Chris O'Brien

Board Member

Chris is an HR advisor and consultant in the aged care industry. He is currently working for Mercy Community and was previously a human resource manager with overall responsibility for workplace relations at TriCare Limited, one at Queensland’s largest privately owned residential aged care providers with approximately 1,800 staff.

Prior to working in the field of human resources, Chris was a solicitor with a focus on employment law. His previous career as a physiotherapist shaped an active interest in health regulation and the aged care sector. He understands the importance of training product development and skills enhancement in the people-facing sectors supported by SkillsIQ.

Chris holds qualifications that reflect his background, including a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Queensland; a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Bond University; and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Queensland.

Chris was a Community Member of the Psychology Board of Australia from 2009 to 2018 and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Latest News

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ePIC APAC Summit 2026

Join us at Deakin Downtown, Melbourne, on 27–28 August 2026 as we advance global thinking on recognising all forms of learning and accelerate Open Recognition across the Asia-Pacific - transforming good practice into coordinated change under a simple premise: All Learning Counts. If you care about the future of skills recognition and lifelong learning – and building a system where skills are visible and valued – this is where the conversation happens.

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CEDA - Opinion Article

Much of our workforce training is compliance-focused and not aimed at upskilling our workers. Without systems to track and recognise informal, formal, and self-directed learning, employees are having to repeat training unnecessarily. This highlights the need to embrace open recognition and use AI-powered skills recognition systems like SkillsAware to validate real skills in the workforce, if we want to address the issue of productivity.

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VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’ co-hosted with TAFE Queensland. Melinda Brown, General Manager, SkillsIQ, presented how technological solutions can be adapted and integrated into existing systems to validate individuals' capabilities and experience in the workforce.

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