Keynote Speakers
DR. ANDREW FULLER
Author, Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist
Andrew has recently been described as an ”interesting mixture of Billy Connolly, Tim Winton and Frasier crane” and as someone who “puts the heart back into psychology”. As a clinical psychologist, Andrew fuller works with many schools and communities in Australia and internationally, specialising in the wellbeing of young people and their families. He is a fellow of the department of psychiatry and the department of learning and educational development at the university of Melbourne.
Andrew has been a principal consultant to the national drug prevention strategy redi, the ABC on children’s television shows, is an ambassador for mind matters and is a member of the national coalition against bullying.
He is the author of tricky kids, guerilla tactics for teachers, help your child succeed at school, (raising real people (acer), from surviving to thriving (acer), work smarter not harder and beating bullies. Andrew has also co-authored a series of programs for the promotion of resilience and emotional intelligence used in over 3500 schools in Britain and Australia called the heart masters. Andrew has established programs for the promotion of mental health in schools, substance abuse prevention, and the reduction of violence and bullying, suicide prevention programs and for assisting homeless young people. Andrew continues to counsel young people. Andrew conducts workshops for organisations, parents, students, teachers and health professionals on a wide range of topics.
DR. NICI SWEANEY
CEO & Founder, Ai Her Way, Senior Fellow for the AI for Developing Countries Forum
Dr Nici Sweaney is a global authority in ethical AI, equity and governance. With 20 years of experience across science and strategy, she has advised more than 75 organisations on responsible AI adoption and upskilled over 1,000 professionals in practical, ethical implementation. She serves as a Senior Fellow at the AI for Developing Countries Forum and is the Founder and CEO of Ai Her Way.
A winner of the Australian AI Awards Female Leader of the Year and a dual-category medalist at the Women Changing the World Awards, Nici has delivered 100+ keynotes and workshops worldwide and has been featured in Forbes Women’s Issue 2025 and the Australian Financial Review. Her work is grounded in one belief: when governed well, AI should empower rather than exclude.
DANIELLE CAVANAGH
Manager, Curriculum Support Resources and Primary Years at the Australian Curriculum, ACARA
Danielle Cavanagh is Manager, Curriculum Support Resources and Primary Years at the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
Danielle Cavanagh is a curriculum leader with extensive expertise in curriculum design, teacher professional learning and system-level implementation. She leads the development of national curriculum support resources that help school and curriculum leaders implement high-quality, evidence-informed approaches to whole-school curriculum planning.
With leadership experience spanning classroom teaching, curriculum leadership, deputy principalship and system advisory roles, Danielle has supported effective curriculum implementation across urban, regional and remote school contexts. Her work focuses on building educator capability in curriculum planning, pedagogy and assessment to improve outcomes for all students.
At ACARA, Danielle has led and contributed to major national curriculum initiatives, including the review of the General Capabilities learning continua, the development of curriculum implementation resources and illustrations of practice, and research supporting national learning progressions. She is committed to strengthening curriculum implementation and equipping leaders and teachers with practical, high-impact tools that support student learning and achievement.
STUART BURNS
Manager, Formative Assessment Resources, ACARA
Stuart Burns is Manager, Formative Assessment Resources at the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). In this role, he leads the development of formative assessment resources that support teachers to design and implement high-quality, evidence-informed formative assessment aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
Stuart is an experienced primary educator with both national and international experience. During his career he has been a classroom teacher, curriculum leader, Deputy Principal and Head of School across independent schools within South Australia.
At ACARA, Stuart has led and contributed to significant national curriculum initiatives, including the review of the F–10 Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education learning area and the Personal and Social Capability.
Stuart has extensive expertise in curriculum design and implementation, and is committed to empowering educators to create engaging, inclusive, and high-quality learning experiences for every student.
VIRG HUGHES
Principal, Nemarluk School
Virg Hughes is a passionate educator and instructional leader with a strong background in Special Education. Her professional aim is to improve the outcomes for students with disabilities. Virg does this by building high trust teams that deliver quality teaching and learning programs. Virg identifies leadership qualities and provides opportunities to build capability of all educators
within her school and across the Northern Territory. She works with various networks, and schools
across the Territory and has maintained strong links to professional associations throughout her career. Virg joined AASE as a teacher in 2004, she values the importance of associations and
continues to hold membership with a number of professional associations.