D2L Connection: Brisbane

Julian Moore

Julian Moore is a skilled and entertaining speaker who provides practical and useful ideas through real-world examples and case studies. Julian is a specialist in high value partnerships and an unabashed technology geek. He is thoroughly enjoying the process of adapting to an AI world. With extensive experience in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, Julian is committed to helping organisations achieve their goals.

Liz Chase

Liz Chase is a highly regarded speaker and thought leader in future skills and education, focusing on the legal profession, legal technology, and AI. Her expertise in legal process design and automation, powered by generative AI, places her at the cutting edge of the intersection between law and technology. Liz’s deep understanding of the transformative potential of AI in the legal industry makes her a valuable contributor to this event.

As the Head of Innovation and User Experience at Leo Cussen, Liz is responsible for developing and delivering cutting-edge practical legal training programs. This role has allowed her to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and identify innovative ways to integrate technology into legal education. Her experience at Leo Cussen has been instrumental in shaping her understanding of the potential of generative AI in education, a topic she will discuss at this education technology conference.

Liz is passionate about the potential of AI to transform legal workplaces into creative, dynamic, and collaborative problem-solving hubs, focusing on the end user’s experience. She believes in helping students transition from passive technology users to active and creative problem solvers who can leverage technology for various tasks. Her central thesis is the importance of fostering a continuous learning mindset in the face of rapidly evolving technology.

Her ability to bridge the gap between technology and law, coupled with her knack for communicating complex concepts in a relatable and accessible manner, makes her a highly sought-after speaker at conferences and events.

Jo Pyne

Joann Pyne is the Chief Academic Officer of TAFE Queensland.
TAFE Queensland is the largest, most experienced training provider in the state, with more than 500 nationally-recognised qualifications to choose from across 50 locations across the state, and a variety of study modes available.
As the Chief Academic Officer, Joann leads the academic governance processes of TAFE Queensland and chairs the TAFE Queensland Academic Board.
The Academic Board monitors and administers TAFE Queensland’s RTO and CRICOS scope of registration and higher education offerings. The Academic Board is the primary forum for the organisation for the discussion of academic matters.
Previously to this role, Joann was the General Manager of TAFE Queensland North Region.
TAFE Queensland North is the largest provider of high quality vocational education and training in North Queensland, with the footprint extending from the Whitsundays through to Mt Isa and the lower Gulf and north to the Torres Strait. The region is home to 50% of the state’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, and over 30 discrete indigenous communities.
As General Manager, Joann had the responsibility of ensuring that the organisation was efficient and sustainable while striving to provide vocational education and training that meets individual, community and industry needs.
For the past two decades, Joann has been instrumental in developing a range of programs that have received awards and accolades for their innovative approach, unique and successful partnerships and their responsiveness to business, industry and community. Joann builds on her extensive networks and is determined to ensure TAFE is seen as the premier training provider and an advocate of indigenous vocational education in Queensland.
Joann is passionate about TAFE being an active and high quality learning organisation that students, employers, industry and employees are proud to be associated with.
Prior to joining the TAFE Queensland team, Joann worked in a variety of roles in both local and federal governments.

Sarah Clifton

Originally from Canada, Sarah began her career as a teacher and has worked in Japan, Oman and New Zealand. Sarah has experience designing online and blended learning courses and content and managing various LMS platforms. Sarah currently works as an eLearning Designer at Tui Tuia | Learning Circle (Uniservices), where she supports her colleagues in creating professional learning and development programmes for educators on Brightspace.

