Keynotes

Day 1 Speakers

Simon Thiessen

Simon Thiessen is a senior organisational culture consultant, learning facilitator, accredited mediator, and executive coach with more than 30 years of experience helping organisations build workplaces where people are motivated to bring their best selves to work - and where they achieve outstanding results.

He is the creator of Authenticity, a research-based culture transformation framework that enables organisations to shift from aspirational values to lived culture. Drawing on his background as a CEO, COO, and Chief People Officer, Simon combines deep theoretical understanding with lived leadership experience to help client translate culture and leadership theory into practical, measurable results.

Simon's clients describe him as a rare mix of strategist, storyteller, and straight-talker. His sessions challenge assumptions, provoke meaningful reflection, and equip leaders with tools they can apply immediately. Over three decades, he has led major national culture and leadership programs, facilitated thousands of workshops, and spoken to hundreds of thousands of people in audience across Australia and internationally.

As a keynote speaker and host of The Culture Nerds podcast, Simon brings insight, humour, and practical wisdom to conversations about leadership, authenticity, and workplace culture.

Simon has served on numerous professional and charitable boards, including the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Meetings Industry Association of Australia.

Kurt Fearnley AO

Three time Paralympic gold medalist and two time Commonwealth Games gold medalist. He has won over 40 marathons, including New York, Chicago and London in a career spanning more than 20 years. In 2009 he crawled the Kokoda track, in Papua New Guinea, to raise awareness of men's health. Was a member of the winning Sydney to Hobart yacht crew, Investec Loyal in 2012 and was the New South Wales Australian of the Year for 2019.

Raised in the small country town of Carcoar, Kurt Fearnley has always been determined. Being born without the lower portion of his spine has never held him back, from backyard games of football to crewing a winning Sydney to Hobart yacht, crawling the Kokoda Track and winning dozens of marathons around the world.

Turning his attention to wheelchair sports in his teens, Kurt quickly became a world beater. He started his career with two Silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games, before making his winning breakthrough at the 2004 Athens Paralympics with Gold in the 5000m and marathon races. Following the 2004 games, Kurt conquered the world, winning seven world championships and more than 30 marathons around the globe, including 10 marathons in 2007 and three straight New York marathon titles. He solidified his standing as a marathon great by defending his Gold medial at the Beijing Paralympics, before winning Bronze at the London games in 2012 and finishing his Paralympic career with Silver in the marathon at the 2016 Rio games. Kurt finished his Australia representative as he started it, on home soil, with a win in the marathon at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

In 2009 Kurt spent two week's in Papua New Guinea crawling the 96 kilometre Kokoda Track raising awareness and funding for men's health charity Movember and beyond blue. In 2012 he was an active member of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race winning crew abroad Investec Loyal.

Kurt is a passionate disability advocate and devotes himself to a number of national and Hunter-based charitable initiatives. He is a board member of the Australian Paralympic Committee, Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation and member of the International Paralympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Council. Kurt is former board member of Australian Volunteers International and NSW Australia Day Council and was a founding member of the National Disability Insurance Scheme's Advisory Council. His involvement at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games wasn't limited to competing, having been a member of the formal bid team, Games Technical Committee and an official ambassador. Kurt's exploits both in and out of the sport over many years have seen him recognised with a number of honours including 2019 NSW Australian of the year, 2009 NSW Young Australian of the Year and 2018 The Don winner as the Australian sports person most likely to inspire the nation. In 2018 Kurt was recognised as an Officer of the Australian Order, and received and Honourary Doctorate from Griffith University for his contribution to sport disability advocacy.


Day 2 Speakers

Winitha Bonney OAM

Winitha is a globally recognised and award-winning leader and speaker. She's got a background as a professional dancer as well as over 20 years experience as a C-Suite executive working in North America and Australia, leading organisation-wide transformation projects and managing billions of dollars.

Winitha was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2021 and is known for being a dynamic speaker and thought leader. She is obsessed with motivation for change in business and leadership and is recognised as one of the world's leading experts in inclusion. 

Winitha is committed to delivering real truths in an empowering, challenging and entertaining way.

She's a status-quo breaker, problem-solver, change motivator and your number one cheerleader.

Winitha will help you succeed.

Mykel Dixon

Mykel Dixon is an award-winning speaker and author, master facilitator and recognised authority of Creativity, Culture and the Human Future of Work. He works globally with a stellar cast of Fortune 500 and ASX 200 listed companies who want to liberate themselves from boring work, bland events and beige bosses. 

A jazz musician by trade, gypsy by nature, fierce non-conformist and prolific anti-perfectionist, Myke leads a new wave of conscious, creative business leaders who strive to make work feel more like play, teams feel more like family, and organisations feel more like festivals of possibility. In 2018, he was named Australia’s Breakthrough Speaker of The Year (by the Professional Speakers Association) and in 2021, his second book Everyday Creative was named the #1 Leadership book in Australia by the esteemed Australian Business Book Awards. 

Blending his unique career and life experience, an obsession for audience participation and a magnetic stage presence, Myke’s live learning experiences are unrivalled. Fusing live music, spoken-word poetry, visual storytelling and spontaneous audience interaction. Just like that time you were upgraded to first class, once you’ve experienced a Mykel Dixon anything, it’s hard to go back to coach.

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