2024 Steering Committee Members

George Osborne
Manager Economy Development | Hume City Council

George served for 22 years as an officer in the Australian Army, including a 2-year appointment as an Operations Planner based in Hawaii with the US Marine Corps, for which he was awarded the US Navy Meritorious Service Medal (MSM).  

He left the Army in 2001 to take up an appointment as Manager Training and Development with the Country Fire Authority in Ballarat. In 2006 he became the General Manager of Training and Community Services with BEST Community Development, a multi award winning regional NFP.  In 2008 George commenced as Manager Learning Community with Hume City Council before transitioning to the Manager Economic Development role in August 2011 and continues in this role. He has previously operated his own consultancy in leadership and teamwork and has lectured in Strategic Planning and Leadership. 

George is focused on economic inclusion, the circular economy and social inclusion and is currently a board director with SPEAK www.speak.org.au , NORTHLink https://northlink.org.au/ and the ACE Hub www.acehub.org.au . 

Hayley Jarick
CEO and Company Secretary | Supply Chain Sustainability School Limited

Hayley Jarick (she/her) wears a few hats. Hayley is the Chair of Planet Ark’s ACE Hub Circular Procurement Working Group. She is also the Supply Chain Sustainability School CEO and Company Secretary, a Director of ResponsibleSteel, and a member of a few working groups with the Property Council of Australia and the Materials and Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance (MECLA). Hayley is experienced in governance, strategic management, marketing, event management, membership, adult learning, advocacy, financial analytics, sales and customer service in manufacturing, residential and commercial building, heavy construction, professional services, dispute resolution and international trade; for-profit and for-purpose; big and small; paid and voluntary. Scouts call her Ikki, her friends call her Hayles, and her two children call her Mum. 

Dr. Heinz Schandl
Circular Economy Lead | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Dr. Heinz Schandl holds a PhD in Sociology and an MA in Social and Economic Sciences. He leads CSIRO’s Circular Economy Initiative, coordinating research efforts in this field. He is also an adjunct professor at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies in Japan. Dr. Schandl serves on global platforms, including the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) International Resource Panel and the UNCRD Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum for Asia and the Pacific. He is a past president of the International Society of Industrial Ecology. His research focuses on social theory, industrial metabolism, and environmental and sustainability policy. This expertise forms the backbone of his commitment to promoting evidence-based policies focused on resource efficiency, waste minimization, greenhouse gas abatement, and the circular economy.

Julie Boulton
Director | Julie Boulton Strategy and Sustainability

Julie is a sustainability strategist and storyteller, using a combination of circular principles, futures and systems thinking to transform the decisions we’re making and the actions we’re taking to bring about a more sustainable future for everyone. She has a particular focus on sustainable fashion, working collaboratively with others to activate and embed circular design and provide advice on action to regenerate our environment. 

Timothy Zerk
Director – Circular Economy Policy |
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tim is a policy professional, currently serving as the director of circular economy policy in the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water. His team supports the national Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group, is developing the new National Circular Economy Policy, and drives circular economy reforms across the Commonwealth. Tim is helping to shape Australia’s strategic approach to the circular economy transition, drawing on his diverse background in science, education, policy, and economics. 

Tuba Kocaturk
Professor of Circular Cities | School of Architecture & Built Environment
Deakin University

Tuba is the founding director of the MInD (Mediated Intelligence in Design) Research Lab, a transdisciplinary, practice-based design research lab operating at the intersection of Built Environment, Information Technology, Design Innovation, and Circular Economy. 

Tuba holds a PhD in Architecture and Building Technology from Delft University of Technology (Netherlands). She has extensive teaching and research experience and publications in technology-mediated design and construction, smart urban ecosystems, and the circular economy in the built environment. 

Currently, Tuba serves on several advisory committees, including Geelong’s UNESCO City of Design work-group and the International Seoul Design Awards, which recognize design projects that foster sustainable connections between people, society, and the environment. Additionally, she holds the position of Non-Executive Director at the Geelong Manufacturing Council. 

Usha Iyer-Raniga
Professor of Sustainable Built Environment
School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University

Prof Iyer-Raniga is an internationally recognised scholar in sustainability and circular economy. Usha is co-lead of the Circular Built Environment (CBE) working group established under the GlobalABC / One Planet Network’s Materials Hub hosted by UNEP and jointly implemented by UNEP, UNOPS and UN Habitat. In Australia, Usha led the research for the Integrated Circular Economy, Climate Change and Clean Energy Platform (IC3P) and was also the lead of the Victorian Circular Activator (VCA). Both these projects considered the nexus of circular practices in the built environment and the role of transitioning the current ecosystem to one that is circular. Usha has over 200 publications, including authored and edited books, book chapters, journal articles and reports. She has led special editions for various impactful publications.