ANZ, SBS and BCA leaders to unpack the state of trust at CommsCon 2026

March 5, 2026 4:23

Mandi Wicks SBS), Ben Wicks (Business Council of Australia) and Elizabeth Rudall (ANZ)

Communications leaders from ANZ, SBS and the Business Council of Australia will be putting trust under the microscope at CommsCon on 25 March 2026.

Elizabeth Rudall, head of strategic communications at ANZ, Ben Wicks, executive director of public affairs and advocacy at the Business Council of Australia, and Mandi Wicks, director of news and current affairs at SBS, will join Edelman CEO Tom Robinson to unpack the agency’s Trust Barometer for 2026.

Local findings for the Australian Trust Barometer will be unveiled during CommsCon, with Robinson previously hinting to Mumbrella that the report shows an improvement from a “state of distrust” toward “neutral territory.”

Edelman, a headline partner for CommsCon 2026, has tracked how businesses, governments, NGOs and media shift around the world, and how it shapes the decisions that drive society for over 26 years.

Edelman Australia CEO Tom Robinson

The 2026 edition will examine how trust is influencing Australian institutions and leadership amid rapid change, including the rise of AI and geopolitical tensions, to evolving expectations around work, influence, and social responsibility.

Robinson’s panellists will collectively bring over 80 years of communications and business experience to the discussion.

Rudall has worked for more than 25 years in journalism and corporate affairs across Hong Kong, New York and Australia, joining ANZ Banking Group nine years ago and becoming its head of strategic communications in February 2025.

Ben Wicks, meanwhile, leads senior-level engagement with media and government and has a deep background as a campaign specialist. He held senior positions in both the federal and NSW state governments.

Rounding off the panel, Mandi Wicks has more than 35 years’ experience in the media industry, working at four of Australia’s leading networks, including her current role at SBS, Macquarie Media, Southern Cross Austereo and Nova Entertainment.

The Australian reveal of the Edelman Trust Barometer will close out a packed CommsCon schedule, taking place just ahead of the CommsCon Awards.

Other headline sessions include a keynote from communications expert Peter Wilkinson of the Wilkinson Group, who will draw on decades of crisis management and journalism experience to explain why the traditional model of PR reporting to marketing is now outdated.

Michelle Hutton, global chief client and growth officer at Burson, will join an in-depth panel outlining how reputation impacts share price, investor confidence, and overall enterprise value, moderated by John McDuling, editor of Capital Brief.