Speakers

Agung Nugroho is a talented professional with a deep understanding of various industries in the Indonesian market. He has 5 years experience of working at the Boston Consulting Group based in South East Asia.

While working with BCG, Agung collaborated with clients from around the world in numerous industries including product, banking, telecommunication and infrastructure. He is widely involved in strategy development, product launch and transformation of both national and multinational companies. Moreover, he has worked with the Indonesian government, and led the master plan project in developing Indonesia’s infrastructure. He also has strong ties with the entrepreneur community in Indonesia through his role in fund investment programmes. Agung earned his cumlaude bachelors degree in chemical engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). He earned his MBA degree from Haas School of Business, Berkeley. With his expertise and knowledge of the Indonesian market, company operations and wide business networks, Agung and Albert continue to develop and expand KUDO in Indonesia.

John W.H. Denton AO is a Partner and CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia’s leading independent law firm.

John is a legal expert in the areas of government, workplace relations and international trade and investment; a national business leader and an international adviser on global policy.

Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2015, John was recognised for his distinguished service to business and commerce, particularly in the legal profession, visual and performing arts, social welfare and the rights of refugees.

John was recently elected as First Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and is a member of the ICC G20 CEO Advisory Group, the primary body for establishing the direction of business input within the G20. John is also one of the two originating members of the B20 and was a member of the Australian B20 Leadership Group.

John is Chair of the Business Council of Australia’s Global Engagement Taskforce; Chairman (emeritus) of the Experts Group on Trade and Investment in Indonesia, board member of Asialink and a founding member of the Australia China CEO Roundtable meetings.

Ariel Heryanto is Herb Feith Professor for the Study of Indonesia. In addition to his work with the Herb Feith Foundation and with Anthropology at the School of Social Sciences, he serves as Deputy Director of the Monash Asia Institute. He is the author of Identity and Pleasure; the politics of Indonesian screen culture, Singapore: NUS Press (2014); State Terrorism and Political Identity in Indonesia: Fatally Belonging, London: Routledge (2007), editor of Popular Culture in Indonesia: Fluid Identities in Post-Authoritarian Politics, London & New York: Routledge (2008), and co-editor of Pop Culture Formations Across East Asia, Seoul: Jimoondang (2010). His current research investigates Indonesia’s postcoloniality.

Dave McRae is a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. His current research interests include contemporary Indonesian politics, Indonesian foreign policy, Australia-Indonesia relations and regional security issues. He is the author of A Few Poorly Organized Men: Interreligious Violence in Poso, Indonesia (2013) and translator of Solahudin’s The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia (2013). He is a co-founder and editorial board member of the Indonesia At Melbourne blog, and founder and co-host of the Talking Indonesia podcast.

From 2011 until January 2014 he was Research Fellow in the East Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, covering Indonesia and Southeast Asia. As Lead Researcher for the World Bank’s Conflict and Development Team in Indonesia between 2008 and 2010 he led a research program on interventions to prevent conflict and address its impacts. Prior to this, he worked for the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group between 2004 and 2006, researching and writing reports on most of Indonesia’s major conflict areas. He wrote his Ph.D. at the Australian National University on post-authoritarian inter-religious violence in Indonesia.

Dr Greta Nabbs-Keller is Manager of Indonesia and Southeast Asia programs at the University of Queensland’s International Development unit (UQID) and an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS-UQ). Her broader research interests include Indonesian civil-military relations, Indonesia-China relations, politico-security developments in Southeast Asia, and Australian regional foreign policy.

Greta has served in previous intelligence and policy roles at both federal and state government levels. She is experienced in strategic policy formulation, intelligence assessment, and defence diplomacy. Between 1999 and 2007, Greta worked in a number of policy and analytical roles for the Department of Defence in both Canberra and Jakarta. She has extensive experience working on the bilateral defence relationship with Indonesia and received a Secretary’s Commendation for support to Defence Operation Sumatra Assist I & II in response to the 2004-2005 Aceh tsunami crisis. Greta finished her Australian Public Service career with the Defence Intelligence Organisation as a Senior Indonesia Analyst. She contributes regularly to public policy debate on Indonesian defence and foreign policy issues and teaches into executive education programs for the National Security College (ANU); Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (Australian Defence College) and Indonesian Government agencies.

During her time on the ground in Asia, and particularly in Indonesia, Helen Brown noticed how differences in business culture between Indonesia and Australia were making it harder for companies to connect, and therefore contribute to improving relations.

She has now stepped away from a life-long career in journalism, including 20 years at the ABC, to concentrate on helping bring business closer together, using the skills and insight gained during her time in the dynamic South East Asia region.

She spent four years on-the-ground in Indonesia as a multi-media correspondent, being trusted with inside views and contacts, covering the 2014 Presidential election, trade disputes, and having exposure to multi-lateral strategic summits and business developments. She travelled to many areas of the vast archipelago to report on how politics and economics affected people’s lives.

She served on the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, co-founded a media discussion group in Indonesia and undertakes numerous speaking and moderating roles alongside her business advisory.

Helen is about to launch a new podcast examining the relationship between Australia and Asia.

John W.H. Denton AO is a Partner and CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Australia’s leading independent law firm.

John is a legal expert in the areas of government, workplace relations and international trade and investment; a national business leader and an international adviser on global policy.

Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2015, John was recognised for his distinguished service to business and commerce, particularly in the legal profession, visual and performing arts, social welfare and the rights of refugees.

John was recently elected as First Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and is a member of the ICC G20 CEO Advisory Group, the primary body for establishing the direction of business input within the G20. John is also one of the two originating members of the B20 and was a member of the Australian B20 Leadership Group.

John is Chair of the Business Council of Australia’s Global Engagement Taskforce; Chairman (emeritus) of the Experts Group on Trade and Investment in Indonesia, board member of Asialink and a founding member of the Australia China CEO Roundtable meetings.

Associate Professor Kate McGregor is a historian of Indonesia. Her research interests include Indonesian historiography, memories of violence, the Indonesian military, Islam and identity in Indonesia and historical international links between Indonesia and the world. She teaches in the areas of Southeast Asian history, the history of violence and Asian thematic history.

Kate is currently undertaking an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship on the project: Confronting Historical Injustice in Indonesia: Memory and Transnational Human Rights Activism examining the cases of Indonesian victims of human rights crimes during the Japanese occupation; the independence struggle and the 1965 repression. She has published widely on the topic of Indonesian memory, transnational political activism and historical justice. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the Alliance for Historical Dialogue and Accountability and a Board Member for the Herb Feith Foundation.

Mario Suntanu is a Partner at SMDV, a growth-stage VC that partners with entrepreneurs to change the technology landscape in Southeast Asia, with a strong focus in Indonesia. SMDV provides investments and mentorship as well as access to its strategic corporate network. Prior to that, Mario had been a member of the founding leadership of multiple ventures, including Rocket Internet’s Zalora and Lazada Indonesia. He earned his Bachelor’s at Stanford University in Palo Alto and Master’s at Harvard University.

Philip Dalidakis was born in the Southern Metropolitan Region and has lived here all his life. His father was born in Greece. His mother was born in Shanghai, the daughter of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. As the son of immigrant parents, he shares the life stories of many families in his electorate. Philip now lives in Bentleigh with his wife Debra and three young children, who attend local state schools.

Philip was educated at Gardenvale Primary School, St Michael’s Grammar School, Monash University and the University of NSW. He has a master’s degree in Commerce and a double degree in Business (Management) and Arts (politics and Thai language). He speaks Greek and Thai.

Philip has worked in both the private sector and in government. He worked as an analyst with Deloitte, as a senior property accountant with Centro Properties Group, and as a financial controller with Boston Umbrella. He was chief executive officer of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries from 2007 to 2011. In government, he was deputy chief of staff to Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, in 2011-12. From 2012 to 2014 he ran his own business, SCG Advisory.

Philip has been active in many community organisations. He has been treasurer of the Jewish Museum of Australia, treasurer of SKA Children’s Services Inc, and a Homework Support volunteer with Southern Ethnic Advisory and Advocacy Council. He was a judge with the Melbourne Awards for the City of Melbourne from 2008 to 2014.

Philip Dalidakis was born in the Southern Metropolitan Region and has lived here all his life. His father was born in Greece. His mother was born in Shanghai, the daughter of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. As the son of immigrant parents, he shares the life stories of many families in his electorate. Philip now lives in Bentleigh with his wife Debra and three young children, who attend local state schools.

Philip was educated at Gardenvale Primary School, St Michael’s Grammar School, Monash University and the University of NSW. He has a master’s degree in Commerce and a double degree in Business (Management) and Arts (politics and Thai language). He speaks Greek and Thai.

Philip has worked in both the private sector and in government. He worked as an analyst with Deloitte, as a senior property accountant with Centro Properties Group, and as a financial controller with Boston Umbrella. He was chief executive officer of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries from 2007 to 2011. In government, he was deputy chief of staff to Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, in 2011-12. From 2012 to 2014 he ran his own business, SCG Advisory.

Philip has been active in many community organisations. He has been treasurer of the Jewish Museum of Australia, treasurer of SKA Children’s Services Inc, and a Homework Support volunteer with Southern Ethnic Advisory and Advocacy Council. He was a judge with the Melbourne Awards for the City of Melbourne from 2008 to 2014.

Philips Vermonte is Executive Director, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta. He finished his doctoral study at Department of Political Science, Northern Illinois University in the U.S, funded by Fulbright scholarship. His research interest includes comparative politics, voting behavior, electoral politics
and political parties in Indonesia. He is the principal investigator of public opinion surveys conducted by CSIS.

His recent publications include ”The Increased Number of Female Members of Parliament: Identifying its origins and obstacles in Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor Leste,“ Working Paper (published by USAID and Kemitraan, 2014), ”What Happened in the Early Years of Democracy: Indonesia’s Experience” (co-authored with Rizal Shiddiq), Middle East Development Journal (vol.5/1,2013).Peer-reviewed; ”Indonesia’s 2014 Elections: Practical Innovations and Optimistic Outcome,” Journal of Asian Politics and Policy (vol.7/2,2015), Book Review of The Institutionalization of Political Parties in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia: From the Grass-Roots Up by Ulla Fiona,(Amsterdam University Press,2013),published in Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES), 2015.

Susie Sugden is Chief Commercial Officer at Temple & Webster, Australia’s leading online retailer of furniture and homewares, where she looks after retail merchandising and website management. Susie specialises in digital marketing and merchandising for online retailers. Before joining Temple & Webster, Susie was based in Indonesia for five years, where she founded several eCommerce and technology businesses including Lazada.co.id, Indonesia’s biggest e-commerce site (acquired by Alibaba in 2016) and Paraplou.com, her own online fashion retailer. Susie has been interviewed by the Economist, BRW and the Wall Street Journal, is a sought-after speaker at e-commerce conferences such as Online Retailer (Australia) and the World Retail Congress (Singapore), and is regularly published on e27.co and other major tech blogs.