Program

Program

Time

Session

Details

10:00am - 3:00pm

Site Tour

The Site Tour has become a key part of every IPWEA Fleet Conference and is a great opportunity for delegates to explore best practice fleet management in action.

In 2025 delegates will tour the Volvo Truck factory. The Wacol plant is a significant part of Brisbane’s manufacturing base employing close to 550 people directly in the production of Volvo and Mack trucks and supported by around 50 dedicated engineers.

At the end of the tour, you can organise to meet other conference delegates for a casual dinner at one of the many restaurants and bars located near the Brisbane Showgrounds and Royal International Convention Centre which is the venue for the 2025 IPWEA Fleet Conference on 25th and 26th March.

Schedule

Meet at the Royal International Convention Centre by 10.30am for a 10:45am departure via coach. The tour will return to the Showgrounds at approximately 4pm.

Time

Session

Details

TBC

Opening Session

TBC

Morning Session

Case studies from Fleet Managers on Collaboration.

TBC

Afternoon Session

  • Case studies from Fleet Managers on Creativity
  • Presentation of the IPWEA Fleet Innovation Award

TBC

Evening Session

An opportunity to network with old friends and connect with new ones over drinks and nibbles at the networking function and cocktail dinner.

Time

Session

Details

TBC

Registration / Breakfast

Opening Session

  • Keynote 1
  • Keynote 2
  • Keynote 2

TBC

Morning Session

Case studies from Fleet Managers on their sustainability initiatives and EV transition plans.

TBC

Afternoon Session

Looking at trends in fleet technology and how Fleet Managers are using it make their fleets safer and more efficient.

TBC

Closing Session

The conference will close at 3pm.

Kevin Walters

Kevin Walters

Coach of the Brisbane Broncos

Special Guest Speaker

Walters has been the Head Coach of the Broncos since 2021 in a tenure that has seen him turn around the club’s fortunes, moving from 2020 wooden spooners to 2023 Grand Finalists. He has racked up 40 wins in his 75 games in charge at Brisbane – 20 of those wins last season alone from 27 games played. As a player, Walters rates as a Broncos great with 20 State of Origin appearances for Queensland as well as six premierships, five of those with the Broncos.

Rhianne Robson

Rhianne Robson

Director Communications

ANCAP SAFETY

Rhianne Robson holds the position of Director – Communications with Australasia’s independent vehicle safety authority, ANCAP SAFETY.

ANCAP SAFETY is a not-for-profit public company funded by 21 member organisations. ANCAP provides consumers with independent advice and information on vehicle safety through its star rating program and plays a vital role in influencing vehicle safety design and specification.

Rhianne’s responsibilities include:

  • the strategic development, implementation and management of all communications and marketing activities including the public release of vehicle safety ratings;
  • media exposure;
  • brand & reputation management;
  • stakeholder & community engagement;
  • campaigns and marketing, promotion and design;
  • digital presence;
  • advertising;
  • events and sponsorship; and
  • social media

During her time with ANCAP, Rhianne has built strong relationships with the range of vehicle brands and seen community awareness of the ANCAP brand grow to record highs. She has also been instrumental in building dealer relationships, expanding ANCAP’s membership base, encouraging fleets and mobility service providers to introduce five-star vehicle purchasing and use policies, and led a number of national collaborative advertising campaign encouraging safer vehicle choices.

Rhianne commenced with ANCAP in 2012 and prior to that, held a number of senior marketing and communications roles in both the public and private sectors.

Rhianne’s exposure to the automotive industry began very early - growing up and commencing her working life in a family-owned smash repair business. Her interest and enthusiasm for cars and vehicle safety continues. Rhianne was born in Canberra and lives with her husband and two young children

Austin Morris

Austin Morris

Director Engineering & Environmental Services

Lockhart Shire Council

Dr Austin Morris, is a registered professional Civil Engineer, who holds an MBA in leadership from Charles Sturt University and a Master’s degree in Engineering from UTS. Austin’s doctoral studies at UTS investigated project management in the local government sector and proposed a new project management maturity model resulting in two published peer-reviewed journal articles. Austin currently holds the position of Director Engineering & Environmental Services at Lockhart Shire Council in NSW, and has previously held leadership roles in rural and urban councils. Austin is passionate about sustainability and has introduced EVs into Lockhart Shire’s fleet.