Greg Wilkinson

Greg Wilkinson, the Director of eLearning at Saint Stephen’s College, is a trailblazer in the fusion of education and technology. With a portfolio brimming with accomplishments, Greg has earned the distinction of his College as a Microsoft Showcase School and has been recognised as Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow. His leadership in spearheading Microsoft Office certifications with students securing top rankings, including 1st in Australia Titles and a spot within the global top 10, attests to his commitment to excellence. Notably recognised as an MOSAU Outstanding Educator by Microsoft and Pearson, Greg’s influence extends beyond certifications to coaching  students in the Mayor’s Technology and Innovation Awards, where they claimed 2nd place in 2022. His prowess has positioned him as leading his College to a finalist in the prestigious 2023 Educator Australian Education Awards for Best Use of Technology, while consistently garnering recognition as an Innovative School and earning the Best STEM Program award in Australia in 2020.
At Saint Stephen’s College, Greg’s dynamic oversight encompasses technology, STEAM, and esports initiatives, imprinting a transformative impact on the institution. His visionary guidance bridges the realms of traditional education and cutting-edge digital exploration. Greg Wilkinson’s dedication to advancing education through innovation shines as a beacon in the ever-evolving landscape of eLearning and technology-driven pedagogy.

Forrest Duxbury

Forrest Duxbury is senior digital learning technologist at Chartered Accountants ANZ, where he and his team manages and supports the digital learning ecosystem including the D2L Brightspace learning management system, the Class Collaborate virtual conferencing platform, the Turnitin assessment platform, the SITS Tribal student information system, the Vitalsource Bookshelf digital content platform plus more. These tools are used to develop and deliver a range of leading educational programs, including CA ANZ’s Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting.  

Forrest’s 15+ years in the industry are defined by his passion for both learning and technology, his commitment to customer service and end user focused support, and his desire to engage in lifelong learning, as highlighted by his technical, pedagogical and business qualifications. 

Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his young family plus a range of hobbies such as guitar, gardening, woodworking and camping. 

Dr. Jonathan Chee

Jonathan is Senior Manager at Temasek Polytechnic’s Learning Academy. With over two decades of experience in education and training, Jonathan provides training and consultancy in pedagogy, technology-enhanced learning, and learning analytics. His academic interests include learning analytics and teacher knowledge and design capacity in technology integration. Jonathan holds an MSc in Information Technology (Software and Systems) from the University of Glasgow, UK, and an MEd and EdD from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is also an ad-hoc peer reviewer for the journals Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) and Pedagogies: An International Journal. 

John Mason

John Mason is Manager of Optimisation Services International at D2L. Optimisation Services is a newly created department which includes the Technical Account Management, Learning Administration Management, Learning Analytics, and the newly minted Technical Learning Management teams. John has been with D2L for 6 years and has been instrumental in helping to build Optimisation Services across APAC and EMEA. 

Mike Moore

Michael has been at D2L for more than 10 years. He holds a master’s degree in computer information systems and a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He has worked extensively in the software industry with over 25 years of experience managing and manipulating data and customizing software. Prior to D2L, he was a D2L higher education client. Mike is particularly interested in the effective integration of educational technology tools into the online teaching environment and the classroom. Mike currently oversees the product roadmap for the Assessment Experience and all the assessment related tools in Brightspace and leads the Assessment Experience Advisory Board.

Steve Rogalsky

As VP of Product Management at D2L, Steve values collaborating with our customer and users to make sure our products help them meet their educational goals. His passions include empowering people, effective leadership, product management, and a creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Margo Griffith

Margo’s in-depth knowledge and experience of skills, the skills ecosystem and digital credentials is the result of working in and with higher education providers and edtech leaders, nationally and internationally for over 20 years. She is passionate about the positive impact of technology within education and the enablement of lifelong learning and mobility. Margo co-convenes a Cross-Sector Community of practice around microcredentials in Australia and sits on the Executive of the International Council of Badges and Credentials (ICoBC) . She writes blog posts around challenges surrounding the learn-to-earn journey. Margo is currently exploring Systems Thinking concepts and their relation to the emerging skills ecosystem.

Billye Atout

With a track record of 25 years in the Education and Technology industry, Billye has gained extensive expertise in the global education and technology sectors throughout her career, making noteworthy contributions across the Middle East, Africa, North America, and APAC regions. She successfully developed and implemented online training and coaching programs for prominent international corporations, offering valuable insights into the complexities of online and hybrid learning. As the Director for ANZ and India at Class Technologies, she empowers organizations to establish exceptional virtual and hybrid training programs.