New Year. New Challenges.

So much has been written about the remarkable year, with its unprecedented series of events. Thankfully, like many of you, I have drawn a line under 2020 and would like to reflect on some of the more memorable moments and the generous people who made it possible:

People power

2020 confirmed in my mind, the power of connecting people, ideas and opportunities. The year began with a valuable conversation with 'the father of diaspora', Kingsley Aikins, who shared his experience on building and unleashing the power of a nation's diaspora.

Patrons, Partners, Sponsors, Supporters

There is something very special about collaborating with people who believe in your mission. I thank the partners, patrons, sponsors and supporters who provided support, in cash or in kind, so that the work of connecting global Australians with each other and with Australia could continue. It is important to recognise the generosity of: Patron Anthony Pratt who supported the vision of our founder Ken Allen AM, startup Internet 2.0 who sponsored a roundtable in the depth of the pandemic because they saw a chance to do good and do well, long time supporters Gilbert + Tobin and Credit Suisse who hosted the first in-person gathering in December. Special mention also to Stone & Chalk for generously providing accommodation.

The Connectors

I want to single out and thank the connectors. This is a group of leaders who work with me to give recent arrivals a chance to connect with new opportunities. They also work with me to give entrepreneurs the introductions they need to access advisers, capital, customers and the talent needed to scale companies, create jobs and transform our economy. These early conversations are critical to build confidence and momentum I appreciate and treasure their support.

Transformation or refresh?

Whether it was clarifying the value proposition, tweaking the brand, upgrading the tech stack, refining the reporting, refreshing the socials, launching the beta of a new website, flicking the switch to digital for one-on-one interviews and small group roundtables, or crafting a briefing with Main Sequence Ventures that offered guests an opportunity to join a virtual deep dive with each partner in a #ZoomRoom, 2020 allowed us to find better ways to attract and connect Australians with one another and with Australia so they could share their expertise and unlock the economic benefit for all Australians.

Valuable conversations

Once we moved online, the conversation became global. We were joined by guests from every continent and talked about everything from developments in automation and the impact on an economy with Mark Rigotti and Michael Priddis, to the need for accelerating transformation of enterprises with Uschi Schreiber AM. Lord Gerry Grimstone shared his perspectives on what it would take to build an exemplar FTA with Australia.

Dr David Putrino took time out to describe what it was like on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic which was then raging through New York City. He held nothing back and those who joined this conversation understood firsthand what New Yorkers were facing. One guest observed: "This was a truly stunning roundtable on a hugely relevant topic in today's COVID impacted world. David's comments and replies to the wide ranging questions were nothing short of inspirational. He has a real ability to ... communicate so easily innovation and creatively, and to maintain an optimistic and positive spirit despite the traumas that he has been dealing with day in and day out."

Professor John Mattick AO then uncovered the technology driving disruption to the transformation of personal health and healthcare systems by genomics and smart sensors. It was an important conversation that drew colleagues from around the world. John observed that he "used to think the 20th century was the century of biology and medicine because of the great advances in gene cloning and sequencing and so forth. But I was wrong. That was just the warm up. This is the century of biology and medicine and it’s going to be achieved through the analysis of big data." A guest remarked: "John is an inspirational expert who has a rare ability to take a complex topic like genomics and make it simpler and easily digestible for general audiences. This came out again in his excellent presentation and answers to the various questions."

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO shared her incredible journey from growing up in remote Aboriginal communities to the tech sector as Intel’s resident anthropologist, before returning to create a brand new discipline within engineering at the 3A Institute within the Australian National University. Of this session a guest wrote to say: "Genevieve is unique, and in a class of her own. What a fascinating set of remarks, so human with a great sense of humour, connecting the dots between disciplines and issues that most of us would never think of connecting. Altogether a very stimulating session.”

Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Gary Quinlan AO made the time to join us. He talked about how we can develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the maturing relationship between Indonesia and Australia. and a participant wrote to say: “This was a very informative and well run session which has given me greater insight to Indonesia and potential areas for engagement - thank you!” 

Andrew Liveris AO helped us understand the toolkit needed to build a 21st century industrial policy and many guests found his comments extremely useful :“Congrats on this morning...That was the best presentation I have heard Andrew give – a lot of highly significant content – Please make sure the recording goes far and wide” 

Lucy Turnbull AO shared her views on the important, but undervalued aspects of cities, and the importance of forcing cities to be more adaptable and resilient to change. We received a lot of positive feedback, with one guest noting: "Fascinating discussion. Well done. This is a TERRIFIC presentation. Thanks for arranging”

The remarkable Zoe Daniel gave us a snapshot of Trump’s America, journalism in the digital age and the impact of Australia’s local storytelling upon the social fabric. Given recent events, it is worth revisiting this conversation. One guest said: "Great session this morning. Zoe’s insights and practical approach are always inspiring and she never disappoints."

