Alexander Downer retired from politics in 2008 after an amazing 24 years and prior to that was a highly successful career diplomat.

His early roles of Economist to Westpac Bank and Australian diplomat serving in the Australian Missions to European Union and NATO, and as an Embassy representative in Belgium and Luxembourg, were excellent training grounds for Alexander’s later role as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Politics called in 1984 and after two senior political advisory roles, Alexander entered politics as the Member for Mayo. He has held several key positions both in Government and Opposition (including Leader of the Opposition) but it was as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Liberal Government of Australia from 1996 until November 2007 that Alexander truly made his mark.

Alexander Downer has been at the forefront of Australian Foreign Policy in some very turbulent and also progressive times. He has seen the increase in terror around the World and orchestrated significant reforms to combat its influence; he has been instrumental in delivering independence in East Timor; he has played a pivotal role in Australia’s response to the Middle East conflicts; he has been an active participant and diplomatic force on global issues of human rights, climate change, natural disasters and he still found time to represent his local constituency on Local, State and Federal issues.

General Cosgrove showed early the qualities needed to be an effective and respected commander and leader. He led the Methods of Instruction Team based at Ingleburn, NSW, and instructed in tactics at the Infantry Centre at Singleton, where he was also later Commandant and Director of Infantry.

The list of Peter Cosgrove's achievements is impressive, but his service in East Timor made him an instantly recognisable figure to most Australians. In 1999, as Commander of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, he assumed command of the International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) until the force was withdrawn in February 2000.

On his return to Australia after this successful mission, he was appointed Chief of Army. In July 2002 General Cosgrove assumed the profile position of Chief of the Defence Force, a position he held until July 2005.

His ability to inspire and lead people, especially in the face of danger, sets him apart from everyday life. But he still understands and embodies the common touch, the experience of life that we all share.

General Peter Cosgrove is a highly recognisable Australian and was awarded 2001 Australian of the Year.

The truth is that since founding Boost Juice in 2000, Janine Allis, a woman with no formal business training but a brilliant simple approach has met with relentless pressure and a myriad of problems in getting Boost to where it is today: a company with more outlets in more countries than any other juice bar in the world and well on the way to achieving their aim of being the "world's most loved and favourite brand". Being underestimated has been one of Janine's great strengths and she has utilised all her natural abilities to achieve the unthinkable.

Janine's leadership style is natural, warm, giving and extremely demanding. This has created a high performance culture in her business, which has achieved amazing results. Her vision was to do retailing differently, delivering a unique customer experienced based on the 'love life' philosophy of Boost.

Today Janine is the Managing Director of Retail Zoo; a perpetual student, she surrounds herself with amazing business people and soaks up new ideas like a sponge. "At the end of the day we have to keep life and business simple", believes Janine, "and enjoy the journey as much as the results."

Imagine running a business based on fun – that’s what Naomi Simson decided to do when she left a very serious corporate career in marketing to set up RedBalloon.

Now Australia and New Zealand’s most awarded gift retailer, RedBalloon has been listed in the BRW fast lists for the past seven years. Naomi’s accolades include:

• Winner, 2008 national Telstra Business Womens Awards for Innovation
• One of four finalists in the 2009 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Awards
• RedBalloon voted in top ten Great Places to Work in Australia
• Hewitt ranking RedBalloon with a 97% employee engagement score (Australian average: 54%).

Mark Thirlwell is the Director of the International Economy program at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Mark is a graduate of Cambridge University and has an MPhil degree in economics from Oxford. He also has a postgraduate qualification in applied finance from Macquarie University.

Mark began his career as an economist in the Bank of England's international divisions, where he focused mainly on emerging market issues. He also spent some time in the Bank's UK structural economic analysis division. He subsequently joined JP Morgan, where he was a vice president in the economic research department with responsibility for Central and Eastern Europe. Before joining the Lowy Institute, Mark was senior economist at the Australian Export Finance and Insurance Corporation from 1999 to 2003, where he worked on country risk issues, with a particular emphasis on East Asia.

Mark is the author of three Lowy Institute Papers: India: the next economic giant, The new terms of trade, and Second thoughts on globalisation: can the developed world cope with the rise of China and India? He is also a regular contributor to the Institute’s blog, The Interpreter.

Warren Hogan is ANZ’s Chief Economist and is responsible for the banks Economics and Global Markets Research. As the head of ANZ Research it is Warren’s responsibility to ensure a globally co-ordinated research effort that provides a single ‘ANZ View’ for key internal stakeholders and customer segments.

Warren has extensive financial markets experience having worked as an economist and strategist with Australian and international banks for nearly two decades. Warren has been at ANZ for the past six years, having run the Global Markets Research team and the Australian Economics team before being appointed Chief Economist in 2010.

Warren’s research focus is global macroeconomics, monetary economics and the financial markets. Warren travels extensively, presenting to clients and stakeholders in the major financial centres in addition to his commitments across Australia.

Prior to joining ANZ, Warren was Chief Economist and Head of Interest Rate Product Research at Credit Suisse First Boston and he held senior economic positions with Westpac Banking Corporation and NSW Treasury Corporation.

