Marc Fennell - Creator, 'Stuff the British Stole' & Walkley-winning journalist

Marc Fennell is a Walkley-winning journalist and documentary maker.

A 5-time medallist at the New York Festivals TV and Radio Awards, Marc has been nominated twice for Europe’s prestigious Rose d’Or. He is a recipient of America’s coveted James Beard Foundation Award, an Asian Creative Academy National Award, and Webby Award Honors. The Times (UK) has called Marc the “cheerful Aussie version of Louis Theroux”.

Marc is the creator of the popular, award-winning television series & podcast Stuff the British Stole for ABC Australia and CBC Canada. He is also seen each weeknight as the quizmaster of SBS TV’s iconic game show Mastermind.

Marc has fronted groundbreaking docs like the Logie & AACTA nominated School That Tried to End Racism (ABC 2021), The Kindom (SBS 2023) The Mission (SBS 2023) Rose d’Or shortlisted art-heist docu-series Framed (SBS 2021) as well as the hit Audible Original Podcasts It Burns (2019) Nut Jobs (2020) and House of Skulls (2023)

Marc anchored SBS TV’s national current affairs program The Feed for 9 years (2013-2022). He has reported around the globe from the 2019 Hong Kong protests to food crime in California to survivors of ISIS torture. Marc’s one-on-one interviews with the likes of Al Gore, Tom Cruise, Julian Assange, and Jennifer Lawrence have generated over 30 million online views.

A well-known voice on ABC Radio, Fennell has presented the technology program Download this Show since 2012 and was triple j’s Movie Guy from 2006-2017.

Marc has written 2 books and has also appeared on ABC’s The Drum, Network Ten’s The Project, SBS’s Dateline and Insight, and heard on top-rating ABC Radio Sydney.

Marc is the dad of 2 kids and lives in Sydney, Australia. He also helped found the not-for-profit advocacy group Media Diversity Australia.

Marc had an unusual path into journalism. He won an AFI Outstanding Young Film Critics Award back in high school. His broadcasting career began as the film critic for Sydney community radio station FBi 94.5. At 19 years old, Marc was recruited to SBS's rebooted version of The Movie Show (2004). He then jumped to the ABC's national youth broadcaster triple j to present film content across its radio, television and print arms. For 11 years, Marc was Australia's most listened-to film critic - better known to over 3.1 million triple j listeners as ‘That Movie Guy’. He also hosted the largest short film festival in the world Tropfest 2014-2016

Marc was a presenter and producer for all 3 seasons of ABC TV's ground-breaking journalism experiment Hungry Beast (2009-2011) under Executive Producer Andrew Denton.

Away from the camera, Marc has been an art director, web developer, magazine and newspaper writer and oh-so-briefly a hand model. Ask him about it sometime.

Neil Peplow - CEO, AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School)

Neil Peplow joined the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) as CEO in 2015. Neil has been involved in the production of 17 feature films and a Showtime TV series. In 2007, he set up a boutique consultancy company and worked for clients that include: BBC Worldwide, Vue Cinemas, Intandem Films and Fallon Advertising. Whilst Director of Film at Skillset (2009-2011), Neil was responsible for the UK’s film skills strategy which focused on new technologies including 3D and new digital business models. Most recently, as COO for Met Film Group, Neil worked with YouTube on the establishment of a creator-space in Berlin.

Louise Herron - CEO, Sydney Opera House

Louise Herron became CEO of the Sydney Opera House in 2012, the first woman appointed to the role, after 10 years working in investment banking and serving as chair of Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre.

Since 2013, Louise has led development of the Opera House’s Renewal program to ensure this World Heritage-listed icon and one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres meets the needs and expectations of 21st-century artists, audiences and visitors.

Renewal includes more than $270 million in capital works to upgrade performance halls and open new spaces to the public, as well as improving the artistic and visitor experiences for the Opera House’s 8.2 million annual visitors and the 1.5 million people who attend a performance each year.

Councillor Jess Scully - Knowledge Exchange Strategist

Jess was the founding director of Vivid Ideas, Australia's largest creative industries event, and has curated creative sector events including Junket, TEDxSydney and Curating Participation. As a knowledge exchange strategist, Jess is a founding contributor to the Sydney Culture Network, launching in late 2017. She is an advocate for the knowledge economy, creative and cultural sector, and encouraging participation in politics, creativity and enlivening our public realm. As a public art curator, her projects included Green Square Library and Plaza. She has served as an arts policy advisor and strategist, directed the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards and the Creative Cities East Asia project, and began her career as editor of a number of creative industries publications including Yen, Empty and Hotpress. Jess is passionate about cities and city-making, and in 2016 was elected as a Councillor for the City of Sydney.

Alison Page - Entrepreneur, artist, author and film & television producer, Member, Creative Economy Taskforce, Director, National Australia Day Council, Author, 'Design, Building on Country'

Alison Page is a Walbanga and Wadi Wadi woman and is an award-winning designer and film producer whose career, which began at the NSW Government Architects Office in late nineties links indigenous stories and traditional knowledge with contemporary design. She appeared for eight years as a regular panelist on the ABC TV show, The New Inventors and in 2015, was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia's Hall of Fame. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Technology's Design School and the founder of the National Aboriginal Design Agency.

Member, Creative Economy Taskforce, Director of the National Australia Day Council (NADC).