Rachael led the Australian expedition to Davis Station, Antarctica - the second female to lead a team at the Station and the youngest ever leader.

She managed a team of 18 people through the long, dark, Antarctic winter and through trial and error built a resilient and highly successful team based on the foundation that ‘respect trumps harmony’.

Since returning Rachael has completed her MBA, written a best-selling book, Leading on the Edge, and has presented at over 1000 events around the world.

Brendan Maher is the CEO of R U OK? – an organisation most well known for R U OK?Day, a national day of action committed to encouraging and equipping everyone to regularly and meaningfully ask “are you ok?”, of anyone who might be struggling with life. Since the inaugural R U OK?Day in 2009, R U OK? has become a household name. In 2016, an estimated 72% of Australians were aware of R U OK?Day, with one in four of those people taking part. To help make real, lasting change in Australia, R U OK? has broadened their reach beyond a national day of action. Campaigns such as R U OK? at Work, R U OK? at School and R U OK? Afield (targeting FIFO/DIDO workers), are providing effective platforms to promote regular, meaningful conversations all year round. Brendan is a passionate advocate for suicide prevention, and a former member of Lifeline Australia’s senior leadership team, where he spent seven years before stepping into his current role at R U OK? in 2013. Brendan leads a small, responsive, and dynamic team who are experts in community activation, social media and integrated marketing campaigns.

Whether an audience of 1 or 1000, we need to be able to quickly and effectively build rapport.

Jon Yeo helps executives and brands design a meaningful and compelling brand story that connects and engages audiences. Jon is the Curator of TEDxMelbourne and Chapter President of Professional Speakers Australia

Michael Gill is counsellor with Dragoman, an international advisory firm. He is chairman of Newbe Global, a digital media venture, and of Sustainable Skills Ltd, which advises governments on vocational education systems. From 1998 to 2011 he was CEO and editor in chief of the Financial Review Group and was chairman of AAP Ltd.

Malcolm is the Chief Executive of the SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission and Chair of the SAFECOM Board, to which the State Emergency Service, Metropolitan Fire Service and Country Fire Service report.

He is tasked with providing strategic leadership and direction to the South Australian emergency services sector and has direct responsibility and accountability for championing and leading sector modernisation and the change management processes.

Born and educated in New Zealand, Malcolm has a BSc in Pure Mathematics and a BCom in Accounting from Auckland University. He spent his early career as an officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander, before joining the staffing services and recruitment industry in 1984. He worked in a variety of senior roles in New Zealand, Australia and North America as well as spending time in Asia and Europe. From 1996 he was CEO of Manpower Australia and New Zealand.

He joined the publicly listed Coates Hire in 2003 as CEO, and oversaw a period of rapid and sustained growth as the company consolidated its position in the Australian equipment rental market as well as rationalising their overseas operations. In early 2008 Coates was acquired by a consortium comprising Carlyle and National Hire. Malcolm was appointed to lead the merged group which ranks as a global leader in the equipment rental sector and managed the integration before stepping down in July 2008.

In September 2008 he was appointed as the CEO of Futuris Corporation which changed its name to Elders Limited in April 2009. During his tenure he initiated a significant business restructure and change in strategic direction, focussing the group operations on its core agribusinesses. This was achieved despite the company being under significant pressure with an over-geared balance sheet and constrained working capital. He stepped down from the role of Chief Executive of Elders Limited in late 2013.

In late August 2014 Malcolm returned to Adelaide to become Chief Executive of Defence SA. Defence SA is South Australia's lead government agency for all defence matters and the nation's only stand-alone state defence organisation. Reporting to the Premier, its mission is clear - growing Defence presence and building a sustainable defence industry for South Australia.

Gavin was the team psychologist for the Winter Olympic team in Turrino 2006 and 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. He was also Team Psychologist for the Olympic Archery Team in Sydney 2000.

At the professional level he has worked with a variety of athletes from the best sporting leagues around the world including the NBA, WNBA, and PGA, additionally he was a team Psychologist at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Gavin’s background is diverse as it is unique. He is a fully registered psychologist with experience in both the sporting and corporate world. A great cross section of experience of at the elite level in sport and business

His book, “The Business Olympian” released in June 2008 captures the mental toughness lessons learned from elite athletes and how these skills can be easily transferred into the corporate world.

