Invited Speakers

Session 1


KEYNOTE SPEAKER - The Honourable Helen Bowskill

The Honourable Helen Bowskill was sworn in as Chief Justice of Queensland on 22 March 2022, having served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 10 July 2017, and as the Senior Judge Administrator of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 24 August 2021. Her Honour previously served as a Judge of the District Court of Queensland from 10 November 2014, in that capacity also sitting as a Judge of the Children’s Court of Queensland and the Planning and Environment Court.

Her Honour holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the Queensland University of Technology and was awarded the University Medal in 1995. In 2022, her Honour was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University by the Queensland University of Technology.

Her Honour served as the Associate to the Honourable Justice Drummond of the Federal Court of Australia in 1996 and completed articles of clerkship with Minter Ellison in 1997. Her Honour was admitted as a solicitor in January 1998, and as a barrister in July 1998. She commenced practice at the private Bar in Brisbane in July 1998. Her Honour took silk in November 2013. As a barrister, she practised widely in public, administrative and commercial law areas, with a particular focus on native title law.

Her Honour is a member and current Chair of the Judicial Council on Diversity and Inclusion and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.


Steve Carey
Director and Co-Founder, Delta Insurance


Selous Nyakunu
Senior Casualty Underwriter, Chubb


Session 2

Ben McKinnie
Account Director, BMS Group


Daniel Sirone
Executive General Manager, Sedgwick


Sharanjit Paddam
MA MSci Tech FIA FIAA , Principal, Finity

Sharanjit is a leading expert on climate change, and awarded Insurance Leader of the Year 2022 by ANZIIF for his work on championing action on climate change, Actuary of the Year 2023 by the Actuaries Institute, and Risk Manager of the Year by the Climate Alliance in 2020.

He co-leads Finity’s perils & climate practice and advises insurers, banks, investors and governments on perils and climate risk assessment, management, strategy and reporting.

In 2023 he authored a research report for the Actuaries Institute on Home Insurance Affordability, and In 2022 he gave a TEDxSydney talk on climate change and banks and insurers.

Prior to working at Finity he was Group Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risk at QBE Insurance Group, where he developed QBE’s global ESG policies, risk management framework, and reporting on climate change.


Session 3

Gareth Beacham KC
Barrister

Gareth’s principle areas of legal expertise, are in the building and construction law area. Included in this area are matters involving professional negligence (involving architects and engineers), and matters involving mining or engineering disputes more generally.
Gareth is also briefed in matters involving professional negligence on the part of solicitors, on behalf of Lexon Insurance.

He works generally in the area of commercial litigation, including disputes over contractual issues and other commercial disputes.
Gareth’s briefers include a number of the largest law firms operating in Australia. Gareth especially enjoys court appearance work in his areas of expertise. He is also briefed to attend mediations, and appears in arbitrations.

Gareth has been consistently featured in Doyle’s Guide as a Leading King’s Counsel in the area of Construction, most recently:

  • 2023 – Leading Construction and Infrastructure Senior Counsel – Australia (leading)
  • 2023 – Leading Construction and Infrastructure Senior Counsel – Queensland (pre-eminent)

He has also been featured in Chambers & Partners in the area of Construction & Infrastructure, Australia. Gareth has practised as a barrister in Brisbane since 1998.


Emma Davies
Underwriting Manager, Environmental Liability, AXA XL


James Tucker
Senior Claims Specialist and Technical Lead, Liberty Specialty Markets Australia


Andrew Cheetham
Partner, HWL Ebsworth


Katie Clark
Partner, Minter Ellison


Ken Horsley
Barrister


Session 4

Dallas Campbell
Manager, Strategic Partnerships Strategy & Performance, Suncorp


Nicola Mason
National General Lines Claims Leader, WTW


Pete Diskin
Chief Client Officer, Gallagher Bassett


Kylie Horton
Executive Manager Qld CTP Claims, Suncorp


Janine Reid
Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary, WorkCover Qld


Session 5

Rebecca Jancauskas
Director, JGA Saddler


Amanda Beattie
Partner, Wotton + Kearney


Rebecca Treston KC
Barrister

Rebecca graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1989. She worked between 1989 and 1996 as a solicitor specialising in insurance litigation. Rebecca was called to the Bar in February 1996 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2013.

Rebecca’s specialised areas of practice include Wills, Estates and Trusts, Insurance, Common Law and Statutory Liability. Rebecca also has a particular interest in professional indemnity, medico-legal and regulatory matters. Over many years Rebecca has been recognised as Queensland’s only Market Leader, King’s Counsel, in estate litigation She is also consistently recognised as one of the pre-eminent Silks in estate litigation in Australia.. Between 2007 and 2010, and again in 2013, Rebecca held a position as a part time member of the Queensland Law Reform Commission.

Rebecca regularly acts as a mediator in estate, insurance and commercial disputes. Her diverse practice means she is also ranked as a leading silk by Doyle’s Guide in Insurance Litigation and as a Mediator.

In 2018, Rebecca became the first female President of the Bar Association of Queensland.

Rebecca is a member, and founding director, of Hemmant’s List.


Dr Katrina Kluss
Barrister

Katrina has a broad commercial practice, specialising in the areas of estate and trust litigation, professional and medical negligence, defendant insurance, and public and product liability (including related insurance law matters of policy, contractual interpretation, indemnity and contribution).

She regularly appears in contested applications, trials, mediations and conferences. She is a member of Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Australian Insurance Lawyers Association, and the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy.

Katrina holds undergraduate degrees in Law (Hons) and Psychological Science, an LLM (Applied Law), and a PhD in Law.




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