Marketing Director
Mars Pet Nutrition ANZ

AI fuelling growth: What Marketers Can Learn from a Cannes Lions Multi-award Winning Campaign

What if artificial intelligence could help solve homelessness… for dogs?

In this session, Anthony Dean, Marketing Director at Mars Pet Nutrition ANZ, shares the story behind Pedigree’s Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning ‘Adoptable’ campaign.  The campaign cleverly uses AI to transform images of shelter dogs into studio-quality photography – matching viewers with dogs near them in real-time.

The result? A powerful blend of purpose, innovation, and technology that not only wowed the global marketing world, but actually found homes for hundreds of dogs.

Anthony will lift the lid on how Mars is thinking about the future of AI in brand building, how to use tech to stay true to your brand promise, and why every marketer should be experimenting with emerging technologies now.

This case study in AI is a conversation marketers can’t afford to miss.

AI Futurist & Professor

Associate Professor, Dr Catherine Ball is an academic, company director, bestselling author and futurist working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education and environmental needs.

Having been called a ‘social architect’, Catherine likes to create businesses and champion movements, search for unicorns, collaborate with peers, and advise on current and future game-changers.

A champion of diversity and inclusion, Catherine believes we need points of difference to truly innovate and curate the changes we want to see in the world. Working to protect the natural environment and empowering all members of society through mutual education and respect are core aspects of her chosen projects. As well as supporting Australian start-ups and leaders from all generations; Catherine is particularly passionate about social mobility and equity.

Catherine is proud to be an advisory board member for the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and an XPRIZE visioneer and member of their Global Brains Trust. Her latest business ventures span angel investments and advisory across the broad emerging technology sector, from insect protein to personalised brain health through AI and neuroscience.

Catherine holds a BSc Honours (Environmental Protection), a PhD (Spatial Ecology, Descriptive and Predictive Statistics) both from the University of Newcastle- upon-Tyne in the UK, and recently was awarded a DSc (Doctor of Science Honoris Causa) from Worcester Polytechnic in Massachusetts, USA.

Catherine lives in Sydney, Australia, with operations out of Los Angeles and London.

Creator of Bluey

Crafting Success: Leadership Lessons from Joe Brumm

Bluey is a remarkable success story, born from unexpected origins.

Joe Brumm is the brilliant mind behind Bluey, the animated preschool series that has not only captured the hearts of children but also landed a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 100 sitcoms of all time.

Before creating Bluey, Joe spent 20 years honing his craft as an animator on kids shows like CBeebies’ Charlie and Lola, and his dedication to storytelling shines through in every episode of this beloved series.

When creating Bluey, Brumm had the help of a team of mostly inexperienced animators in Brisbane – a city not known for its animation industry – the show defied all odds to become a global phenomenon.

Brumm takes a lot of inspiration from his own life whether it’s his city, the lessons in parenthood his own children have taught him, or the real-life Blue Heeler named Bluey that he grew up with.

Founder & co-CEO
Guzman y Gomez

Since launching in 2006, GYG has rocketed to success going from a single store in Sydney to a global sensation with over 205 restaurants in Australia, Singapore, Japan and the United States.

And the numbers don’t lie—GYG is growing at lightning speed, delivering double-digit year-on-year sales growth. GYG is one of the fastest-growing QSR businesses in the world with plans to open 40 more restaurants per year.

So, what’s the secret sauce?

Steven Marks, Founder and co-CEO of GYG, has an unrivalled, all-in approach to brand, product, and purpose. He’s built a brand that’s obsessed with real, fresh food, at lightening speeds. He has not only done that, he has found a way to make fast food feel good.

His marketing playbook is packed with bold moves, deep customer love, and a clear vision that keeps GYG ahead of the game.

Get ready to be inspired when Steven rocks the RESET stage!

Founder & Global CEO
The Marketing Academy

Get ready to be inspired as Sherilyn Shackell takes to the RESET stage! With a track record of shaping the careers of over 300 global CMOs, she’s ready to share her game-changing insights, expertise, and the secrets to building powerhouse marketing leaders. This is one session you can’t afford to miss!

As the Founder & Global CEO of The Marketing Academy – a unique non-profit organisation dedicated to developing leadership talent in marketing, media and Advertising- Sherilyn knows what it takes for marketing leaders to supercharge their growth and future-proof their careers.

The Marketing Academy opened in 2010, bringing together some of the world’s best known and most popular brands to provide world class learning for all levels of talent from emerging leaders to CMOs. Their highly respected programs are delivered in the UK, Australia, APAC & USA.

Sherilyn is also Founder & Chairman of The Marketing Academy Foundation, a standalone charity providing marketing apprenticeships for young people from challenging backgrounds and is a Board Advisor to Grace Blue and WeAreFearless.

From receiving the CIM Women in Marketing ‘Special Award for Contribution to Marketing’ and being named as one of the UK’s Vision100 by Adobe, to being inducted into the Courvoisier Future 500, Sherilyn’s work and career has been highly recognised around the globe.

Money Expert

In this high-impact keynote, Effie Zahos delivers a sharp economic snapshot of what Australian consumers are currently up against — interest rate uncertainty, cost of living pressures, and global volatility. She breaks down what this means for household budgets and the shifting priorities of Aussie consumers.

What are people still willing to spend on? Where are they cutting back? And what can marketers and business leaders learn from the trends?

Backed by nearly 30 years of experience in consumer finance, Effie unpacks the numbers with real-life insights — and leaves audiences with timeless (and timely) money hacks that are working right now. It’s practical, relatable, and designed to help businesses connect with what Australians really care about.

Effie’s known for keeping it real — no jargon, just razor-sharp advice to help you reset and rise.

If you want to be in the know, then this one’s a must.

Comedian
Host of RESET For Growth

Lizzy Hoo is many things- a stand-up comedian, presenter, writer, and actor – and over the last few years has become one of the most in demand and hilarious live performers in Australia.

You may have seen her on Network 10’s Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Cheap Seats, a guest on ABC’s Question Everything and The Weekly, Channel Nine’s The Hundred with Andy Lee and SBS’s The Cook Up with Adam Liaw.

Her stand up has also appeared on numerous Melbourne International Comedy Festival Galas broadcast on the ABC and Just For Laughs Australia on Network Ten. In 2022, Lizzy released her stand up special Hoo Cares on Amazon Prime Video worldwide to great acclaim, including a nomination for Best Stand-Up Special at the 2024 AACTA’s.

Lizzy is also an accomplished presenter, having guest hosted an episode of Channel Nine’s lifestyle show Getaway, and co-hosted with Merrick Watts and Tyson Mayr a travel series for News Corp’s Escape. She is also a regular writing contributor for the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Everyday and SBS Voices.