Hailing from Denmark, we are delighted to welcome Past Rotary International Treasurer Per Hoyen who will be the Rotary International President's Personal Representative (RIPPER) for our conference.  Perter served as a Director on the Board of Rotary International for the 2014-16 term and was selected as Treasurer for the 2015-16 year.   We look forward to welcoming Past Director Per and Anette to Bendigo.
Sarah Brown shares a story of belonging, of being at home and the importance of a place for patients to call home.  As the CEO of Western Desert Dialysis [aka The Purple House], Sarah displays a passion which is incredibly infectious.   The Purple House has grown to include a Purple Truck which delivers so much more than machines and medicine
One Life. Persist To Improve Many.
Dr Jordan Nguyen certainly didn’t plan to almost to break his neck diving into a swimming pool. The experience did, however, change his life forever, and drove him to want to understand and support those people dealing with the challenges of people living with a disability. As a result, he invented a mind-controlled smart wheelchair, for high-level physical disability that has changed the lives of hundreds of people.
In this presentation, Jordan shares his incredible journey from university student to world changer. He shares insights from his journey and provides the audience with the tools enabling them to identify a problem, innovate and activate a solution.
Beth Wilson will tell us about her three terms as Health Complaints Commissioner where she spent a good deal of her time pursuing charlatans and con-men who prey on the terminally ill and peddle expensive dodgy treatments and useless gadgets. As the Health Complaints Commissioner, she was the patients' advocate and from investigating major blunders and abuses to hearing grumbles about doctors’ bedside manner, she undertook both investigator and mediator in often complex, often emotionally fraught situations where the facts were frequently contested.  ​
Faced with the confronting personal situation of her husband’s diagnosis that he had early stages of Alzheimer’s, Cathy Roth set out to make a difference for her husband as he faced loss of professional identity as a Consulting Surgeon and to maintain the essential contacts and network he had in his professional life.  Hear Cathy share her journey to start PALZ, a support group for professionals with Alzheimers.  
Professor Eoin Killackey is an Australian pioneer in the development of treatments for first episode psychosis, particularly among adolescents. He is the Associate Director of Research, Head of Functional Recovery Research and Professor of Functional Recovery in Youth Mental Health at Orygen. Orygen is the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.  Eóin’s research is primarily in helping young people with mental illness recover well. This includes finding ways to help young people with their education and employment and improve their physical health. 
Tom Gleisner is a writer, producer and performer and a founding member of Working Dog, one of Australia's most dynamic and successful creative partnerships. Along with his collaborators Rob Sitch, Jane Kennedy and Santo Cilauro, Tom has been responsible for top rating television series such as Utopia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Hollowmen, Thank God You’re Here, All Aussie Adventures, The Panel, and Frontline, as well as the feature films, The Dish, The Castle, and Any Questions For Ben?  Tom will share his journey of so many “Australian cultural moments”.  
​Jordan Fallon served as President of Rotary Club of Kurri Kurri in 2015-16.  As an inspiring young leader, at that time he was 19, his focus and awareness of youth suicide enabled him to lead and work with his club to deliver to the broader community.   Jordan recently attended Future Leaders Seminar in Darwin and is highly regarded in District 9650.
​Brendan Foran is the National CEO of Greening Australia and previously worked as Corporate Affairs Manager for Alcoa and as Environmental Program Leader for Conservation Volunteers Australia.  Prior to his work in Australia, Brendan established and operated a successful business in the UK, and has traveled extensively to study business practice in a number of other countries, including Iceland, to which he traveled as a GSE team member.  Identifying organisational leadership and strategic partnership opportunities has been a key focus for Brendan, and he strongly believes that leaders in all arenas have a responsibility to be drivers of positive change.
Dave Burt is the Founder and Director of Sport & Life Training (SALT).  During his younger years, Dave was successful in a range of different sports.  For 30 years, he was a PE teacher and School Chaplain.  As the Sports Chaplain and Head of Welfare at the Eastern Ranges Football Club, he oversaw the development and maintenance of their core values.  Dave has served as the Victorian Coordinator for Sports Chaplaincy Australia and the Crisis Response Chaplain for a number of football leagues.  Dave is married with three adult children and has a Masters Degree in Guidance and Welfare.  
Murray Baird joined the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission as Assistant Commissioner after a career as a private legal practitioner in the not-for-profit sector. As well as advising, writing and presenting on not-for-profit legal issues, Murray has acted in several leading cases in the field of charity law and he also has practical experience of not-for-profit issues through a number of roles in the sector. He has also served on boards of schools, church and community organisations and was formerly a Director of Australian Charity Law Association and Appeals Officer for the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct.
Kirsty Sword-Gusmao AO was born in Melbourne in 1966, and was raised in Bendigo.  After working with Australian Volunteers International in 1991, she joined the Refugee Studies Program at Oxford University, then travelled to Timor-Leste as a researcher and interpreter for the television documentary 'In Cold Blood:  The Massacre of East Timor'.  Her story is well known, having met Xanana Gusmao during visits to the Cipinang Prison in Jakarta, falling in love and marrying.  Kirsty served as Timor Leste's First Lady during Xanana's term as President from 2002 to 2007.  During this time she founded the Alola Foundation and continues as Chair today.