Program Leader:

Christopher Vas

Chris has been working on the issues of productivity and innovation for many years. His work entails conducting research, multi-sector engagement with government, business and academia, and significant outreach activities with national and international partners.

Chris is now Academic Director, Executive Education, at Murdoch University’s School of Management and Governance. He remains a Visiting Fellow with HC Coombs Policy Forum.

Chris also led the Productivity program at the HC Coombs Policy Forum.

Visiting Fellow:

Dr. Gary Saliba

Gary Saliba is a Visiting Fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy (ANU). He is also director of Strategic Journeys a management consulting company that assists people in organisations to better understand and manage complexity and uncertainty for today and tomorrow.

He works with a range of public and private sector organisations to develop and sustain learning individuals and learning organisations using a range of tools and techniques including systems thinking, complex adaptive systems, foresight using the scenario planning methodology, strategy development and values assessment. This approach has enabled him to consult extensively in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Gary’s approach is to work with people so that they become more aware of how they make decisions. The use of values assessment, exploring worldviews, beliefs and assumptions is foundational to his work with people to create a learning culture. This is conducted in group and/or personal level in a coaching/mentoring context. By awakening to higher levels of awareness, people can participate in more informed decision-making and improved responsiveness and flexibility in an ever increasingly complex environment.

Gary holds a BSc(Hons), PhD and Dip Ed from the University of Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. Gary is on the board of Beechworth Health Service and chairs the Quality, Risk and Governance committee.