Emily Carson

Emily Carson

Community Transport, Parking & Fleet Manager

Northern Beaches Council

Emily is the Community Transport, Parking & Fleet Manager for Northern Beaches Council. She has worked in Local government for the last seven years, and before that was a police officer for the Metropolitan police Service in London for 10 years. Emily has been working with her sustainability and project team to reduce Council’s fleet size, cost and emissions.

Heather Bone

Heather Bone

Director of ESG

Team Global Express

Heather Bone has more than 25 years’ experience in transport and logistics, renewable energy, alternative fuels and environmental sustainability in Australia and internationally, having worked for both private and publicly listed entities. Heather is currently the Director of ESG for Team Global Express, Australia’s largest intermodal business, and the Chair of the Australian Logistics Council’s Sustainability Committee.  She was previously the CEO of the Biofuels Association and was the Deputy Chair of Bioenergy Australia for six years. Heather sits on the National Freight Industry Reference Panel, providing independent advice to the federal and state Ministers for transport and logistics, specifically around renewable and alternative fuels.

Mike Costello

Mike Costello

Corporate Communications Manager

Manheim

Mike Costello was a motoring journalist and broadcaster for 15 years with some of Australia's leading publications, focused on the deep issues and trends shaping our industry. Now he is an industry analyst and Cox Automotive Australia and New Zealand Corporate Communications Manager, tasked with growing brand awareness and leading the publication of in-house research and key insights. With deep data on hot button issues both in Australia and overseas, such as EV resale values, retail strategies, and second-life batteries, Cox Automotive Australia is able to add real value to the conversation.

Dickson Leow

Dickson Leow

General Manager

IM Group

Dickson Leow is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng), Fellow (FIEAust), and Executive Engineer (ExecEng) member of Engineers Australia with nearly three decades of experience in both private and government sectors in Mobility, EV/Hybrid, Battery Energy, ITS, CAV, Homologation, Regulatory Affairs, Vehicle Engineering & Design, Vehicle Safety, and IP Law in Australia, Europe, and Japan. He has served as an international committee expert member of ISO TC 204 for Intelligent Transport System and Standards Australia IT-023, as well as numerous SAE Technical and Strategy Working Groups.   Before Infinitev, he was the Chief Technology Leader and National Leader of Mobility Futures at ARRB, and various management roles with an OEM for nearly 15 years, and is well recognised for his international vehicle regulatory audits and insights.  Dickson holds an MBA, BEng, BSc, and post-grad in IP Law.

Chris Forbes

Chris Forbes

General Manager Fleet

Kia Australia

With over 25 years experience in vehicles sales, financing and remarketing - most recently coming up to 14 years at Kia Australia, the General Manager – Fleet at Kia Australia has seen the automotive landscape change dramatically. Whilst the push to lower cost of ownership has always been a key factor for decision makers, the introduction of EV’s and with them, their numerous advantages have brought about positive change. Chris & his dedicated team have developed the knowledge to help others in their decision making processes and are excited to work with all corporates and Governments across Australia to assist their transition to LEV’s and BEV’s.

Anne-Maree Coyne

Anne-Maree Coyne

Senior Consultant

Modus Management

Anne-Maree Coyne is a senior consultant specialising in operational proficiency, strategy execution, Chain of Responsibility (CoR) implementation, flexible work policies and arrangements, job sharing, targeted onboarding, processes and change management. She leverages her extensive legal experience having been a partner in a successful regional law firm and a senior manager at a top-tier, international firm. She is now a principal and senior consultant at Modus Management and an IPWEA Consultant. Anne-Maree holds dual degrees in Law and Arts, is a certified management consultant, an Agile and PRINCE2 project manager and a change manager.

