Speakers

Diane Dixon

Diane Dixon is the State Project Lead for Lot Fourteen in Adelaide. She manages the delivery, curation, operations and long-term governance of Lot Fourteen, a 7ha defence, space, cyber and critical technologies focussed innovation district. Diane is responsible for the delivery of significant pieces of infrastructure to drive the creation of skills and jobs as part of the Adelaide City Deal. She is also responsible for innovation and economic places across South Australia and has developed a recently launched South Australia Innovation Places Leadership Framework to elevate the state as a global leader in innovation and economic outcomes. This leadership will unlock even greater value from investment, ensuring South Australia is globally responsive and competitive. Diane has worked in major infrastructure project management, economic development, stakeholder engagement, strategy development, investment and trade, innovation and precinct delivery in both the UK and Australia over the past 25 years. She has also sat on a variety of innovation, education and government boards. Diane has led the planning and delivery of a range of infrastructure and innovation projects to drive economic, cultural and social outcomes. She holds an MBA, BSc (Hons), and GAICD.

Jeremy Conway

As Chief Executive of Infrastructure SA, Jeremy has led development of the State’s first 20-year infrastructure strategy and is responsible for providing independent advice to the South Australian Government on infrastructure projects and prioritisation. His team has a strong focus on evidence-based decision-making and seeks to improve the maturity of infrastructure planning and investment across government. Infrastructure SA also aims to identify projects that deliver benefits for all South Australians by adopting a state-wide cross-sectoral lens. This is aided by Jeremy’s deep experience in both the public and private sectors. He has held senior roles at the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and Department for the Premier and Cabinet; meanwhile his vast commercial and business experience comes from having worked in property development at Places Victoria for three years and in private equity CVC Capital Partners in London for nine years.

Peter Taylor

As the Head of Project Delivery at Adelaide Airport Limited, Peter Taylor leads a team of project managers and specialists delivering all capital infrastructure projects of both aviation and commercial developments at Adelaide and Parafield Airport Ltd. Peter possesses extensive experience in construction projects, ranging from residential through to commercial and aviation capacity and expansion initiatives. He holds a keen interest in governance as part of his role at Adelaide Airport and continually strives for efficiency and improved ways of working. As a dedicated professional, Peter is committed to continually advancing his knowledge and experience through self-learning, training, education and learning from peers. Additionally, he is devoted to volunteering with Surf Life Saving SA and holds several development coach awards to assist in training future coaches in the movement. Peter has over 20 years’ experience in project management and the built environment, working across multiple sectors in varying roles.

Julie-Anne Burgess

Julie-Anne Burgess is the Chief Executive of the South Australian Housing Trust, where she is responsible for the delivery of housing to over 30,000 tenants across South Australia, with the goal of fostering inclusive and economically connected communities. The current housing crisis is a strong motivator for the valuable work of the team that she leads. Julie-Anne has extensive experience across South Australian government having worked as the CEO of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and as an Executive in the Department for Trade and Investment, Department of Treasury and Finance, Courts Administration Authority and SA Health. She commenced her career as a podiatrist and worked clinically before moving through academia and into health leadership. Her career has spanned the public sector in Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and South Australia. Julie-Anne’s leadership skills have been developed in her various roles across the public sector and augmented through the life lessons of being part of a family.

Anouk Darling

Anouk Darling is the CEO of Scape Australia, where she leads the country’s largest Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) platform. Under her leadership, Scape has scaled to over A$13 billion in assets with 19,000+ apartments across 40 assets, and a pipeline of 5,000+ more and now expanding into Build-To-Rent. She has built a values-driven, high-performance culture of over 800 people, with Scape recognised among the AFR’s Top 10 Best Places to Work in 2024. Named CEO Magazine’s CEO of the Year in 2024, Anouk is widely respected for her leadership, strategic foresight, and innovation at the intersection of technology, design and experience. She is a strong voice in housing policy and urban design, serving as Chair of the Student Accommodation Council and a Board Director of the Property Council of Australia. Her advocacy supports greater resilience, equity and investment in the living sector. As an ‘architect of the future of living’, Anouk is a sought-after keynote speaker and media voice, known for turning bold visions into billion-dollar realities with purpose, community, and impact at the core. She holds an MBA, is a member of Chief Executive Women and the AICD and actively supports women-led innovation through startup investment and mentorship.

