FTA's 33rd Annual Conference 2020

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The 2020 FTA Conference proudly presents the following Keynotes! Keep an eye out for further updates.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

We are pleased to announce our Conference MC and Facilitator, SBS Newsreader, Virginia Langeberg

Virginia is rapidly becoming one of Australia’s leading news media personalities and presenters. A journalist and TV presenter with more than 15 years experience in Australia and abroad. She is currently a senior reporter for SBS World News specialising in global affairs and previously worked for BBC World News in London.

We are excited to have Virginia, ask the important questions, keep our delegates engaged and ensure the program is kept to schedule!

DAY ONE - OPENING PLENARY KEYNOTE

STEPHEN KOUKOULAS
The Go to Economist and Policy Analyst

TOPIC: THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT FROM THE CORONAVIRUS

Stephen Koukoulas is at the forefront of analysis of the economic Covid19 fallout. Stephen is one of Australia's leading economic visionaries, past Chief economist of Citibank, heading global research in London for TD and former advisor to Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.Stephen is in many ways a thought leader as governments, business and individuals grapple with the economic fallout from the Covid19 crisis.

In this keynote you will hear the latest expert analysis on the fallout from the Covid19 crisis and what it means for the economy, financial markets and the policy makers.

Things are changing quickly, and Stephen is on top of those changes. But will the economy be in a deep recession? Will it be a short sharp “V” downturn with a fully fledged recovery before year end?

DAY ONE - PLENARY KEYNOTE

THE HONOURABLE KEVIN RUDD AC

TOPIC: CURRENT ECONOMIC THEMES AND POLITICAL IMPACT OF CHINA-US/AUSTRALIA RELATIONS

The Honorable Kevin Rudd AC served as Australia’s 26th Prime Minister (2007-2010, 2013) and as Foreign Minister (2010-2012). He led Australia’s response during the Global Financial Crisis—the only major developed economy not to go into recession—and helped found the G20. Mr. Rudd joined the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York as its inaugural President in January 2015.

In 2015-16, Mr. Rudd led a review of the UN system as chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism. He is Chair of the Board of the International Peace Institute, Chair of Sanitation and Water for All, and was recently appointed to the IMF Managing Director’s new External Advisory Group. He is a Senior Fellow with Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, a Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House in London and a Distinguished Statesman with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. Mr. Rudd is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. He also remains actively engaged in indigenous reconciliation.

DAY TWO - INTERNATIONAL PLENARY KEYNOTE

MATT GERTKEN
Strategist, Geopolitical Strategy, BCA Research

TOPIC: GEOPOLITICAL INSIGHTS AND THE IMPACT ON MARKETS IN 2021

Matt is BCA Research’s Strategist, Geopolitical Strategy. He oversees the firm’s coverage of market-relevant geopolitical, political, and policy developments across the world. From 2015-18 he headed up the Asia coverage for the Geopolitical Strategy. Prior to joining BCA in 2015, Matt worked as a Senior Analyst at Strategic Forecasting, Inc (Stratfor) and in various academic and publishing roles. He frequently appears in international news media, including CBC, BNN Bloomberg, CNBC Asia, Bloomberg TV, and Fox Business News. Matt holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

DAY THREE - PLENARY KEYNOTE

STEFAN HAJKOWICZ
Research Group Leader, Insights

TOPIC: THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE - USING STRATEGIC FORESIGHT TO EXPLORE STRUCTURAL SHIFTS DURING AND AFTER
COVID-19

Stefan is a principal scientist in strategy and foresight at CSIRO’s Data61 - the digital arm of Australia’s national science agency. Stefan is also group leader of Data61 Insights - a team of researchers and consultants with expertise in data driven foresight, economics, strategy and policy analysis. Stefan is one of the world’s leading researchers within the fields of geography, economics and decision theory. His book “global megatrends” is one of CSIRO’s best sellers.

This presentation describes the use of strategic foresight to explore medium-term futures during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus will be on the extent to which the world bounces back to usual after the crisis versus structural shifts with lasting impact.

Changes will be explored in terms of digital technology adoption, settlement patterns, mobility patterns, tourism, retail, potential future pandemics and labour markets. Consideration will be given to cultural and environmental shifts during COVID-19 including different lifestyle preferences and reduced pollution. Overall it will be argued that in many areas we will see enduring structural shifts. The presentation will conclude with a brief description of strategic foresight tools such as scenario planning and megatrends analysis which can help you navigate the many uncertainties ahead on the road to recovery.