Adrian Hart

Manager - Client Services, Associations Forum

Adrian is based in Brisbane and provides client services for Associations Forum in the areas of governance & strategy, change management, member acquisition, media relations, policy development & lobbying, and member benefit programs.

Adrian has over 30 years' experience leading peak industry associations, including 26 years at Master Plumbers' Association of Queensland, mostly as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. As Chief Executive Officer of Swimming Pool & Spa Association of Queensland, he was instrumental in the merger of SPASA QLD, NSW and SA with the national body, SPASA Australia.

Denys Correll

Manager - Client Services, Associations Forum

Denys joined Associations Forum in October 2012 after a career in not-for-profit governance, management and lobbying in Australia and overseas. Since joining Associations Forum Denys has consulted with associations on governance, mergers, constitutional reviews, board processes and strategic planning.

Denys' career has included 28 years as a CEO of national and international associations. He has been a director of a commercial specialist insurance company and a volunteer director of national and international not-for-profit associations including the Australian and Victorian MS Societies.

John Peacock

Chief Executive Officer, Associations Forum

John is the Chief Executive Officer of Associations Forum, is one of Australia’s most experienced advisors to associations and charities and is a thought leader for the not-for-profit sector. With a BCom (University of NSW), he has held senior management and Directorship roles with various not-for-profit organisations. Since 2000, John has trained and consulted to hundreds of associations and charities, large and small, on strategic planning, governance, board effectiveness, operations, restructuring and financial issues.

As well as engagement on specific projects, John’s consulting business undertakes whole-of-organisation reviews of associations and charities. John’s operational specialisation is developing plans that can be translated into actions, budgets and job descriptions. His change specialisation is in the field of mergers of associations.

Megan Motto

Chief Executive Officer, Governance Institute of Australia

MEGAN MOTTO is the Chief Executive Officer of the Governance Institute of Australia. The Governance Institute of Australia is the only fully independent professional association with a sole focus on whole-of-organisation governance. Prior to this appointment, she was the CEO of Consult Australia, the association for professional services firms within the built and natural environment. Megan is also currently a Director of Standards Australia and a Director and Chair of the NSW State Advisory Council for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

Professor Michael Adams

Head of School - School of Law, University of New England

Professor Michael Adams is a specialist in Australian corporate law and international corporate governance. Michael has expertise in financial services regulation, information governance, consumer protection and the broader area of legal technology and education. Professor Adams was Dean of Law at Western Sydney Law School from 2007 to 2017. From 2019 he is the Head of the University of New England Law School.

He teaches, writes and presents regularly on these topics, as well as a major media commentator. He has published 12 books, 35+ chapters, 100+ articles and presented at over 250 conferences/seminars in the last 30 years.

Professor Adams’ has degrees in accounting/economics and law, his postgraduate studies at University College London; he is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators; the Governance Institute of Australia [FCIS/FGIA(Life)]; and the Australian Academy of Law. Previously he was Professor of Corporate Law; Perpetual Trustees Australia chair of Financial Services Law and Assistant Director UTS Centre for Corporate Governance at the University of Technology Sydney. 

Richard Gration

Barrister, Selborne Chambers

Richard Gration is a barrister practising from Ninth Floor Selborne Chambers and specialises in commercial disputes, with a particular interest in intellectual property, corporate governance and strata law.  Richard was previously a partner at Ebsworth & Ebsworth, where he acted for clients in both litigious and non-litigious corporate matters.  As a barrister he has appeared for parties in a range of matters involving disputes regarding breaches of fiduciary and statutory director’s duties, as well as governance in companies, owners corporations and other incorporated bodies.