Speakers
The ALPMA Program Committee are excited to have a range of leading industry speakers for the 2026 ALPMA Summit + ALTACON.
Keynote Speakers
Jordan Furlong
Jordan Furlong is a strategic consultant, adviser, and legal sector analyst who studies the impact of the changing legal world on law firms and legal organizations. He advises legal leaders on business model innovation, professional development, and the impact of Generative AI, among many other issues. Jordan has addressed thousands of lawyers and legal professionals at dozens of conferences and retreats, in person and online, in North and South America, Australia, and Europe. Read his work at https://jordanfurlong.substack.com.
Jana Pittman
Two times world champion, four times Commonwealth champion - in the sport of athletics, Jana Pittman personifies resilience and determination. When continual injuries hampered her athletic career and could have signalled retirement, she swapped the track for the ice, joining the Australian women's bobsled team and becoming the first woman to represent Australia in both a Summer (2000, 2004) and Winter (2014) Olympic Games.
Off the track, Jana completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at Western Sydney University in 2019 (graduating with First Class Honours and the university medal) and is now a 3rd year Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a Masters of Reproductive Medicine. This busy woman is proud mum to six children:
Cornelis, Emily ,Jemima, Charlie and twins Quinlan and Willow.
Having experienced her own personal scare with cervical dysplasia, Jana became an ambassador for the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation. In 2021, Jana was a participant in the gruelling television show SAS Australia on Channel 7. She made it to the last day of the course and was the final female standing among the 18 celebrity recruits, despite having given birth only five and a half months previously
Jason Clarke
Jason Clarke has been an exhibition designer, a script writer, commercial event and film producer and Creative Director of Australia’s largest multi-media production company. He’s staged Shakespeare, grand opera, experimental avant-garde theatre and even designed a dolphin show for a major marine park.
He’s developed and taught courses in Logic, Problem Solving and Innovation for Melbourne Business School, Mt Eliza Business School, the Australian School of Entrepreneurship, the Stern Business School of New York and the Ben Gurion Business School of Israel.
But he found his real calling in 2000 as a freelance thinker-for-hire, offering creative and lateral thinking services for organisations struggling to embrace innovation and change or just to solve problems, develop strategy, prioritise or even make decisions.
His clients include just about every kind of enterprise, from tiny start-ups to global corporations, from communities and not-for-profits to Local, State and Federal Governments.
Today he’s a regular international speaker and one of the most trusted creative minds in Australia. But he’ll tell you he’s just a Plumber of the Mind, the guy you go
to when your head gets clogged.
Donna McGeorge
From boardrooms to auditoriums, Donna McGeorge sparks practical change that lasts.
A sought-after international speaker, and bestselling author of 15 books,
including The 25 Minute Meeting, First 2 Hours, 1 Day Refund, ChatGPT Revolution and her latest, Red Brick Thinking - Donna helps leaders and teams to cut through noise, creating space and capacity for what’s most important in their lives.
Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company and on national TV.
Whether with 20 leaders behind closed doors or 2,000 in a packed auditorium, Donna
delivers high-energy sessions filled with sharp insights, relatable stories and
immediately actionable ideas - no jargon, no fluff and no one will be checking
their emails, while Donna is speaking!
Jacqui Maguire
Jacqui Maguire is a New Zealand–based clinical psychologist specialising in leadership, culture, wellbeing and sustainable high performance within professional service environments.
Bringing a clinical psychologist’s mind and a business owner’s perspective, Jacqui works at the intersection of psychology and organisational leadership. Over the past decade she has worked with the judiciary, coroners and senior leadership teams in leading commercial law firms, helping address a critical question for the profession: how do lawyers sustain high performance across long and demanding careers?
Her work focuses on helping organisations move wellbeing beyond individual responsibility and embed it within leadership behaviour, culture and firm systems.
Jacqui also serves on the board of Life Squared Trust, which recently funded a three-year longitudinal study examining mental health across the New Zealand legal profession, with findings released at Parliament last year.
A recognised voice on mental health and leadership in New Zealand, Jacqui is the founder and host of two award-winning podcasts, author of When the Wind Blew, and in 2021 she was named Wellingtonian of the Year for her contribution to mental health education.
Jason Clarke
Jason Clarke has been an exhibition designer, a script writer, commercial event and film producer and Creative Director of Australia’s largest multi-media production company. He’s staged Shakespeare, grand opera, experimental avant-garde theatre and even designed a dolphin show for a major marine park.
He’s developed and taught courses in Logic, Problem Solving and Innovation for Melbourne Business School, Mt Eliza Business School, the Australian School of Entrepreneurship, the Stern Business School of New York and the Ben Gurion Business School of Israel.
