State of the Nation Highlights

All panel discussions from this year's State of the Nation are now available on our YouTube page.

A membership with CEDA is your commitment to driving informed debate and innovative policy solutions.

CEDA exists to enable constructive policy discussion across government, business, academia and the broader community to drive positive change on the issues that matter most to Australia’s economic and social development.


CEDA is one of Australia’s oldest and most-respected independent think tanks. Our nationally dispersed cross-sector membership is unique in the Australian policy and business landscape and allows CEDA to deliver broad reach and engagement for our members.


Join more than 620 leading Australian businesses, community organisations, government departments and academic institutions - and over 2600 Trustees - who recognise CEDA’s value in delivering high quality policy debate and analysis on the issues that matter, access to thought leaders, high-level networking opportunities and unique brand reach through sponsorship and hosting opportunities.

ENQUIRE NOW

MEMBERSHIP TYPE

DISCOVER

My organisation:

  • wants to discover a new network of business leaders and government stakeholders
  • wants to build engagement with public policy debate
  • wants to access independent research and informed discussion
  • wants to facilitate a better understanding of economic and policy frameworks shaping the business environment
  • has a small leadership team
  • has a state or national footprint.


Enquire Now
MEMBERSHIP TYPE

ELEVATE

My organisation: 

  • wants to build brand awareness and elevate the profile of its senior leaders
  • wants to develop its network of business leaders and key government stakeholders
  • is committed to actively engaging in public policy debate through engagement with CEDA’s research and programs
  • wants to leverage independent research and informed discussion
  • has a state, national or international footprint.
Enquire Now
MEMBERSHIP TYPE

LEAD

My organisation:

  • is an industry leader who wants to broaden its influence
  • wants to engage at the highest level and leverage CEDA’s network
  • wants to lead discussion and debate on the issues that matter most
  • is committed to proactively engaging in public policy debate
  • is committed to driving informed debate and innovative policy solutions
  • has a state, national or international footprint.
Enquire Now

WHY CEDA?

Operating for over 60 years, CEDA’s members are essential in delivering on our purpose of pursuing solutions that matter for the greater good. Increase your influence and contribute to our economic and social policy program.

Key CEDA membership benefits: 

  • Support your leadership team and wider organisation with access to independent research, discussion and debate on the critical issues facing Australia through CEDA research, opinion articles, podcasts and livestreams.

  • Contribute to targeted policy discussion and research through Member Advisory Committees, roundtables and working groups to find new ways to progress key policy issues.
  • Access CEDA’s member-only Trustee program of roundtables, networking events and C-suite discussions on key topics that matter to your organisation and industry.

  • Build cross-sector networks and engage with more than 2600 senior leaders across the country who make up CEDA’s Trustee community.

  • Demonstrate your commitment to better economic and social outcomes and lift your profile by supporting CEDA’s program through sponsorship and hosting opportunities exclusive to members. 

