Professor Danny Samson began his professional life as a chemical engineer working in a multinational company and then completed a PhD in management. He has been Professor of Management at the University of Melbourne since 1998, serving also there as Head of Department and Associate Dean. He has published over 100 research papers and a dozen books covering many aspects of management. His research covers fields from decision theory to supply chain and innovation management. He has consulted widely to executives in banking, insurance, manufacturing, construction, transport, and numerous other industries. He has served as Associated Editor for the most prestigious journal in his field, and has been a judge of numerous industry awards, having won such awards himself, as well as research best paper and teaching excellence awards in Australia, the USA and Europe. He is well known as an executive educator, having developed and conducted dozens of executive programs and keynote addresses. Dr Marianne Gloet is a Research Fellow in the Department of Management and Marketing at Melbourne University. She holds a PhD is from Melbourne University in the field of knowledge management and innovation, and is widely published in the areas of knowledge management, human resource management, innovation and information systems. Marianne has lived and worked in Australia, Canada, the U.S., Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates, holding senior positions in both the academic and private sectors. Marianne also consults widely to a range of private and public organisations both in Australia and abroad. As President of her own startup in Canada, Marianne held dealerships for Atari and Texas Instruments computer products in North America and pioneered the manufacture of specialised computer keyboards for use by the disabled.