As the year drew to a close, we were joined by Leanne Kemp who focused on the role and possibility of blockchain technologies, and the opportunity for Australia to create and dominate specific new markets. Leanne covered a lot of ground and it's worth revisiting the conversation. After a year of meeting online, it was a pleasant surprise to gather in person to discuss bilateral opportunities between Australia and the USA with the Hon Nick Greiner AC, the incoming Consul General in New York.

The last conversation of the year was worth the wait. Peter Varghese AO, the Chancellor of the University of Queensland and most recent Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, drew on his distinguished career in public administration, diplomacy and intelligence to provide a perspective on world events, consider the importance of the Indo-Pacific and discuss the role of the education sector. It was a memorable and compelling conversation and one guest wrote: "That was outstanding! What an articulate and thoughtful person he is. So concise, and strategic drawing from his broad career. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard “lustre”!!! What a great quote and deep question. Such a good series.”

A step up

Creating and delivering the Global Digital Town Hall: Building Resiliency and Seizing Opportunities in Advanced Manufacturing in collaboration with the Australian Embassy in Washington, was a wonderful experience. The team was thoughtful and supportive and we were able to assemble a standout panel of global leaders with lived experience in transforming businesses or creating new markets. This is a #mustwatch briefing where you can draw on the experience and expertise of the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, Anthony Pratt, Andrew Liveris AO, Robyn Denholm and Pam Melroy. Over 1300 people registered to attend from around the world and we received over 200 questions. We were overwhelmed with positive feedback including this note: "Really outstanding speakers who had such great insight. Enjoyable and thought provoking. I look forward to the next conversation"

And then there were The Advance Awards 2020

I counted myself lucky to work with Holly Ransom, who joined our marvellous team to deliver the 2020 Advance Awards Celebration.

The Awards have been recognising and celebrating the extraordinary achievements of global Australians who are at the forefront of their field since 2012. While the Awards were held in person in 2019, we did the inevitable pivot and went online for the 2020 Advance Awards.

I was again humbled to hear the stories of the finalists and meet the winners. They included a geologist, astrobiologist and research scientist with NASA’s prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory , a Brooklyn-based multi-award winning Australian artist who has illustrated over forty books for children and was the first Australian to win the 2016 Caldecott Medal and an entrepreneur who leads passionate engineers, plant scientists and drone operators to tackle global scale deforestation!

It was an honour to be joined by so many leaders who gave their valuable time to promote and present the Awards at this year's Celebration including the Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison and Australia's 29th Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull. Thanks also to the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO who spoke to guests.

The 2020 Award Presenters: Back Row L-R : Peter Verwer AO, Deanne Stewart, Doug Ferguson, Senator the Hon. Jane Hume, Robyn Denholm. Middle Row from L-R: Carol Schwartz AO, Robi Stanton, Prof. Gregory McRae. Front Row from L-R: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Zoe Daniel, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Melanie Brock and Ita Buttrose AC OBE

The shift to digital gave us an opportunity to reach a bigger audience globally and the response again was enthusiastic and positive: "Congratulations on the awards show last night – it was both inspiring and fast paced – and, perhaps better than an old analog awards format, you got a really good sense of the winners’ delightfully unvarnished personalities! And what an impressive bunch of finalists – my goodness - it’s easy to be left feeling a bit inadequate! It was a great affirmation of the amazing – and unconstrained – talent that grows here."

Change of pace

Given the richness of talent across the diaspora, we introduced an interview series to allow us to share more stories and experiences that could inspire action. I spoke with CEO and Founder of Gilmour Space - Adam Gilmour, the most recent CEO of Tomorrow Street, Vodafone’s global innovation centre based in Luxembourg - Warrick Cramer, Everledger Founder Leanne Kemp, the most recent CEO of global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills - Mark RigottiAdam Malouf, CuriousThing's Mark Adams, ballerina Georgia Neaverson, mapping guru Simon Wardley, Antler VC Partner Anthony Millett and Director Adele Moynihan and the NSW Minister for Customer Services, the Hon. Victor Dominello (this one's useful for anyone driving transformation).

ICYMI

Everyone has an opportunity to access the insights uncovered during these conversations by listening to the recordings, scanning the transcripts, or reading the summary and highlights of the key issues covered.

But wait, there's more!

We were always looking for more ways to bring ideas forward. Inviting thought pieces from global Australians who had recently returned to Australia, gave us an opportunity to alert the market to opportunities and provide a direct connection into those markets. Work was also done to expand the global events calendar allowing Australians to connect digitally no matter where they found themselves living. There was also effort put into refreshing Born Global, which became a great way to catch up on the month's news. On publishing the first updated issue, one reader wrote: "This is exactly how the organisation should be positioning itself...I thoroughly enjoyed reading it."