WHAT AUSTRALIAN LEADERS SAY

01// 16
Managing Director, Australia Jim Frith McConnell Dowell
"We appreciate and believe in the work CEDA does in thought-leadership. I never come away from a CEDA event thinking “that wasn’t worth my time” – there is always something valuable to take away. CEDA draws like-minded people to its events, who come in with an open mind and yearning to learn."
General Manager Technical Services APAC & Aus, Executive Sponsor Reconciliation and Indigenous Services Jill Hannaford GHD
"CEDA’s focus on advancing economic and social development aligns with GHD’s purpose to create lasting community benefit, together with our clients. The issues that CEDA investigates through its research and thought-leadership are also key issues for our clients and the communities they serve. The high-profile speakers that CEDA hosts also provide very valuable insights from their sectors. What the client asks for in the brief is not always what they actually need. Understanding the broader public policy picture and adopting the lessons from other industries is often crucial to coming up with the right solution. In addition to thought-leadership, the opportunity to network with fellow CEDA members is a big drawcard for us. This allows us to connect with new and existing clients from different industries and is an extremely valuable relationship building tool."
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Connolly Siemens Group, Australia Pacific
"Through our key sponsorships we find ourselves at the table with the highest calibre of politicians through to leaders of many of Australia’s most important businesses. But it’s the side conversations around the table and the discussions before and after the events that also provide a lot of value and opportunity to meet new people and build new relationships."
Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer Jamie Alonso Cardno
"As an independent organisation, CEDA provides an excellent platform to discuss and research the various economic and social issues affecting Australia. CEDA’s cross-sector membership base also affords Cardno access to a broad range of organisations. CEDA’s leading research provides us with invaluable insight into issues affecting our business. Its position as an independent organisation also helps to implement reform in areas that matter to the way we operate."
Director of Business Development and Commercial Laurence Street CSIRO
"CSIRO has been a long standing member of CEDA. We have an affinity with CEDA’s purpose and seek to participate in inclusive debate and discussion, based on evidence and economic modelling to improve outcomes from Australia. The speakers, events and breadth of membership are fantastic."
Director Les Trudzik ACIL Allen Consulting
"There is a strong alignment between CEDA’s focus on economic development and our own. We have had a strong relationship over many years, no less evident than ACIL Allen Consulting’s own Founder and a Former Director, Geoff Allen AM, previously holding the role as National Chairman of CEDA. Through attending CEDA events we get great exposure to the issues of the day, which helps inform and shape our own focus. And, sponsoring selected CEDA events gives us the opportunity to express and promote our interests, and complements very much what we do through our client services."
Regional Director, ACT Marianne Cullen Aurecon
"Our people have long recognised the value of CEDA networks and research, having had high levels of participation for years. As an engineering and infrastructure advisory company, our day job is finding innovative solutions to create better results for our clients and communities. Therefore, we want to be at the forefront of policy issues and trends, so we can help our clients identify problems early and make informed decisions to drive the best outcomes. CEDA offers us the ability to contribute to policy debate, access leading insights, and work with a strong network of individuals and organisations who also care about the direction of our country."
Head of Impact Mary Delahunty HESTA
"From my personal experience, the discussions on policy initiatives are very helpful. We feel HESTA has an advocacy obligation to understand the key components of policy making. To participate in budget discussions at a whole-of-country level has been very helpful. It’s also very useful because, as we focus on our members in the health and community services sector and we work in solving problems for health and community services employers, we extend our network by bringing employers along to events that are specific to their industry. From a company level we participate because it gives us exposure to the financial conversations and budget discussions that impact our business."
CEO Stephen Rue NBN Co
"We’re creating a network that will connect all Australians wherever they live and work. We can’t do it alone, and we’d like to engage with CEDA and its high-profile networking and leadership forums to connect with government, not-for-profit, and business leaders across Australia. One of the greatest strengths of CEDA is that it is not limited to one form of engagement. It’s digital, it’s inter-personal and it’s collaborative and inclusive."
Managing Director, Health Services Dr Dwayne Crombie Bupa
"We have sponsored, attended and spoken at various CEDA events that are relevant to our business as a leading health company in Australia. We’ve also used it as a platform to launch thought leadership around health reform and accountability, while also connecting with experts across a variety of business areas."
Managing Director Joe Sofra G4S Australia and New Zealand
"When we talk about healthy communities, the sense of safety is just one element. We know that people want financial stability, a physically safe environment and an added emotional component connected to the feeling of being safe. CEDA supports the economic viability of Australia, which has a massive impact on our communities. Being part of the dialogue that CEDA inspires helps G4S to understand the pressures our communities are under and their wants and needs. When business interests diverge from the needs and wants of communities, both suffer."
Client and Sales Executive Director Lisa Samways Arcadis Australia
"Working collaboratively is a strong part of Arcadis’ culture and we want to extend this to everything we do. We want to be an active party when participant in shaping the future of our environments.  This requires open and honest public discussion through working with the right organisations and connecting with other key stakeholders.  We can all do our part in developing Australia and its communities."
Managing Director Marnie Baker Bendigo and Adelaide Bank
"CEDA provides Bendigo and Adelaide Bank with access to some of Australia’s most important thought leaders through networking and idea-sharing opportunities. Our membership helps us collaborate and share best practice on some of the core challenges and opportunities facing Australian business."
Group Executive Membership Rose Kerlin AustralianSuper
"CEDA provides a fantastic forum for discussion and debate of the major public policy issues confronting Australia. AustralianSuper strongly values the opportunity to hear and learn from both CEDA and the organisations that make up its broad membership."
Managing Director Seelan Nayagam DXC Technology Australia and New Zealand
"At the end of the day, we are only as successful as our ability to understand the macro issues facing our nation and businesses at large. CEDA has provided us with an ideal platform to attend and host events which attract a high calibre of attendees and speakers who come together to discuss and raise awareness on critical issues."
Chief Executive Partner Tony Schiffmann BDO Australia
"We see a synergy between BDO and CEDA for a number of reasons. In particular, our advisers are independent, critical thinkers which is very much aligned to CEDA. We also aim to share our thought leadership with our peers and in turn, learn from them too. CEDA provides opportunities and events, in person and virtual, to foster knowledge sharing and thought leadership."

WHO ARE CEDA MEMBERS?

MEMBERS BY SECTOR
10.5%
Education
10.0%
Government agencies
9.7%
Government departments
6.6%
Banking and Finance
6.6%
Energy/resources
6.1%
Utilities
5.9%
Consulting
5.6%
Local Government
4.0%
Community Services
4.0%
Transport
3.8%
Health services
3.6%
Legal
3.0%
Engineering/design
3.0%
Information technology
2.8%
Tourism/hospitality
2.1%
Communications
2.0%
Accounting
2.0%
Recruitment
1.6%
Property
1.5%
Superannuation
1.3%
Outsourcing/facilities management
1.2%
Manufacturing
< 1.0%
Arts
< 1.0%
Construction
< 1.0%
Digital Economy
< 1.0%
Retail
< 1.0%
Argribusiness