Philippa Gyles

Philippa Gyles

Head of Fleet Management

ISS Australia and New Zealand

Philippa has broad experience across procurement and supply chain coupled with subject matter expertise within the fleet domain gained through more than a decade developing and executing fleet management strategies. Her experience spans in-field management roles for Automotive Manufacturers and Financiers, as well as dealerships. More recently Philippa was part of Avis Budget Group’s Australian and NZ Fleet team where she was tasked with various aspects of planning and procurement for their predominantly owned fleet. Balancing the recent challenges of supply chain against the more volatile travel demand during Covid was an invaluable lesson in managing while of life costs in the most dynamic of environments. Currently Philippa is tasked with managing a diverse fleet of leased commercial vehicles and owned Plant and Equipment, across Australia and NZ for ISS Facility Services.

Scott Owen

Scott Owen

CEO

Mackay Regional Council

Scott's journey, ignited as a soldier in the British Army, and has shaped him into the leader he is today. Enduring multiple operational tours overseas, he attributes his profound personal growth to these experiences.  A decade ago, he began his Australian chapter, quickly transitioning from the corporate sector to local government where his passion now lies.  Working his way through fleet management, public space operations and strategic leadership roles Scott is known for his prowess in simplifying operations and dismantling bureaucratic barriers with a one council approach, prior to this role he was Overseeing 2000+ staff and managing a budget $900m for Australia’s largest local government , where he orchestrated a new era of efficiency through effective redesign. Today, as the Chief Executive Officer of Mackay Regional Council, he leads 1100 employees towards a future-focused approach.  His vision centres on instilling a culture of excellence and continuous improvement to prepare Council for tomorrow by simplifying Operations today. Scott's narrative is one of evolution, resilience, and a persistent dedication to fostering progress, leaving a mark on every sphere we operate. 

Jac Madsen

Jac Madsen

Fleet Maintenance Manager

Transport for NSW

Jacqueline is a passionate and intrinsically driven change maker. An electrical engineer, she has experience across Australia in the mining, autonomous vehicle and transport sectors, and brings a focus on safety, efficiency and leadership development to teams she works with. Jacqueline currently works at Transport for NSW in the role of Fleet Maintenance Manager. Her team includes over 90 tradespeople and managers at 27 locations across NSW, safely maintaining over 1100 roadworks truck and plant, 700 light vehicles, 13 vehicular ferries, 11 lift span bridges, and 600 other registrable items. She has run numerous improvement projects during her time in the role, improving morale, clarifying accountabilities, increasing investment in tooling and infrastructure for safety and efficiency, and building a stronger culture of safety awareness with improved hazard reporting and lower incident rates. Jacqueline’s mission is to leave every team and workplace better and safer than she found it, with more empowered leaders to sustain the improvement trajectory.

Mark Bucknall

Mark Bucknall

Associate Vice President of Business Development, APAC

Geotab

Mark Bucknall is a seasoned business leader and expert in connected vehicle technologies with over 15 years of experience championing data-led decision-making. With a background in mechanical engineering, Mark has dedicated his career to promoting fleet management best practices, leveraging telematics insights to help businesses reduce their environmental impact while boosting efficiency and profitability. As the Associate Vice President of Business Development at Geotab APAC, Mark brings a unique perspective and expertise to his role, having spent years promoting sustainable practices and helping clients globally achieve their goals. Whether working with industry partners or leading Geotab's business development initiatives, Mark is committed to driving innovation and creating a more sustainable future for everyone.

Paul Hopwood

Paul Hopwood

Team Leader Supply Chain & Logistics

Icon Water, Canberra ACT

Paul is a supply chain & logistics professional who has over 30 years’ experience and a broad background that spans most aspects of logistics. Currently Paul is the Supply Chain & Logistics Team Leader for Icon Water leading the services of fleet, facilities & warehouse management. This role draws on Paul’s extensive experience with strategy, ongoing asset management, utilisation and contract management. Paul is charged with the transition of these services from a shared service agreement to an independent internal service. Previously Paul has held a variety of operational leadership roles with DHL, Elgas, Woolworths and most recently a Superintendent at Pacific National, Australia's largest private rail operator. At Pacific National he led a team of more than 180 employees involved in managing rolling stock, mobile plant and light vehicle fleet operations across Central NSW. He also contributed to the development of the Parkes Logistics Terminal in conjunction with the Federal Government’s Inland rail project.

