Our associates
Dr. Piers Gillespie Associate Director
A seasoned social scientist and engagement expert, excelling in social risk and impact planning. With expertise in stakeholder mediation, ESG strategies, and project evaluation, he bridges diverse perspectives to drive successful outcomes. His skilful integration of business tools ensures environmental, community, and business goals align seamlessly in high-risk sectors.
Tobias Zobel Associate Director
A senior leader in sustainability and procurement with global experience in shaping responsible sourcing and strengthening supply chain integrity. He has held executive roles within major international organisations, leading large-scale sourcing portfolios and embedding environmental and regulatory considerations into commercial decision-making.
His work spans the design of practical frameworks to manage environmental and social risks, improve traceability, and support compliance with evolving international standards. He combines strategic oversight with operational insight, helping organisations navigate complexity while maintaining performance and credibility.
With experience across international markets, he has worked with a wide range of stakeholders to implement more resilient and transparent supply chains. He holds a PhD in industrial optimisation and a degree in physics.
Professor Zee Upton Associate Director
A distinguished research leader and innovation executive with deep experience across Australian and Singaporean research, industry and government ecosystems. As former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at the University of Newcastle and Executive Director of two A*STAR institutes in Singapore, she brings rare dual capability in driving institutional transformation and building high-value commercial and community partnerships. Zee’s governance portfolio spans has spanned boards in medical research, clean energy, regional development and university commercialisation, coupled with a personal track record of translating science from discovery to clinical trials. Her expertise in research-industry alignment, stakeholder engagement and place-based innovation enables her to navigate complex social licence, ESG and sustainable development challenges.
PhD (Biochemistry), University of Adelaide; BSc (Hons, First Class), University of Adelaide; AICD Company Directors Course.
Zeenat Fayaz Associate Director
A globally recognised brand strategist and higher education specialist with insider expertise in how universities are evaluated, ranked and perceived worldwide. As founder of The Brand Education and former member of the teams at both Times Higher Education and QS Quacquarelli Symonds, she brings a rare combination of ranking-system knowledge, data-driven brand strategy and commercial acumen to the education sector. She has a powerful capacity to link perception management to substantive institutional positioning where brand, societal perception and stakeholder engagement intersect — particularly in education and organisations navigating the transition from reputation management to social licence. BA (Social Sciences & Business), Kingston University.
Daniel Abbas Associate Director
A visionary strategist and technologist with expertise in complex system design, higher education, disruptive business models, and social licence. He champions systems change and ESG integration, driving innovation and progress in diverse sectors. With a strong foundation in technology and startups, his global experience enables impactful solutions, fostering sustainable and inclusive outcomes.
Rebecca Roebuck Associate Director
A seasoned social impact advisor with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in social impact assessment, community benefits, social value, public safety, gender inclusion, and stakeholder engagement, she excels in fostering positive outcomes. Her expertise spans diverse sectors, driving impactful strategies that align with equity, resilience, and sustainable development.
