Day 1 July 30th

8.30am Chairperson's Opening Remarks

8.35am Keynote Opening AddressThe Evolving EA - Innovative & AdaptiveWe all operate in rapidly changing workplaces with rapidly changing external business and governmental environments as a result of technological advances plus numerous and constantly evolving communication options. These are having enormous impacts on today's EAs and the partnerships they have with their executives. The approach and mindset the EA needs to deal with these, so that they act in the best interests of their executive and broader organisation, is the subject of our opening address and will set the agenda for the next two days of this conference. Topics and issues to be considered include;

• Different influencers of change and the impact each will have & just how important are these and what will the effect on the EA role be?
• The approach and mindset required to be able to cope with, and then manage, what is happening
• Will there be a realignment of the EA and executive partnership?
• What new skills will be needed to remain relevant and how will these be acquired?
• How do you keep up to speed with constantly evolving change and how can this be incorporated into your routine to make your life easier and more productive?
• Focussing on experiences from overseas & what progressive EAs need to do to stop their role being marginalised or rolled back
• Jonathan McIlroyExecutive Director, Education and LearningExecutive Assistant Academy

9.05am Keynote Motivational AddressThe Innovative Mindset and the EA

Adjectives used to describe innovators often include; revolutionary, imaginative, problem finders, empathetic, risk takers, networked, observant, creative, resilient, reflective and many, many more besides. In this keynote you will look at what EAs can learn from someone who has taken a new idea, concept, program or approach &a made it succeed.

• Her "lightbulb" moment & what the motivations or catalysts for this were
• How she overcame resistance and pushback to cut through and make it a success
• There are always doubts and fears to overcome & what were they and what approach was deployed
• Lessons learned from the experience and the message from her journey that can help all of us as we move forward in our organisations
• Why an innovative mindset is important for everyone in business
• Federico ReEntrepreneurship Coach / Startup Consultant / Business Journalist

9.50am Keynote Technology Speaker Examining the likely impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the EA role

The growing importance and presence of Artificial Intelligence and its penetration into the workplace is impacting on the roles and type of work people are performing and will be performing in the future. This presentation will look at how this development, and perhaps intrusion, could impact on the EA role and their future. Many organisations are hoping AI will help them reduce staff numbers and lower costs, but could that be the case with EA roles? Global trends are already seeing the EA roll rolled back because of technological changes. But what will it truly mean for EAs?

• How will AI impact businesses and how employees in general will operate in the future?
• How AI will enhance some of the processes and tasks which will lead to greater efficiencies and productivity in the task-oriented aspects of the EA role
• Will AI give the EA more opportunity to focus their energies on areas such as:
• Building networks in the organization
• Managing and developing relationships
• Acting as the Corporate Thermometer for their executive
• Improving interactions with other EAs and stakeholders, particularly those who operate in the senior executive areas
• Developing and improving the EA skill base in assisting with projects and related tasks
• Will AI be as successful in replicating the interactions between EAs and their executives, especially the trust dynamic and the EAs ability to determine what is urgent, not urgent and, at times, irrelevant?
• How will AI deal with the great Emotional Intelligence strengths of EAs and their ability to embrace or display the notions of empathy, mood reading and body language interpretation?
• Often external factors are present and are a major influence on behaviour and actions. How good will AI ever be at interpreting these, particularly if they are current and unforeseen
• Craig RispinInternationally Renowned Futurist and Keynote SpeakerThe Future Trends Group

10.35am Morning Coffee

Day 1 July 30th

11.05am EA Panel SessionChanging trends in workplace structure and role evolution & what can we make of current trends and how they will impact how EAs perform most effectively in their rolesThe traditional workplace, as we know it, is changing. Flatter management structures and different chains of communication, increased openness, less formality and a greater reliance on technology have all had their place in organisational ethos change. In the first part of the panel we will examine different workplace changes and their impact on the functioning of the EA role, as well as the impact on management and the wider business. Areas of discussion will include Activity Based Workplaces, Hot Desking, Flexi Working, Remote EAs and Virtual EAs. In the second part of the panel we will examine the rationalisation of the role in many organisations due to perceived efficiency gains that result from technological changes and new management capabilities which have seen many EAs reporting to two or more executives. Then we will look at the impact this has on the level of support EAs can deliver. As an EA, even if many of these changes haven't impacted you and your organisation yet, there is a strong chance they will in the future, so this is a vital panel for EAs to consider.