Richard Schuster

Richard Schuster

Principal Consultant

TheFleetSource

Richard has managed essentially every aspect of the client side of fleet management, ranging from detailed engineering/specification writing to complex procurement tenders to strategic fleet management. Fleet management has been his life for over 40 years, moving from mechanical engineer to fleet manager to specialist roles including maintenance, systems, safety and the environment. Richard is comfortable with light vehicle fleets, heavy trucks/trailers as well as yellow plant.

He has managed owned/leased fleets ranging from 180 vehicles to Telstra’s national fleet of over 40,000 fleet assets at the time. Richard has won the AfMA National Fleet Manager of the Year award and the AfMA Fleet Safety award. He has introduced policy that has seen over 1.5 million trees planted to offset fleet carbon emissions.

Most recently, Richard has been consulting on fleet management to government, councils and NFP organisations. Projects have included transitioning large fleets to EVs, complex sourcing arrangements, safety policy, and incident investigation.

Ken Goldberg

Ken Goldberg

Managing Director

Modus Management


Ken Goldberg is Managing Director of Modus Management, a professional services firm that helps organisations maximise their potential. Working with aspiring business managers and leaders, he combines a grounded analytical approach with focus on practical implementation to achieve substantive results.

Ken has significant fleet industry experience and draws on a wealth of industry and technical knowledge. He currently serves as a Fleet Consultant for the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia and as Queensland Chapter Chair for the Australasian Fleet Management Association.

Prior to this, Ken was General Manager in Asia-Pacific for a company specialising in enterprise-level fleet and asset management software solutions. He was also both Regional VP and GM in Asia-Pacific for a leading US-based Software-as-a-Service provider who pioneered on-line business-information sharing, collaboration, and workflow solutions. Ken also built a successful business partnering with companies specialising in electronic data interchange and data storage/retrieval solutions.

Ken’s tertiary qualifications include a Master of Management degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with concentration in Management. He is a Certified Management Consultant and Board Member with the Institute of Management Consultants Australia. Ken is a Certified Chair and Fellow with the Advisory Board Centre. He is also a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jitesh Singh

Jitesh Singh

Head of Fleet

Waste Management NZ Limited

Jitesh Singh has been involved in the mechanical engineering of large vehicles for 17 years. Today he is Waste Management’s Head of Fleet, overseeing the design, build and supply of vehicles for all the company’s branches throughout New Zealand.

He is also an innovator, introducing and managing the rollout of the first electric side-loader trucks into New Zealand along with setting up the first electric service and conversion workshop. He assisted Waka Kotahi (then the NZ Transport Agency) on electric trucks and required standards. Jitesh’s passion is to implement innovation to improve the safety and efficiency of solid waste, recycling, organic and hazardous waste collection vehicles. He procures trucks and refuse collection units from overseas manufacturers, then manages the builds of the complete vehicles customised to each region and requirements.

Without Jitesh’s drive and talents, it is unlikely Waste Management’s electrification programme could have progressed as quickly as it has. Today Waste Management has 50 electric trucks across the country. Jitesh and his team are also keen to share their knowledge with other businesses, holding regular tours of the Electric Vehicle Innovation Hub, where the conversions happen, to show what is possible. In addition, Jitesh oversees the approximately 50-90 trucks that are built each year as part of Waste Management’s annual fleet replacement programme.

