Presentations

Suzanne is passionate about work that helps people thrive. She has been focused on inclusion of people with disability in work for 35 years. She is an independent member of the Centre for Inclusive Employment Advisory Committee, an independent consultant, a director at Living My Way Limited, a business owner and mentor. She co-founded the Australian Network on Disability (AND) and nurtured its success and growth as CEO for 20 years.

Suzanne’s work at AND transformed the way private and public sector businesses included employees, customers, and stakeholders with disability. In collaboration with member organisations and people with disability, Suzanne designed, developed, and implemented policies, publications, and world-class programs that successfully facilitate inclusion. AND Members invest in acquiring the behaviours, attitudes, systems, and knowledge that they need to welcome people with disability as employees and customers. AND is recognised as the authoritative voice for businesses on inclusion of people with disability and now one in six Australian employees works for an AND member.

Suzanne also established Australia’s first senior executive network to champion the inclusion of people with disability. She facilitated executive learning exchanges that were a powerful way of amplifying the influence and effectiveness of the voices of employees with disability in their organisations and D&I.

It was Suzanne’s previous 10 years’ of assisting people with significant disability into well paid sustainable jobs that led her to realise that large and complex employers needed more help. During that time, she was also inaugural Chair of ACE National Network, now DEA. She learned that, given the chance, almost everyone can work.

For Suzanne, her professional experience mirrored her personal experience. Her late husband, businessman John Little, a wheelchair user with significant disability continued working into his 70’s enabling a fulfilling life.

Suzanne is driven by the belief that everybody can contribute through work, and it’s up to us to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind.

Professor Alastair McEwin AM is an Australian disability and human rights advocate with extensive experience across the private, government, and not-for-profit sectors. Born profoundly deaf, he has held senior roles including Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner and a Royal Commissioner with the Disability Royal Commission. He has also worked as CEO of People with Disability Australia and Executive Director of Community Legal Centres NSW. In 2019, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to people with disability.

He is a Professor of Practice in Disability at UNSW Sydney and a Senior Fellow with the Grattan Institute.  Other roles include Independent Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for Inclusive Employment, member of the Australia Post Stakeholder Council, and board member of The Achieve Foundation.

John Burn led the conceptualisation of Disability Employment Investments in April 2024 and was appointed as CEO in July 2024.

Prior to DEInvestments, John worked with Many Rivers Microfinance for 14 years, including 9 years as Managing Director and CEO. John’s background is in banking with 21 years at Commonwealth Bank, starting as a graduate and finishing as Executive General Manager, Group Strategic Initiatives. John holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration (Executive).

Amanda Belz is the Impact and Inclusion Manager at McDonald’s Australia. She joined McDonald’s in 2013 and has held senior roles across various functions in the business. Commencing as Legal Counsel of Marketing, she transitioned into Brand Management, leading strategy and execution of nationwide marketing campaigns.  Now, as the Impact and Inclusion Manager, she is responsible for leading the development of McDonald’s social impact and inclusion strategies and programs in Australia. Amanda efforts as the project lead in the Australian Disability Network’s ‘Employing 100’ pilot program led to McDonald’s being the largest contributing employer, hiring over 100 talented job seekers with disability into various restaurant roles.

Amanda has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communications) from the University of New South Wales. She has been recognised by business leaders across McDonald’s for her unique blend of leading with both heart and mind and was recently a recipient of the 2024 McDonald’s Global Shining Light Award.

Amy joined Australian Disability Network as the CEO in September 2025. She previously served as Deputy CEO and Relationship Manager from 2012 to 2022. She has extensive experience working with business and government influencing disability inclusion practice and policy, in Australia and UK. Before rejoining, Amy was the Head of Strategy for Valuable 500, UK-based not-for-profit with a global mission to end disability exclusion. She also held a senior role with the Australian Institute of Company Directors where she developed and led a change program to embed accessibility and disability confidence across the organisation.

Amy’s passion for disability inclusion is personal, stemming from her family’s lived experience of disability. This passion particularly informed the early part of her career, where she helped establish an independent living service for adults with intellectual disabilities in London and worked in sport development at Special Olympics Australia. She is a strong believer in the power of collaboration for change and impact.