RIAA Conference Australia 2026 - Companion Resources
Responsible investment has moved well beyond principles and pledges. Today’s challenges require practical capability and informed judgement. The RIAA Conference is a must-attend event for finance, sustainability and industry practitioners who want to focus on the key themes for responsible investment in 2026 and what implementation really looks like. Designed as an immersive, hands-on experience, the program focuses on the systems that underpin strong financial performance, and will help you understand how climate, nature, technology, governance and regulation intersect.
These specially curated companion resources have been recommended by the conference speakers and Altiorem team.
MORNING SESSIONS: Wednesday 27 May 2026
Goldfields Theatre
Panel – Sustainability leadership in complex times (9.00am)
Speakers:
Estelle Parker, Michael Clancy, Thomas King OAM, Juan Jose Freijo & Andy Driscoll
Keynote Indigenous cultural heritage protection (9.45am)
Speakers:
Kado Muir
Panel – Indigenous cultural heritage protection: Investor risk and responsibility (9.55am)
Speakers:
Jamie Lowe, Kado Muir, Justin Welfare, Allan James, Laura Osmetti
Panel – Shockproof: Navigating geopolitical risk in 2026 (11.20am)
Speakers:
Estelle Parker, Carmen Leung, Jonathan Armitage, David Mullins
Eureka 3
Panel – A responsible investment deep dive for financial advisers (9.50am)
Speakers:
Anson Chan, Alexandra Brown, Damian Cottier, Tom Moloney
Panel – Beyond divestment: A practical guide to stewardship (11.20am)
Speakers:
Justin Medcalf, Stanley Soosur, Anna Shelley, James Tayler
Eureka 2
Workshop – Private markets, real impact: A practical workshop (9.50am)
Speakers:
Dugald Higgins, Nathan Fradley, Skye Macpherson
Workshop – The circular advantage (11.20am)
Speakers:
Jillian Reid, Lisa McLean, Philip Sloane
Eureka 1
Workshop – Systems stewardship in practice (11.20am)
Speakers:
Dr Donna Lopata, Dan Osusky, Chris Newton, Yvette Manolas
AFTERNOON SESSIONS: Wednesday 27 May 2026
Goldfields Theatre
Panel – AI for responsible investors: Use cases, risks and readiness (12.10pm)
Speakers:
Jeremy Hubbard, Simon Smallchua, Sue Brake, Colleen Raab Smith
Keynote David Russell – Beyond decarbonisation: Investing for systemic climate transition (1.50pm)
Speakers:
David Russell
Keynote Stephanie Maier – Mobilising capital for the climate transition (2.00pm)
Speakers:
Stephanie Maier
Panel – Innovation and integrity: The future of responsible index strategies (2.10pm)
Speakers:
Shalini Samuel, Stephanie Maier, David Russell, Sunita Subramoniam, Amy Krizanovic
Workshop – Operationalising nature: Case studies and strategies (3.30pm)
Speakers:
Jackson Rowland, Josh Gilbert, Heechung Sung, Erin Billman
Keynote Kate O’Rourke – Early observations from mandatory climate reporting (4.15pm)
Speakers:
Dean Hegarty, Kate O’Rourke
Eureka 3
Panel – Cracking the ESG code in private markets – Turning opacity into opportunity (12.10pm)
Speakers:
Dean Hegarty, Jordan Kraiten, Billy Cotter
Panel – Making impact investable: Aligning values with portfolio decisions (1.50pm)
Speakers:
Adam Carey, Dr Erin Kuo-Sutherland, Simba Marekera, Daniel Nelson
Eureka 2
Workshop – Networking is not a dirty word (1.50pm)
Speakers:
Brendan Bailey
Workshop – Human rights and modern day slavery (3.30pm)
Speakers:
Ethan Kusch, Måns Carlsson, Karen McLeod, Rachel Alembakis
MORNING SESSIONS: Thursday 28 May 2026
Goldfields Theatre
Panel – Hidden in plain sight: Modern slavery risks in Australian portfolios (9.00am)
Speakers:
Måns Carlsson OAM, Chris Evans, Jennifer Alonso
Keynote Rick Alexander – System-level investing: Humbling alpha to optimise returns. (9.40am)
Speakers:
Rick Alexander
Panel – Investing in an interconnected world: Systems thinking for long-term value (9.50am)
Speakers:
Lucas Kengmana, Rick Alexander, Kim Farrant, Valeria Dinershteyn
Introductory remarks – Making claims with confidence: Sustainable investment product labelling (11.10am)
Speakers:
Nayanisha Samarakoon
Panel – Making claims with confidence: Sustainable investment product labelling (11.20am)
Speakers:
Jodie Barns, Bhanu Singh, Liza McDonald, Shamir Popat, Shalini Samuel
Eureka 3
Panel – Financing a blue future: Investing in sustainable oceans (11.10am)
Speakers:
Sudip Hazra, Marcus Wilert, Mibu Fisher, Jasmine Chambers
Eureka 2
Workshop – Climate disclosures: Interactive session for AOs and AMs with Australia’s sustainability standards setter (9.45am)
Speakers:
Justin Williams, Charis Halliday, Jeffrey Hales
Eureka 1
Workshop – DNBII – Integrating Indigenous cultural heritage protection into investment decision-making (9.10am)
Speakers:
Anirudha Nagar, Moana Nottage, Justin Welfare, Dr Terri Janke, Dean Parkin
AFTERNOON SESSIONS: Thursday 28 May 2026
Goldfields Theatre
Panel – Reconciliation in action: The strategic role of investors and RAPs (1.10pm)
Speakers:
Phil Vernon, Karen Mundine, Amanda Barker, Mick O’Brien
Panel – From forest risk to portfolio resilience: Deforestation, systemic risk, and the investor response (1.55pm)
Speakers:
Alan Dayeh, Eric Nietsch, Camille Goldstone-Henry, Professor Deen Sanders, Nina Wilkinson
Panel – Capital at risk: Human rights and high-risk sectors (3.10pm)
Speakers:
Clare Baldwin, James Cockayne, Rachel Elliott, James Bartle
Panel – Sustainability leadership – Armchair discussion (3.55pm)
Speakers:
Estelle Parker, Cath Bowtell
Eureka 3
Panel – Investing in defence: Ethics, fiduciary duty and hard choices (1.10pm)
Speakers:
Michelle Baltazar, Warwick Schneller, Dr Helen Durham, Kate Turner
Panel – Blended finance at scale: Mobilising institutional, philanthropic and private capital for impact investing (1.55pm)
Speakers:
Michelle Di Fabio, Dr Catherine Brown, Monique Andrew, Caroline Scott
Panel – How to use nature data
Speakers:
Prof Brendan Wintle, Amanda Richman, Pavan Sukhdev, Mara Bún
Workshop – Practical ways to integrate climate and nature approaches (1.10pm)
Speakers:
Claire Molinari, Emma Herd, Nicole Forrester, Jo Saleeba