OVATIONS - Key Persons
As one of Australia's most globally acknowledged AI technologists and technology communicators, Amanda's contributions have been celebrated by TIME as a Next Generation Leader and by The CEO Magazine with the Start-up Executive of the Year award. In 2023, LinkedIn awarded her as a Top Voice in Artificial Intelligence.
Job Titles:
- Advisory Board Member of the Australian Geographic Society
- Community Organiser
Anna Rose is an Australian author, community organiser and campaigner who works on a number of strategic initiatives to help Australia make progress tackling the climate crisis. She works with a small team of people to help ordinary people use their time, talent and treasure in the most strategic way possible as part of the grassroots climate movement. She is also co-founder with her friends Clare and Arielle of Australia's first climate advocacy-focused giving circle, Groundswell.
Anna comes from a long line of farmers from the Hunter Valley, Liverpool Plains and North West Slopes of NSW, and is currently a board Director with Farmers for Climate Action. Farmers for Climate Action is building a movement of farmers to take climate action behind and beyond the farm gate - putting those on the front lines of the climate crisis at the front and centre of the solutions. You can support their work here.
Previously she was National Manager for Earth Hour with WWF-Australia, where she developed public-facing climate change campaigns including ‘Lights Out for the Reef' and ‘Appetite for Change' in the lead up to the 2015 U.N. climate talks in Paris. Anna remains involved with WWF as a Governor.
Anna's climate change journey began in high school and continued at University, where she co-founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and was National Co-Director for five years. After ‘retiring' from AYCC, Anna co-starred in the ABC documentary ‘I Can Change Your Mind on Climate Change' and authored the book ‘Madlands: A Journey to Change the Mind of a Climate Sceptic' (MUP, 2012).
Anna previously convened the Vice-Chancellor's course in Leadership & Influence at the Australian National University. She is a former Churchill Fellow and a recipient of the Sierra Club's Earthcare award for her services to international environmental protection. She was the Australian Geographic Society's Conservationist of the Year 2015 and was a finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards (A.C.T.) the same year. She was a Myer Foundation Innovation Fellow in 2016-17. She was named one of the Australian Financial Review's 100 ‘Women of Influence' for 2019.
As the daughter of an English teacher, Anna is passionate about the power of writing to change hearts and minds. She has written for all major Australian newspapers and covered the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in 2012 as a journalist for online news outlet Crikey . More recently she has been a contributor to the book ‘The Motherhood' (Penguin, 2018) and the magazine Dumbo Feather.
Anna is an advisory board member of the Australian Geographic Society and the University of Queensland's Global Change Institute. She is a former Director of Solar Citizens, the Aussie Farmers Foundation and Green Music Australia. Anna is a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Climate Change Centre and an Associate of Melbourne University Sustainable Society Institute. Anna lives in Sydney with her husband Simon and their four-year old son.
Bourby Webster is a musician, rule breaker, game changer and advocate for women. She is also an experienced CEO, concert promoter, creative director, entrepreneur, mentor and consultant. Bourby founded the ground-breaking Perth Symphony Orchestra from which she retired as CEO and Creative Director in 2022.
Brad Twynham is a direct descendant of Bungaree, of the Garigal of Broken Bay and Matora of the Walkaloa of Lower Lake Macquarie. A direct bloodline custodian of the SaltWater People North of Sydney, the Stingray people.
Brad Twynham is a global speaker in resilience, innovation, and leadership. He has delivered his Radical Leadership Programs to corporations including Minter Ellison, DuluxGroup, Rio Tinto, Endeavor Group, IBM, ARTC, Queensland Health and Singularity U. Brad's keynotes and workshops are transformational and interactive and is a great addition to any event as a keynote speaker, breakout session or workshop.
Catherine Molloy is an International Speaker & Communication Expert, specialising in leadership, sales & service. With 25 years of experience in business, training, and facilitation, Catherine believes in creating effective engaging learning environments through powerful communication techniques. Catherine has immersed herself in the field of communication and body language psychology. It has anchored her authority as a Communication Master. Catherine holds a Masters Degree in Neuro-linguistic Programming as well as qualifications in Business, Leadership & Management and is a qualified DISC accredited consultant. Catherine is also the author of the best selling books: The Million Dollar Handshake and Conscious Leadership.
