Jorgen Gullestrup
Moderator, Work-related suicide and burnout

Jorgen describes himself as a Plumber and Suicidologist. He identifies as having lived experience of suicide and mental illness. Jorgen migrated to Australia in 1988 in part to reinvent himself as a well person after a prolonged period of mental ill-health in Denmark. In Australia he became an active union member and workplace health and safety activists. He was an official of the Queensland plumber’s union for 13 years of which he was the Queensland Branch Secretary for six years. In 2007 he was part of founding the MATES in Construction program a mental health and suicide prevention program operating across the Construction, Mining, Energy and Manufacturing industries in Australia and New Zealand. He recently returned to MATES in Construction as National CEO after 3 ½ year as CEO of the Mental Heath Lived Experience Peak Queensland. Jorgen has a keen and personal interest in both suicide prevention and workplace health and safety, he has served as Chair of the Queensland Health and Safety Board and has been on the Queensland Mental Health and Drugs Advisory Council for the past 6 ½ years. Jorgen holds a master’s degree in suicidology and is a PhD candidate researching “Help offering amongst men in suicide prevention”.

Liam O’Brien
Panellist, Work-related suicide and burnout

Liam was re-elected as Assistant Secretary at the ACTU Congress in June 2024.

Before joining the ACTU Liam was the Victorian Assistant Secretary and National Vice-President of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU). It was there where he fought for the rights of workers across the diverse range of industries that the AWU represents. As a national official he led the AWU’s work in the aluminium, aviation, glass and construction sectors.

As ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam is responsible for leading the movements policy, industrial and campaigning work on work health and safety and workers’ compensation matters. Liam is passionate about the rights of all workers to have safe, healthy and decent work, and is a member of Safe Work Australia (SWA) and the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Council (ASSEC).

Liam is also responsible for the skills and VET portfolio at the ACTU, and is a member of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board.

He also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics, with a major in Economics.

He is the proud father of two kids and lives in Melbourne’s west.

Jennifer Low
Panellist, Work-related suicide and burnout

Jennifer Low joined WorkSafe in 2025 as Deputy WorkSafe Commissioner, bringing extensive experience in regulatory policy, workplace health and safety, and strategic leadership. In this role, she supports the Commissioner in the achievement of WorkSafe and DEMIRS objectives and the development and delivery of work health and safety services in Western Australia.

Previously, Jennifer was the Director of Health, Safety, Resilience & Digital Policy at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she led national advocacy efforts on WHS, workers’ compensation, and regulatory reform. She has also served on several national boards including Safe Work Australia and the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Council as well as the Commission for Work, Health and Safety in WA. Jennifer is committed to improving workplace safety through evidence-based policy and genuine stakeholder collaboration.

Jennifer holds qualifications in psychology, governance, training, and occupational health and safety and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation.

Prof Tony LaMontagne
Panellist, Work-related suicide and burnout

Tony LaMontagne is Professor of Work, Health & Wellbeing at Deakin University in Melbourne. His career has been dedicated to developing the scientific and public understanding of work as a social determinant of health, and translating this research into policy and practice to improve workplace and worker health. Specific areas of interest include workplace mental health, improving job quality and psychosocial working conditions, and the design and evaluation of workplace interventions. His research has influenced policy & practice in workplace health both nationally and internationally, including OH&S authorities, mental health NGOs, the (Australian) National Mental Health Commission, the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the US Centers for Disease Control, the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organisation.

Jordan Jackson
Panellist, Work-related suicide and burnout

Jordan Jackson is the Assistant Director of Psychosocial Regulation at Comcare and a 2025 LiFE Awards finalist. With a Master of Suicidology degree, Jordan’s master’s thesis, titled “Understanding Stigma – An Investigation into the Help-Seeking & Help-Offering Attitudes of FIFO Workers,” has contributed significantly to the field.

Jordan serves as the Secretary of the HWSA Suicide Prevention Group and is an active member of the Suicide Prevention Australia WA Committee. His current role as Assistant Director of Psychosocial Regulation within Comcare sees him developing, leading and executing projects in relation to recommendations from the recent Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Passionate about workplace suicide prevention, Jordan is dedicated to developing practical, evidence-based tools to minimize the risk of suicide in the workplace.

