Accelerate Manufacturing Conference 2025

Skills Development & Training Officer

Department of Natural Resources & Mines; Manufacturing; and Regional & Rural Development

Panel Moderator | Helen is the Skills Development & Training Officer for the Toowoomba based manufacturing team within the Queensland state governments department of Natural Resources & Mines, Manufacturing, and Rural & Regional Development. The team support the 1200 manufacturers located in southern inland Queensland with a range of support services that include the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies, sustainability, skills development & training for manufacturers and promotion of career pathways in manufacturing.

Helen has worked for the Queensland government for 3-years and prior to that held various positions in the private sector involved directly with manufacturing and also the delivery of large renewable energy projects for Canadian Solar”.

James McIntosh

Owner/Business Transformation Specialist

McIntosh Specialised Consulting

Panellist | James McIntosh is a skilled consultant, specialising in maximizing profit, capacity and unlocking production efficiency. James is a professional engineer with over 25 years’ experience in production system design, continuous improvement tools and rapid interventions.

He has wide-ranging experience in the Australian automotive industry, implementing Lean and other world class practices across the supply chain: Parts and Accessory, Tier 1 Supply and Vehicle Plant. This inspired James to share the benefits with other industries including all forms of manufacturing and production including fabrics, fabrication and electronics since his return to Queensland in 2005.

Paul Hodgson

Executive Director Regional Futures - Energy Transitions

CQ University

Panellist | Paul is Executive Director Regional Futures – Energy Transitions, and Director of the Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy at CQUniversity; and Chair of Queensland Manufacturing Institute. Prior to joining CQUniversity earlier last year, Paul was Interim CEO of a bid for a Scaling Green Hydrogen Cooperative Research Centre, developing a 10-year $AU 213m research and training program with the support of 97 partners from 12 countries. Between 2017 and 2021, Paul was General Manager Innovation and Stakeholder Engagement (East Coast) for the Australian energy industry growth centre, NERA, where he led the development of a national network of regional hydrogen technology clusters. Paul was listed as one of The Australian newspaper’s Top 100 Green Energy Players in 2023 and 2024. He has a Master of Sustainable Development and Bachelor of International Business. 

Ali Davenport

CEO

Queensland Manufacturing Institute

Previously, Ali held the role of CEO of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE), an organisation focused on linking local businesses in Toowoomba, Western Downs and the Maranoa to opportunities. Ali knows and loves the Western Downs and is looking forward to working with local manufacturers to deliver support and enable growth.

Cori Stewart

CEO/Founder

ARM Hub

Panel Moderator | Industry Professor Cori Stewart is a Board Member of Industry Innovation and Science Australia (IISA) appointed by the Prime Minister of Australia and contributes to a range of committees and boards in an advisory capacity. In 2020, Cori founded the highly successful Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub and is the company’s CEO. In this role, Cori has nurtured hundreds of businesses across sectors to validate, commercialise and modernise using cutting-edge technologies, design thinking, new IP and workforce development strategies.

Jeremy Phillips

Manufacturing Manager

SwarmFarm Robotics

Panellist | Jeremy is the Manufacturing Manager at SwarmFarm Robotics, headquartered in Wellcamp, just outside of Toowoomba. With a clear vision for innovation and efficiency, Jeremy is leading the charge in vertically integrating SwarmFarm's supply chain. His current focus lies in adopting advanced manufacturing technologies—particularly robotics—to enhance the company’s fabrication and painting capabilities.

Rouz Fard

Associate Director

UniSQ

Panellist | Rouz is the Associate Director (Industry and Community Partnerships) at the University of Southern Queensland; an experienced relationships manager and partnerships strategist with a demonstrated history of strategic industry and community collaborations, working in higher education partnerships to build a future-ready workforce in various sectors. Highly skilled in Learning Management, Tertiary and Vocational Education and Training, Industry Linkage, Business Development, and consulting with a great passion for regional Queensland. He is actively building mutually beneficial relationships between industry, communities, and the university to drive innovation in industry collaborations and regional outcomes for our communities through engagement.  

Brad Parsons

Founder & CEO

Rely Ability

Amanda Moohen

COO

Condabri Beef

Panel Moderator | Is the Chief Operating Officer at Condabri Beef, a leading family owned and operated company which has an integrated model that includes a 32000SCU feedlot, backgrounding, dryland and pivot irrigation farming and a logistical fleet of over 8 trucks. With over 16 years of experience in the feedlot industry, Amanda has built a career centered around operational excellence and driving performance improvements across the supply chain, focusing predominantly on lot feeding that consistently delivers exceptional results, high retention and morale and balancing operational demands with long-term strategic goals. 

April Cavanagh

Chair

TSBE/Manufacturing Skills Queensland

Panellist | April is a dynamic senior executive with a proven record in business, leadership, governance, project management, and consistently delivering exceptional results. Born and raised in the bush, April understands regional needs, challenges, and opportunities. Over the course of her accomplished 25-year career, April has amassed diverse experience across various industries, including financial services, agriculture, and manufacturing. Her professional journey has taken her to London, Sydney, Brisbane, India and more recently the United States, providing her with a global perspective. Now settled in Toowoomba, Queensland, April applies her national and global lived experiences and career skills to her role as Chair of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE), Chair of Manufacturing Skills Queensland and a board member of Cotton Australia.

Cori Stewart

CEO/Founder

ARM Hub

Kate Venables

GM Southwest QLD

TAFE QLD

Panel Moderator | Before joining TAFE Queensland in October 2024, Kate spent 20 years working in the social services sector across Central Queensland, the Darling Downs and Southwest Queensland, in a variety of leadership roles. Kate’s passion for rural, regional and remote Australia, has connected her with many varied communities and her core values include a proven commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a lifetime commitment to excellence.

With 11 of the 14 South West campuses falling in rural, regional or remote Queensland, Kate is aware of the many vulnerabilities and complexities of our varied communities across Southwest Qld as well as the enormous resilience they demonstrate. 

Nick Riddell

Account Manager

Harness Energy Services

Known for his genuine approach and commitment to client success, Nick takes pride in building strong, lasting relationships with businesses of all sizes—delivering tailored workforce solutions that meet both current and future needs.

Michael Matthewson 

General Manager Projects & Innovation

Mort & Co

Kris McCue

Director - Program Delivery and Commercial

Manufacturing Skills Queensland

Panellist | Kris is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across the private, public, and community sectors in QLD, NSW, and the NT. As Director of Program Delivery and Commercial at Manufacturing Skills Queensland, Kris leads strategic workforce and skills investment for the state’s manufacturing industry.