But he found his real calling in 2000 as a freelance thinker-for-hire, offering creative and lateral thinking services for organisations struggling to embrace innovation and change or just to solve problems, develop strategy, prioritise or even make decisions.
His clients include just about every kind of enterprise, from tiny start-ups to global corporations, from communities and not-for-profits to Local, State and Federal Governments.
Today he’s a regular international speaker and one of the most trusted creative minds in Australia. But he’ll tell you he’s just a Plumber of the Mind, the guy you go
to when your head gets clogged.
Tessa Van Duyn
Tessa is an award-winning CEO with 20 years’ experience as a public law litigator and human rights and discrimination law expert. Tessa’s focus has always been on people, humanity, equality and justice.In her role as CEO of Moores, Tessa thrives on building authentic connections and creating a workplace culture that enables everyone to bring their best to work. Moores was crowned as the Australian Law Awards Employer of Choice in 2023 and Tessa was awarded the Australian Legal Practice Management Association’s Executive of the Year in 2023 and a Finalist in the Women in Law Awards Executive of the Year 2023.
She is known for being a talented leader and she absolutely loves being a people enabler. Tessa is a proud member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Legal Innovation, member of the ALPMA Victorian Committee and speaks regularly on the conference circuit about the human aspects of leading high performers in professional services firms and the intersection of people and legal technology.
Stephen van Dorp
Stephen is the CEO of SLF Lawyers and has been working within law firms for almost 16 years. Prior to moving into management within lawfirms, Stephen worked in a Chartered Accounting firm for 15 years.
Stephen is a Chartered Accountant and is also a Fellow of CPA Australia & NZ.
Not only is Stephen a finance and operations executive with extensive professional service experience but he has been the ALPMA President for almost three years and has sat on the ALPMA Qld Committee for 11 years.
Session Speakers
Carlie Andrews
Carlie Andrews is a Senior Associate at Hive Legal with broad commercial law experience across a range of industries and sectors. Carlie brings a well-rounded, practical and innovative approach to legal services shaped by her time in private practice and multiple in‑house secondments, including a six‑month secondment within a government legal team. Carlie also specialises in business and innovation consulting with a strong focus on legal design thinking, service and process design and the thoughtful use of AI within legal workflows. Her work focuses on helping teams improve systems, processes and ways of working.
Carlie is deeply engaged in the human side of legal practice. She is a founder of Hive Legal’s wellbeing program and a strong advocate for sustainable and healthy ways of working in the legal profession. She was named a finalist for Wellness Advocate of the Year (Individual) at the 2022 Women in Law Awards and regularly contributes to the legal community on topics including wellbeing and flexible working.
Joel Barolsky
Joel Barolsky is a specialist adviser to managing partners, executive teams and practice group leaders on issues of strategy, culture, governance, partner remuneration, succession, pricing and capability
development. He has advised over 100 leading law, accounting and advisory firms. Around 70% of his clients are repeat clients or come directly from referrals from existing relationships.
Joel is a Principal of Edge International, Managing Director of Barolsky Advisors, and a Senior Fellow of the University of Melbourne Law School. He has written over 40 opinion pieces for the Australian Financial Review Legal Affairs section. Previously Joel was head of the strategy practice of Beaton Research & Consulting.
Ena Catovic
Ena Catovic is a Digital Change Manager at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, based in Melbourne, where she leads AI and digital transformation initiatives across the firm. She began her career as a disputes lawyer before moving into legal transformation, giving her first-hand insight into how change actually lands in practice.
Her work focuses on legal process improvement, behaviour-led change and building digital capability in ways that feel practical and sustainable. She works closely with lawyers and business teams to move beyond rollout and training – helping new tools and ways of working become part of everyday practice.
Ena combines hands-on transformation experience with training in change management, design thinking and workplace coaching. She is known for bringing a clear, grounded and human lens to digital change – translating strategy into small, practical shifts that build confidence over time.
Anne-Maree David
Clayton Kimpton
Clayton Kimpton is a respected New Zealand leader with deep expertise in law, diplomacy, international trade, governance and dispute resolution.
As Chief Executive of The Law Association of New Zealand (TLANZ) since April 2024, he brings over 30 years’ experience spanning legal practice, public service and international representation. A strategic advocate for legal excellence, he is committed to strengthening the voice and influence of New Zealand’s legal profession.
Formerly a Partner and four-term Chair at Kensington Swan (now Dentons), Clayton built a strong reputation in mediation, ADR and employment litigation. From 2013 to 2023 he held senior diplomatic and trade roles with NZTE and MFAT, including Regional Director for India, the Middle East and Africa, New Zealand Consul-General in Dubai, Special Envoy - Middle East, and NZ Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 Dubai.
