2023 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

 Christine Nixon AO.APM.

Christine was the 19th Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police leading 14,000 staff, operating across more than 500 locations, and overseeing an annual budget of $1.7 billion. She joined Victoria Police in April 2001, after serving with the New South Wales Police from 1972 and became the first Female Assistant Commissioner in 1994. She led the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Agency after to 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires.

Christine is a Fellow of ANZSOG, The Australian Institute of Police Management, The Australian Institute of Management, and a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.

Currently Christine is the Chair of Leadership Victoria, was the Chair of the Board of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She was a Council member and Deputy Chancellor of Monash University from 2009- 2020, Chair of Monash College Pty Ltd 2011-2020 and Chair of Good Shepherd Microfinance 2011-2019.

Christine has a long history of supporting women, children, and vulnerable communities.  

Christine teaches and is a sought-after speaker on diversity, corruption, resilience, risk, crisis management and leadership.

Co-author with Jo Chandler “Fair Cop”, MUP 2011

Co-author with Amanda Sinclair “Women Leading” MUP 2017.

Dr. Todd Fernando, Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities

Dr Todd Fernando is a descendant of the Kalarie peoples of the Wiradjuri nation and identifies as queer with pronouns he/him. Todd is the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities - the second person to fill this ground-breaking position. In this role, Todd provides high-level strategic advice to the Victorian Government on the development and implementation of policies, services, and programs to meet the needs of LGBTIQ+ communities. Todd completed his PhD in Medical Anthropology with the University of Melbourne and is a leading expert in reforming social policy and cultural safety frameworks in public and private sectors across Australia. Todd is recognised as a strategic thought leader, with a commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for all Australians. 

Honourable Virginia Bell AC SC

Virginia Bell served on the High Court of Australia for 12 years from February 2009. The High Court is the ultimate appellate court in Australia. At the date of her appointment, she was a judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. After graduating in law, she practiced as a solicitor for seven years with the Redfern Legal Centre, the first community law centre to be established in New South Wales. She acted for many of those who were arrested at the first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney in 1978. She was admitted to the Bar in 1984 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 1997. Between 1994 and 1997 she was a Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Police Service. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in March 1999. She served as President of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration between 2006 and 2008. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2012 for eminent service to the judiciary and the law through judicial administration, and as an advocate for the economically and socially disadvantaged.

Rodney Croome

Rodney Croome is a long-time advocate for LGBTIQA+ equality. He led the successful campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in Tasmania, was the national director of Australian Marriage Equality and has advocated for a wide range of reforms including discrimination protections, parenting equality, hate speech laws, gender recognition laws, gay blood donation, LGBTIQA+ inclusive schools, improved mental health services and better human rights protections. After being arrested four times at Hobart's Salamanca Market in 1988, in defence of a gay law reform stall, Rodney began working with Tasmanian Police to improve its relationship with the LGBTIQA+ community. He has delivered recruit and liaison officer training, was a founding member of the TasPol LGBTIQA+ reference group, and continues to work on issues such as LGBTIQA+ police recruitment and prejudice-motivated crime. Rodney's work has been recognised by a Centenary Medal and an Order of Australia. He was named Tasmanian Australian of the Year in 2015.