Kerry O'Brien is one of the most prominent and respected names in Australian journalism. He has won many accolades, including the top award in journalism, the Gold Walkley.

In the past 40 years, he has worked in newspapers, wire service and television news and current affairs, as a general reporter, feature writer, political and foreign correspondent, interviewer and compere.

The Hon. Bill Shorten MP, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation; Assistant Treasurer

Bill Shorten was first elected as the Labor Member for Maribyrnong on November 24, 2007. Immediately following the election, the Prime Minister announced that Bill would hold the responsibility of Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services. On 25 February 2009, the Prime Minister also allocated to Mr Shorten the additional responsibility of Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction. After the 2010 election he was appointed to the Ministry as Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.

Bill has a Law degree as well as a Master of Business Administration. He is a former diector of the Superannuation Trust of Australia (now AustralianSuper), and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation. Prior to the election, Bill was National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union. As well as being the interim CEO o the Australian Netball Players’ Association, Bill was on the advisory board to the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Patron of the Australian Jockeys’ Association.

Neil Cochrane is Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank Officer’s Superannuation Fund; Fund Executives Association (FEAL) and Auscoal Investment Committee. He is also a member of a number of industry committees.

Prior to stepping down from full time work Neil was Deputy CEO Colonial First State Global Asset Management and CEO Rest Superannuation.

Elana is the Chair of AustralianSuper, one of the largest industry superannuation funds in Australia, with over 1.54 million members and $40bn in assets. Elana is also Chair of the Victorian WorkCover Authority.

She is a Director of Mirvac Group, Tower Australia, Infrastructure Australia and the Transport Accident Commission (Victoria).

Elana is also Director of two non for profit organisations, SecondBite and the Melbourne Community Foundation.

Prior non-executive directorships included Director of Industry Super Property Trust and Chair of Victorian Rail Access Corporation. Her previous executive role was Executive Director – Investments of the Australian Retirement Fund.

Lynn Ralph’s executive career spans a variety of roles in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors including 15 years in funds management, 4 years as inaugural CEO of IFSA (now the Financial Services Council); Deputy Chairman of ASIC from 1993–97, and 6 years as General Manager, Sydney Dance Company. She is co-founder of Cameron Ralph Pty Ltd, a firm which assists boards to improve their effectiveness.

Over the past 20 years, she has held a variety of non-executive director roles. She is currently the independent Chairman of several subsidiary boards within the BT Financial Group; the Commissioner, Private Health Insurance Administration Council; and a Director, Sydney Swans Limited, The Sydney Institute, and Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Chris has more than 20 years of experience in building successful wealth management practices. Joining Colonial First State in 1988, Chris took the company from a start up operation to Australia’s largest investment manager.

Chris joined Challenger Financial Services Group Limited in early 2003 in the capacity as Chief Executive Officer.

In 2006, Chris joined non-profit organisation Social Ventures Australia (SVA) as an Executive Director, a position he held until May 2009, when he became Chairman of the SVA Future Trust.

Chris is now involved in a portfolio of activities including a number of directorships (including Chairman of UniSuper), managing public and private investments (including Third Link Growth Fund) and in various roles assisting the non-profit sector.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of Finsia. He is also a Director of Unisuper Limited (and is a member of their Investment Committee), Centric Wealth Limited, WAM Active Limited, Arkx Investment Management and Third Link Investment Managers.

Ross Jones was appointed Deputy Chairman and Member of APRA for a five-year term commencing 1 July 2003 and was reappointed for another five-year term, commencing 1 July 2008. Within APRA he takes principal responsibility for superannuation/private pensions and chairs APRA's Enforcement Committee. He is President of the International Organisation of Pension Supervisors, a group whose members include pension supervisors and regulators from more than 70 countries. He is also Vice Chairman of the OECD Working Party on Private Pensions and was a member of the Singapore Central Provident Fund Advisory Panel. Prior to joining APRA, Ross was a Commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. He was also an Associate Professor in the School of Finance and Economics at the University of Technology, Sydney for a number of years.

Mathias Cormann first became involved as a Liberal Party volunteer in the lead-up to the successful 1996 State election campaign.

Following that election Mathias worked as a Ministerial Chief of Staff and then a Senior Adviser to then Western Australian Premier Richard Court before taking on a role as an Adviser with the then Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison.

Between 2003 and 2007 Mathias worked for major Western Australian health insurer HBF in a range of senior management roles, most recently as General Manager HealthGuard and, pending his appointment to the Senate, as Acting General Manager of HBF Health Insurance.

Having joined the Liberal party in Western Australia in 1996, Mathias was elected Senior Vice President of the Perth Division in 2000, State Vice President in 2003 and State Senior Vice President in 2004, a responsibility he fulfilled until March 2008.

In September 2008 Mathias was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration. He was appointed Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training in December 2009. In September 2010 Mathias was appointed Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.

Dr Karl received the Member of the Order of Australia Award in the 2006 Australia Day Honours list.

In 2007 the Australia Skeptics Society awarded Dr Karl the Australia SkepticOf The Year Prize and he is currently the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, where his 'mission' is to spread the good word about science and its benefits.

His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.