Curating a global job site allowed us to feature roles for Australians who wanted to work around the world as well as roles available domestically for those planning to a return to Australia. In preparation for their return, we hosted a #DigitalCoffeeHour giving global Australians an opportunity to gather and talk about a diverse range of issues in a relaxed and free-flowing format. This struck a chord: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising the virtual coffee meeting this morning, what a fantastically valuable experience that was. I can’t tell you how much it means to hear others going through the same kinds of challenges that we are in returning ‘home’.”

Joining the dots

I was fortunate to work with Terry Savage, Tracy Colgan, Michael Cannon-Brookes and Nina Blackwell during their last term on the Board, and saw two new directors - Richard Umbers and Warrick Cramer join the Board. It was a privilege to introduce a new Advance Ambassador from the United Arab Emirates- Adam Malouf and to celebrate the work of global Australians in Japan during the launch of this chapter.

Speaking up

I found myself facilitating a memorable session at the AICD Governance Summit examining how countries around the world position themselves as global innovation hotspots and future-proof their economies in the process. The panel included Ray Fleming, Eitan Bienstock, Brigid O'Brien and Alex Scandurra and is well worth your time if this is an area of interest.

After reading It's Time to Build by Marc Andreessen (which he re-shared 5 days ago), I recorded "What is it time to build?" as a challenge to our ecosystem (and will come back my reflections soon). An interview with Everledger founder and powerhouse CEO Leanne Kemp was also a great experience and I thank Leanne for the opportunity.

It was a year for moving out of my comfort zone. An interview with Claire Hatton and Greta Thomas of Don't Stop Us Now was a new experience as was the conversation with Crispin Blackall and Melissa Brown at iThink. Company Director Magazine asked me to provide comments for their 6 trends in human capital to boost your organisation's people power and my observations were picked up in the AFR's article Boards and management remain ignorant on Asia.

I also spoke with Patrick Wood at the ABC and joined Josh Szeps and Ros Childs who wanted to hear more about the interim results of the Annual Survey of Global Australians. The year ended with me joining Robert Linsdell at the Vertiv VIP RoundTable: Smart Buildings , Workplaces Reimagined.

Speaking out

Another first in 2020, was the creation of the Australian Innovation Council which provided an opportunity to collaborate with the generous, thoughtful and determined leaders across the ecosystem to produce a submission to government. This ensured that the needs of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem were factored into the Covid-19 response by government and led to an appearance with Alex Scandurra before the Select Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology that presented its interim report recently. It is important that I recognise and thank Anne-Marie Elias and Harry Godber for their outstanding guidance and support during this period.

It is time to focus on The Arts

It was a joy to feature Gondwana Voices on the program for the Advance Awards and hear them perform: The Ether of Infinity, from ‘Moments that Shaped Australia’ (Walker) conducted by Lyn Williams AM, Peace on Earth, by Christopher Gordon from the closing performance of the Gondwana World Choral Festival conducted by Lyn Williams AM and Gerib Sik Dance Troupe, Traditional Dances of Mer Island, Torres Strait.

I also introduced music from Australian artists at the start of our roundtables, including work by late Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Bapa, Wiyathul and Mala Rrakala) at the roundtable with Andrew Liveris and the Sydney Children's Choir's performance of an Indonesian piece Ratoh Duek before the discussion with Gary Quinlan AO.

After listening to the President of the American Australian Association and former US Ambassador to Australia, John Berry share his moving observations of life in the depth of the pandemic in NYC, I also wanted to find a way to support the young people in lockdown and invited Mrs Rowena Lee to read stories to our young #GlobalReaders.

The program was so popular, we added stories by Caldecott Medal and Advance Global Icon Award Winner, Sophie Blackall and Gilbert + Tobin Partner and author John Williamson-Noble reading his Fergus Ferry series.

Deep gratitude

From L-R Ivani Torales-Sturgess, Me, Michelle Gibbs, Johanna Pitman, Michael Kedzierski, Maddie Swift, Sarah Robinson and Robert Hughes

It would have been impossible to deliver these outcomes without the support of a brilliant team of professionals as well as Nikki May, Kerryn Nelson and Mandy Garnett. There is no better example of how flexible work, contract work, casual work and part-time work can be pieced together to unlock amazing talent on a wafer thin budget. I offer each of them my sincere and heartfelt thanks. I am thankful for the efforts of the many volunteers who gave their time, talent and resources. My thanks go to those who made time to listen, who stepped in to help and who supported me when I needed it most. It was a huge year. It was a delightful surprise to receive a note from a colleague that ended with the observation: "You did such a great job at Advance. It is unrecognisable!!"

On the home front

I watched our youngest, a vivacious extrovert, struggle through the interrupted final year of school and sit his HSC, coming out the other end with a great result and entry into the degree of his choice. When his normal holiday program came to a screeching halt, I watched him prepare a CV and look for a job, which he landed (what better place to learn systems and customer service than in a busy cafe!).

Finally, I want to recognise my husband who has given me his unconditional love and support for the past 30 years. In 2020 he showed tremendous patience and for that I am deeply grateful.

I wish you all a better 2021- Maria.