Speakers

Freeman Lau Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Hong Kong Design Centre Born in 1958 in Hong Kong, Freeman Lau was graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic, now the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which is highly reputed for design education. He joined Kan Tai-keung Design & Associates Ltd in 1988 and became the Partner of "Kan & Lau Design Consultants" ever since 1996. Freeman has won numerous design awards which prove his international success. To name a few, these awards include the First Prize in poster design competition of "Beijing's Bid for the 2008 Olympic Games" (01); Best Sport Poster, Lahti Poster Biennale, Finland (01) and etc. In 2004, Freeman achieved another milestone by designing the Watson's Water Bottle, which was later awarded the international "Bottlewaterworld Design Awards" (04). He has created a model of symbiosis among art, culture, design and business acumen; which significantly increased the brand's share of market. It is also regarded as a contribution to the local cultural movement while creative talents from different sectors were invited to design iconic labels for the bottle. Many local citizens got to know these talents through daily products. Currently, Freeman is the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Design Centre. Their annual event, ‘Business of Design Week' (BODW), is regarded as one of the most successful ones in Asia. Freeman's contribution in enhancing the identity of Hong Kong design and in promoting design education is recognized by the Hong Kong government and was eventually awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2006. Since 2007, Freeman has become the director of Beijing Creative Centre. It is expected that his vision and experience will be valuable to the development of China's creative industries. Awards 2008 Lifelong Design and Art Achievement Award, 3rd (jiajun) International Exhibition of Design and Art in China 2007 Gold Award, Hong Kong Designer Association 2006 Bronze Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong Government; Outstanding Greater China Design Awards, Hong Kong Communication Art Centre 2005 Gold Award, Hong Kong Designers Association 2004 International "Bottlewaterworld" Design Awards; "Chair of the Year", Chair Design Competition of Barrie Ho Collections 2001 First Prize, Poster Design Competition of "Beijing's Bid for the 2008 Olympic Games"; Best Sport Poster, Lahti Poster Biennale, Finland; Outstanding PolyU Alumni Awards, Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2000 Golden Bee Awards, Moscow; Singapore Design Award; The Mayor of Nagahama Prize, Japan Poster Grandprix 1998 Porsche Design "Creative Energy" Award 1997 Winner of International Fellowship and Residency Program (97 – 98), Mid-America Art Alliance (MAAA); Artist of the Year, Hong Kong Artists Guild; Ten Outstanding Young Persons, Junior Chamber International Hong Kong 1995 Outstanding Graphic Designer – the Louis Cartier Award of Excellence 1994 Urban Council Sculpture Design Award 1993 Bronze Award, Typodirectionim Tokyo 1992 Fine Prize in Sculpture Section, Philippe Charriol's Modern Art Competition 1989 Silver Award in International Book Design Exhibition, Leipzig Germany back to top     Don Ryun Chang President (2007-2009), Icograda IDA Don Ryun Chang was born to diplomat parents and grew up on five continents - Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa. He was educated at the University of British Columbia in Canada, the Parsons School of Design, and received his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. Don then worked for several organizations such as Nara Advertising, Design Focus in Korea, Steiner & Co. in Hong Kong, and was Creative Director for the Infinite Group. Don founded DC&A in 1991, which later became one of the leading identity companies in Asia. The company merged with Interbrand in July 1999 and has developed acclaimed identities for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Korea Telecom, Shinhan Bank and Korea Tourism Office. Don became the first President of the International Council of Graphic Design Association (Icograda) from the continent of Asia in 2007. He has received numerous international design awards from prestigious organizations such as the Brno and Warsaw Poster Biennale, and the Type Directors Club of New York. Don lectures widely on branding and is currently professor at Hongik University where he teaches branding and design management and was the former Dean of the Graduate School of Advertising. He has served as Vice President of the Visual Information Design Association of Korea (VIDAK) and was the Executive Organizing Director for the 2000 Icograda Millennium Congress in Seoul. Don is currently advisor for many institutions including the Korean Olympic Committee, Seoul Metropolitan government and is the author of five books including: How to succeed in business with design, Brand Media Innovation, and Birth of Place, which is in its second printing. back to top     Stephen Wilson Chief Information Officer NSW Department of Education & Training Senior executive with twenty-seven years of experience in Information Management, Sales, Marketing and General Management. Significant International experience with three years based in the USA and seven years in Asia, including two years located in Singapore Stephen Wilson began his career with Johnson & Johnson in 1981 as a Regional Sales Manager and in 1985 was promoted to Business Management. In the early 1990's Stephen recognised the future potential of ICT and transitioned into Information Technology. Since this time Stephen has enjoyed a successful career in Australia, Singapore and United States of America with Johnson & Johnson. Stephen's last appointment with Johnson & Johnson was Vice President Information Management Pharmaceuticals Group, Asia Pacific Japan and Latin America. In August 2005, Stephen joined the NSW Department of Education & Training, as Chief Information Officer. His responsibilities include The Connected Classrooms Program, the Learning Management and Business Reform Program (SAP implementation) and Information Technology. Stephen was also the chief architect of the NSW Government's plan of 1:1 laptops to support the Commonwealth's Digital Education Revolution. The ICT Group within DET is the largest and most comprehensive ICT environment in Australia with 1,500 employees, over 300,000 devices and ranked by CIO magazine as #1 for the past three years. back to top     Peter Isaacson Vice President, Worldwide Education Marketing, Adobe Systems Peter Isaacson is the Vice President of Worldwide Education Marketing for