David Chandler OAM is the newly-appointed NSW Building Commissioner. He provides strategic oversight of building regulation and regulatory changes, actively supporting the Government's commitment to ensuring the safety, amenity and sustainability of the built environment.

David has extensive experience across construction in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. He was the Construction Director for Australia's New Parliament House and has led enterprises involved in major projects, public capital works procurement, business transition and transaction due-diligence. He has also been Chairman and Director on a range of private and public boards, joint-ventures and enquiries into the performance of the construction industry. 

Jesse Clarke is a Building Scientist and Engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry. He currently works as the Building Science Manager for Pro Clima – a global leader in the development and manufacture of high performance sealing systems for thermal insulation.

As a technical lead for Pro Clima’s Australian and New Zealand divisions, Jesse works to proliferate airtight and weathertight building systems. This includes delivering high-level training for architects and designers, plus hands-on training for builders and trades.

Chris Garrard is a project manager, design manager and project engineer with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry. Over the course of his career, Chris has worked on a diverse range of projects, from Class 1 residential properties through to $500 million dollar towers in the Brisbane CBD. Some of the most iconic projects Chris has contributed to include 1 William Street with Multiplex and 111 Eagle Street with Leighton Contractors.

Having worked with various Tier 1 companies, Chris has broad expertise across all areas of project management. His experience spans a range of sectors including multi storey apartments, commercial, retail, defence and civil works. For the past 3 years, Chris has applied this knowledge to his role at Pointcorp Commercial – a builder developer company, where he has developed a team and systems from the ground up.

Dr Ehsan Gharaie is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Property Construction and Project Management at RMIT University. He is also a Civil Engineer, with a master’s degree in Construction Management and a PhD in Project Management. 

As an expert in the dynamics of the house building industry, Ehsan researches and analyses Australia’s capacity to supply new homes amid changing conditions in the property and construction sectors. The structure of Australia’s housing industry is Ehsan’s area of special interest. His analysis of long term data reveals a real and surprising constraint capacity, which becomes evident when demand for new homes is strong. 

Jens has been Managing Director of AMGC since 2016. He brings extensive experience from overseeing large manufacturing operations in Australia and Europe. Jens served as Managing Director of Airbus Group Australia Pacific and Airbus Helicopters. Before his seven-year appointment to Australia, Jens spent six years in Germany with the former European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), today known as Airbus Group. He was Head of the CEO’s office in Germany, and before that in charge of Soldier and Parafoil Systems within the Defence Division. Previously, Jens spent two years in Athens where he established and managed the Eurofighter Office of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, one of the three founding partner companies of EADS. He began his career with Daimler-Benz AG in January 1996.

Andrew Harris is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The University of Sydney. His research typically occurs at the interface between scientific disciplines, including chemistry, biology, engineering and materials science, and addresses pressing environmental and sustainable development problems.

Andrew is also the Australian director of Laing O’Rourke’s future engineering and innovation consultancy, the Engineering Excellence Group. Laing O’Rourke is Australia’s largest private engineering and construction business, with local turnover exceeding $3 billion per annum.

Throughout his career, Andrew has worked at the interface between industry and academia. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2002 and is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and Engineers Australia (IEAust). 

Rob Ferrari is an experienced business manager with a demonstrated history of delivering business solutions for the construction and industrial sectors. He currently manages CSR Inclose – a division of CSR Building Products that designs, engineers, fabricates and installs a unitised commercial façade system. 

Since joining CSR Building Products 13 years ago, Rob has focused on developing integrated products that meet requirements for performance and buildability. That includes advocating the use of pressure equalised rainscreen façades, gasket interfaces and continuous insulation to improve thermal performance and air infiltration – and provide a watertight building envelope. 

Ken McBryde is an independent consulting architect and the founder of Architectural Physics. Highly regarded as a thought leader in urban design, Ken loves exploring the boundaries of possibility. He is drawn to complex challenges that demand innovation and are driven by sustainability.

Sought-after for his innovative placemaking ideas, Ken has a natural affinity with construction methodology. His interest in prefabrication and materials technology underpins his approach, as does his expertise in timber and timber composites, recycled composite plastic waste, and glass.

Prof. Ngo is the Research Director at the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing (CAMPH) at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Director of the Asia Pacific Research Network for Resilient and Affordable Housing. 

Prof. Ngo specialises in research related to design and manufacturing of sustainable building components and systems using high performance materials. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded significant research collaborations with industry to develop new building products and performed experiments on many prefabricated modular building structures. 

Simon is a construction and infrastructure lawyer, who works with clients to procure and deliver a diverse range of building projects. He is currently a Partner at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, located in Sydney. 

Simon’s expertise spans multiple sectors including building, road, rail and utilities. He has experience using a range of contract models including PPP, D&C, construct only, managing contractor, ECI, O&M and FM agreements. 

Denita Wawn is the CEO of Master Builders Australia – a national organisation that promotes and supports all sectors of Australia’s building and construction industry, including its 32,000 members. Denita was appointed CEO in March 2017, after a 12 month tenure as the organisation's General Manager of Operations.

With 20 years’ experience as a leading industry advocate, Denita has a wealth of knowledge in public policy and politics. Prior to joining Master Builders Australia, Denita held several influential executive roles, including CEO of the Brewer's Association of Australia and New Zealand (Brewer's Association), Executive Director of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Tasmanian Division, and Deputy CEO of the National Farmer's Federation (NFF).

Simonne is the General Manager of Connected Living, a strategic business unit within Lendlease.