Ian Pedersen after graduating from UNSW in civil engineering, has worked as a structural engineer, project and business management.

Ian is a Past National President (1999–2000) of Engineers Australia (EA). In 1990 he was awarded the National Professional Engineer of the Year Award for the role he played in the aftermath of the devastating 1989 Newcastle Earthquake. He is a past Chair of EA’s National Honours and Awards committee and past Chief of Judges for the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards, having served in both roles for over 15 years.

Ian has been a Director & Chair of the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF). ACIF is a national body focused on creating a competitive construction and property industry that is a leader in building Australia’s prosperity.

In 1996–98 Ian was President of the Newcastle Regional Chamber of Commerce and until the end of 2008 a Director of the Hunter Business Chamber (HBC). He was appointed a Life Member of HBC in 2011.

Ian was a Councillor on the NSW Business Chamber Council, the peak business representative organisation in NSW, between 2007 and 2021. Because of his expertise and knowledge in the fields of engineering and economic infrastructure, he Chaired the NSWBC’s Infrastructure Committee during his tenure as a Councillor.

In 1999 the Prime Minister appointed Ian onto his Hunter Region Taskforce to advise him of the effects and issues arising from the closure of the BHP Newcastle Steelworks, and as part of this role he was appointed Chairman of the BHP funded Welfare Trust.

Geoff has had an extensive career in Energy Utilities, Manufacturing, Engineering Management and Higher Education. His career spans national and international business at the most senior levels of the electrical power industry and manufacturing while being regarded highly as a senior member of governance boards in the higher education sector.

Geoff has significant experience as a non-executive director and chair in a variety of organisations in both the private and public sectors. Geoff was Managing Director and CEO of a large multinational technology manufacturer, supplying highly sophisticated equipment to the utility and mining industries. He was appointed to the State Executive and then National Council of the Australian Industry Group and was a member of the Advanced Manufacturing Group of CEOs.

Previously Geoff was Executive General Manager of Energy Australia responsible for the largest electricity supply network in Australia and Chief Engineer of that organisation. Prior to that he directed the customer service business supplying energy to 1.5 million customers.

Geoff holds an MBA (Merit), Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and Conjoint Professorship in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Newcastle and is a member of the University Council and chairs the Strategic Development Committee of the board.

He is the recipient of a number of awards including being recognised as one of Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in 2013 and 2014 and the Professional Engineer of the Year award in 2012.

Darren is a senior executive with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and leads their education program and registered training organisation, Tocal College.

As Principal of Tocal College, Darren oversees a state-wide program in agriculture and conservation and land management for rural industries. He also provides policy advice in education, agriculture and workforce development. Darren is the Director of the Tocal Agricultural Centre and is responsible for the 2,200-hectare property, its numerous commercial farming enterprises and heritage precinct. He is also Chair of the Tocal Field Days Association.

Darren is passionate about the future of agriculture, education and training and land-use planning. He has qualifications in agriculture and public sector management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Darran Leyden is the Managing Director of Whiteley Corporation, a global leader in developing and manufacturing novel infection-prevention products. Whiteley are an Australian-owned company based in the Hunter.

Darran has been involved in a number of collaborative research projects with Australian and international universities leading to numerous patents and the commercialisation of products to global healthcare markets. He has extensive experience in export markets and has been a Director of Whiteley Corporation NZ since 2014.

His education includes a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business (Merit) from Newcastle University, and he is a keen advocate of supporting advanced manufacturing, MedTeCCH, STEM and rugby within the Hunter region.

Kylie is a highly accomplished business owner, well respected both within the real-estate industry and the broader business community for her values, dedication and passion. The founder of Property Solutions 101, Kylie identified a need in the competitive real-estate marketplace for operators who solely advocate for and look after the interests of buyers. Established in 2011, her enterprise has grown consistently due to her diligence, expertise and excellent reputation.

Kylie fell in love with Newcastle, its community and lifestyle when she was headhunted and asked to move here in 2007 to take a position as Associate Director with CBRE, the largest commercial real-estate services and investment firm in the world.

Throughout her life, the one constant for Kylie has been her love of sport and the opportunity it has provided for her to give back to her community. She believes that much of her success in life arises from the values and personal attributes instilled through her years of playing sport and active community involvement. It is her ambition to help foster a new generation of people to be active, valuable members of society through sport and other community-minded endeavours.

Paul Reynolds FIEAust CPEng EngExec is the CEO of Advitech, an engineering, science and technology business based in the Hunter. With more than 20 years’ experience in consultancy, manufacturing, project delivery and strategic leadership, Paul brings a strong industry perspective to regional development.

Paul is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and has served in a range of national and state leadership positions, including Division President, National Congress Representative, Mechanical College Board Representative, and currently as the Chair of the Education Committee and member of the National Accreditation Board.

As a Board Member of RDA Hunter, Paul is committed to strengthening the region’s economic growth and workforce capability. He is particularly passionate about building connections between industry, education, research and government to ensure the Hunter remains a leading region for innovation and opportunity.

Kate Jensen is an accomplished executive leader with a distinguished career in the higher education, not-for-profit and public sectors. As Faculty General Manager at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, Kate leads a large multidisciplinary team across strategic planning, operations, finance, infrastructure, compliance and stakeholder engagement. She is known for driving organisational transformation and embedding high-performance cultures that align professional services with institutional priorities.

Kate brings deep expertise in delivering complex, enterprise-wide initiatives through collaborative leadership and customer-centric design. Her strengths lie in navigating ambiguity, fostering innovation and delivering measurable outcomes across education, research and clinical domains. She has successfully stewarded major change programs and built enduring partnerships with government, health providers and research institutes.