Alumni Day returns to Melbourne Business School on Friday 30 October, bringing the alumni community back together for a day of connection, inspiration and shared experiences.
Reconnect with fellow alumni, hear fresh perspectives from engaging speakers, and expand your network within the community. The day continues into the evening with a special reunion dinner, offering the chance to reconnect with your cohort, celebrate shared memories, and enjoy an evening with fellow alums.
Tickets are limited, so secure your place early.
Contact
Have any specific questions that we haven’t answered in our FAQ, please reach out to the MBS Alumni Team via email [email protected].
Venue
Melbourne Business School
200 Leicester Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053
Ticket Options
Tickets are selling quickly, with more than 50% already sold. We encourage you to secure your place early to avoid missing out!
- Alumni Day only $150 per person
Your ticket provides access to the Alumni conference jam packed with highly engaging speakers - lunch and afternoon tea provided
- Reunion Dinner only $120 per person
Your ticket provides access to a sit-down 3 course dinner and beverages - a great way to close out the day!
- Alumni Day + Reunion Dinner $250 per person
Why not come to both, includes access to the Alumni conference and Reunion Dinner – with a special discounted rate!
- Alumni Day – Online ONLY $30 per person
Can’t attend in person? Join Alumni Day online with full access to keynote sessions and panels, on-demand content, recordings and speaker materials (where applicable) - wherever you are.
Virtual attendees will receive:
- Exclusive early access before public release
- Full-day content available on demand
- Access to recordings and speaker materials (where applicable)
- Access to all keynote sessions and panels
- The opportunity to feel part of the day, wherever you are.
Contact
Register Now
Program
On The Day
Alumni Day
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10.00 - 10.10am |
Welcome Professor Jenny George, Dean and Director, Melbourne Business School |
| 10.10 - 11.00am |
Keynote: Travelling Well When the Ground Keeps Moving Professor Ujwal Kayande, Director, Institute for Digital Innovation & AI |
| 11.00 - 12.00pm |
Choose from: Panel: The CEO's Relationship with Risk: Lessons from the Decisions That Defined Your Career Professor Jenny George, Dean and Director, Melbourne Business School (moderator) Stuart Gregor (Master of Marketing 2000), CEO, Lark Distilling; Co-Founder, Four Pillars Gin Ken Roberts (MBA 1992), Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, Forethought Research Dr Jackie Fairley (MBA 1990), Former CEO and Managing Director, Starpharma OR
Panel: Building and Sustaining Strategic Resilience When Everything Is Being Disrupted Geoff Martin (MBA 2002), Professor of Strategy, Melbourne Business School (moderator) Katie McNamara (MBA 2002), Chief Customer Officer, Sushi Sushi Derrick Sim (MBA 2002), Executive Director (Global Health, Access and Financing), International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations Steve Smith (MBA 2014), Executive, Strategic Initiatives – Corporate & Institutional Banking, NAB |
| 12.00 - 1.00pm | Networking Lunch |
| 1.00 - 2.00pm |
Keynote: Innovation is for Everyone, Whether You Like It or Not Glenn Hoetker, Professor of Business Strategy, Melbourne Business School |
| 2.00 - 3.00pm |
Choose from: Alumni Spotlight Alumni take the stage for fast-paced talks on the ideas, risks and turning points shaping our community today. Frances Pratt (MBA 2009), Five Ways Smart Teams Get Selling Wrong Steve Cotterill (Executive MBA 2017), Leadership Reflections from My Years in the Army Aaron Yeak (MBA 2016), The Power of a Portfolio Career Nadine Berrange (MBA 2024), Why You Don’t Need to be the Smartest Person in the Room James Macmillan (Senior Executive MBA 2010), You Will Never Outperform Your Limiting Beliefs Karen Luu (Executive MBA 2023), Smaller on Paper Olha Lyeskakova (MBA 2024), AI Readiness, Not Tech Access is Key to the Next Wave of Innovation |
| 3.00 - 3.30pm | Afternoon Tea |
| 3.30 - 4.30pm |
Choose from: Panel: AI Transformation: Building an AI-Ready Workforce and Organisation Cheryl George, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Institute for Digital Innovation and AI (moderator) Sam Pratt, Founder in Residence, Microcomb.ai Christelle Young, Managing Director, T2 Tea Gideon Ratner, Executive – Growth and AI, Quantium OR
Panel: Entrepreneurship Kwanghui Lim, Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Melbourne Business School Lauren Morrey (MBA 2018), Chief Operating Officer, Breakthrough Victoria Hitesh Mehta (Executive MBA 2016), Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Nutromics |
| 4.30 - 5.30pm |
Panel: The Lucky Country in an Unlucky World: Australia's Position in a Fragmenting Global Economy Professor Emeritus Ian Harper, former Dean and Director, Melbourne Business School; Board Member, Reserve Bank of Australia Raphael Arndt, Chief Executive Officer, Future Fund – Australia's Sovereign Wealth Fund Joy Linton, former Chief Financial Officer, Bupa and CSL Dr Jackie Fairley (MBA 1990), Former CEO and Managing Director, Starpharma |
Reunion Dinner
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 6.30pm | Pre-dinner drinks and canapés |
| 7.00pm | Dinner commences |
| 9.30pm | Dinner concludes |
Sponsorship
Partner With Us in 2026
We would be delighted to welcome your organisation as a Partner in 2026.
