The Panel

Professor Aleksandar Subic

Professor Aleksandar Subic

Professor Subic is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Science, Engineering, Health and Vice President Digital Innovation at RMIT University.  Prior to his appointment, Professor Subic was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) at Swinburne University of Technology. He is internationally recognised for his research in engineering design and advanced manufacturing, having led numerous global R&D projects in collaboration with industry leading to important translational research outcomes and impact.

Professor Subic has held a range of positions relevant to the Panel’s deliberations including:

  • Member of the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce
  • Member of the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council Leaders’ Group
  • Co-Chair of the national AiG Industry 4.0 Workstream for Testlabs and Work, Education and Training
  • Deputy Chair of the National Aerospace and Aviation Industries Association
  • Director of Oceania Cybersecurity Centre
  • Director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)
  • Director of the Victorian Centre for New Energy Technologies (C4NET)
  • Member of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Executive.

Professor Subic is also a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia (IEAust), Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and Fellow of the International Energy Federation (IEF).

Dr Claire Mason

Claire is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Data61 which is Australia’s leading data innovation group and has a formal mission of creating Australia’s data-driven future.

Claire’s research in CSIRO’s Data61 supports agility and resilience in the Australian workforce by capturing novel sources of data about the changing labour market to inform the choices of job seekers, educators and employment services providers.

More broadly, Claire looks at the opportunities and challenges associated with our increased reliance on digital technology across a range of contexts – in our homes and businesses, in our jobs, in vocational education and training, in regions and in later life.

Projects, collaborators and clients of Claire’s include:

  • Building an adaptive skills taxonomy to enable more agile labour markets (Science Investment Endowment Fund)
  • Employment Data Ecosystem (Department of Employment)
  • The VET Era: Equipping Australia’s workforce for the future digital economy (TAFE Queensland)
  • Tomorrow’s digitally enabled workforce: Megatrends and scenarios for jobs and employment in Australia over the coming twenty years (Department of Employment, Australian Computer Society, ANZ, Boston Consulting Group)
  • Supporting Lifelong Participation through Digital Technology (Data61 Strategic project)
  • NDIS Workforce Qualitative and Quantitative Research (Central Queensland University, Global Community Resourcing, Community Services Industry Alliance, Jobs Queensland)
  • Growing Opportunities in the Fraser Coast (Jobs Queensland, TAFE Queensland)
Mark McKenzie

Mark McKenzie

Mark is Chair and Director of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA). Mark is also Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA), the national peak body representing the interests of the petroleum distribution and petroleum retail industry. Mark holds formal qualifications in Civil Engineering (BEng) and Business (MBA).

Mark brings to the Panel extensive commercial and public policy experience gained over 30 years which includes:

  • Chair of two Australian Standards Committees (Electric Vehicles and Smart Grids)
  • Chair of the Transport and Logistics Industry Reference Committee
  • Chair of the Supply Chain Cross-Sector Project Reference Group
  • Former General Manager, Commercial Services at Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce
  • Managing Director and founder at Rare Consulting Pty Ltd
  • Former senior management with the NRMA group of companies
  • Former senior professional with the ACT Public Service.

Megan Lilly

Megan is the Head of Workforce Development at Ai Group, Chief Executive of Ai Group Training Services (AiGTS) and the Ai Group Graduate Employment Services.

Megan is one of the most highly respected people in Australia’s vocational education and training sector having shaped many of the most pivotal reforms which underpin our national, industry-led VET system. Megan holds a Masters in Educational Policy and Administration.

Megan is also:

  • Deputy Chair Worldskills Australia
  • Member of the Australian Industry Skills Committee (rotating Director)
  • Member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Review Expert Panel
  • Member of the National Apprenticeship Employment Network
  • Member of the Australian College of Educators and the Naval Shipbuilding College
  • Chair of Manufacturing Skills Australia
  • Former member of the National Skills Standards Council (and predecessor National Quality Council)
  • Former Chair of the Joint COAG-NQC Working Group – VET Products for the 21st Century
  • Former member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council
  • Former Chief Executive Officer of Business Services Training Australia
  • Former member of the Queensland Ministerial Commission, Victorian Skills Commission and Australia Pacific Technical College
  • Previously held several senior management positions in various Victorian TAFE institutes.

Scott Connolly

Scott is Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Prior to this role he was Assistant Secretary at the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Queensland branch.

Scott has a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations, writing his honours thesis on the ACTU and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) during the Accord, and has studied trade union leadership at the Harvard Law School.

Scott started at the TWU as an Industrial Officer before moving across three branches over 16 years where he was instrumental in:

  • protecting workers in the transport industry, including legal changes to recognise trucks as a workplace and protecting bus drivers from violence;
  • achieving domestic violence leave and increasing parental leave entitlements for Virgin members and leading the 2011 Qantas members’ campaign when management grounded the airline.

As ACTU Assistant Secretary, Scott is passionate about fighting for a better future to ensure the next generation are not left worse off by the current generation.