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| Guest Speakers
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| This year's assembly of speakers for the District 9800 Conference is one of our finest and most inspirational yet.
Amongst a long list of speakers who will inform and inspire you to change the way you think about yourself and your ability to make a difference in the world are:
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Janet Holmes à Court, AC, HFAIB.
| Janet Holmes à Court AC, HFAIB is not only one of Australia’s wealthiest and most socially influential women, but truly a woman who embodies the Australian ethos of both “having a good honest crack” whilst providing others with “a fair go”.
| Following the passing of her late husband Robert Holmes à Court, Janet took over management of Heytesbury Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest private companies. While many feared that Janet would turn the company on its head, the cynics turned out to be pleasantly surprised when she did just exactly that – in her own words, Janet tipped a highly hierarchical organisation “upside down” and empowered those within - and subsequently saw the company grow exponentially in size, results and capability.
Known for her philanthropy as well as for her involvement and patronage of the arts, medical research and charities, Janet has also been actively involved in the furtherance of many progressive social issues from the Republican movement to world peace. To add to a long list of credits, Janet has also held numerous fellowship and board positions, including a position on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
A loving grandmother of 12, she is cherished in return by the entire nation, The National Trust having named her on its list of “Australian Living Treasures”.
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Sam Walsh (B Com)
| As the Chief executive of Rio Tinto's Iron Group and Chairman of Rio Tinto China, Sam Walsh is one of Australia's, and many would agree, the world's, most powerful and influential businessmen.
Charged with responsibility for operations and projects in Australia, Canada, Guinea and India, more recently Sam's role as Chairman of Rio Tinto's China operations has been in the spotlight.
For anyone following the fate of detained Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu, Sam's face would be familiar - he has been pivotal in both communications with the Chinese Government and keeping the Australian public and Hu's family informed upon the dramatic allegations which have been levelled against Rio Tinto's representatives.
With all this playing out amidst billlions of dollars of pricing negotiations, Sam well understands the meaning of negotiating under pressure and the importance of ethics, values and propriety in the commercial world.
A patron of the arts, Sam is the Chair of the WA Chapter of the Australia Business Arts Foundation. He is also a Director of West Australian Newspapers and the Committee for Perth and was named both Australian Export Hero and Western Australian Citizen of the Year – Industry & Commerce in 2001.
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Dr Fiona Wood, AM.
| Dr Fiona Wood, AM, is one of the world's leading surgeons and the 2005 Australian of the Year.
| A pioneer in the field of burns treatment, Fiona lead a team of surgeons in 2002 who saved the lives of 28 victims of the Bali Bombings. With time critical to the prevention of infection, the reduction of permanent scarring and the immunological acceptance of skin grafts, Fiona's patented invention of "Spray On Skin" has saved countless lives. Cultured in as little as five days, the constantly improving invention has tremendously reduced the 21 day period it once took to produce new skin in vitro.
British by birth, Fiona is now one of our most treasured citizens. So much so in fact that the National Trust has proclaimed her one of our 100 Australian Living Treasures.
Fiona is presently a Director of the McComb Research Foundation, The Royal Perth Hospital Burns Unit and the Western Australia Burns Service. She further holds a Clinical Professorship with the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia.
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| | | Fred Chaney, AO.
| Fred Chaney, AO, is one of Australia’s foremost social justice advocates, having worked for over 30 years to advance the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
A Federal Liberal West Australian Senator as well, and later Member of the Federal House of Representatives, Fred’s political career spanned an enduring 30 years. Fred’s noteable career included terms as Minister of Administrative Services, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Social Security. Having worked to drive justice and change prior to his ministerial career while a law graduate, Fred helped establish Western Australia’s Aboriginal Legal Service working as a volunteer.
A lifelong passion, indigenous issues were again Fred’s focus upon leaving Parliament, Fred having since undertaken research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration at the University of Western Australia, as well as holding the positions of Deputy Chairman of the Australian Native Title Tribunal, Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia and Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, a body upon which he still serves on the Board of Directors. Noted for his political integrity and social justice vision, Fred’s work across human rights, social justice, anti-racism, equality and reconciliation issues has very often brought healing and lessened the divide between indigenous and non-indigenous Australian communities.
From a distinguished family of over-achievers, Fred has distinguished himself through his lifelong campaign to ensure some of the most disadvantaged Australians might in future share the same opportunities that have seen Fred achieve so much.
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| | | Dr Richard Reid
| Dr Richard Reid is one of Australia’s leading historians, specializing in the Irish-Australian emigration story, one Richard knows only too well being born and raised in Ireland himself.