Combining legal acumen with global and cross-cultural insight, Clayton is recognised for his ability to connect people, resolve complex challenges and lead with integrity.
Angela Luu
Leveraging 15+ years’ experience in the legal industry, Angela specialises in equipping lawyers with the evolving skillset required to meet the changing needs of clients.
With a deep understanding of legal processes, challenges and capabilities, Angela’s experience draws from 6 years practising as a lawyer and 9 years working as a legal operations professional in the legal operations and transformation space.
Angela’s specialisation comes in the form of:
•Capability development: designing and delivering capability programmes to legal teams focussed on skills such as creative problem solving, project management, technology adoption and visual communication
•Process and solution design: working with multidisciplinary teams to identify, design and implement new tools and ways of working to improve lawyers’ efficiency and quality of service delivery
•Change management: facilitating and implementing change initiatives to drive engagement and adoption in the context of digital transformation
Melissa Lyon
Melissa is the Executive Director & Experience Designer, Hive Legal, an innovative law firm which, over the last 11 years, has inspired change in the legal ecosystem by introducing value pricing, legal design thinking and truly flexible work practices. Melissa is an innovation specialist committed to assisting the legal ecosystem to think differently about the delivery of legal services, pricing and ways of working. Melissa is committed to sharing her experiences and insights with the legal ecosystem and is a strong advocate for those with skills other than legal and the vital roles they play.
Melissa is a member of the Centre for Legal Innovation’s Advisory Board, and her work has been recognised at the Australian Law Awards with her winning Business Development Professional of the Year (2017) and Innovator of the Year (2020).
Melissa Lyon
Executive Director and Experience Designer
Hive Legal
Erin Steward
Erin Steward is a Director of Lawganised, a management consultancy that exclusively services the legal profession across Australia and New Zealand. In her role, Erin advises law firms on operational performance, people development, and financial management. Erin’s career spans more than 20 years across the legal, hospitality, and retail sectors. She held her first practice management role in a law firm at the age of 23 and went on to senior leadership positions in retail and hospitality industries, before returning to the legal industry as GM of a boutique law firm on the Gold Coast before joining Lawganised. Erin’s approach combines sharp financial and analytical expertise with a genuine passion for mentoring developing leaders and building high performing teams.
Aleisha MacKenzie
Aleisha MacKenzie is the Director of Construct Law Group and an experienced legal practice leader with a strong focus on creating a supportive, respectful and high‑performing environment for her team. Through years of supervising and working alongside neurodiverse legal professionals, Aleisha has developed a grounded, practical understanding of how different thinking and working styles show up in day‑to‑day legal practice and how small, thoughtful adjustments can significantly improve communication, performance and wellbeing.
Her leadership style is centred on clarity, structure and a strengths‑based approach that supports both individual needs and overall team effectiveness. Aleisha is also a committed advocate for neurodiversity within the legal profession and is passionate about helping neurodiverse lawyers and legal professionals find their place, thrive and build sustainable careers in law.
She is dedicated to modernising legal workplace culture in a way that preserves and strengthens the human skills essential to the profession—judgment, ethical decision‑making, critical thinking, communication and professional identity—especially as technology becomes increasingly integrated into legal work.
As Panel Chair, Aleisha brings a balanced perspective, guiding the discussion to draw out real‑world insights that help law firm leaders strengthen the human elements of legal practice and bring out the best in neurodiverse talent.
Robyna May
Robyna May is the CIO at McInnes Wilson Lawyers, where she leads technology, knowledge and digital transformation across a multi-office legal practice. With qualifications and experience spanning both law and information technology, Robyna brings a rare dual perspective to leadership in professional services.
Across her career, Robyna has worked in and alongside law firms in a wide range of roles, including CIO, IT Manager, Knowledge and Precedents Director, Practice Manager, Project Manager and consultant. She has led and advised on major transformation initiatives covering practice management systems, document and knowledge management, cybersecurity uplift, AI adoption, data and reporting, and organisational change.
Robyna has also worked in consulting and advisory roles, supporting multiple firms through technology change, operational improvement and people-centred transformation. She is both fascinated by the potential of AI and thoughtfully concerned about its impact on professional judgment, culture and work practices, and is actively involved in shaping practical, responsible approaches to its use in legal environments.
Robyna is a regular speaker and contributor to industry discussions on legal technology, leadership and change, and is known for her pragmatic, grounded approach to innovation that prioritises sustainability, trust and the people doing the work.
