Curious Thinkers 2026

Laugh and learn with one of Australia’s most engaging minds. Adam Spencer is familiar face from radio and television and now a sought after MC and keynote speaker on artificial intelligence, cyber security and the future of work. 

Adam has hosted award-winning breakfast radio shows and live current affairs programs on TV. He has won improvised theatre competitions and once interviewed John Travolta. Whether it’s a complex event with dozens of moving parts, or thinking on his feet, he brings high energy, sharp wit and a consistently engaging presence and entertainment.  

With over 25 years in media, Adam loves curating smart and thought-provoking conversations and presentations. His sessions are insightful, entertaining and packed with practical ideas you can take away and apply. 

As an MC and host, he loves doing the work behind the scenes to bring the best out of every speaker. He has interviewed prime ministers, Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel Prize-winners and Australians of the Year.  

Rachael led the Australian expedition to Davis Station in Antarctica, becoming the second woman and the youngest ever, to lead a team at the station. 

She led a team of 18 people through the long, dark, Antarctic winter, building a resilient and high-performing team grounded in her belief that ‘respect trumps harmony’. 

Since returning, Rachael has completed her MBA, written 2 best-selling books, Leading on the Edge and Respect Trumps Harmony, and has delivered more than 2000 presentations around the world. 

Dawid Naude is a leading voice on artificial intelligence and is known for turning complex ideas into practical, real-world impact. 

As the Founder of Pathfindr, an AFR-award winning AI accelerator and OpenAI Services Partner for Australia & New Zealand, recently acquired by Affinda, he works with organisations to make AI tangible, useful, and immediate. From productivity uplift to breakthrough innovation, Dawid helps leaders move beyond theory and start unlocking value. 

His experience spans startup, consulting, executive leadership roles. He was part of the early growth of Cloud Sherpas prior to its acquisition by Accenture in 2015, where he joined the firm’s technology innovation division and was appointed Partner within three years.

Today, through Pathfindr, Dawid works with leaders from organisations, ranging from local businesses to Australia’s largest enterprises, helping them harness AI to do their best work. Some of Pathfindr’s clients include Coles, Woolworths, the Victorian Government, Honey Insurance, Standards Australia and Australia Post. 

Dom is an internationally recognised speaker and facilitator who helps individuals and organisations drive behaviour change in the face of disruption.  

He is the author and researcher behind multiple best-selling books published in over 15 countries, covering topics including generational change, business strategy, purpose-driven leadership, the future of work and education. 

With more than 17 years’ experience as a senior executive and entrepreneur, Dom has founded and led multiple businesses. At 23, he founded Karrikins Group, a behaviour change agency he grew to more than 150 staff across Australia, New Zealand and North America, before its acquisition by EY in 2019. He also founded Educator Impact, a technology company focused on teacher quality and student wellbeing, before being acquired by Qoria in 2022. 

Dom has designed award– winning behaviour change programs that reach more than 500,000 people annually and has spoken to audiences across Australasia, Europe and North America. His clients span financial and professional services, technology, FMCG, pharmaceutical and automotive industries, as well as education, Government and not-for-profit sectors.  

A survivor who has overcome significant adversity, Kath Koschel inspires ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  

A former cricketer and Ironman competitor, Kath is an internationally sought-after speaker and author of the bestselling book Kindness. She partners with leading organisations across the world to help them build resilience, workplace culture and improve wellbeing.  

Through her company Kind Group™, she develops programs and tools that inspire individuals and teams uncover their strengths, creating tailored workplace initiatives and individual coaching programs.  

Driven by a passion to spread kindness and gratitude, Kath found Kindness Factory™ with the goal of encouraging one million acts of kindness worldwide. Today, the organisation has recorded more than eight million acts of kindness and operates as a registered not-for-profit across three countries. 

Her impact has been recognised globally, including being named the 2025 NSW Australian of the Year and receiving the Australia Medal for courage in overcoming extreme adversity. 

Simon Kuestenmacher is a globally recognised data expert and ranks as one of the world’s top 10 influencers in data. He is a Director and Co-founder of The Demographics Group. 

Simon presents on the demographic and global trends that are shaping Australia today and into the future, and his observations are enjoyed by corporate, government and industry audiences alike. 

He is a columnist for The New Daily newspaper and a regular contributor to The Australian newspaper, as well as a media commentator on demographic and data trends. 

He has authored three books on maps and runs the world’s largest maps and data account on X, reaching more than 35 million people each month.   

Adam Ferrier is the founder of Thinkerbell, the Australian agency behind the philosophy of ‘measured magic’. In 2021, Thinkerbell was named the world’s number one creative agency by BestAds and became the first agency to be awarded Mumbrella’s Full Service, Creative and PR Agency of the Year titles in the same year.

One of Australia’s leading consumer psychologists, Adam is a recognised authority on behavioural economics and brand strategy. He is the author of The Advertising Effect: How to Change Behaviour and Stop Listening to the Customer: Try Hearing Your Brand Instead. He is also a familiar face on Australian television as a regular panellist on Gruen, as well as appearances on Sunrise and The Project.

Throughout his career, Adam has won several of the world’s leading advertising awards, including the rare Cannes Gold Lion and Gold Effie double. He is also the creator of the board game The Analyst, co-host of the Black T-Shirts podcast, and founder of several innovation and social impact initiatives.