 

Gavin’s second book, “Just Stop Motivating Me” was released in 2016.  Just Stop Motivating Me is a new way of looking at why we act the way we do, how we can create smarter and more productive working and social environments. It further explores what is needed for individual to change the way they work / think and play. Introducing the concepts of “motivation to succeed” and “motivation to avoid failure” as part of a wider motivational continuum,

  

He is currently working on his third  book and can usually be heard on one of the business radio shows across Australia and channel 7 sunrise programs as well as other leading channels.

Michelle is a talented business professional with an entrepreneurial spirit and a leadership skill for bringing people together to achieve the ‘aspirational state’. With over 25 years of international business experience, she has a passion for technology, people and change.

As Co-Founder and Executive Director at Intelledox - a Canberra-based global software vendor that enables the digitalisation of complex business processes - Michelle has worked on innovative technology transformation projects in countries all around the world.

As well as Co-Founding Intelledox, Michelle started a highly successful technology, communications and logistics company in 1998 – The Communication Link - working on behalf of corporate and government VIPs from around the world. This included arranging official government visits to Australia by Madeleine Albright (US Secretary of State) and William Cohen (US Secretary of Defense), and the management of various Sydney Olympic and Paralympic projects.

Michelle is a past winner in the Telstra and ACT Government’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards, and her business Intelledox is a multiple winner in the Telstra Business Awards, in the AIIA iAwards, in the Australian Exporter of the Year Awards, in both the Deloitte Fast 100 and the BRW’s Fast 100 list, and in the Anthill Cool Company Awards.

Cameron Schwab is an experienced CEO, leadership coach and organisational specialist. He works with Boards, CEOs and executive teams, as well as coaches and coaching teams, to build leadership capability, particularly as it relates to organisational performance and transformation.

He has been a leader in the dynamic, heavily scrutinised and multifaceted professional sports industry for over 30 years in the major Australian sporting competition, the Australian Football League (AFL).

His leadership career commenced at just 20 years of age, overseeing talent identification and player recruitment at the Melbourne Football Club. He was appointed CEO of the Richmond Football Club at age 24, the youngest in the history of the AFL. For the next 25 years, he was CEO of three AFL clubs, Richmond, and the Melbourne and Fremantle clubs, ranking him in the eighth longest serving CEO in the 150 years of the sport. He was also CEO of the AFL’s Official Website, www.afl.com.au.

Cameron’s expertise centres on performance turnaround through strategic renewal, innovation and commercial enhancement by building organisational capability and creating clarity of focus. He is a positive and creative thinker and communicator with highly developed strategic skills, and a track record of unifying organisations whilst navigating periods of genuine adversity and change.

He holds an MBA and Master of Marketing from the Melbourne Business School. He has also completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at the Harvard Business School, as well as the Harvard program on Board Effectiveness. He is a Vincent Fairfax Fellow of the Centre of Ethical Leadership (CEL) at University of Melbourne.

John is a powerful presenter, trainer, facilitator, mentor and author. His painful personal experience with burnout, and subsequent recovery while in a senior leadership role, motivated him to start helping other high achievers, business owners, corporate executives and leaders in similar positions to turn their personal and professional lives around.

Since 2010, John has helped hundreds of busy people on the brink of burnout to integrate their work with their personal lives. Through his guidance and proven Whole-of-Life methodology, they have gone on to successfully pursue audacious business goals and build and implement healthy and holistic lifestyles.

John is a people-oriented person with a collaborative leadership style who loves to see individuals and organisations fulfill their potential.

Claire Rogers is chief executive of World Vision Australia, the country’s largest not-for-profit organisation, working in partnership across 90 countries to provide short and long term assistance to 100 million people.

Claire, a social innovator, has a proven track record of strategising and delivering major change initiatives, helping organisations adapt to the tech-disrupted economy, aligning physical and digital execution to maximise opportunities.

Claire was recently head of digital channels at ANZ Bank, spearheading its digital transformation, leading mobile and internet banking and digital security.

A highly networked influencer, Claire brings to different environments finely-honed communication and negotiation skills, strength and compassion that creates strong community buy-in and support.

Claire has an MBA from Melbourne Business school, formerly chair of Ridley College Melbourne and is a director on the board of ACFID, the Australian international charities industry peak body.