and protecting people from unfair treatment or vilification on the basis of their race, colour, descent, visa status, or national or ethnic origin.

Presented by Tasneem Chopra

A Cross-cultural Consultant, Tasneem addresses issues of equity and belonging through an intersectional lens in leadership of government, corporate, arts and NGO sectors, within Australia and overseas.

Tasneem helps clients revamp their diversity and inclusion policies, executes workshops, curates exhibitions and promotes social change towards greater cultural inclusion. As a commentator, her expertise has been sought on topics related to leadership, cultural inclusion, gender  justice, intersectionality, migration, social cohesion and social justice.

Tasneem was appointed inaugural Ambassador for Women of Colour, Australia, is a former Anti-Racism Champion with the Australian Human Rights Commission, and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal.