2024 FinPro Conference

Melissa Baker has an outstanding record in building financial capability across organisations.
With over 11 years of experience as a senior leader, Melissa uses her extensive financial management experience and collaboration techniques to drive and deliver strategies.
Currently CFO at the City of Casey, Melissa is committed to achieving strong outcomes for the organisation and delivering best value for the community.
These behaviours have underpinned her career in financial management and contribute to her passion for public service.

Melissa has been responsible for the financial management in Melbourne Metro, Interface and Regional Councils as well as large public organisations such as Museums Victoria which encompasses Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, the Royal Exhibition Building, IMAX and the Immigration Museum. She prides herself on being an “accountant with a plus” so she is approachable, down to earth and invests in strong business partnerships.

Tania de Jong (pronounced Yong) AM is a trail-blazing Australian soprano, global speaker, award-winning social entrepreneur, philanthropist, creative innovation catalyst and spiritual journey woman.

Tania is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs and innovators developing 6 businesses and 4 charities including Creative Universe, Creativity Australia and the With One Voice program, Creative Innovation Global, Mind Medicine Australia, Umbrella Foundation and Driftwood The Musical, Dimension5, MTA Entertainment & Events, Pot-Pourri and The Song Room. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and named one of the 100 Women of Influence and the 100 Australian Most Influential Entrepreneurs. Tania has released twelve Albums and her TED Talk How Singing Together Changes The Brain has sparked international interest.

Tania has garnered an international reputation as a performer, speaker, entrepreneur and a passionate leader for social change. Her mission is to change the world, one voice at a time!

www.creativeuniverse.com.au
www.creativityaustralia.org.au

Bradley has had a long and distinguished career in both the public and private sectors, spanning two decades across multiple states.

He started his career at KPMG in 2003, in Sydney’s West. As a Graduate Accountant, Bradley worked on financial reviews and audits for a number of high profile clients.

After completing his CA requirements, he made the move South, starting at the City of Greater Bendigo in 2008. After six years in various financial roles, Bradley made the move to Mount Alexander Shire Council where he held a number of senior level roles, including Acting Director Corporate Services and Executive Manager Business Performance.

For the past four and a half years Bradley has called Hepburn Shire Council home, commencing in the diverse role of Director Community and Corporate before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer in May 2021, having previously been acting in that role since the start of 2021.

Bradley holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from La Trobe University and has a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting. He also completed an MBA in 2018, and undertook the LGPro Emerging Leaders Program in 2017.

Bradley has been a member of the FinPro Executive Committee since 2016, and the President since 2019.

Belinda is the Chief Financial Officer at Horsham Rural City Council. Her career has spanned 40 years with most of this time in the corporate service areas, she also has substantial experience in all aspects of local government services.

She has a keen interest in ensuring finance staff continue to adapt and develop new skills to support their ever changing organisations and has a keen interest in knowledge and resource sharing throughout the sector.

Belinda is a member of the FinPro Executive Team and facilitates the annual FinPro Financial Management and Leadership Skills program.

Tony is responsible for Cyber and Technology, Finance and Commercial Services, and Governance and Performance service areas.

Tony joined Maroondah City Council in 2016, as the Manager Finance and Governance and has over 11 years experience in Local Government, including with Frankston City Council. He brings experience in Internal Audit, Financial Audit and Continuous Improvement across the Victorian Government and Private Sector.

Tony is driven by a commitment to best practice principles and a passion for achieving superior community outcomes. He consistently strives to deliver high-quality internal services to help bolster the wider organisation.

Tony’s tertiary qualifications include a Bachelor of Business and Commerce majoring in Accounting and Economics, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Property and Valuation. Tony is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is the Vice President of the Local Government Finance Professionals Association (FinPro).

John Brockway is the Manager Financial Services at Warrnambool City Council and also an Executive member of FinPro. John has 30 years’ experience in senior accounting roles in the Commercial, State Government, and Local Government sectors, specialising in the transport, health, and waste industries.

Having worked in fast-paced industries, John is proficient with budgeting and management reporting, and is passionate about mentoring, coaching, and advocating for the Local Government sector. John led the FinPro team that implemented the first rating and revenue plan in conjunction with LGV.

Simone has recently been appointed as Director Corporate Services at Monash City Council. Prior to this role she was CFO at Casey City Council, Manager Financial and Corporate Planning at Frankston City Council and Manager Financial Services at the City of Monash.

Simone is an extremely experienced and skillful, strategic leader who understands the complexities of the Local Government Sector. She also plays an active role in the sector more widely as a member of the FinPro Executive, being a crucial member of the FinPro Technical Committee, representing the sector on the various working groups, and also facilitating conversations as part of the FinPro Professional Development Program.

Jo has spent the last 16 years in or servicing Victorian Local and State Government Procurement.

A passionate procurement advocate, Jo views procurement as both a support service to, and a protection mechanism for, government entities. This may not be a common view of procurement, which Jo works hard to change via engagement with key stakeholders to show the value and protection procurement can offer.

Ashay is a dedicated professional who has devoted the past 25 years to the advancement of long-term asset management strategies. His expertise spans across investment models and lifecycle strategies tailored for government entities at various levels-federal, state, and local. What sets him apart is his profound grasp of strategic asset management, a concept he introduced to Australia’s government sector over two decades ago.

A true visionary, Ashay’s journey led him to co-found APIGAM in 2003, the Asia Pacific Institute of Good Asset Management. This innovative institution, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, emerged as a collaboration between Ashay and Dr. Penny Burns through the United Nations Development Programme. APIGAM has significantly contributed to the evolution of asset management practices across the Asia Pacific region.

Additionally, Ashay played a pivotal role in co-founding Assetic in 2006, Australia’s pioneering strategic asset management platform for government agencies. This groundbreaking initiative further solidified his status in this field, as Assetic revolutionized how government entities approach asset management. Assetic enabled government agencies worldwide to shift from reactive to proactive asset management, in most cases unlocking millions in hidden value.

Currently, Ashay stands as an international advisor to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This prestigious association, known for its acronym, GFOA, plays a vital role in shaping the landscape of government financial management. Within this role, Ashay is deeply involved in the development of best practice policies and guidelines that encompass strategic asset planning, financial budgeting, long-term asset management, and climate analysis within the government sector.

Ashay’s unwavering passion lies in enhancing the capacity and capability of government entities. His vision extends beyond immediate horizons, aiming to empower governments to undertake 25, 30, and even SO-year analyses of their long-term infrastructure management. Through his tireless efforts, Ashay continues to make invaluable contributions to the field, leaving an indelible mark on strategic asset management within the government sector.

Simone has recently been appointed as Director Corporate Services at Monash City Council. Prior to this role she was CFO at Casey City Council, Manager Financial and Corporate Planning at Frankston City Council and Manager Financial Services at the City of Monash.

Simone is an extremely experienced and skillful, strategic leader who understands the complexities of the Local Government Sector. She also plays an active role in the sector more widely as a member of the FinPro Executive, being a crucial member of the FinPro Technical Committee, representing the sector on the various working groups, and also facilitating conversations as part of the FinPro Professional Development Program.

Phin Ziebell is TCV’s Head of Research, providing TCV clients with the latest financial market data, interest rate forecasts and economic analysis. Phin has been with TCV for a year – prior to joining, he spent 9 years in the economics team at NAB, analysing trends the macroeconomy, consumer spending, infrastructure, energy and agriculture, as well as client, investor and media presentations. He was also previously an economist at Victorian DTF and DPI.

Andrew has over 30 years of experience in public sector external and internal auditing at the federal, state and local government levels. He was the Auditor-General of Queensland from 2011 to 2016. From 2003 to 2011, Andrew held various roles at VAGO, including Assistant Auditor-General, Performance Audit, and Assistant Auditor-General, Financial Audit.

Andrew commences his role at Victorian Auditor-General in September 2016 and was reappointed for a further 7 years in September 2023.

Steve has 35 years of senior local government management experience at Chief Executive Officer and Director levels, including 10 years with Maroondah City Council from 1994 to 2003. From 2004, he was Chief Executive Officer at East Gippsland Shire until he re-joined Maroondah City Council on 8 September 2014 as Chief Executive Officer.

Steve has held executive positions on a number of national, state, and regional committees across a range of interests including economic development, environmental planning, tourism, coastal settlement development and community development. Steve is chair of the Melbourne Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committee having been jointly appointed to the position by the Victorian and Australian Governments. He holds an MBA and BBus (local government) and is a Fellow of several organisations including the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Local Government Professionals Victoria and the Institute of Managers and Leaders and is a member of the Eastern Region Group of Councils (ERG).

Helen is currently the CEO of Moonee Valley City Council (MVCC) and has over 20 years professional experience in the local government, state government and not-for-profit sectors.

Helen was the first Chinese-born CEO in the Victorian local government sector. She studied International Politics, Accounting, Law, and Global Executive MBA at the top universities in China, Australia, India, USA and the UK.

Helen was named Top 50 Public Sector Women in Victoria in 2022 and strongly believes in developing the workforce. Under her leadership MVCC was named as the top 101 workplaces for women by WORK180 in 2023 and 2024.

Wayne O’Toole was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Buloke Shire Council in January 2022.

Wayne was Director Works and Technical Services from September 2018, and began his time at Buloke in 2017, as a Manager Statutory Services.

In his three years leading the Works and Technical Services directorate, Wayne has been involved in flood recovery works, increased project delivery, the Working for Victoria Program, as well as focusing on Buloke’s’ road network and increasing customer satisfaction.

Wayne has substantial previous local government leadership experience in development services and healthy environments before coming to Buloke, as well as a private sector career in project management. Wayne is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and completed a Masters of Business Administration in September 2020.

Catherine is one of Australia’s leading lawyers working with clients on work health and safety (WHS), behavioural investigations and inquests, inquiries and Royal Commissions. She advises on all aspects of safety regulation and in responding to workplace incidents and criminal prosecutions.

Catherine is Partner at Maddocks and has worked extensively with Local Government over many year.