Less hype. More insight.
Join us for a candid conversation to unpack the winning moves and biggest lessons that shaped 2026 and what every leader should know before 2027.
Forget the polished predictions. Our interactive panel of experts will reveal the conversations happening behind the scenes in their fields, offering honest perspectives on what worked, what surprised them and what leaders should be paying attention to moving forward.
Event details
Date: Thursday 19 November 2026
Time: 5:30–7:45pm
Location: UQ Brisbane City, 308 Queen St
What to expect
At this free event, we’ll unpack pressing topics facing leaders, including:
- why cost cutting, geopolitical risk and volatility are the new normal
- how to navigate innovation and risk in the AI-era
- what managers keep getting wrong about performance data.
You’ll gain fresh ideas and practical strategies you can use to build your own roadmap for what’s next.
Continue the discussion over refreshments while networking with industry professionals, peers and Business School experts. You can also explore business postgraduate study and short course options with our program leaders and admissions team.
Bonus prize draw
All attendees will go in the draw to win a door prize valued at more than $3,000, which will be awarded on the night.
Who should attend
This event is for current and emerging leaders, whether you’re managing a team, shaping strategy, navigating change or building your leadership capability.
Event schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5:30–6pm | Registration and refreshments. |
| 6–7pm | Interactive panel plus Q&A. |
| 7–7:45pm | Refreshments, networking, postgraduate information and lucky door prize draw. |
Moderator
Associate Professor Sam MacAulay
Director, Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, UQ
Sam's research focuses on complex, project-based forms of organising commonly found in infrastructure, engineering and resources, to develop better explanations for how organisations innovate and adapt.
His research has been published in journals including MIT Sloan Management Review, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Technology Transfer and EMBO Reports.
Welcome
Ashton Tuckerman
Managing Director, TwentyTwo Digital
Ashton is a dynamic marketing leader who grows brands through powerful storytelling, with over a decade of experience across global giants (Flight Centre, Fairfax), disruptors (Youfoodz, Gathar) and award-winning agencies (Havas).
Armed with a fresh UQ MBA and a Harvard semester under her belt, Ashton blends sharp strategic thinking with bold marketing to build unforgettable brands.
Panellists
Professor Shaun Bond
Frank Finn Professor of Finance and Master of Finance and Investment Management Program Lead, UQ
Shaun's research interests are real estate finance and financial economics, and he has been a visiting professor at the Pennsylvania State University and George Washington University.
Shaun holds a PhD and a Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree in Economics from UQ.
Associate Professor Anna Jenkins
Business School, UQ
Anna studies the startup process; the activities and processes entrepreneurs engage in to explain why some startups emerge successful and growing and others either stagnate or fail.
She currently teaches into UQ’s MBA program and holds an ARC Discovery grant leading a project following the development and trajectories of startups over 4 years.
Professor Martin Edwards
Business School, UQ
Martin's research examines employee wellbeing, employee voice, workplace monitoring and the use of performance metrics, and he leads 2 ARC Discovery Projects in this area.
He has published widely on employee responses to mergers and acquisitions and HR analytics and its ethics, is the author of Predictive HR Analytics, and will teach in UQ's upcoming Master of Human Resource Management program.