A range of sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please view our Alumni Day and Reunion Dinner Prospectus. If you are interested in exploring broader engagement opportunities with Melbourne Business School, we also invite you to review our Engagement Partnerships Prospectus.
For further information or to discuss partnership opportunities, please contact:
Monique Currin
Engagement & Partnerships Manager
[email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Is the Alumni Day and Reunion Dinner a new event?
Not really. Melbourne Business School has a proud history of bringing alumni back to campus for a day of ideas, reconnection, and celebration.
The Alumni Reunion, last held in February 2020, brought together alumni for a full program of faculty and industry speakers across concurrent sessions, followed by the Milestone Reunion Dinner in the evening.
After a few years away, we're bringing it back.
Rather than simply picking up where we left off, we went back to alumni first. We ran a survey, listened to what you told us, and designed this year's program around three things you said matter most: Substantive content, intentional networking that leads somewhere, and a genuine reason to come back to campus.
The name has changed to more closely reflect what the day is about. But the spirit — alumni coming together to learn, reconnect with peers, and celebrate the community — is exactly the same.
Who are the speakers at the event?
Is this an event for alumni only?
Who can attend the Alumni Day & Reunion Dinner?
This event is exclusively for graduates of Melbourne Business School Limited's Master of Business Administration programs (including all MBA formats, such as the Senior Executive MBA and Part-time MBA), Master of Business Analytics, Master of Marketing, Master of Organisational Leadership, Master of Analytics Management programs, Master of Management (Technology) and Master of Management (Innovation) as well as the associated graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates, and professional certificates.
To help us provide the best experience for our alumni community, we ask that you provide your details during registration so we can verify your alumni status.
Can I purchase tickets at the door for either the Alumni Day or the Reunion Dinner?
No, tickets are only available ahead of the event with limited availability.
Do I need to bring my physical ticket with me or is the online version enough?
Can I request a refund if I am no longer able to attend?
We understand that plans change. If you need to cancel your registration, the following policy applies:
- On or before 1 October: Full refund minus Eventbrite fees
- 1 October to 16 October: 80% refund
- From 17 October up to and including the event date: No refund. However, your ticket is transferable to another alumnus. Just let us know in advance and we'll update the registration.
If the school cancels or postpones the event:
- Full refund guaranteed, no questions asked.
Exceptional circumstances such as a medical emergency or bereavement:
- Considered on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to us directly and we'll do our best to find a fair resolution. To apply for a refund, please contact [email protected].
I can’t make it in person. Is it worth me attending virtually?
Absolutely. Alumni Day will also be available online at a reduced ticket price, giving you access to the day’s insights and discussions from wherever you are. Virtual attendees will receive:
- Exclusive early access before public release
- Full-day content available on demand
- Access to recordings and speaker materials (where applicable)
- Access to all keynote sessions and panels
- The opportunity to feel part of the day, wherever you are.
Do I need to book the sessions ahead of time?
For the Reunion Dinner, can I select who I’m seated with?
Table allocations for the Reunion Dinner will be arranged by Melbourne Business School based on the cohort and graduation year provided during registration.
We will do our best to seat alumni with their cohort to help make the evening a meaningful night.
Please ensure your cohort details are included when registering.
Please note that tables are limited to 10 guests per table.
Tickets can only be purchased individually. Group bookings are not available for this event.
How will seating be managed during the event?
For sessions that are not running concurrently, please note that seating in the lecture theatre is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Overflow spaces will be available for attendees during sessions once capacity has been reached.
Is accommodation available at MBS?
As an alumni, you are entitled to discounted accommodation rates at MBS.
Please contact our Bookings team for rates and availability: [email protected]
Disclaimer
Seating Disclaimer:
For sessions that are not running concurrently, please note that seating in the lecture theatre is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Overflow spaces will be available for attendees once capacity has been reached.
Photography Disclaimer:
Please note that photos and videos may be taken during this event and used for marketing and promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to being included in this content, unless you advise event staff otherwise. If you prefer not to be photographed or filmed, please contact us in advance at [email protected].
Venue
Location
200 Leicester Street
Carlton
Melbourne 3053
Victoria