Part 1 -
Workplace changes

• Investigating what EAs can do to make office and workplace changes like these more effective
• Considering the impact on EA and executive partnership dynamics and options for new paradigms, road rules and ways of working
• Can and should EAs advise against changes they perceive to be detrimental to their role in supporting their executive(s)?

Part 2 - Working for more than one Executive

• Coping with different management styles
• The skills needed for this situation, particularly when dealing with very different personalities
• Being impartial and maintaining your professionalism

• Moderator:David ThomsonManager, Education & TrainingExecutive Assistant Academy
• Riitta PalasrinneSenior Executive AssistantMinerals Council of Australia
• Kristy SempleExecutive AssistantPricewaterhouseCoopers
• Alexas McLeodExecutive Assistant to Deputy Secretary, Indo-Pacific GroupDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Casi WebberExecutive Assistant to Deputy Ombudsman and Executive Assistant to Principal AdvisorAustralian Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman
• Hannie BottExecutive Assistant to DirectorRecruiting Services Defence Force Recruiting

11.55am Keynote Ethics & Governance Speaker Values, Morals, Ethics and the EA Role

The values of an organisation are what support the vision and shape the culture in order to enable an organisation to achieve its overall mission. They are the overall principals and beliefs of the company, in essence, its philosophy of how to be.Values, and by extension culture, are what drive corporate behaviour, and this is where governance comes into play. Corporate governance is about the rules, policies, systems and processes

that govern how authority is exercised and maintained in an organisation, and how this interplay affects the relationship between executive management and shareholders. Right now, executive and management behaviour to under the spotlight like never before and this trend will only continue. Our speaker is an expert in this field and will share with you the implications of values and good corporate governance, as well as provide guidance on the EAs role in this complex and often controversial area.

• The areas an EA needs to be concerned with and aware of
• Making a call when you see transgressions, when your judgement is questioned and the whistle-blower situation
• The notion of trust in both individuals and the organization - why this is important and what does trust look like in the real world to customers, clients and other stakeholders
• Dealing with media in certain circumstances
• The impact on your personal well-being in delicate situations
• Phillip A. JonesDirector, Two Degrees Group

12.40pm Lunch

1.55pm Keynote Resilience SpeakerResilience - how to thrive in a corporate war zoneToday's business environment climate has a focus on cost reductions, driving greater efficiencies and ensuring positive stakeholder reactions. This leads to executives continually examining ways to change their organisation's strategies and approach plus their own personal approach and style of management which often impacts directly on all employees, sometimes leading to unintended consequences and, at times, a climate of uncertainty.

Day 1 July 30th

• Why these types of circumstances often test employee resolve, impact interactions with others and may lead to difficult situations
• Strategies for dealing with difficult situations and difficult people
• A toxic work culture - what does this look like and what is the impact on everyone?
• Dealing with colleagues and executives trying to undermine each other to score points and gain a perceived advantage, no matter how false this may be
• The role of emotional intelligence for the EA in coping with these circumstances
• The EA and their executive in this climate - how do you handle this and what is the best approach?
• Sally DooleyProfessional Facilitator, Speaker, Executive Coach

2.40pm Executive Panel SessionThe perceptive, responsive, nimble and innovative EAWith changes in technology, organizational structure and resulting management approaches frequently occurring in organisations, today's EA needs to be agile, adaptive and, at times, able to innovate to respond to specific issues and challenges at a moment's notice.This executive panel session will examine how the EA role is changing, what the impacts of this are and what new skills will be necessary to ensure relevance and, at times, survival.

• Examining different ways of working and the relationship and communication style changes that occur as a result
• Investigating the impact of change on productivity and efficiency

• Assessing potential impacts and changes in culture and communication
• What works and what doesn't - focussing on how to manage access to your executives in the new environment and using technology to your advantage

• Moderator:Robert TaylorSenior ConsultantExecutive Assistant Academy
• Adrian KingPartnerPricewaterhouseCoopers
• Barnie van WykChief Executive OfficerSt Vincent de Paul Society, Canberra/Goulburn
• Jonathan SmithersChief Executive OfficerLaw Council of Australia
• Suzanne SchultzACT ManagerAustralian Institute of Company Directors
• Trent RawlingsChief Operating OfficerGeoscience Australia

3.30pm Afternoon Tea

4.00pm Keynote Wellness Speaker Mental health and wellness in the workplace - and how this impacts EAs Mental health concerns for staff have never been more at the forefront of management consciousness. Almost all major studies investigating workplace change have elements focussed on employee mental well-being Even Activity Based Working is being investigated for any negative impacts in this regard. So, it is important for workplaces to engage in activities and practices to provide avenues and approaches for employees to participate in education, programs and discussions concerning mental health and well-being in their workplace. In this presentation our speaker will discuss why mental health is important, what it means, what issues are part of this, and how it may concern EAs and the people you work with.

