Speakers – 2019 Conference

After honing her retail and marketing skills with L’Oréal, Aife O’Loughlin joined Salvos Stores customer experience team in 2013. As Customer Experience Manager, she strives to continually improve the experiences provided to team members, customers, donors and communities across 330 retail stores throughout Australia.

Aife has a unique understanding of consumer behaviours that impact textile waste and is passionate about Salvos Stores role in creating sustainable solutions in response to these challenges.

Brian Walker, ‘the retail doctor’, is the award-winning CEO and founder of leading retail advisory and consultancy firm Retail Doctor Group. Over the years he has also become a leading media commentator and author on retail issues, regularly appearing on TV, radio and print including ABC, Channel 9 News and A Current Affair, Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review.

Brian has been nominated as a Top Retail Influencer by FSB 2018, was awarded the International Retail Leadership Award: Asian Retail Congress, was listed in Vend’s Top 100 Global retail Influencers 2018, and was a finalist for the NRA ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Industry’ award for 2017. He won the Australian Institute of Management’s National Scholarship, and was nominated for the Business Leadership Award: CPA Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Ernst & Young and Telstra Business Awards, Retail Doctor Group is the Australian elected representative member of Ebeltoft Group, a global alliance of retail experts.

Matt Davis is a highly skilled and respected leader and strategist having held key roles in large organisations and retailers including Directorships at ALDI Stores and General Manager of Sales & Marketing at World Vision Australia. Matt has also served on the board of EACH, an organisation providing health and disability services in Australia and is in his second year as Chairperson for the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations (NACRO), advancing the governance, innovation and impact of charities and their retail shops around Australia. In 2016, Matt was appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Salvos Stores Southern Territory and in May 2018 was appointed as National Director – Salvos Stores Australia. Salvos Stores is the retail arm of The Salvation Army and currently operates 331 stores nationally. These stores, along with support and leadership teams employ 1890+ team members and have the generous assistance of over 10,500 volunteers. Salvos Stores operates as a fully functioning retail business, recycling pre-loved goods and relying heavily on the generosity of the corporate and public donors. All profits from purchases and donations made at Salvos Stores help to fund social welfare programs run by The Salvation Army. Each year, the funds raised by Salvos Stores make a difference to disadvantaged Australians.

After nearly a decade working in the banking and finance industry, Ryan was drawn to a career in environmental conservation that saw him work in Sydney, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji in diverse roles such as operations, threatened species and sustainable agriculture. With a background in psychology and environmental management, Ryan’s role at Planet Ark since 2012 has been focused on developing engaging and positive environmental behaviour change programs to help individuals, schools and businesses recycle and reduce waste through a suite of campaigns including Business Recycling, Recycling Near You, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, Australasian Recycling Label and National Recycling Week.

Barbara is General Manager of the Garage Sale Trail Foundation, a council enabled reuse program which sees over 400,000 Australians and 150 councils nationally get involved in an annual weekend of garage sales. Aside from an addiction to op shop and garage sale shopping, Barbara has over ten years’ experience working in private and public sector partnership management in both Australia and the UK, including a stint heading up the British Olympic Association’s fundraising efforts. Barbara has a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology and is passionate about the role environmental programs can play in bringing the community together to affect long term change.

Yasmin Grigaliunas is the CEO and Co-founder of the World’s Biggest Garage Sale (WBGS), an intrapreneur who created a multi-million dollar sales department from the ground up, turned entrepreneur. WBGS is an event platform enabling communities globally to hold large scale re-commerce events under license. By activating dormant goods for good through the circular economy, we provide positive impact for people, for planet and profit for purpose (short explainer video). WBGS core value is engaging the global community in the circular economy to normalise purposeful consumption.

Sam Sondhi is the CEO of Outlook Victoria and a member of the Board of Management.  Outlook is a leading provider of disability support and employment services based in South East Melbourne.  Outlook also wholly owns and operates one of the largest waste management social enterprises in Australia, Outlook Environmental.

Sam has 10 years’ experience in Investment Banking working as a Vice President in the M&A and Capital Markets groups for Credit Suisse and Citigroup primarily based in Sydney. Sam has extensive experience in domestic and international capital markets and has advised some of Australia’s largest corporations on a range of acquisitions, divestments and capital raising initiatives. In addition, Sam spent over 5 years establishing and running his own investment company focussed on the Australian retail and wholesale sectors, which he has now divested.

More recently, Sam served as Chief Operating Officer of international development NGO, Business for Development, based in Melbourne and as the Director of Strategy & Growth for Lentara UnitingCare. Sam holds a First Class Honours degree in Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Jessica Horey has more than 10 years working in risk-based regulation. From working in the Enforcement team at the Australian Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) through to more recently acting as the Director of Compliance at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits (ACNC) Jessica’s experience has included being involved in the AUSTRAC first use of its regulatory powers through to leading Australia’s National Risk Assessment into the Not-for-profits sector looking into the risks terrorism financing and money laundering. Jessica interest and passion for the Not-for-profit sector has only grown through her time and experience at the ACNC  working with charities to get them back on track where possible or remove those who are causing significant harm.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Nina’s number one passion is her passion for people. Since joining Beaumont People as Managing Director in 2015, she continues to use her wealth of knowledge and expertise to grow, inspire, and empower the team leading with an underlying vision whereby people everywhere are engaged in meaningful work. A regular speaker and trainer, she shares her expertise on all things involving People, Leadership, Strategy, Talent Attraction, Onboarding, Retention and more, to her team, clients and candidates through workshops, seminars and events.

Being the collaborative individual, she is (who loves a little chit-chat!), Nina enjoys engaging in insightful discussions and thrives on building relationships. She personally develops and maintains partnerships with key stakeholders, and delights in bringing talented people together to drive value, build a vision and realise opportunities. Nina’s positive influence has stemmed beyond Beaumont People, assuming several appointments for the RCSA since 2012 including her current position, Vice President.

Peter is a highly awarded and applauded CEO and senior retailer, specialising in digital innovation, e-commerce and business transformation within disrupted markets. From creating and developing Online start-up’s to working with some of Australia’s largest public companies, privately-owned companies, NFPs, co-operatives and Mutuals, including Myer, Dymocks, Thrifty the Co-op and St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Peter has been recognised by Inside Retail and Deloitte as one of Australia’s top 50 people in E-Commerce and successful leader of a Top 50 online retailer along with being a National Retail Association Multi Channel Retailer of the year winner.

This breadth of experience provides a virtually unparalleled view and understanding of the entire retail ecosystem.

Having over 20 years experience in online retailing in all its forms and a leading strategy mentor for the National Online Retailers Association and Online Retail Industry Awards judge keeps Peter at the leading edge of most online and innovative retail industry operations, developments, practice and trends.

Peter’s experience with Vinnies NSW and leading 250 retail stores brings significant understanding of state based and national NFP operations and developing innovation and co-operative retail strategies.

Peter has been a state representative of NACRO, Deputy Chairman of the Retail Council representing Australia’s largest retailers and a founding director of the Business Council of Co-operatives & Mutuals (BCCM) with members representing nearly 80% of Australian Consumers.