Catherine works internationally in the areas of business growth, customer service and leadership with communication as the overarching tool to success in these areas. Catherine developed the conscious connection framework after studying body language for over 30 years, and researching and understanding the theories behind behaviour styles. Catherine says when you take away the non-verbals and verbal language, globally you are left with the raw behaviour styles of people which is fantastic, as you can sell, serve and lead anyone, anywhere in the world.
Catherine's journey in Sales began in the 1980s topping sales nationally with the Commercial Bank of Australia and Westpac Bank. She then owned and operated a successful Real Estate business, and now owns and runs an international soft-skill training company based in Australia and has just won an International Sales and Leadership award. Catherine understands the joys and difficulties of owning and running a business and understands successful teams become more effective when they are consciously communicating and having fun.
Eve Ash is one of Australia's most successful producers of training films, television and multimedia packages. Eve is a national winner of the Telstra Businesswomens awards (Business Owner 1999), and has won over 140 international awards for creativity and excellence.
Eve trained and worked as a psychologist, and is now a popular public speaker, MC and business facilitator. Her books Rewrite Your Life (2002) and Rewrite Your Relationships (2004) (co-written by Rob Gerrand) were published by Penguin Books.
Eve is an entertaining public speaker and business facilitator who gets great audience reaction. She covers a diversity of topics including health and well-being, success and motivation, management, communication, service, leadership, coaching, change, feedback, teamwork, presentation skills, conflict resolution, relationships, internet dating and film distribution.. She has been a keynote speaker and/or MC at a wide range of conferences, and can handle all levels from CEOs and senior executives to those on the shopfloor, in offices and based in other countries.
Eve worked for the Australian Government as a psychologist and trainer, and founded Seven Dimensions in 1979. She pioneered the comedy training film business in Australia, and in 1986 she teamed up with fellow psychologist, Peter Quarry, to create another internationally successful company - Ash.Quarry Productions. Eve has produced over 500 training films, videos and television episodes, and a world famous range of feedback assessment tools. Eve established offices in New Zealand and the USA, and her programs are distributed in 40 countries.
Her programs have won top honours at festivals in NY, Chicago and London. There are over 10,000 client organisations internationally, which have purchased or used products created by Seven Dimensions and Ash.Quarry Productions, including more than half the Fortune 500 companies in USA. Eve is a Patron of Marie Stopes International Australia. She has made a significant contribution to health education, in areas of sex education, AIDS, nutrition, cancer, MS, aging, diabetes and visual impairment.
Geoffrey Atherden is a lapsed architect who launched himself slowly into a writing career back in the days of the Architecture Reviews at Sydney University He practised architecture for many years, and during this time he was a major contributing writer for the first series of THE AUNTY JACK SHOW (ABC TV).
He is best known for his television series MOTHER AND SON and has won numerous awards for it as well as for other television work including EGGSHELLS, ONE DAY MILLER and a United Nations Media Peace Prize for BABAKIUERIA His comedy drama series, GRASS ROOTS, was broadcast on ABC television.
His first play, HOTSPUR, commissioned by the Melbourne Theatre Company, played successful seasons in Melbourne and Sydney in 1994. In 1997, he started rewriting his MOTHER AND SON series for the BBC Retitled as KEEPING MUM, the series was produced and broadcast in 1997 and a second series in 1998 Other productions from translations of his original scripts include MADRE Y HIJO (Chile 1995), MAMAN, CHERIE (Quebec 1998), GLOEM INTE MAMMA! (Sweden 1998) and PAS PA MOR (Denmark 1998) A further production is about to start in South Africa (1999).
Geoffrey is an occasional contributor to a number of magazines and collections of short stories and has contributed cartoons and illustrations to a number of magazines and publications He is also a member of the Board of the New South Wales Film and Television Office and he was President of the Australian Writers' Guild from 1994 to1998.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach of the Australian
Graham Arnold is the current assistant coach of the Australian national football team or Qantas Socceroo's as they are more commonly known. He was appointed to work as an assistant to Frank Farina in 2000. When the FFA were looking to sign the now current coach Guus Hiddink his sole condition prior to signing was to talk with Graham to ascertain an insight into the current team and the basis of this was instrumental in Guus's decision to sign. This year was the first time Graham had finally made it to the World Cup after 5 previous attempts both as player and coach. He is a member of the Football Federation Australia Football Hall of Fame.
