Day two of the HR Leaders Resources Summit kicked off with a keynote panel discussion on, “Diversity Programs and Policies,” provided by, Barry Bloch, Executive General Manager, Project Support, BGC Contracting, Leanne Daniels, Group HR Manager, Hunter Water, Chris Newitt, Head of Human Capital, Laing O’Rourke and moderated by Millano Pellegrini, Head of HR, Caltex Supply Chain, Caltex Australia.

Milano opened up this Keynote Panel Discussion by asking the panelists, “What is your organisation doing from a cultural lens re: diversity to complement policies and programs?” This discussion highlighted examples of flagship policies and programs; stressing the importance of inclusion, robust debate and redirecting resistance by taking a deeper and honest look into  cultural considerations, stumbling blocks and what the future holds, not only within the resources sector…but across all channels and industries.

Millano Pellegrini, Head of HR, Caltex Supply Chain, Caltex Australia moderates panelists, Barry Bloch, Executive General Manager, Project Support, BGC Contracting, Leanne Daniels, Group HR Manager, Hunter Water, Chris Newitt, Head of Human Capital, Laing O’Rourke.

Leanne Daniels, Group HR Manager, Hunter Water speaks on diversity in the workplace alongside panelists, Barry Bloch, Executive General Manager, Project Support, BGC Contracting, Chris Newitt, Head of Human Capital, Laing O’Rourke.

Barry Bloch is accountable for Human Resources; Health, Safety, Environment and Quality; Communities and Diversity; Information and Operational Technology; Risk Management and Supply Chain in his role as Executive General Manager – Project Support Services for BGC Contracting. Barry’s career spans more than 25 years across over 50 countries and multiple economic sectors. Prior to joining BGC, Barry was Group Managing Director – People with Worley Parsons and previously Global Practice Leader – Leadership & People Development for Rio Tinto. Barry has also worked for leading global professional services firms Heidrick & Struggles, McKinsey & Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has especially worked in the People discipline for over 20 years, with a primary focus on organisational and cultural transformation or turnaround in both developed and developing nations. His experience also includes providing specialist, strategic People support to over 10 corporate deals. Barry holds a Masters degree in Industrial and Organisational Psychology and has been registered as a psychologist in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Leanne Daniels is responsible for leading a team of 6 HR professionals in HR and ER Strategic direction, HR generalist, EBA and IR, Learning and Organisational Development, HR systems and reporting, succession planning, culture change and business transformation activities. This uses her experience as a HR Manager in Projects, Operations, ER/IR, Leadership Programs, Corporate, and HR Planning and Analysis strengths.

Chris Newitt has over 25 years’ experience in the fields of industrial relations/ human resource management at all levels including, four years as a senior executive of a major Australia and New Zealand employer, Thiess Services Pty Ltd and more recently heading the Human Capital function for Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Northern Region and South East Asia. With a breadth of industry experience including construction (client & contractor), coal mining, banking & insurance, manufacturing and government in industrial advocacy and enterprise agreement negotiations at both State and Federal level. Chris is a reliable and trusted advisor that can deliver tangible and timely results. Chris’s goal is to secure the goals of his employer, clients, fairly, energetically and relentlessly. He provides straight forward answers to difficult workplace problems. Chris can work with clients, training their managers to coach their supervisors, advising with strategy or technical matters, dealing with people emergencies, workplace conflict, complaints and investigations in an honest, open, professional and empathetic manner.

Milano Pellegrini, Head of HR, Caltex Supply Chain. For the past six years Milano has headed up HR for Caltex Supply Chain. Prior to that he was a self-employed HR consultant for five years after several senior/executive HR roles predominately in the finance industry. Milano has a MBA from Macquarie Graduate School and a Master of Adult Education from UTS. Indeed, Milano has also been an adjunct lecturer for Macquarie University in its Masters programs and also attended Executive Education at Harvard, Columbia, Cambridge and INSEAD business schools