• What are the major mental health issues and what impact do they have on the workplace in Australia?
• Maintaining life balance to build resilience and deal with stress
• Dealing with bullying and harassment in the workplace - what to do if it involves your executive or their direct reports
• Heidi DeningKeynote Speaker and Global Advisor

4.40pm EA Activity WorkshopSpeed mentoring discussion groups to resolve key issuesIn this interactive workshop activity with all EAs (a bit like speed networking with more defined objectives and outcomes), working in groups at each table, and facilitated by a senior pre-selected EA per group, delegates will learn techniques to help them quickly identify issues of concern for colleagues and peers and tips on how to quickly brainstorm to find solutions. Focussed on helping to develop an innovative and agile mindset, and moving people from being problem focussed to solution focussed, discussions will focus around:

• What are the key issues or challenges facing members of the group - the current, the common and the uncommon
• Identifying issues or challenges that might be readily resolved
• Examining more complex issues and focussing on what groups might do to resolve those in the future
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5.30pm Close of Day One - Cocktail Reception

7.00pm Gala Dinner

Day 2 July 31st

8.15am Chairperson's Opening Remarks

8.20am Keynote Productivity Speaker Email productivity and management - simple rules and techniques to increase EA and executive effectiveness There are 3 key strategies needed to get control of the inbox and master incoming e-mail and its demands. This presentation explores how to quickly implement these so you have more time, radically improve workplace productivity and increase communication effectiveness. You will learn how to:

• Get a grip on e-mail overload
• Gain more control of your inbox and that of your executive
• Speed up email replies and processing
• Instantly clarify and manage each email when collaborating with your executive
• Increase attention and energy for the important priorities of your role
• Steuart Snooks Chief Executive OfficerSolutions for Success

9.05am Keynote Featuring EA Panel DiscussionSee the future of EAs - that are rocking the shifting modelsOrganistation models and structures are changing quickly. Many organisations are global, collaboration rules, and the reporting lines are tangled or just flat. Many organisations are asking if they have the correct business org chart for the future.According to our Chair for this session, Futurist Craig Rispin, this change has been predicted for decades by his community - and he plans to explain the shift to different business models.

Plus Craig will lead a thought-provoking panel of EAs that work in these existing, new and next models - and how they rock their work every day.If you want to see the future, steal ideas to help you and have your mind blown - this session is for you.

• Learn about the shifts in business models around the world
• See what that means for EAs and work teams
• Hear from EAs working in other models
• Steal ideas from other models ahead of yours
• Get back ideas from others that are behind you too
• Moderator:Craig RispinInternationally Renowned Futurist and Keynote SpeakerThe Future Trends Group

EA Panelists TBC

10.25am Morning Coffee

10.55am EA Panel Discussion The Indispensable and Invaluable EAMany executives do not understand, or are misinformed about, what an EA does and how integral they are to the smooth operation of their office, business unit, department, and the entire organization. Imagine what would happen at your workplace if a number of you did not turn up for work for a period - it is fair to say your executives would be somewhat lost and not able to perform at their peak. However, we continually hear about organizations that are reducing the number of EAs they have and reassigning one EA to multiple executives in the interests of efficiency, head count targets and cost-saving. Our panel will share with you their insights and experiences into how an EA can bullet-proof their career and position themselves as an invaluable asset in their role.

• Why are some organisations rationalising the EA role and having EAs support many executives whilst others are increasing the scope of the EA role when working one on one?
• Skills you can use to position yourself and what new ones should be considered
• Dealing with obstacles that may be placed in the way and how to overcome these
• Guaranteeing your role will be needed and what steps you can take to achieve this
• Examining why many EAs stretch their roles to embrace projects in conjunction with their executive's responsibilities to enhance their career and gain additional expertise
• Moderator:David ThomsonManager, Education & TrainingExecutive Assistant Academy
• Andrea StewartExecutive Assistant to Executive Director Shared Services<, Chief MinisterTreasury and Economic Development Directorate, ACT Government
• Alyssa BroombyExecutive Assistant to Chief Executive OfficerDigital Transformation Agency, Australia Government
• Jamie IssacsonExecutive Assistant to Chief Information OfficerACT Health Directorate
• Robbie EasonExecutive Assistant to The Assistant Secretary, People, Policy & Employment ConditionsDEpartment of Defence
• Cathryn RodriguezExecutive Assistant, Office of the Director, Dr Brendan NelsonAustralian War Memorial