Adobe Systems. Isaacson oversees a team of business and marketing professionals focusing on K-12 and Higher Education, as well as curriculum, certification and professional development. In his previous role as Vice President of Worldwide Field Marking, Isaacson managed a team of over 175 marketing professionals with personnel in Japan, Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. In this role, he was responsible for driving all customer outreach activities in the field for Adobe worldwide. He has also served as the Senior Director for Worldwide Brand Marketing at Adobe, with responsibilities spanning brand positioning, advertising and packaging design. Prior to Adobe, Isaacson held a Vice President position with Ammirati Puris Lintas, managing advertising and brand positioning accounts for clients such as Compaq in the enterprise, desktop, networking, portable and consumer segments, and Chesebrough Pond's for its Brut and Mentadent products. Isaacson also spent more than four years with Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, handling strategic accounts for Proctor & Gamble on such products as Spic & Span, Camay, Ivory Bar, Tide, Liquid Ivory, Comet, and Top Job. Isaacson holds a B.S. Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He enjoys travel and a variety of sports, including basketball, mountain biking, and golf. back to top     Dianne Marshall Program Director, New South Wales DET (Department of Education and Training) Dianne Marshall is an educational leader with over 27 years of experience in both the government and non government school sectors across SA, WA and NSW. Throughout her career she has used technology in the classroom and as an administration tool. In 2009 she was appointed Program Director of the Digital Education Revolution in NSW, an ambitious project to wirelessly enable 463 high and central schools across the State and rollout over 25,000 netbooks to teachers and 210,000 to students by the middle of 2012. Dianne's focus is firmly on transforming teaching and learning and to this end $28 million has been allocated for teacher training and the development of high quality curriculum support materials. back to top   Dr. Eric Cheung Director, School of Electronics & Info-Comm Technology ITE (Institute of Technical Education) College West, Singapore Eric is currently the Director, School Of Electronics and Info-Comm Technology at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West, Singapore. The college offers technical training courses to GCE ‘O’ & ‘N’ Level school leavers and working adults. He is responsible for managing the cluster of technical training courses to achieve academic excellence and providing professional leadership in planning, directing & implementing policies to support the growth of the College. Prior to joining ITE, he led a team to develop & implement campus-wide e-learning system. Eric also has extensive research and teaching experience in tertiary level. He has been an active player in the development of learning and educational programs in the specialized field of engineering & IT applications. He has conducted specialized courses for government agencies, statutory boards and MNC in Singapore in the areas of Internet & Software application development. Eric holds a B. Eng(Hons) and a PhD from the University of Bath, UK. back to top     Kevin Lester Senior Head of House, English School Foundation, Island School Senior Head of House, Island School Hong Kong Kevin has been teaching Mathematics and ICT for 18 years. He is currently at Island School Hong Kong where he is the Senior Head of House. Kevin’s interests in digital portfolios stems partly, from his current role where he is encouraging students to build their own portfolios to enable them to reflect on their own learning and to recognize meaningful targets. Kevin is also the co-creator of the IEA award in Applied ICT, a qualification which rewards students for their creativity, problem solving and commitment to learning. This qualification requires students to show and develop their own skills and interests while working on real projects for real clients and relies on students being able to easily build multimedia portfolios. The motivation for creating this qualification was to recognize students capabilities which are frequently not recognized by the traditional ICT curricula. Island School and IEA are currently developing the use of digital portfolios for Tutoring for learning, assessment ,reporting to parents, student collaboration, resource and curriculum building and enabling students to showcase and reflect on their work. back to top     Megan Stewart Director, Worldwide Higher Education and Community Programs, Adobe Systems, Incorporated Megan Stewart is the Director of Worldwide Higher Education and Community Programs at Adobe Systems in San Francisco, California. In her role, Megan is responsible for the strategy and programs that make Adobe software available to 2 and 4 year colleges and universities worldwide. This includes working closely with customers, the education community and industry to ensure that Adobe solutions support the needs of students, faculty and administrators across the campus. Megan is also responsible for Adobe's education community programs supporting primary, secondary and higher education. These programs include advisory boards, institutional and individual leadership programs that support innovative and exemplarily uses of technology to improve teaching and learning. back to top     Bob Regan Director of Worldwide Primary and Secondary Education, Adobe Systems As Director of Worldwide Primary and Secondary Education at Adobe Systems, Bob Regan leads the programs and strategies that make Adobe products available to schools worldwide. Integral to the success of Adobe K-12 programs is Bob's focus on working closely with educators, students, and school administrators to ensure that Adobe strategies and solutions align with the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing schools today. In his role at Adobe, Bob brings his firsthand experience as a former classroom teacher and school technology coordinator to develop relevant programs that directly enhance learning and school administration. He is passionate about improving teaching and learning through the use of technology in schools and is currently an executive board member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Bob also speaks frequently on education reform in a digital economy at conferences worldwide. Bob has a Master's in Elementary Education from Columbia University Teachers College. Prior to his position at Adobe, he oversaw product development for the