Victorian State iAwards Gala Dinner

Keynote Speaker

Hon . Philip Dalidakis

Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade (Victoria)

Mr Dalidakis was elected as a member of the Victorian Parliament, Australia in November 2014, and rose to the Ministry in July 2015.

Minister Dalidakis sees his three areas of portfolio responsibility as having a natural synergy, and is looking to grow the State of Victoria as an international innovation hub.

Immediately before entering Parliament he was the Principal of SCG Advisory, a boutique advisory firm that specialised in Corporate Strategy, Communications (including crisis management) and Government advisory.

Mr Dalidakis was often heard in the media as a public affairs expert and political commentator on the ABC and on SkyNews Australia, where he had a weekly segment on PM Agenda.

Often quoted in the press on cyber security issues, Mr Dalidakis has presented on cyber security, terrorism and threats (May 2013).

Prior to taking on the role at SCG Advisory, Mr Dalidakis served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Conroy, (frm) Leader of the Government and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, with his primary role being oversight of Australia’s largest infrastructure project, the $36.9 billion National Broadband Network and the policy responsibility of cyber security.

Before that Mr Dalidakis served for three and a half years as the Chief Executive Officer for the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI), the peak industry representative body for the Victorian Timber industry (which contributed in excess of $6.5 billion to the Victorian economy and was responsible for over twenty-four thousand jobs).

Mr Dalidakis has a Master of Commerce from UNSW as well as a double degree in Arts (Politics and Thai Language) and Business (Management) from Monash University. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Keynote Speaker

Dr Michele Allan

Charles Sturt University – Chair, University Council, Chair, Chancellor’s Committee, Chair, Succession Planning Committee

Innovation Australia Board Member

Dr Michele Allan is a food industry and agribusiness specialist who has held senior executive and director positions in the food and education sectors, and has an academic background in biomedical science, management and law.

Dr Allan is the current Chair of the Board of Meat and Livestock Australia, the William Angliss Institute of TAFE, and Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (formerly Go Grains Health & Nutrition).

Her current board positions include Apple and Pear Limited, Innovation Australia, the Cooperative Research Centre for Hearing and Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd.

Dr Allan has held non-executive director positions with Patties Foods Limited, the Dairy Research & Development Corporation (now part of Dairy Australia), Forest and Wood Products Australia, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, RuralCo and Birchip Cropping Group.

In 2013 she was appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for Agriculture, The Hon Barnaby Joyce, to chair the Wheat Industry Advisory Taskforce. In 2014, she was appointed by the Federal Government to lead the Tasmanian Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce.

Prior to commencing her board career, Dr Allan was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Patties Foods Limited until 2008, and held executive roles with Amcor Limited, Tasmanian Bioinformatics Centre of Excellence, Bonlac Foods Limited, Kraft Foods and ICI Dulux.

Michele Allan has a Bachelor of Applied Science Major – Biomedical Science – Cytology from University Technology Sydney, Master of Management (Technology) from the University of Melbourne, Doctor of Business Administration from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a Master of Commercial Law from Deakin University.

She is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Special Guest

Hon Gavin Jennings MLC

Special Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Gavin Jennings was first elected as the Member for Melbourne Province in September 1999 and has been the Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region since 2006 following the Bracks Labor Government reforms to the Legislative Council.
Prior to entering Parliament Gavin had a wide and varied career, including experience as a factory worker, actuarial clerk, actor, social worker and policy analyst.  He has a Bachelor of Arts (Monash University, 1978) and Bachelor of Social Work (Monash University, 1981) and worked as a social worker at the Aboriginal Health Service in Fitzroy between 1981 and 1984.
From 1988 to 1992 he was a ministerial adviser to Kay Setches, John Cain and Joan Kirner. Gavin has also worked for a number of unions including the Public Transport Union and Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union.
In October 1999 Gavin became the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council and was the Cabinet Secretary in the first Bracks Government.  Between 2002 and 2007 he held the positions of Minister for Aged Care, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Community Services.  From August 2007 until November 2010 Gavin served as Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and Minister for Innovation.

In December 2014 Gavin was appointed the Special Minister of State with responsibility for the public sector, government transparency, integrity and accountability and governance for long-term infrastructure planning.  Minister Jennings is also Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.