Ahead of the Game: Sunshine Coast

Speakers

• More details about Mayor Rosanna Natoli, Sunshine Coast Council

  Mayor Rosanna Natoli, Sunshine Coast Council

  Rosanna Natoli was elected Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Council in March 2024 and brings almost three decades of community connection, communication leadership, education and civic service to this role. As the elected leader of the Sunshine Coast, Mayor Natoli represents one of Queensland’s key co-host regions and one of Australia’s fastest growing and most distinctive communities. Her focus now is to help create a better Sunshine Coast for the people who live here currently, and the generations to come. As a Board member of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, Mayor Natoli’s priorities are to ensure the benefits of Brisbane 2032 are felt beyond the major venues and event period, and practical legacy outcomes are delivered for communities, young people, volunteers, local businesses, tourism, the environment and future generations. Mayor Natoli’s career has been shaped by people, place and public trust. She began as a journalist and presenter with Seven News, becoming a familiar face across Queensland and telling the stories of local communities, businesses, families, athletes, volunteers and organisations. She also worked for 25 years as an academic, researcher and lecturer in media and communications at the University of the Sunshine Coast, helping educate future professionals. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Communication from QUT. Mayor Natoli is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has won awards for her teaching and has also been published in journals of peer-reviewed research. Mayor Natoli is the proud patron and ambassador of a number of local charities and community groups.

• More details about Dominique Lamb, Director of Community Affairs to the President of Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

  Dominique Lamb, Director of Community Affairs to the President of Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

  Dominique Lamb has a diverse background in corporate affairs, industrial relations, and not-for-profit organisations. Dominique was previously the CEO of the National Retail Association and a director of NRA Legal. In her role as CEO, Dominique advocated on behalf of 60,000 shop fronts across the country on a diverse range of issues, including ESG, youth employment, industrial relations, leasing and tenancy, franchising, and the digital economy. Dominique served as the Queensland Small Business Commissioner from December 2022 until October 2025, where she focused on improving the operating environment for small businesses and reducing the time and cost of resolving disputes. In October 2025, Dominique took on the role of Director of Community Affairs for the Brisbane Olympic Games, where she continues her commitment to community engagement and advocacy. Beyond her professional endeavours, Dominique is deeply committed to social causes, particularly those addressing domestic and family violence and closing the gap in our regional, remote, and rural communities.

• More details about Bart Puszko, Founder & Principal, Blue Seas.AI

  Bart Puszko, Founder & Principal, Blue Seas.AI

  Bart Puszko is the founder and principal of Blue Seas AI. He spent 16 years in financial crime, risk and continuous improvement for major banks across Australia and Europe, and helped build the quality assurance team at Commonwealth Bank after its $700 million AUSTRAC penalty for anti-money laundering breaches. He brings that operational mindset to businesses putting AI to work: one 20-person Sunshine Coast family law firm is recovering more than $1.3 million a year in productivity through two AI systems his firm built and runs, and nothing leaves the firm without a lawyer seeing it. He has mentored businesses on AI through the Queensland Government's Mentoring for Growth program since 2024, is developing AI microcredentials for the Queensland Government through the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, sits on the board of the Sunshine Coast Tech Industry Alliance, and is certified in AI Security and Governance. He teaches AI live and on the tools, and every participant leaves with something they built. More than 400 people on the Sunshine Coast have taken part, from a booked-out council workshop to a sold-out library masterclass series. Winner, 2025 Sunshine Coast Business Awards. Finalist, 2025 Australian AI Awards. Today he helps Australian businesses become AI-first: AI at the centre of the business, the manual admin looked after, and a person always keeping the final decision. Before anything is built he asks three questions: is it safe to hand to AI, how capable is AI of doing it today, and what it costs to keep doing by hand. If the return is not there, it is not built.

• More details about Heidi Cooper, CEO, Business Chamber Queensland

  Heidi Cooper, CEO, Business Chamber Queensland

  Heidi Cooper is a leading business executive and Chief Executive Officer of Business Chamber Queensland, where she advocates for the strategic growth and sustainable transformation of Queensland’s business environment. In this role, she leads with purpose, driving business success while shaping the state’s economic future through policy influence, stakeholder collaboration and strategic reform. A qualified solicitor, experienced board director and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Heidi has significant expertise in governance, risk and corporate leadership. She is currently a member of the Jobs Queensland Board, Super Member Council Employer Forum, and several government advisory boards.