2026 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Keynote Speakers
Lucy Bloom
Lucy Bloom is an award-winning leader and speaker. She’s a change-maker, exceptional communicator, and business fixer with the best mohawk in the business. Lucy led an advertising agency for 20 years before she held CEO roles leading international aid organisations, one in Ethiopia and another in Cambodia. She’s the founder of an education start-up and the author of four books including her memoir, Get the Girls Out, and her latest, a killer novel. You will find Lucy challenging and entertaining in equal measure, with humour tied into a powerful business message. She’s a rule-breaker, idea-maker and momentum creator.
Corrinne Armour
Corrinne Armour CSP is a leading authority on Fearless Leadership®, known for delivering entertaining, provocative, and practical insights. She blends contemporary brain science with powerful storytelling, including lessons from her time living and teaching in a jungle refugee camp on the edge of a warzone. Recognised as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Corrinne is regarded among Australia’s top speakers. With more than 20 years working alongside senior leaders — and a decade in senior corporate roles — she brings a grounded understanding of realworld leadership challenges.
Bart Walsh
Bart Walsh is a performance and resilience speaker and one of Australia’s most respected voices at the intersection of resilience, health and personal development. As the former Head Coach of Jetts Fitness Australia, Bart spent years in the trenches with people; understanding what it actually takes to perform when life gets hard, not just when conditions are ideal. Today, he works with organisations across the world on a single mission: to show them how to better manage this changing world by seeing their challenges as opportunities for profound growth.
Session Speakers
ANGELA DRIVER
Angela Driver
Angela Driver joined Tasmanian Leaders in 2011 and became CEO in 2021. She has spent a decade developing and studying leadership, following a successful career in the arts. A Churchill Fellow and Harvard Kennedy School graduate, Angela brings a practical and human approach to leadership development, helping people lead more effectively no matter their context. She is committed to cultivating ship that is brave, inclusive and equipped to make a lasting difference.
DR POLLY MCGEE
Dr Polly McGee
Dr Polly McGee is a neuroleadership consultant, psychotherapist and author who works at the intersection of human behaviour, leadership and organisational systems. With a background spanning government, innovation, academia and executive leadership, Polly specialises in making the neuroscience of stress, connection and performance practical and usable in complex environments. Known for dynamic, engaging keynotes, Polly helps leaders and teams understand how to lead, communicate and perform when it matters most.
DR KATE CASHMAN
Dr Kate Cashman
Dr Kate Cashman comes with a background spanning legal and policing academia, executive coaching, and business ownership. Dr Kate brings grounded practicality, clarity, and realworld experience to every stage and workshop. She holds a PhD in law and forensic criminology, is a trained coach, TEDx speaker, and serves as Head Coach and CoCurator at TEDxHobart. She runs her leadership development business, Human, Actually, alongside owning Udara, a yoga and Pilates studio in Hobart. Kate’s work across law, academia, policing, movement, and business gives her deep insight into how people communicate, lead, and make decisions under pressure. A mum of two who lives by the beach in southern Tasmania, she understands the challenge of balancing life, leadership, wellbeing, and legacy — and helps others build courage, boundaries, and selftrust in uncertain times.
The Panelists
SAMMI GOWTHORP
Sammi Gowthorp
She has dragged Council communications well beyond the traditional fortnightly newspaper column and into the modern world of websites, social media, media releases and all the other places where the public can tell us what we’re doing wrong in real time.
She also produces strategic and advocacy documents compelling enough that state and federal politicians have, on occasion, appeared to understand the realities of remote island life. Because that portfolio was apparently not broad enough, Sammi is also the Island’s Funeral Director. This means she can take a Council initiative from its first community conversation through strategy, advocacy and public communication – and, if necessary, all the way to burial.
Personable, capable and genuinely devoted to her community, Sammi is an indispensable member of the Flinders Council team. Without her, Council would be considerably less effective, several politicians would be less well informed, and there’s a strong chance the website would stop working.
ANDREW BEESTON
Andrew Beeston
Andy Beeston is the Youth Project Coordinator at George Town Council and has worked in youth development since 2003, with a strong passion for equipped young people and building thriving regional communities across Tasmania. After gaining extensive experience delivering youth and community programs in Queensland, he spent seven years at West Tamar Council, where he developed youth strategies, established the Youth Mayor Program and led community mural initiatives.
Since joining George Town Council in 2022, Andy has led the youth-led Our Futures project, delivering initiatives including Seagulls to Chips, the George Town Youth Impact Council, Youth Voice Collection and Launchpad Youth Space. These programs have enabled local young people to become leaders, volunteers and advocates.
Building on this success, Andy is now expanding the impact with a new project; Made for More, a three-year, place-based youth development initiative that strengthens learning, leadership and employment pathways by supporting George Town’s young people through key life transitions, building confidence and connection, and creating lasting opportunities to thrive within their community.
KYLIE MURPHY
Kylie Murphy
Kylie Murphy is a Community Development Pracademic with over 20 years of experience in community development, inclusion, and community-led change. As Community Development Officer at Brighton Council, she works to strengthen community participation, wellbeing, and local leadership. Kylie holds a Master’s Degree in International and Community Development from Deakin University and specialises in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD).
Most recently, Kylie completed a Churchill Fellowship researching innovative Indigenous-led justice diversion programs across Aotearoa New Zealand, Alaska, and Canada.
Her research explored how culture, belonging, relationships, self-determination, and connection to place can improve outcomes for young people and strengthen communities. She is passionate about translating research into practical, community-led solutions.
“As a member of Local Government Professionals Tasmania for around 20 years I have always valued the networking, connections and friendships that come from being involved.”