The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our sense of who we are as individuals and as a community, and Melbourne in particular has been impacted significantly with more than 200 days in lockdown, becoming one of the most locked down cities in the world.

As we now prepare for the next step in this journey of recovery, what does COVID-normal look like for Melbourne, and how do we get there? How will the way we live, work and engage with our community be transformed as we emerge?

As a public institution steeped in natural sciences, history and culture, Museums Victoria is a source of trusted knowledge in the community and is uniquely placed to break down barriers to information and to engage with the most important issues of our time. This conversation took place in September 2021.

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Your generous contributions help to connect the community to our museums’ unparalleled collections, exhibitions, programs and experiences.

Moderator

Holly Ransom, Chief Executive Officer, Emergent

Holly Ransom is a globally renowned content curator, powerful speaker and master questioner. In 2017 she was Sir Richard Branson’s nominee for Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List’ of Future Game Changers to watch and has been named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review. Holly fights complexity with curiosity, apathy with empowerment and fear with fact.

Her new book, The Leading Edge: Dream big, spark change and become the leader the world needs you to be, helps people harness their own potential to lead by asking better questions, thinking beyond biased answers, and building collective momentum for change.

Speakers

The Rt. Hon. Sally Capp, The Lord Mayor of Melbourne

Sally Capp was re-elected as Lord Mayor of Melbourne in November 2020 after having been first elected in May 2018.

She has also served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Committee for Melbourne and Chief Operating Officer of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Sally has held senior roles at both KPMG and ANZ. Most recently she was Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.

 

Dr Matt Beard, Program Director, Vincent Fairfax Fellowship

Dr Matt Beard is an Australian philosopher and ethicist, and is currently the Program Director of the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship – an ethical leadership program hosted by the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership.

In addition to this, he presents a podcast that teaches ethics to kids, called 'Short & Curly'.

He is interested in ideas – especially the ethics of war, media, technology and parenting.

 

Matt Gudinski, Chief Executive, Mushroom Group

Matt Gudinski is Chief Executive of Mushroom Group, the largest independent music and entertainment company in Australia.

Immersed in the industry since birth as the son of founder Michael Gudinski matt joined Mushroom in 2003 becoming executive director in 2012 before moving into the role of Chief Executive in April 2021 on the eve of Mushroom’s 50th anniversary. He now leads the company to deliver the vision that he and Michael had for the next 50 years of the business.

 

Professor Duncan Maskell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Melbourne

Professor Duncan Maskell is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Prior to this, he was Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cambridge. In addition to these academic leadership roles, Professor Maskell co-founded four biotech companies, including Arrow Therapeutics, which sold to biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and Discuva, which sold to Summit Therapeutics and has been involved in the development of a number of vaccines.

In August 2021 Professor Maskell has been appointed a non-executive Director of CSL Limited. Professor Maskell supports a culture of philanthropy, public education for public good, and is fervent about the need to gather rigorous data and communicate clear, factual messages to the public, preventing the perpetuation of misinformation and myths.