Jack_Kotlyar

Jack Kotlyar

Head of Green Transport

EnergyAustralia

Jack Kotlyar is a seasoned professional with over 23 years of experience in the energy sector. As Head of Green Transport at EnergyAustralia, he is responsible for leading the company’s efforts to decarbonise the transport sector by identifying and scaling products and services for EnergyAustralia's Green Transport offerings. Jack has a track record of driving strategic initiatives and has held various leadership roles throughout his career, including Head of Strategy, Head of Reputation and Head of NextGen at EnergyAustralia, and Head of Strategic Planning for Siemens Energy business.

His expertise in business analysis, finance, M&A, and change management has been honed through various roles at Siemens, Jemena, and Alinta, where he played a key role in shaping the strategic direction of these companies. Jack's finance background and MBA from Deakin University further augment his ability to make informed and impactful decisions.

Stuart Gardiner

Stuart Gardiner

Maintenance Solution

Komatsu

With over 15 years of experience across machine sales, aftermarket support and maintenance solutions within the Construction & Mining sector, Stuart has a good understanding of the overall life cycle of key equipment.

His current role at Komatsu Australia focuses on providing end users reliable maintenance solutions as well as working with our Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to continue to improve machine Whole of Life Costs.

Glen Williamson

Glen Williamson

Coordinator Operations Centre

City of Gosnells

Glen has been involved with fleet maintenance and procurement for over 20 years and also facility maintenance for 12 years, during this time he has been involved in all aspects of safety, stakeholder engagement and finding the right vehicle/solution is needed for the business units.

Edwin Higginson

Edwin Higginson

Director

Australian Electric Vehicle Specialists

Edwin has over 20 years of experience working as Fleet Manager for companies such as Woolworths, Qube and McColl’s transport, he now works as a consultant to assist companies improve their fleet management practices with a focus on workshop management, policies and procedures, and Chain of Responsibility (CoR). Edwin is also a Director of Australian Electric Vehicle Specialists helping businesses convert fleets to low and zero emission vehicles with practical EV transition plans and EV charging infrastructure solutions.

Fleet Council

Thomas_Brayley

Thomas Brayley

Plant Fleet Services Manager

Logan City Council

I have many years of experience in fleet management and maintenance planning, as well as technical knowledge from my years as a mechanic and operator. I also been constantly involved in the improvement of safety, process and structure around plant and vehicle maintenance and operation for over 10 years. From time spent in the construction, automotive, hire and now local government industries, I have developed a knack for fixing what breaks and improving what works. With a passion for fleets of all types, I try to emphasize the importance of bringing fleet management to the forefront of business planning in all organisations as the vehicles and plant become more complex and budgets become harder to work within to achieve the best outcomes. In my current role as the Fleet Coordinator at The City of Greater Geelong I look after all aspects of the fleet and employ a continuous improvement mindset to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of The City's fleet management, maintenance and procurement spaces.

Ryan Brumley

Ryan Brumley

Plant Fleet Officer

City of Greater Geelong

I have many years of experience in fleet management and maintenance planning, as well as technical knowledge from my years as a mechanic and operator. I also been constantly involved in the improvement of safety, process and structure around plant and vehicle maintenance and operation for over 10 years. From time spent in the construction, automotive, hire and now local government industries, I have developed a knack for fixing what breaks and improving what works. With a passion for fleets of all types, I try to emphasize the importance of bringing fleet management to the forefront of business planning in all organisations as the vehicles and plant become more complex and budgets become harder to work within to achieve the best outcomes. In my current role as the Fleet Coordinator at The City of Greater Geelong I look after all aspects of the fleet and employ a continuous improvement mindset to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of The City's fleet management, maintenance and procurement spaces.

Cindy McDougall

Cindy McDougall

Fleet Management Officer

City of Tea Tree Gully

Dan Hutton.

Dan Hutton

Coordinator Fleet & Depot Services

City of Perth

Kate Kennedy

Kate Kennedy

Unit Manager Mechanical & Fleet Services

Shoalhaven City Council

Michael Kenyon

Michael Kenyon

General Manager Properties, Workplace Facilities and Fleet

City of Gold Coast

180

Attendees

24

Sessions & Events

35

Exhibitors

100%

By the industry for the industry