Event Details
Date: Thursday 22 May 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm AEST
Venue: Horizon, Crown Towers, Melbourne
Secure your spot today
We’re thrilled to announce the return of our highly anticipated ARA CEO Lunch on Thursday 22 May 2025 at the spectacular Horizon in Melbourne, situated in the private quarters of Level 29 at Crown Towers – an important and exclusive in-person networking experience for our C-suite leaders. Thanks to our event partner and ARA’s Principal Partner American Express.
The event will be hosted by ARA’s new CEO and CEO Designate of the Australian Retail Council (ARC) Chris Rodwell, in his first official capacity.
Trust issues remain at the heart of our retail economy. How can we ensure we remain on the winning side of change? The conversation will focus on navigating the trust economy – from reputation and winning customer and team loyalty, to the adoption of artificial intelligence and combatting cyber security and retail crime.
This event is not to be missed by CEOs and C-suite retailers. Due to the exclusive nature of this event, seats are strictly limited to 100 guests. Secure your ticket now!
Single Ticket
Speakers
with more panellists to be announced.
Chris Rodwell
CEO of Australian Retailers Association (ARA)
CEO Designate of Australian Retail Council (ARC)
Chris Rodwell is CEO designate of the Australian Retail Council (ARC) – the amalgamated entity which will combine the strengths of leading retail peak bodies the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association (NRA).
He is determined to elevate the critical contribution the $430 billion retail sector makes to the Australian economy and communities across the nation.
A seasoned CEO and Board Director with experience working across Australia and internationally, Chris was previously the outgoing CEO of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA).
During his seven-year tenure at CCIWA, Chris secured several major policy outcomes, including landmark reform of Australia’s system for GST distribution, improving environment regulation and employment support for people with disabilities. Chris also led CCIWA in playing a fundamental role in supporting business and workplaces through the pandemic.
Prior to this role, Chris spent an extended period abroad developing Australia’s international trade and investment footprint for both the Australian and Queensland Governments, supporting business across all sectors of the economy.
His work in international business spans Australasia, North America, Latin America, and Europe. Chris will be located in Sydney and has lived and worked across many parts of the nation.
He is married to Katie and together they have four children. He is also a passionate advocate for people with disabilities through D-Dads.
Michele Levine
Chief Executive Officer, Roy Morgan
Michele Levine was born with a passion for people and what makes them tick, social justice and an insatiable curiosity about life.
With over 30 years’ experience as a researcher, Michele has been responsible for thousands of surveys, including many of the largest research projects ever undertaken in Australia, many of which continue to play a critically important part in shaping our society today.
With a fundamental belief in the empowering value of information, Michele was instrumental in the development and refinement of Roy Morgan Single Source, the world’s leading consumer study (based on over 50,000 interviews a year) and, in 2010, the introduction of the Roy Morgan Business Survey.
Michele was ahead of her time in foreseeing the exponential growth of big data and, consequently the need for software (like ASTEROID) which can manage and order massive volumes of data – as well as the need for highly trained analysts and data scientists who can help make sense of it.
Still a proud ‘researcher’, she is a hands-on CEO, personally involved with the company’s core products and the results of the company’s surveys on a daily basis.
Many of the company’s innovative products – including Technology Adoption Segments and Web Audience Measurement (WAM) – would not exist had it not been for Michele’s foresight and determination to lead rather than follow.
A popular speaker at seminars and conferences and sought after by the media as a knowledgeable and thought-provoking social commentator, Michele has ambitious plans for Roy Morgan as a world leader in providing information that matters and answers that help our clients discover their competitive edge.
Dr Nadine Ostern
Cisco Chair Trusted Retail & Logistics, Queensland University of Technology
Nadine leads the Trust Research Team at Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Future Enterprise, drawing on an international academic background that includes roles at leading universities in Switzerland and Germany.
Holding the Cisco Research Chair in Trusted Retail, her research focuses on designing trusted customer experiences and exploring data-driven opportunities to deepen customer engagement.
As an international expert at the intersection of business and technology, Nadine provides critical insights into the opportunities and risks of emerging technologies – including AI, blockchain, and bots – in customer-facing processes and the trust they require.
Dr Elea Wurth
Lead Partner, Trustworthy AI, Asia Pacific, Deloitte
Elea is the Deloitte lead partner for Trustworthy AI – Asia Pacific. She has 20 years’ experience in machine learning, AI and automation. And extensive experience in AI governance and risk management to support safe and responsible innovation.
Elea served as special advisor to the Robodebt Royal Commission on Trustworthy AI and Automation, led the Deloitte submissions to Government on Safe and Responsible AI and Mandatory Guardrails for High-Risk AI, sits on the Deloitte AI Trust Council and is working with the Global Trustworthy AI leadership seeking to provide consistency and coherency to the emerging international AI regulations and codes of practice.
Elea has a background in applied statistics, machine learning and psychology, with a PhD from the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.