Employed by the Federal Government as one of Australia’s official historians, Richard has worked within the Australian War Memorial and is one of our foremost experts upon Australia’s involvement in foreign wars. In 1993 it was Richard who led a team to return an unknown soldier to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Richard has also hosted tours to battle fronts at Gallipoli, Belgium and France.
Holding a Ph.D from the Australian National University on the history of Irish emigration to Australia in the period 1848-1870, Richard has written a number of books on the Irish-Australian experience.
Indeed this route of passage in flight from the Great Famine sees many Australians today holding Irish ancestry – the most recent Federal Census saw nearly 2 million Australians citing Irish ancestry. And as Richard can attest, come St Patrick’s Day on March 17th, almost everybody at least wishes they were Irish! After hearing Richard speak, this year you will no doubt see Ireland’s national day through a new set of Irish eyes.
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| | | Ron Denham
| Ron Denham is Rotary International's leading hand in tackling water and sanitation issues world wide.
| A Canadian Rotarian, Ron is a highly respected supply chain, logistics and operations consultant, and has held such esteemed positions as Chairman Emeritus of Stevenson Kellogg and Vice Chairman of KPMG Management Consulting in Canada.
Having risen to the top and authored text books in his professional field, since adopting a passion within Rotary for water and sanitation issues, Ron has quickly taken the lead in this field as well.
Chair of the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG), Ron is leading Rotary's efforts to help meet the challenges identified in the UN Millennium Development Goal of reducing the proportion of people without access to safe water and sanitation by 50% by 2015.
With 4600 children around the world dying every day due to water and sanitation issues, this is certainly a cause that should be dear to the hearts of every Rotarian.
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| | | Geoff Simpson
| As well as being the District Governor of District 9450, Geoff has worked for over 30 years with Western Australia's Water Corporation, helping commision Australia's first large scale desalination plant. .
| Given the on-going nature of the worst ever drought in our nation's history, water supplies around Australia have dwindled and numerous governments are now following Western Australia's lead in introducing desalnation.
However, with the introduction of desalination also comes the inevitable challenges - community resistance, environmental issues, efficiency, cost, water quality, salinity in waste water and much more. As a political hotbed, Geoff knows only too well that getting the system right is of critical importance - socially, politically, economically, environmentally and physically.
So how did Perth's Kwinana plant tackle these challenges successfully? No they didn't just ship all the salt to the nearest fast food restaurant, but Geoff will provide you with a great explanation exemplifying why he is "worth his salt".
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| | | James Dullard
| Country Fire Authority (CFA) Divisional Commander James Dullard was the man who took charge of the front-line firefighters in Kinglake amidst the tragedy of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.
| After our state's most devastating fires, many stories have emerged - heroism, loss, tragedy, bravery and a sense of questioning - what could have been done better to prevent such loss of life? Why did it happen on such a scale? How do we prevent it from occurring again?
As a senior officer of the CFA, James is able to provide insight into the challenges, feelings, fears and realisations that confronted so many of his team both at the firefront and after it passed. He has also witnessed first hand the loss, shock, disbelief and anguish experienced by Kinglake's residents in the wake of the fires, yet he has also seen a resilience emerge amongst the survivors, aided by the spirit of support in the broader community.
The touching tales of these people are a primary drive pushing James and others responsible for fire management to implement safeguards that ensure such a tragedy is never repeated again.
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| | | Justin Jones and James Castrission
| Justin Jones and James Castrission are two remarkable young Aussies who decided to paddle to New Zealand in a kayak.
| After another adventurer had attempted the same 3000km feat just months beforehand and had died doing so, this journey was one that could not be taken lightly. With lives on the line, both James and Justin were unerringly conscious that lapses could see them meet a perilous end.
But what would drive two young commerce graduates to attempt to "cross the ditch"? No strangers to tests of endurance, the two had run marathons, paddled the Murray River, sailed extensively and climbed a number of mountain peaks.
As experienced adventurers though, they knew that preparation was just one asset they would need to call upon. However perspiration and determination would be just as important in seeing through their goal - and as they learnt along the way, nature has a funny way of changing the goal posts - paddling in circles against the elements, they clocked up an extra 800km in their physically depleting journey to New Zealand's New Plymouth.
Today Justin and James share their secrets of survival, success, teamwork and getting the job done with audiences Australia-wide, explaining not just how they managed one of the great voyages of all time, but how the lessons they learnt are relevant to any other teamwishing to accomplish great things.
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| Click here and follow the links to book your place and hear speakers the likes of which you will never see assembled together again.
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