Graham was a striker who started his career at Canterbury-Marrickville in the New South Wales Premier League. He then moved to Sydney Croatia in Australia's now defunct NSL, where he was both the league's top goal scorer and player of the year in 1986. This was followed by a move overseas, where he made a name for himself in the Netherlands, playing for Roda JC and NAC Breda. He also spent time in Belgium with R.F.C.and Li?ge and R. Charleroi S.C.. He went on to play for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan towards the end of his career, before finally returning home to play for the Northern Spirit FC.
Graham Arnold has represent Australia's senior national team 56 times, scoring 19 goals (85 caps, 33 goals including unofficial matches and "B" internationals). He was given his full debut by Frank Arok in a World Cup Qualifier against Taiwan at Adelaide's Hindmarsh Stadium on October 23, 1985. He scored on his debut as the "Socceroos" went on to record a 7-0 victory. His international playing career came to a sad end on November 29, 1997 in a World Cup Qualifier against Iran at the M.C.G., where the score ended 2-2 and Australia was cruelly knocked out on the away goals rule after leading 2-0 for most of the match
Graham had a cameo role as a coach very early on in his career. He was coach for 2 games whilst he was a player at Sydney Croatia during the 1989/90 season. However, his proper coaching career started in 1998, when he was appointed player/manager of the Northern Spirit. He was the coach for 2 seasons, making the playoffs in their debut season. He was then appointed to the position of assistant national coach in 2000 and after 35 games, the Socceroo's have had 22 wins 5 draws and 7 losses including memorable victories against England, France and current World Cup Champions Brazil. GA has completed the highest coaching qualifications in this country and has worked with world renown coaches such as Terry Venebles,George Leekens and Eric Greets. He will be the first ever Australian born coach to take the Socceroos to the World Cup in 2006.
Aside from his coaching and general football duties Graham's priceless knowledge is often required in the media, he is a regular on Fox Sports Football as well as 2SM radio and is continually called upon by the press for analytical quotes. With his unique tactical knowledge into motivating his players to qualify and then prepare for a World Cup he is fast becoming a sort after man on the speaking circuit. So what does the future bestow for Graham Arnold? Already international clubs are tempting him to leave our shores but he has started a legacy here in Australia that he would like to continue for many years to come and what better way than to take your national team to the World Cup in Germany 2006.
Inbal Rodnay is a former programmer, entrepreneur, and innovator who helps businesses create effective technology strategies and thriving cultures of innovation. She co-hosts the Agents of Change show and is the CEO of Theory and Motion.
Ivan Cleary is one of the most successful NRL coaches of the modern era. His relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to nurturing talent has helped him cement the ‘Cleary' name in Australian sporting folklore.
Known for his relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to nurturing talent, Ivan has solidified the 'Cleary' name in Australian sporting history. His leadership has fostered a culture of discipline, camaraderie, and effort, exemplifying him as a dominant force in the NRL.
Bringing a wealth of experience and wisdom, Ivan, an advocate for culture, leadership, and community, shares insights drawn from his journey as both player and coach.
Currently residing in Penrith, Ivan is eager to share the steps in his path to success in overcoming failure and adversity. As a keynote speaker Ivan brings an unparalleled expertise, motivation, and winning mindset to his audiences.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Client Experiences
Kath Koschel has faced almost unimaginable hurdles. In her mid-twenties, she broke her back and was told she may never walk again.
In the midst of these harrowing experiences, Kath created the Kindness Factory on social media to share her small acts of kindness, hoping to inspire a groundswell of people to join her. Her idea went viral: millions of acts have since been logged, giving birth to the 'Kindness Curriculum'-a blueprint for happiness, resilience and connection.
