In her journey from registered nurse to ACTU President, Ged Kearney has seen first hand the importance of working collectively to achieve a better life. The third woman to hold the ACTU presidency, Ged is the public face for the union movement advocating on a wide range of industrial and political issues. She believes that unions should not just be concerned with the experience of people at work but they should be advocates for change to improve all aspects of Australians lives. Prior to joining the ACTU, Ged was federal secretary of the Australian Nurses Federation.

Tim O’Connor is a well travelled aid worker specialising in policy and advocacy. After 10 years in the Asia-Pacific and Africa, he has returned to Australia and a more domestic pace as director of communications at UNICEF Australia.

Gerard Noonan is Deputy President of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees and long-standing chair of industry fund Media Super. He has been active in the not-for-profit superannuation sector for more than two decades and was appointed to the board of Innovation Australia in 2009 and chairs IA’s Venture Capital Committee.

Tony Maher, a seasoned unionist and “thorn in the side” of the Howard Government over the discredited Workchoices legislation, is the National President of the CFMEU.