Sector Trends and Industry Responses

Liz Forsyth

CEO Disability and Aged Care at APM

Liz has a passionate interest in working with vulnerable people and communities to help them realise their potential. She has been responsible for delivering services both within government and in the private sector and she has a professional services background with her most recent past role as the Global Industry Lead ( Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare) for KPMG (2021). Her professional career has concentrated within Health, Ageing and Human Services sectors and she has worked in Australia and a range of countries (United Kingdom, Canada, United States, India, New Zealand and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and at a global level ( e.g. with the United Nations) with this focus. Her training as a Social Worker has enabled her to develop valuable skills which she applies across all aspects of her work. She has grown multi-million dollar businesses and enjoys being innovative - turning great ideas into a practical solutions. She has a strong commercial focus and broad board experience.

Liz was the former Deputy Chair of KPMG Australia and she is currently on the board of Bridge Housing and Relationships Australia NSW.

Dr Vanda Fortunato

Chairperson at Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust

Vanda has spent the last 20 years in executive and strategic leadership roles in Australia and overseas, with significant experience in public health, primary care, not-for-profits, medical training, academia, pharmaceuticals, health insurance and consulting. Vanda has been a CEO of two not-for-profits, and has held senior executive roles with Medibank, a clinical research organisation and Accenture. She has also worked for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Vanda is currently on the Board of BreastScreen Victoria, Vasey RSL Care, The Queen Victoria Market Trust and was previously the chair of a private aged care company New Aged Care.

Andrew Drysdale

Chair, Desert Channels Group

Andrew was born and raised in South West Queensland in the Charleville/Augathella district. He gained a degree in Applied Science (Rural Technology) from the then Queensland Agriculture College at Gatton. Later, Andrew completed a Graduate Diploma in Property Studies. With his brother, Andrew purchased a mulga property outside of Charleville which he owned and operated for 16 years. Andrew know lives in Toowoomba and operates his own small consulting business, Alsajad NRM, with his wife, Jacqui.

Throughout the eighties and early nineties Andrew was involved in local, state and national primary industry peak bodies. At the age of 29, Andrew became the Chair of his first organisation, The Warrego Graziers Association based in South West Queensland. Over the last 35 years, Andrew has held a number of CEO and Chair roles including:

• • Chair Desert Channels Queensland Group (NRM body for the Queensland portion of the Lake Eyre Basin).
• • Chair Lake Eyre Basin Community Advisory Committee to the Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement.
• • Chair Australian Rangelands NRM Alliance and Outback Alliance
• • Chief Executive Officer & Company Secretary Qld Regional NRM Groups Collective Ltd.
• • Chief Executive Officer & Company Secretary Queensland Murray Darling Committee Inc Toowoomba, Queensland.