Speakers
Anna-Maria Arabia OAM
Professor Elanor Huntington
Prof Patrick McGorry AO
Session
Anna-Maria is Chief Executive at the Australian Academy of Science, an independent organisation of distinguished Australian scientists, championing science for the benefit of all. Starting her career as a neuroscientist, Anna-Maria has worked nationally and globally in scientific research, policy development, politics and advocacy.
Her leadership has led to significant reform at the science–policy interface. She has established novel mechanisms to facilitate evidence-informed decision making in parliaments and the justice system; spear headed new approaches to science communication; and implemented global initiatives to make visible under represented scientists.
She provides policy advice to the highest levels of government in Australia and contributes to global policy for a, most recently leading the establishment of the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific.
In 2025, Anna-Maria was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to science, particularly through organisational leadership roles. She has also earnt the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for her constant commitment to promoting the role of science in society and her determination in enabling young and diverse people to access science. Anna-Maria is routinely called upon to serve as an agent of change.
Professor Elanor Huntington is the Deputy Chief Executive at CSIRO where she leads strategy and external engagement for CSIRO. She joined CSIRO in November 2021 as Executive Director, Digital, National Facilities and Collections, where she led the organisation’s data-focused research, development, and digital capability, and was responsible for major national research infrastructure, including the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, the Marine National Facility, and the Australia Telescope National Facility.
Professor Huntington holds a PhD in experimental quantum optics and is an established senior leader with several Board appointments. Prior to joining CSIRO, Professor Huntington was Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University, where she drove significant transformation within the College and across the sector. She is passionate about raising the profile of STEM in the community, breaking down barriers to participation, and attracting diverse talent to the field.
Professor Patrick McGorry AO is one of the world’s most influential leaders in youth mental health, internationally recognised for reshaping how mental illness is understood and treated in young people. He is Executive Director, Orygen, Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, and a Founding Director, headspace, which has transformed access to care across Australia and beyond. McGorry’s pioneering work in early intervention has informed clinical practice and policy worldwide. In 2024, he led a global consortium of world-leading experts to deliver a definitive analysis of youth mental health, published in The Lancet Psychiatry. He was named Australian of the Year in 2010.
Nim de Swardt chairs the PWN Family Wealth Peer Group (QLD) and is Australia’s leading family storyteller. For 17 years, Nim has been cultivating Narrative Capital™ within significant families. Formerly the world’s first Chief Next Generation Officer at a US$16B, seventh-generation family enterprise and Guest Faculty at the Modern Elder Academy, teaching ‘Intergenerational Wisdom Sharing’. Nim draws on two decades in communications, narrative psychology, narrative therapy, storytelling science, and human-centred design. She is currently completing her Master’s research on how narrative practices can build legacy capital in significant families.