Keynote Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - DR KARL KRUSZELNICKI

Whenever the announcer gives out the phone number for Karl Kruszelnicki's famous Science Talkback show on Triple J, on Thursday mornings - so many calls come in that the ABC switchboard crashes!

Karl's media career began in 1981, when he started presenting 'Great Moments In Science' on Double J to pay his way through medical school. Since then, his media career has exploded from radio to include TV, books, newspapers, magazines, scripting, professional speaking, and of course, the Net. Karl has written 34 books to date, beginning with 'Great Moments In Science' in 1984, and includes such titles as 'It Ain't Necessarily So...'Bro' (2006), which was launched, quite literally, via rocket at Sydney's Bondi Beach (a world first). His latest two books, 'Game of Knowns' (for the grown ups) and 'Dr Karl's Big Book of Science Stuff and Nonsense' (for the kiddies), were released in October 2013.

In August 2000 Karl was one of first eight Australian Apple Masters to be announced (there are fewer than 100 in the entire world). The Apple Masters Program celebrates the achievements of people who are changing the world through their passion and vision, while inspiring new approaches to creative thinking. In September 2003, Dr Karl was bestowed with the great honour of being named 'Australian Father of the Year'. In March 2012, Dr Karl joined a rather exclusive list, when he was declared one of Australia's 100 National Living Treasures.

Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.

His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - INDIRA NAIDOO

During her 25-year award-winning journalistic career, Ms Naidoo has hosted and reported for some of the country’s most distinguished news and current affair programs. Now author, her first book, the best-selling ‘The Edible Balcony’ , about growing food in small spaces, was launched in London, Hong Kong and New York. Her follow up second book – ‘The Edible City’ - about community gardening will be published in August 2015. Last year she took a tour group to explore the rooftop farms of New York City. She has designed two award-winning food gardens for the Australian Garden Show Sydney, in Centennial Park, and through her garden company helps community groups build their own food gardens.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - ADAM G WILLIAMS

Adam is based in Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro, leading a multi-disciplinary team on the design and development of the Rio2016 Olympic Park, which includes the design of eight Olympic venues. In addition to this Adam is advising the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee on their preparations for the 2020 Summer Games. Previously, Adam was AECOM’s director for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - PETER BAINES

Peter Baines will tell you that he spent his 22 years working in the forensic area of the NSW Police providing "answers to questions". The questions aren't your normal ones though because they routinely concerned death and destruction on a fairly large level. He worked in Bali after the bombings, Thailand after the Boxing Day Tsunami. These days he says that he is still providing answers, but the questions are around providing homes for kids who have lost their parents and how you make all of that sustainable.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - STUART O’GRADY

Stuart O’Grady OAM (born 6 August 1973) is a retired Australian professional road bicycle racer, who rode as a professional between 1995 and 2013.

A former two x World Champion on the track, O’Grady and Graeme Brown won a gold medal in the Men’s Madison at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He rode in 6 Olympic Games, from Barcelona in 1992 through until The London Games in 2012, winning four medals in total.

O’Grady also won Paris–Roubaix in 2007.

O’Grady competed in the Tour de France 17 times, his first was in 1997 and contended for the points classification in the Tour de France known as the green jersey, finishing second in the 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2005 races. He wore the yellow jersey of general classification leader for 9 days total in 1998 and 2001.

Fast Facts

• 6 x Olympic Games
• Tour de France 17 times
• Tour Down Under (1999, 2001)
• Tour of Britain 1998
• National Road Race Championships (2003)
• HEW Classics (2004) GP Hamburg

• Paris–Roubaix (2007)
• World Championships 4th, 6th
• Tour of Flanders 3rd
• Milan San Remo 3rd, 4th, 5th
• GP Zurich 2nd
• Paris-Tours 3rd, 3rd

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - BEN PEACOCK

Biography – Ben Peacock Ben is an author, cancer survivor, co-founder of sustainability communications company Republic of Everyone and co-creator of the multi-award winning Garage Sale Trail and chief architect of 202020 Vision.

His talks focus on a positive vision of future and how companies, NGOs and governments can use the tools of strategy, sustainability and social media to take us there.

Ben's personal story is one of change itself. He was diagnosed with cancer at 33 and survived, choosing to turn his back on the world of advertising and marketing and instead apply these dark arts to doing good in the world.

Since then he has helped create sustainability communications for Lend Lease, Westpac, Unilever, NAB, Visy, Woolworths, Ikea, Kimberly-Clark, Vodafone, Origin, News Ltd and others.

In the world of NGOs, he has helped improve the fundraising and advocacy of brands including UNHCR, Cancer Council, Greenpeace, GetUp!, ACF, Médecins Sans Frontières, WWF and Amnesty to name a few.

Most famously, he was creative director on the Say Yes campaign and world renowned Tails for Whales. His work has won the NSW Government's Green Globe for Sustainability Communications twice and featured in the Global Green Awards. He is recipient of IFAWs Action Award, an honour he shares with Jamie Oliver.