Gold Coast Insider RDA Gold Coast

From working in war-torn Zimbabwe to lecturer at Bond University, corporate sustainability expert Dr Clare Burns has had a unique career trajectory. In our most in-depth conversation about sustainability to date, Dr Burns provides insights into topics such as greenwashing, supply chains, psycho-social hazards, the 2032 Olympics, modern slavery in Australia, eco-anxiety, how SMEs can get started with sustainability, microcredentialing, the SDG Compass and much more. 

About Clare

Dr Clare Burns is a passionate corporate sustainability/business ethics and organisational culture researcher. For the past seven years, Clare has been teaching undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA students in business management at Bond University. Before re-entering academia, Clare worked for 18 years in corporate communications, media, marketing, management and organisational development in Australia and overseas. During this time she wrote speeches, releases and strategic plans for ministers and premiers, worked at Telstra in investor relations, and lived in an African war zone. Outside of work, Clare is a volunteer and non-executive director of Rosies Friends on the Street.

Links

Dr Clare Burns LinkedIn

Bond University Environmental and Social Government Microcredentials

Sustainable Development Goals Compass

Calculate your Carbon Footprint

Not many people in life get the opportunity to establish an institute from the ground up, let alone one which is now a world leader in the discovery and development of drugs and vaccines for globally significant diseases. After leading the team responsible for developing Relenza, the first ‘designer drug for flu’ (one of the most important antiviral advances of the last century), Professor Mark von Itzstein was offered the opportunity to establish and lead Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, the first (and only) biomedical research hub of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2000 he chose the Gold Coast as the Institute’s home - then a greenfield site for biomed – and his vision has had a profound impact on the Gold Coast economy, its maturity as a city and ability to attract world-class talent ever since.

After 23 years at the helm, Professor von Itzstein will soon be stepping down as the Institute's Director. In this podcast we’ll explore the career journey of one of our city’s most significant figures, the story of a flourishing research organisation, and why both are intertwined with the emergence of the Gold Coast’s fastest-growing industry

About Mark

Professor Mark von Itzstein OA is the Director of Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, a world leader in the discovery and development of next-generation drugs, vaccines and diagnostics that fight diseases of global impact. He was a joint recipient of the prestigious Australia Prize in 1996, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (General Division) in 2019, and has won numerous other national and international awards during his career. Professor von Itzstein has international standing in glycol-science and drug discovery, particularly in the area of anti-infective drug discovery, has published over 240 papers and invited reviews, and extensively patented his research.

Links

Professor Mark von Itzstein LinkedIn

Institute for Glycomics

Institute for Glycomics Facebook

Institute for Glycomics LinkedIn

Marion Charlton is the Chief Operating Officer of Queensland Airports Limited. A described 'aviation nerd' who helped steer Sydney Airport through the 2000 Olympics Games, perhaps her greatest career achievement (and most daunting challenge) to date has been overseeing the redevelopment of the Gold Coast Airport. One our city's biggest ever infrastructure projects (the airport doubled its footprint to 30,000sqm), it happened to coincide with... a worldwide pandemic. Find out how Marion navigated the monumental challenges that COVID dumped on the project (no flights, no passengers, no income, no workers...) and what has been achieved since then. We cover the new aerobridges that are transforming airport operations, wonderful new initiatives for passengers such as the Hidden Disabilities Program and 'pat me' airport dogs, plans for the future, and why the Gold Coast is truly the 'Goldilocks' city.

About Marion
Marion Charlton has an impressive track record in business and aviation domestically and abroad. Since joining Queensland Airports Limited (QAL), Marion has held a variety of senior roles including her current position of Chief Operating Officer, where she manages the day-to-day operations of QAL group airports. Recently, Marion oversaw the transformational Gold Coast Airport terminal expansion, which doubled Gold Coast Airport’s footprint to 30,000sqm. Marion worked in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games and leveraged this experience to develop Sydney Airport's successful 2000 Olympic Games delivery framework. She also led the exemplary handling of the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast Airport.

Links

Marion Charlton LinkedIn

Gold Coast Aiport

Queensland Airports Limited

Professor Stefanie Feih is a Cambridge-educated world expert in advanced manufacturing and materials performance. As the Director of the ADaPT Institute at Griffith University, she and her team are ushering in a new era of virtual design, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) - and working hand in hand with Gold Coast companies to incorporate these new 'Industry 4.0' technologies into their operations. This is a fascinating dive into the future of manufacturing; learn about the process for designing and 3D printing components and devices (or even whole houses) using metals, polymers, ceramics and concrete. There are a myriad of applications including industrial parts, satellite and marine components, medical devices, individualised implants - even building models of aneurysms in the brain for practicing robotic surgery! An episode not to be missed.

About Stefanie

Professor Stefanie Feih is an engineering professor in advanced manufacturing and 3D printing at Griffith University. She is the Director of the ADaPT institute, which is Southeast Queensland’s leading institute for research and design of medtech devices (surgical guides, implants, artificial hearts), satellites and marine components. Stefanie has a passion for sustainability and recycling of materials.

Stefanie received a PhD from Cambridge University and a Masters from Cornell in the US, but is originally from Germany. Stefanie is ranked in the top 2% of scientists worldwide in the field of advanced manufacturing and materials.

Links

Professor Stefanie Feih LinkedIn

ADaPT

Struggling with how to attract and retain staff? This episode actually has some solutions! We talk to Paul Kahlert, the CEO of All Purpose Transport, a Berrinba company that has been around for 48 years. And with a rapidly ageing workforce, that’s also the average age of their truck drivers. So how exactly do you attract enough 'new blood' to support business growth of 8% per year, in a decidedly unglamorous industry? Paul discusses the revolutionary and award-winning workforce development initiative that APT implemented 11 years ago - still running today - that has made them the most qualified transport workforce in Australia and an ‘employer of choice’ along the way. We also cover workforce diversity and why it matters, catering for mums returning to the workforce, why they set set up a 'McDonalds-like' after school work program, their Net Zero strategies and more.

About Paul

Paul Kahlert is the CEO of All Purpose Transport (APT). He has been in a senior leadership position since 2002 and with APT since 1988. Based in Berrinba (Logan) APT employs close to 400 people including 290 owner drivers and has many blue-chip customers including IKEA, Cotton On, Castrol and Rheem. APT has operated in the Queensland market for over 48 years.

Paul has held long-term memberships with the SCLAA / CILTA and is a board member and President of the Queensland Trucking Association.

Links

Paul Kahlert LinkedIn

All Purpose Transport

All Purpose Transport Facebook

Karen Dickinson, the General Manager of TAFE Gold Coast, is passionate about sustainability and believes that education providers need to build holistic knowledge and skills that will equip students to manage in a new sustainability-focused world. And she not only talks the talk - she walks the walk. Karen developed the concept for the new TAFE campus at Robina, which has won several international awards and has sustainability embedded into every facet of its operation, including the curriculum, fit-out, procurement policies, administration, student life and culture. Join this conversation about how sustainability must become part and parcel of how we do business, current and future trends for TAFE on the Gold Coast, addressing skill shortages and more insights into our vocational education sector.

About Karen
Karen Dickinson is the General Manager for TAFE Queensland on the Gold Coast, a position she has held for nearly seven years. She has extensive executive level experience in public sector management roles across health, employment services and vocational education and training. Karen developed the concept for the new TAFE Robina Campus which opened in 2022 and has won several international awards for its commitment to sustainability. She has a Masters in Health Services Management, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing). Karen is also a board member for Be Slavery Free and Study Gold Coast.

Links

Karen Dickinson LinkedIn

TAFE Gold Coast