Drawing on cognitive psychology, behavioural science and creativity, Adam helps organisations understand the forces that drive human decision-making. At Curious Thinkers 2026, he’ll challenge attendees to think differently about influence and change, sharing practical insights that connect creativity with evidence-based thinking and offering fresh perspectives on how we navigate an increasingly complex world.

Hannah is a Special Counsel in Ashurst Perkins Coie’s financial regulation practice, advising start-ups, financial institutions and government on complex regulatory issues at the intersection of financial services, payments, data and distributed ledger technology.

For more than a decade, she has helped shape Australia’s legal framework for data-driven financial services, working closely with industry and government.

Hannah also contributes to key national initiatives in blockchain, payments and financial regulation.

Jack is Head of Policy at FinTech Australia, representing more than 400 fintechs and startups nationwide. He leads advocacy and regulatory engagement across payments, digital assets, open banking, AML/CTF reform, digital identity and emerging financial regulation.

With experience spanning commercial law, industry policy and six years advising Federal ministers, Jack works closely with Treasury, ASIC, AUSTRAC and the RBA to help shape practical regulation that supports innovation, competition and consumer trust.

Claire is Head of Treasury’s Payments, Scams and Innovation Branch within the Digital Policy and Corporations Division. She leads strategic policy development and regulatory reform across Australia’s payments ecosystem, digital assets, eInvoicing and scam prevention initiatives.

Claire brings extensive experience from senior roles across the Australian Public Service, including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Department of Finance.

She holds degrees in commerce, economics and law from the University of Adelaide and the Australian National University.

Mark Staples is a Senior Principal Researcher at CSIRO and Chief Technology Officer of the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC). His expertise spans digital finance, blockchain, software architecture and software engineering, and he is co-author of Architecture for Blockchain Applications.

Rob is a digital finance and technology executive focused on transforming financial markets through tokenisation, digital money and next-generation market infrastructure.

As co-founder of ICON Future Technologies and Chair of the Hedera Council’s Network Utilisation Committee, he works with regulated institutions to develop and commercialise digital financial infrastructure.

Rob is focused on the future of tokenised markets, with expertise spanning tokenised assets, stablecoins, interoperability and digital settlement.

Andrea is a financial services executive and entrepreneur with more than 30 years’ experience across Australia and Europe. He has led the launch of multiple financial services businesses and contributed to major banking, payments and digital transformation initiatives.

As CEO and Co-Founder of ICON Future Technologies, he leads the development of settlement infrastructure for tokenised money and assets across the Asia-Pacific region.

Andrea is focused on building the infrastructure that will support the next generation of tokenised money and assets.

Joe is one of the UK’s highly experienced business leaders, with a career spanning financial services, payments, retail and telco. He has held CEO roles at Nationwide Building Society, HSBC and BT’s Openreach.

Today, he advises chief executives across the public and private sectors, drawing on decades of leadership experience to help organisations navigate industry transformation, innovation and growth while delivering positive outcomes for customers and communities.

Emma is General Manager, Loyalty & CRM at Petbarn, bringing more than 20 years of experience across loyalty, CRM, marketing technology and personalisation. Passionate about turning customer insights into experiences that deliver meaningful value, she has held leadership roles with some of Australia’s most recognised brands, including Country Road, Myer, Coles, T2 and Adairs.

Today, Emma focuses on building deeper connections with pet parents through personalised, engaging and rewarding customer experiences.

Toby is Head of Economic Crime at Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), leading industry-wide initiatives to combat fraud, scams, money laundering, cybercrime and child exploitation across Australia’s payments ecosystem.

He contributes to key national and global forums addressing emerging economic crime threats, including the National Anti-Scams Centre and Global Anti-Scams Alliance.

Toby brings more than 20 years’ experience spanning intelligence, anti-corruption, law enforcement and financial crime prevention.

Craig is Managing Director of Cuscal and has led the organisation since 2008, helping establish it as a leading Australian payments and regulated data services provider.

With more than 35 years’ experience in financial services, Craig is recognised for his expertise in payments, digital banking and business transformation.

He has held senior leadership roles across banking and technology and continues to focus on how innovation and industry collaboration are shaping the future of payments in Australia.

Freya Smith is Chief Client Officer at Cuscal, leading the Client Success, Strategic Growth and Brand & Marketing teams.

With extensive experience across payments, fintech, financial services, insurtech and emerging technologies, she has held senior executive and governance roles in global and ASX-listed organisations.

Freya is also a Non-Executive Director of Dataworks Group and is recognised for her expertise in helping organisations drive growth while keeping customers at the centre of transformation.

Nathan is Cuscal’s Head of Product Solutions & Innovation. He leads product strategy, innovation and solution development, driving value creation and helping clients navigate industry change through innovative payment experiences.

Nathan joined Cuscal in 2014 and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the payments industry.

David leads Issuing Services at Cuscal, where he is responsible for the strategy, products and capabilities that help financial institutions compete in an evolving payments landscape. Passionate about the intersection of technology, customer expectations and new business models, he is focused on the shift towards more flexible, modular payments infrastructure.

David brings a practical perspective on the future of issuing and digital payments, and how institutions can innovate while maintaining trust, resilience and scale.