Kath Koschel founded the Kindness Factory in November 2015, a global not for-profit organisation and movement that inspires ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Over six million acts of kindness (and counting) have since been logged. To date, she has raised close to half a million dollars for various charity organisations, and she was the recipient of the 2016 Pride of Australia Medal for showing courage in the face of extreme adversity. In January 2017, Kath was awarded the Young Australian Medal and in 2018 she was the National Australia Day Ambassador.
Resilience expert Kath Koschel is a testament to what is possible with a positive mindset and dedication to serving others. From breaking her back twice to losing her partner - all within the span of five years - instead of being mad at the world, she chose to spread kindness throughout it and become the best version of herself. As founder of Kindness Factory, she has inspired more than four million acts of kindness across the globe and has powered an uplifting movement for people who want to be and do better.
Job Titles:
- First South African Coach
- Role of Coach of South Arica
Mickey Arthur was the type of player who commanded universal respect through his dedication and always showed the attributes of being a good coach. He managed to score a total of 6,557 runs playing for Free State, Griqualand West and South Africa before hanging up his boots. He commenced his coaching career by coaching Griquas in the South African domestic competition before taking over the Eastern Cape side. In his last two series as coach Mickey managed to guide the team to the finals of the Standard Bank Pro 20 Series. He was selected as coach of the South African National Cricket team, succeeding Ray Jennings.
He had a tough introduction into international cricket as his first two Test series as coach happened to be against a rampant Australian team, both away and at home, during which South Africa was easily beaten. An injury hit South Africa failed to make the finals of the VB Series, but they did clinch a tense one-day series win over Australia at home, which culminated in an iconic match at Johannesburg which has been acclaimed by many media commentators as being the greatest One Day International Match ever played. The match broke many cricket records, including both the first and the second team innings score of over 400 runs.
Mickey became the first South African coach to guide his team to a test win in Australia. The team backed up this performance by winning the resulting One-Day International series against the odds. This unexpected 4-1 win meant that they regained the number one ranking in the One Day International rankings.
Nora Fraser, a finalist for the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and AHRI Awards & Scholarships in 2023, stands out as a Global Recognition Award Winner. A committed advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the workplace, Nora's achievements extend beyond accolades. Her article in Pro Bono Australia, published on May 5, 2023, underscores her commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive cultures. Nora has also spoken alongside Hillary Clinton, the 67th United States Secretary of State, at the 2024 Women in Leadership Summit where she discussed the critical link between inclusion and high performance in teams. Nora is a sought-after speaker renowned for her expertise in empowering diverse talent, collaborating with corporations to optimise acquisition pipelines, and drive transformative change across various industries. Her wealth of insights and strategic acumen positions her as a valuable resource for businesses seeking to lead the way in championing diversity and inclusivity through engaging and impactful speaking engagements.
Nora is an inspiring People & Culture Leader driven by an entrepreneurial mindset and Founder of the Multicultural Professional Network. Nora has a wealth of experience and an extensive background in the private & public sectors. She has been involved in the implementation of key diversity and inclusion programmes for global organisations across Australia, Europe and the UK. Nora has also spoken alongside Hillary Clinton, the 67th United States Secretary of State, at the 2024 Women in Leadership Summit where she discussed the link between inclusion and high performance in teams
Peter Baines OAM, is one of Australia's leadership experts having road tested leadership the hard way. Peter spent 22 years with the NSW Police leading teams in response to acts of terrorism and natural disasters on a scale not previously seen.
Peter was part of the leadership team that responded to Bali after the bombings in 2002 and was called in 2005, to lead international teams in response to the Tsunami of December 26, 2004 in South East Asia. Peter headed up multiple rotations into Thailand leading international teams in the identification process of those who died. All the time his leadership theories were tested in this trying environment.
Creating sustainable leadership became a passion of his after witnessing the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. He was deeply touched by the number of children left without parents by the disaster and was inspired to set up an organisation that could make a significant difference in the lives of these children. In late 2005, Hands Across the Water was formed to raise funds for, and awareness of, the children of Thailand who were left alone. Today Hands, has raised over $30 million Australian dollars. Hands, now has operations in seven different locations within Thailand and provide a home to several hundred children every night.
