Plenary: New Frontiers in Behavioural Insights

David Halpern is the Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team and Board Director. He has led the team since its inception in 2010. Prior to that, David was the founding Director of the Institute for Government and between 2001 and 2007 was the Chief Analyst at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. David was also appointed as the What Works National Advisor in July 2013. He supports the What Works Network and leads efforts to improve the use of evidence across government. Before entering government, David held tenure at Cambridge and posts at Oxford and Harvard.

Sam Hannah-Rankin is the Director of Public Sector Innovation for the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Victoria. Sam is responsible for the Victorian Government’s Behavioural Insights Unit as well as a broader range of activities and functions to accelerate innovation across the Victorian public sector. Sam specialises in growing innovative business in mature organisations, and has held senior executive roles in corporate development, risk management, strategy and operations at Australia Post, Bendigo Bank and Fairfax Digital.

Elizabeth is Senior Lead, Behavioural Insights at the Impact and Innovation Unit, overseeing the application of behavioural science and design to public policy challenges.

Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Elizabeth held several senior leadership positions, including leading the Behavioural Insights Unit in the Government of Ontario, where she was instrumental in creating and building Canada’s first behavioural science team in government.

Robert is a Professor at the University of Sydney and holds a PhD from Duke University and MBA and BA degrees from the University of California Berkeley. Robert is recognised as a pioneer in the areas of experimental and behavioural economics. He has been very innovative in his use of experimental methods that have theoretical importance and important empirical findings for matters of public policy. His research has focused on a broad range of policy topics, including extensive work to understand charitable behaviour.