Education and Government markets at Macromedia, which was acquired by Adobe in 2005. He was also instrumental in leading Macromedia's Accessibility efforts, pioneering techniques in accessible rich media and helping shape accessibility standards for people with disabilities around the globe. For updates on the latest Adobe K-12 programs, please visit http://www.adobe.com/education/k12 back to top     John Treloar Education Director, Asia Pacific, Adobe Systems In his current role as Education Director, Asia Pacific, Mr Treloar's key responsibilities include managing sales, strategy and development of education business for Adobe in Asia Pacific region. With a team of Education Business Development Managers in the region, he oversees programs and offerings for all education segment customers including K-12 schools, higher educational institutions, students and collaboration with ministries and department of education. Mr Treloar brings to the position a strong background in the Information Technology industry, including substantial experience and expertise in local management and marketing for an international technology vendor. He has also held several senior roles with Microsoft in Australia, including Corporate Marketing Director, Regional Marketing Manager, as well as Education Sales and Marketing Manager. Two years spent in Paris as Microsoft's European Business Development Manager was a real highlight of Mr Treloar's career and added even more to his broad skill set. With a tertiary education at Charles Sturt University, Deakin University and Riverina College of Advanced Education, Mr. Treloar holds a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Computer Education. He is based in Sydney, Australia. Along with his family and friends, Mr Treloar has a passion for wooden boats, French cars and Papua New Guinea. back to top     Professor Ian W. Gibson, Ph.D. Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Chair in Education Learning, Leading, and Teaching Futures Department of Education Faculty of Human Sciences Macquarie University, Sydney Ian’s background is in learning, leadership, teaching, technology, and teacher education. He began teaching in NSW primary schools in 1971 and now holds the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Chair in Education at Macquarie University, heading the Learning, Leading, and Teaching Futures Initiative. He has received awards, honours, and grants on global learning, learning with technology, and leadership, publishing in these areas. He has won the University Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Southern Queensland and a number of best paper awards from professional peer-reviewed conferences. He has been Associate Dean, Deputy Dean, and Acting Dean throughout his career at a variety of higher education institutions and more recently as Associate Dean Research in the Australian Centre for Educational Studies at Macquarie University. He has worked in Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia on projects related to 21st century learning and technology. He serves on the boards of a number of academic journals. Ian’s involvement in learning and technology began in 1979 as one of the first generation of educational technology coordinators in the Midwest of the US. He is currently involved in a research and development project in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya using technology as a window into the future for children in the slums. He takes Teacher Education students to the southern highlands of India to teach in small rural villages. Last year he was part of a delegation to China focusing on 21st Century Learning. He instigated and leads the strategic research agenda of the New South Wales Teacher Education Council and he is organizing the 2010 International Symposium on the Futures of Teacher Education and School Leader Education to be held at Macquarie University in July 2010. back to top     Dr Evan Arthur Group Manager Digital Education and Youth Transitions Group Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Dr Evan Arthur was educated at Newcastle (Australia) and Cambridge (UK) Universities. His doctoral thesis was in the area of Stoic Philosophy. Dr Arthur has been employed as a university tutor and as a public servant. He joined the Australian Public Service in 1981. He has worked in the (then) Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). He has worked on issues such as refugee policy, labour market programs, teacher professional development, research and innovation policy, recognition of overseas qualifications and the use of information technology in education. His current position is Group Manager, Digital Education and Youth Transitions Group in DEEWR. Dr Arthur is currently responsible for coordinating Australian Government involvement in issues associated with the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education and managing the implementation of the Digital Education. He is the Chair of the principal cross sectoral body advising Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers on issues associated with the use of ICT in education, the Australian Information and Communications Technology in Education Committee. back to top     Brian Chau Education Systems Engineer, Adobe Systems Brian Chau is the Systems Engineer for Adobe Australia and New Zealand. Brian has been working for Adobe/Macromedia for over 10 years and is an Adobe Certified Expert in Dreamweaver and Flash. Chau is very experienced in web technologies and is a frequent speaker at Adobe seminars, tradeshows and education events. He also has his own blog at http://brianchau.wordpress.com where he shares his knowledge and thoughts on Adobe software. Apart from work, Chau has great interests in all the latest and greatest (or smallest) electronic gadgets. He dreams one day he can have a robot that can be his lifelong friend/partner. back to top     Felix Goh Education Specialist, Southeast Asia Adobe Systems Felix joined Adobe in June 2009 as Education Specialist/System Engineer for Southeast Asia region. His product knowledge and areas of specialization include Adobe’s Creative solutions, as well communication and collaboration solutions like Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Connect. He brings with him several years of hands-on experience in the training and software industry as a Training Manager for Adobe Creative Suite software. He taught these useful digital media skills to school students in Singapore. His current role at Adobe is to focus on Education segment customers, delivering product presentations and demos at key Education events in Southeast Asia region. back to top