Libby Maynard
Libby Maynard is an independent consulting partner, who helps professional service firms win business and deliver value to their clients in a way that is sustainably profitable. Drawing on over 30 years of experience in professional services, Libby has worked as a lawyer and led business development, marketing, pricing, and legal project management functions at two major Australian law firms. She has also consulted to dozens of firms across Australia and New Zealand in law, engineering, urban planning, accounting, IP and consulting.
One client described pricing as “a dark, difficult, and frustrating art, but at the core of the business of law”—a challenge Libby embraces. She supports firms to make good pricing decisions, enhance analytics, explore pricing models, quantify and manage scope creep, communicate value, engage stakeholders and build confidence in pricing conversations. Libby is also known for helping firms win competitive bids, design and implement major marketing, business development, sales, key account management and client feedback initiatives.
Her approach is grounded in strategy, analysis and practical application. Libby is an Accredited Legal Pricing Professional (ALPP) and Accredited Legal Project Manager (ALPM) through the True Value Partnering Institute. Libby has an MBA and is a Fulbright Scholar.
Kristen Porter
Kristen Porter is a lawyer, legal marketer, and the founder of O*NO Legal, an award winning and innovative law firm advising real estate agency principals across Australia. She is also the co-founder of Zenovate Marketing, where she works with firm leaders on growth strategy, client acquisition, business sustainability and digital marketing.
Kristen brings a rare dual perspective to the business of law, combining hands on experience running a modern law firm with deep expertise in how lawyers’ clients discover, evaluate, and choose advisors. Her work focuses on helping firms rebuild and future proof core business foundations that have been disrupted over recent years, particularly in the areas of client acquisition, referrals, and trust based growth.
She is a sought after speaker within the real estate and legal services sectors, regularly presenting to law firms, agency owners, leadership teams, and industry groups across Australia. Kristen has delivered dozens of presentations, workshops, and conference sessions to audiences ranging from small leadership teams to rooms of several hundred attendees.
Known for her practical, commercially grounded approach, Kristen translates complex shifts in technology, client behaviour, and market dynamics into clear, actionable insights that firm leaders can apply immediately to build more resilient, sustainable practices.
Matt Schlyder
Matt Schlyder is the Founding Director of FWO Chartered Accountants and the creator of the financially well organised philosophy. Known in the profession as “the lawyers’ accountant”, Matt has spent more than 35 years advising professional service firms, with a deep specialisation in supporting SME law firms across Australia. He works closely with Principals and Practice Managers to strengthen profitability, improve cash flow, and build the financial discipline needed to make confident commercial decisions.
Matt is also an innovator in financial technology. He developed Minumbers, a fee earner budgeting and performance reporting solution that integrates Xero financial and payroll data with practice management system fee earner data to produce accurate, objective budget vs actual reporting. His approach is practical and outcomes-focused, designed for time-poor leaders who need the right numbers in the right format to improve business decisions, manage capacity, reduce profit leakage, and drive sustainable growth.
Erin Steward
Erin Steward is a Director of Lawganised, a management consultancy that exclusively services the legal profession across Australia and New Zealand. In her role, Erin advises law firms on operational performance, people development, and financial management. Erin’s career spans more than 20 years across the legal, hospitality, and retail sectors. She held her first practice management role in a law firm at the age of 23 and went on to senior leadership positions in retail and hospitality industries, before returning to the legal industry as GM of a boutique law firm on the Gold Coast before joining Lawganised. Erin’s approach combines sharp financial and analytical expertise with a genuine passion for mentoring developing leaders and building high performing teams.
Cathryn Urquhart
Cathryn Urquhart studied Law at the University of Western Australia and was admitted in WA in 1988.
She has had a diverse career working for national law firms mainly in Insurance and Construction litigation, as well as time spent as a Claims Solicitor at Law Mutual, the professional indemnity insurance section of the Law Society of WA. She has lectured and tutored at universities in WA.
Currently, Cathryn is the Facilitator of the Legal Practice Management Course at the College of Law in WA. She also has her own business and works for a range of law firms and other businesses as a Professional Skills Trainer and Coach.
Kim Weigland
Kim Wiegland is the Managing Director of Julip Advisory, supporting Australian law firms navigate the journey through value creation, transformation and capital evolution. She has spent her career in professional services leadership across global law firms and advisory businesses, building trusted relationships with senior partners, managing partners, boards and executive teams.
Kim has tracked the PE investment shift in Australian legal services closely, publishing thought pieces and working directly with firms navigating the implications. She is known for bringing the international evidence base to bear on the Australian context, and for giving operational leaders the practical tools and language to drive change from within their own firms.