Speakers
The Consumer Law Forum will feature an eminent panel of experts facilitated by Paul Watson, Consumer Law Committee member.
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP
Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and Arts
Andrea’s family fled war-torn Cyprus in 1974, landing in South Australia in 1976 when she was just 11 months old. Andrea’s family arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
On arrival Andrea’s family lived in a shed in Blair Athol at the back of her great uncle’s home. From these humble beginnings, Andrea’s parents proved that Australia was indeed the lucky country.
Through her parents’ hard work and commitment to family and a dedication to their community, Andrea was instilled with a passion for community service.
The South Australian community provided a great deal of support to Andrea’s family during her young life so now being able to give back to our wonderful community means a great deal to Andrea.
Andrea is a proud mother of two boys, Sebastian and Charlie.
Andrea can often be found at one of the many local sporting or community clubs in the Enfield electorate.
Andrea is a true believer in a fair go for everyone in our community and is a strong social justice advocate passionately calling for reforms to end homelessness and poverty in our community.
Andrea is committed to being a strong voice for the residents of Enfield. She is passionate about supporting local businesses, improving essential services and ensuring good educational outcomes for all.
Since arriving in Australia, Andrea has benefitted from the opportunity of obtaining a good education which provided her with wonderful employment opportunities and the chance to run her own business. Andrea knows that it is important that we provide good opportunities for our children to thrive.
Andrea is committed to improving community safety by working with local residents and community groups to ensure that our neighbourhood is safe place to live, work and play.
Simone Constant
Commissioner
Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC)
Simone commenced as an ASIC Commissioner for a five-year term on 20 November 2023.
She has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services, markets, legal services and risk management.
Most recently, Simone was the Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Institutional Bank and Markets at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Simone has also held CRO roles at the National Australia Bank in the corporate, institutional and consumer banks.
She held senior NSW Government positions with the NSW Departments of Treasury, Finance and Education, where she specialised in financial, commercial and risk management.
Simone has also held senior roles in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom at multinational investment, capital management and law firms.
She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Law from the University of Sydney.
Luke Barrett
Partner, Gilbert + Tobin
Luke is a partner and the head of G+T Superannuation group.
He is one of Australia’s leading superannuation lawyers who genuinely specialises in both superannuation law and investment transactions. He’s known for his commercial edge, simplifying the complex and giving sharp, directional advice that focuses on the issues that matter most. Luke’s experience as a superannuation industry insider means he has a deep understanding of the operational issues and business imperatives within superannuation funds. Luke understands the needs of in-house legal teams and business stakeholders, making him an efficient collaborator who can also work directly with boards, investment professionals and operational stakeholders due to his industry experience, commercial acumen and approachable personality.
Luke’s expertise covers all aspects of a superannuation fund’s business including fund mergers, product design, breaches, remediations and investigations through to their investment activities. His experience extends to leading large private market transactions, private equity funds, internal portfolio management, investment governance, greenwashing and defending climate-related allegations.
Prior to joining G+T, Luke led UniSuper's legal functions which spanned the investments, fund administration and financial advice businesses. For a decade he led the legal team within UniSuper's investments business. He is a respected industry speaker and has provided expert testimony in Parliament on legal issues affecting the financial services and superannuation industries
Miranda Nagy
Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn
Susan Quinn
Director of Advocacy, Super Consumers Australia
She was closely involved in the Financial Services Royal Commission, both as a consumer advocate and later at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, implementing key recommendations on insurance regulation. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2018 to travel overseas to explore how to protect and empower financially vulnerable people in big data laws and practices. Susan holds a Bachelor of Laws and BA Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology Sydney, and a Graduate Certificate in Social Science (Policy and Human Services) from RMIT University.