The work of the charity has always taken a different approach to most in that they focus on creating meaningful shared experiences for their supporters. A cornerstone event of the work of Hands are the long distance bike rides that you will find Peter leading throughout the year in Thailand.
His final years with the NSW Police were spent on secondment to the National Institute of Forensic Science where he worked on national and international capacity building projects around counter terrorism and leadership. He spent time advising Interpol in France and the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime in South East Asia. Peter was engaged by the Government of Saudi Arabia following the deadly floods in Jeddah, to review their response and provide advice concerning crisis mitigation and leadership. In 2011 he deployed to Japan in response to the tsunami that would claim thousands of lives there.
Peter has received various awards including an Order of Australia Medal in 2014, for his International Humanitarian work, and in 2016 he was awarded The Fifth Class of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn awarded by the King of Thailand
In 2010 he was a NSW finalist for the Australian of the Year awards and he was the first Australian to be awarded the international honour of a Rotary Professional Excellence Award in 2008. He received the NSW Police Service Medal and the Australian Federal Police Operations Medal, for his work in Asia. He was the first NSW Police Officer to be awarded the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal and Australian National Medal. He has completed university studies in Law, Forensic Science and post graduate studies in Management.
Peter has written three books the latest released in 2023, Leadership Matters published by Wiley. Hands Across the Water was his first book and was published by Pan MacMillan in 2011 followed by and Doing Good by Doing Good, published by Wiley in 2014.
When not traveling for work you are likely to find Peter with his wife Claire on their rural property tending to the Hereford cattle they bred. His other pursuits he tackles with a passion is flying helicopters and running ultra marathons. In 2024, to acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami he will run 1320km's in just 26 days in Thailand.
Rael Bricker holds two Masters degrees, an MBA and MSc (Software Engineering) and an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (BSc Eng). Rael is currently a Fellow of the MFAA. (Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia), a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) of PSA (Professional Speakers Australia) and a Member of AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors).
Rael is also the Author of "Dive In : Lessons learnt since business school".
As a seasoned entrepreneur who turned a health scare into motivation, Rael Bricker leverages his diverse experiences from finance to education, on two continents and two listed companies. He serves businesses globally, having navigated challenges from starting companies to managing billions in loans. His partnerships are a blend of real-world experience with academic qualifications (MBA, MSc, CSP) to guide people and companies towards excellence.
Simon T. Bailey is a compelling Business Thought Leader in this 'New Normal' era who teaches audiences how to creatively release leadership and organizational brilliance. His expertise is based on his work with over 1,000 organizations and as a former leader of the world-renowned Disney Institute.
Meetings and Conventions Magazine cited him as one of the best keynote speakers ever heard or used, in the same category as General Colin Powell, Bill Gates, and Zig Ziglar. He has positively impacted the lives of over one million people through his practical interactive sessions, action-oriented programs, and Internet presence. His counsel from the C-Suite to the front-line drives productivity, increases accountability, shifts thinking, and ignites creativity.
His transformational insights connect viscerally with audiences and have earned Simon recognition as one of the Top 25 Speakers shaping the Speaking Profession. He is the author of the highly anticipated new book 'The Vuja de Moment (pronounced voo-ja-day)' Shift from Average to Brilliant. This is the sequel to his breakout bestseller, Release Your Brilliance, and ranked No.17 of the Top 100 books being read by Corporate America.
He holds a master's degree from Faith Christian University and was inducted as an honorary member of the University of Central Florida Golden Key International Honor Society. He also is a graduate of Rollins College Executive Management Program (Top 25 best private graduate business schools in the USA). Simon is a Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation for the National Speakers Association and International Federation of Professional Speakers.
Tim's down-to-earth style and real-life humor leaves a lasting impression that audiences will benefit from for years to come. His skillful use of ordinary items in extraordinary ways and extraordinary items in everyday ways make him one of the most popular main stage speakers on the platform today. Becoming more resilient is not about telling jokes or laughing at everything. Instead of making light of serious issues, Tim shines a light on unseen possibilities for solutions to difficult situations. He demonstrates how to be professional, yet light-hearted throughout all his programs.