Category: Chief Professionalist

Chief Professionalist Round Table

The last 12 months have seen unprecedented challenges for Australia and a driving question has been “Who can we trust?“.  Many professionals have stepped-up to that challenge and shown that science-based, deeply considered expert guidance helps us successfully navigate the threats to our lives and livelihoods.  Our Chief Professionalist Round-Table will start a nuanced conversation about halting the trust-erosion and redefining the authority and value of professional advice.

Prof Deen Sanders OAM

Following repeated requests to elevate professions by seeking to influence the policy and decision making environment in Australia, our Board in mid-2020 commenced planning the “Year of the Professions, Professionals and Professionalism” initiative, which seeks to champion the importance of individuals and governments following the evidence-based advice of professionals in difficult times.  One path to achieving this in a technologically advanced, sophisticated and humane society is to always demonstrate trustworthiness by decision- and policy-making based on science, evidence and ethics.  Professionals who display the highest levels of professionalism supported by their professional associations will ultimately allow our society to honour that trust.

We have now further stepped-up to this challenge with the creation of innovative role of the Chief Professionalist. Our Chief Professionalist Round-Table on 13 May 2021 will enable our members and guests to discuss these challenges with our inaugural ACoP Chief Professionalist Prof Deen Sanders OAM and the experts in our newly-created Office of the Chief Professionalist:

  • Tanya Stephens BVSc MSc (IAWEL) MANZCVS FRCVS – Expert in ethics research, etc.
  • Philip N Argy BCom LLB FACS FRI – Barrister and Expert jn business cases for professionalism and ethics, etc.
  • Angelina Pillai BA (International Politics) Grad Cert (Harvard) FAIM – ACoP Head of Diversity, Culture and Inclusion

The Round-Table will be facilitated by our Head of Professionalism and Ethics Dr Ruth Ferraro PhD Fellow ARPI GAICD.

“Our Round-Table breaks new ground through conversations that explore which aspirations and possibilities for halting the trust-erosion and redefining the authority and value of professional advice Deen and the Experts can assist with .” said ACoP President A/Prof Klaus Veil. “We are keen to hear from our Member Organisations the challenges and maybe even ‘pain-points’ that their profession and its professionals have experienced during and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.”


For more information on the Chief Professionalist Round-Table, please contact the Office of the Chief Professionalist on 1300 664 587 or at OCP@Professions.org.au!

ACoP appoints Chief Professionalist

Australia and its institutions have experienced unprecedented challenges in the last 12 months.  A question that many have asked has been “who can we trust?“. The strength of Australia’s professional community stepping up to that challenge and helping us navigate the threats to our lives and livelihoods has been inspiring.  In this our Year of the Professions, Professionals and Professionalism we have therefore appointed a ‘Chief Professionalist’ to be the public face of our mission to advocate for the value of professional expertise.

The dedication of our community of professionals offering evidence-based expert solutions and counsel is something we want to celebrate and promote as a national strength. To magnify and personalise that voice we have appointed Prof Deen Sanders OAM as the inaugural ‘Chief Professionalist‘ to advocate our mission to government and the community. This innovation is inspired by the highly valued Chief Scientist, Chief Economist, the Chief Medical/Health Officers, the Chief Engineer, Chief Data Scientist, etc.  Deen will engage with national leaders as well as the broader community to advocate for the purpose and value of the professions, professionals and professionalism.

“I believe that being professional is more than being expert. What makes our community of professionals so outstanding is that, no matter what their field, they combine that expertise with their natural humanity and dedication to service.” said Deen in taking up this role.

Deen will work with our member organisations in events large and small that exemplify the value of the professions, their professionals and professionalism.  This work will start at our ‘Chief Professionalist Round-Table‘ where Deen and our members will explore recent experiences of professionals and their professions.

Welcome Deen!