Day 2 July 31st

11.45am Executive Panel Discussion The EA of the futureEAs and the organizations they work for will need to embrace technology to stay relevant. It is clear it will play an important part in the future for the EA in areas such as cloud-based applications, social media, and website and data management. Also, advances in AI and Machine Learning will be a big driver behind many of the changes that are expected in the automation space. Although this phenomenon may result in the EA being relieved of some of the current tasks they perform, there is still a growing need for the human touch and for the skills that only people possess. A large part of this is the increase in the demand for EAs to have a deeper understanding of their executive's role, what the organization expects from them and how the EA can contribute to the attainment of these objectives or result areas.

• Why are some organisations rationalising the EA role and having EAs support many executives whilst others are increasing the scope of the EA role when working one on one?
• Skills needed to remain relevant and of value to an organization
• Changing expectations of what an Executive will want from the EA position
• What can an EA do to embrace future needs of the workplace in a positive manner, in terms of both practical approaches and upskilling - what is best?

• Working with your executive to understand their role and the expectations of the organization of them and working with them to achieve this
• Becoming involved in any changes in organizations - what unique insights and learnings can you offer and how do you stay ahead of any disruptions
• Moderator: Robert TaylorSenior ConsultantExecutive Assistant Academy
• Monica PendersChief Executive OfficerScreen Canberra
• Dr Raechel JohnsHead of School of ManagementUniversity of Canberra
• Sarah LoweDirector of Recruiting Services, Defence Force RecruitingManpowerGroup Australia
• Lucy PooleHead of APS MYGov and Government Digital ExperiencesDigital Transformation Agency

12.35pm Lunch

1.50pm EA Activity WorkshopLego Serious Play Workshop - How to break habits and think innovativelyActing proactively and taking a lead in helping to manage not just the office of your executive, but also their key team and stakeholder relationships, and acting as the facilitator of best outcomes for the whole team and broader organisation, whilst also embracing change, needs EAs who are prepared to think and act differently. This workshop helps EAs learn to be creative and work collaboratively to attain shared goals and objectives & think on their feet!! Workshop participants leave with skills to communicate

more effectively, to engage their imagination more readily, and to approach their work with increased confidence, commitment and insight.

• Engage your auditory and kinaesthetic skills - focus on learning and listening in a process where all participants have a voice
• Explore the relationships and connections between people and their world
• Observe different team and individual dynamics
• Explore various hypothetical scenarios, situations and outcomes
• Appreciate how to work in an environment where there is a genuine free and honest exchange of opinion
• Learn how to be able to see things through the eyes of your colleagues and have them view the same situation through yours

2.40pm Break

2.55pm Keynote Social Media PresentationMaking social media work for you & and your executive Whether you love it or hate it, or indeed whether your executive loves it or hates it, social media is now a reality of the world we all live in and operate in within our organisations. The real issue at stake is whether you can make it work for you and your executive in a positive manner, and if nothing else, ensure it is never in a negative manner. In this session we will look at the do's and don'ts of social media and get tips into what you can do to ensure you and your executive have more positive experiences with it.

Day 2 July 31st

• Choosing social mediums that play to your respective strengths be that writing, video or sharp commentary
• Making sure what you post is always relevant to the audience
• How social media can help you stay ahead of the news cycle and help control perception
• How to use social media in a crisis
• Social media as a staff engagement tool
• Social media as a staff hiring tool
• Social media as a sales and marketing tool
• Catriona PollardInternationally Renowned Keynote Speaker and Founder & Chief Executive OfficerCP Communications

3.30pm Closing Keynote PresentationCollaborating to WinIn order to deal with issues and problems, both the common place ones of today and the big ones that may be lurking on the horizon, not to mention what might also be looming opportunities, EAs need to be able to work together and with their executives and teams to identify problems, work together to innovate solutions and then collaborate to take it home and win. Earlier in the conference we will have dealt with the first two of those challenges, working in groups, in this sensational closing keynote, one of Australia's most famous adventurers and leading keynote speakers, who has delivered talks in over 18 countries, will show you exactly why collaboration is the key to every success in an organisation.