Craig Holden

Craig Holden is Chair of the South Australian State Planning Commission, and a board member of the ACH Group and The South Australian Housing Trust. His company, Forme Projex, specialises in the development of city residential apartments. Craig is a member of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA), Business SA and The Real Estate Institute of South Australia. Craig has a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) Degree from the University of Adelaide, and a Graduate Diploma in Building Project Management from the South Australian institute of Technology. In addition, he has a General Builders Licence, is a registered Land Agent and has Professional Planning Level 2 accreditation.

Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM

Elizabeth Vines OAM

Elizabeth Vines OAM, a conservation architect, trained and worked in Melbourne and Sydney, and is now based in Adelaide. She has worked as a heritage architect most of her career in South Australia, Victoria and NSW, and provides specialist heritage advice on challenging conservation projects. She has contributed to urban revitalisation for historic precincts and restoration projects throughout Australia and Asia. Elizabeth has consulted to a wide range of Government agencies, as well as undertaking international work with UNESCO, European Union, Getty Institute (and as a Getty Scholar in Los Angeles) and the World Bank. She is committed to the practical rejuvenation of city centres and historic buildings and is a passionate advocate for heritage conservation issues. She was an Australia ICOMOS president, an Adjunct Professor at Deakin University and a visiting Professor at Hong Kong University. Elizabeth has a Medal of the Order of Australia for Services to Heritage Architecture (2009) and Presidents Medal, SA Chapter Australian Institute of Architects (2020).

Jason Di lulio

Sandy Wilkinson

Sandy Wilkinson has degrees in both Planning and Architecture with honours in Conservation. He commenced his career in the early 1990’s as a DA Planner dealing with local heritage at the City of Adelaide and later as Heritage Consultant to the City of Adelaide. Sandy established Alexander Wilkinson Design in 1999. This practice primarily undertakes private residential design and development but specialises in heritage conservation projects. Sandy has provided evidence to the Environment, Resources and Development Court on several occasions. He has also presented at various public forums on matters of heritage, planning and urban design. Practicing what he preaches, Sandy purchased his own property from a client who was seeking to demolish it and instead renovated the 1882 house. He developed three townhouses on the tennis court land behind. Sandy has served on the Adelaide City Council from 2007- 2018, the National Trust, North Adelaide Society, Civic Trust and is currently President of Community Alliance SA.

Bettina Venner

Bettina Venner is the Head of ICN SA within the Department of State Development, and she is currently the National Chair of the ICN Network. ICN is part of a national network that connects local companies with opportunities by building supply chains and growing local capability. Key sectors of focus include energy, defence, mining, manufacture, infrastructure and construction – including the emerging hydrogen sector. Bettina worked as a chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry in South Africa, Germany and Australia before joining government; her government roles include environmental and regulatory policy, regulation and economic development.

Karyn Dale

Karyn Dale is the Chief Executive Officer of MATES in Construction SA, leading the organisation’s work to improve mental health and prevent suicide across South Australia’s construction industry. Since becoming CEO in 2024, Karyn has strengthened partnerships, expanded regional training, and advanced research to ensure MATES remains an evidence-based leader in workplace wellbeing. With over seven years at MATES, including in marketing & business development, Karyn brings deep industry insight and a strong focus on collaboration. She works closely with government, industry, and community stakeholders to build safer, healthier workplaces where workers and their families are better supported.

Jesse Judd

Evan Hayes

Peter Harrison

Peter Seltsikas

Serena Yang