Mike Rann Keynote Speaker

Mike Rann is Chief Executive Officer of the Rann Strategy Group (RSG), based in London with affiliates in Rome, Milan, Washington and Sydney. Mike is also Visiting Professor at the Policy Institute of King’s College London and has been appointed as a Commissioner for Lord Adonis’ Commission for London.

Mike Rann was most recently Australia’s Ambassador to Italy, San Marino, Libya and Albania, based in Rome. He was also Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme. Between 2012 and 2014, he was Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Permanent Representative to the UN’s International Maritime Organisation.

Mike Rann was Premier of South Australia between March 2002 and October 2011. He was leader of the South Australian Labor Party for a record 17 years. The Rann Government invested strongly in revitalising South Australia’s capital city, Adelaide, through a new approach to planning and urban design, a major “greening” program as well as large investments in transformational infrastructure, high tech precincts and transport-oriented developments, and major events and festivals.

Mike Rann served for 26 years in the South Australian Parliament, including in Ministerial portfolios as varied as Aboriginal Affairs, Tourism and Further Education. While Premier he was also Minister for Economic Development, Minister for the Arts, Australia’s first Minister for Social Inclusion and one of the world’s first Ministers for Climate Change. Under his leadership South Australia lead Australia with from zero to 33% of its electricity generation coming from renewables (now 43%).

He established the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Programme bringing experts from around the world to work with him and his Cabinet on a wide range of challenges including climate change policies and renewables.

Following his retirement from Parliament,  Mike was appointed by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the International Leadership Council of the UK based Climate Group. He was also Chair of Low-Carbon Australia Limited, the Federal Government’s “green bank”, which provided finance to help businesses reduce emissions; and a member of the Australian Government’s Urban Policy Forum. In 2010, Mike received the “Global Champion of Climate Change Award” by the Indian Environmental NGO, Exnora International.

Mike was National President of the Australian Labor Party during the Prime Ministership of Kevin Rudd. He was also elected by all other Australian Premiers and Chief Ministers to be the inaugural Chair of the Council of the Australian Federation, a policy think-tank for Australian States and Territories.

He has MA in politics from Auckland University and received its Distinguished Alumni Award. Mike also has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Australia. Mike is Professorial Fellow in Social and Policy studies at Flinders University in Australia, adjunct Professor in Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon and Visiting Senior Research Fellow in Political Studies at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a Fellow at the Center for National Policy, Washington DC.

Mike has been awarded honours by New Zealand, Greece and Poland. On Australia Day January 2016 he was awarded the highest Australian honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia. Mike was born in the United Kingdom, raised and educated in New Zealand, and emigrated to Australia in 1977.