Dr Jakqui Barnfield
Panellist, An Exploration of the Power of Collaboration

As the Executive Director, International Programs, Quality and Research at Mental Health First Aid International, Jakqui provides leadership to the research, curriculum, quality and international secretariat teams to support and develop high-quality, evidence-based MHFA programs in Australia and internationally across 35 countries.

With more than 20 years of experience in senior mental health, nursing and operations roles, Jakqui has worked in tertiary and primary health services, the community and university sectors, and digital mental health. She serves as a member of a university human research ethics committee as a subject matter expert and as a member of a committee of management of a Bush Nursing Service. Her expertise spans clinical governance, digital mental health service delivery, corporate governance, and transformational leadership. As a mental health nurse and passionate advocate for mental health and wellbeing, Jakqui believes in the premise that mental health education and training hold the key to connected and healthy communities.

Mr Colin Seery
Panellist, An Exploration of the Power of Collaboration

Appointed to Lifeline March 2019

Colin has held leadership positions in the health sector for more than 20 years. Previously Colin was Chief Executive Officer of Healthdirect Australia and prior to that he held senior executive positions with the National Safety Council of Australia, the Hospital Benefits Association and Sano Consulting.

Colin has worked across a broad spectrum of health sector issues including governance, policy development, stakeholder engagement and advocacy.

He also spent seven years in management positions at the Sydney Swans Football Club, where he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2002.

Qualifications:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Bachelor of Applied Science
• Diploma of Education
• Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Alison Asche
Panellist, An Exploration of the Power of Collaboration

Alison is the Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Senior Lead at the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. Over the past 30 years she has worked in a range of roles in suicide prevention, postvention and mental health, and has a particular interest in complex trauma and supporting communities from refugee and people seeking asylum backgrounds. Alison’s experience of being bereaved by suicide has amplified an intrinsic motivation to facilitate change. Her PhD involved a systemic analysis of service provision for youth experiencing suicidal distress who have childhood trauma histories. Alison is a member of the expert advisory group for the Lifeways Suicide Prevention Planning Model and chairs the Victorian Suicide Prevention Australia committee.

Tama Leaver
Panellist, AI and eSafety

Tama Leaver (PhD) is a Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia; a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child; a past President of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR); and a regular media commentator. His current research includes examining the impact of datafication and artificial intelligence on children and childhoods. He is the author of Artificial Culture: Identity, Technology and Bodies (Routledge, 2012); co-editor of An Education in Facebook? Higher Education and the World’s Largest Social Network (Routledge, 2014) with Mike Kent; and Social, Casual and Mobile Games: The Changing Gaming Landscape (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016) with Michele Willson; co-author of Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures (Polity, 2020) with Tim Highfield and Crystal Abidin; co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children (Routledge, 2021) with  Lelia Green, Donell Holloway, Kylie Stevenson and Leslie Haddon; and co-editor of Gaming Disability: Disability Perspectives on Contemporary Video Games (Routledge, 2023) with Katie Ellis and Mike Kent. He has received teaching awards from the University of Western Australia, and Curtin University, and in 2012 received a national Australian Award for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities and the Arts. His main web presence is www.tamaleaver.net.

Jacqueline McGowan-Jones
Panellist, AI and eSafety

Jacqueline McGowan-Jones began her appointment as Commissioner for Children and Young People in January 2022.

She has an extensive background in education, child protection, Indigenous affairs, and suicide postvention. Her experience includes senior executive roles across state and federal governments, and the non-government sector.

As Commissioner, Jacqueline has a statutory responsibility to monitor, protect and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of all Western Australian children and young people.

A crucial function of the Commissioner is to consult with children and young people, prioritising the needs and interests of Aboriginal children and young people, as well as those from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, to address issues that directly impact their lives.

The Commissioner is committed to strengthening the systems that improve opportunities available to all children and young people. She firmly believes that all young people have a right to be heard, and actively works to foster a heightened level of understanding and engagement in matters that affect our children and young people, giving them a stronger voice and advocating for their needs.