ANNA MEARES OAM
Anna Meares OAM is one of Australia’s greatest athletes and most accomplished cyclists, renowned for her resilience, dedication, and unparalleled achievements.
Over her 15-year career, Anna claimed 18 gold, 13 silver, and 16 bronze medals in Olympic, World, and Commonwealth Games, cementing her legacy as the most decorated female cyclist globally with 11 world titles.
In 2008, just seven months after breaking her neck, Anna defied the odds to win Olympic silver in Beijing. She made history in 2016 as the first Australian to win individual medals at four consecutive Olympic Games.
In her post-competitive career, Anna has continued to inspire. As Chef de Mission, she led the Australian Olympic Team to their best-ever performance at Paris 2024 and will reprise her leadership for Los Angeles 2028​
JOHN GEORGE - Executive Chairman, MGA Whittles Group
John George OAM has played a key role in shaping the MGA Whittles Group into one of Australia’s leading insurance broking and strata management firms. His career in insurance began in 1965, and in 1975, he founded what is now known as MGA Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd. Since then, MGA has grown into one of the largest insurance broking networks in Australia, with an office in Cambodia.
In 1985, he expanded into strata management by acquiring Whittles, which now manages over 80,000 units. He continues as Executive Chairman, guiding the group’s future.
Through the MGA Whittles Group, John and Co-Founders have supported numerous charitable initiatives, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Variety – the Children’s Charity. However, John is also a strong advocate for AllKids, a Cambodian-based organisation that provides education and essential services to disadvantaged children. His dedication to both business and community service was recognised in 2013 when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Outside of work, John has a passion for motorsports and aviation. He won the South Australian Rally Championship in 1992 and held a private pilot’s license, using his skills for both business and leisure. His leadership and generosity continue to inspire those within MGA Whittles Group and beyond.
JONATHAN MARTIN - MACQUARIE BANK
Fraud Awareness – Everybody is a target; don’t be a victim’
Reducing risk exposure to fraud across your business is a vital activity. It is important to remain vigilant to the potential threats and likely exposure to fraud, faced by your business and your clients. Recently, there has been a significant increase in attempts to de-fraud businesses using sophisticated methods such as business email compromises, deepfakes and scams.
Jonathan Martin, Global Investigations & Fraud Training Director in Macquarie Group’s Global Security division, will be delivering an informative session that will update you on the current fraud trends that can affect your business (as well as your own personal life) and how best to mitigate the risks by following correct procedures and avoiding potential losses.
Jonathan has over 30 years of experience in fraud investigations and fraud risk services. Jonathan has worked on numerous investigations, including some of the world’s largest, on major financial fraud and insurance fraud throughout Europe, India, Asia and Australia. He is currently the Global Insider Threat & Fraud Investigations Director in Macquarie Group’s Global Security division.
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LISA DOWIE – CEO, Active Utilities
Lisa is the CEO of Active Utilities, where she drives purpose-led initiatives placing employees and customers at the heart of organisational strategy. With over 20 years of experience spanning finance, technology, property, telecommunications, and energy industries, Lisa has led transformative efforts across the globe. Notably, she spearheaded large-scale transformations with Accenture and JPMorgan in the UK and played a pivotal role in ANZ, Telstra, and as a founding executive at PEXA, a homegrown prop-tech unicorn.
Lisa's passion for sustainability and corporate responsibility led her to Active Utilities, where she champions the shift towards sustainable communities and environmental stewardship. She is thrilled to see businesses embracing their environmental, social, and governance responsibilities more meaningfully, recognising the critical role they play in shaping a better future for generations to come
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LIZ MASEN - Director & Senior Facilitator, Team8 - CEO, Athlete Assessments
Deep Dive into DISC
Liz is a Director and Senior Facilitator of Team8 and Athlete Assessments,
overseeing the direction of these international business and sports consultancy companies for the last 18 years. She has previously been a Subject Matter Expert on behavioral profiling in sport for the University of Florida’s Institute for Coaching Excellence; and has presented at numerous conferences in Australia and globally.
With a well established and proven track record in the sports and business industry spanning almost two decades, Liz has a unique perspective and position to bring to her work. Through her deep understanding and work experience with leaders and coaches across the globe, she benefits from this connection and insight into their day-to-day roles, and is able to translate this across industries to enhance the professional development of others.​
PAUL GEORGE – Managing Director, MGA Insurance Group
Paul has been working in the general insurance industry for over 30 years, starting out with Insurers over the first 10-years of his career. These included MMI, Mercantile Mutual, and NZI Insurance, before joining MGA as a broker in 1997.
In 1999, Paul and wife Annette moved to Victoria to set up an MGA office in West Melbourne. 2002 saw a move from Melbourne to Sydney as part of a new business acquisition, eventually heading home to Adelaide in 2008.
Appointed Managing Director in 2012, Paul has been a member of the MGA board since 2005 and also the Whittles board. Paul has been chair of the MGA Whittles Foundation since 2016.
Outside of work, Paul and wife Annette keep busy chasing around three boys, Will, Sam and Eddie - all Crows fans (except one, a Collingwood supporter). Paul and Annette enjoy going out to see Crows home games and all enjoy the river and water-sports
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RICHARD DORE – Proteus Leadership, Co-CEO & Lead Educator
Richard Dore is a dynamic storyteller and keynote speaker, blending humour, insight, and just the right touch of provocation to challenge mindsets and complacency.
As the Co-CEO of Proteus Leadership, he brings decades of experience in transforming workplace cultures and shaping leadership excellence.
Richard’s presentations go beyond inspiration, delivering practical strategies through engaging stories that resonate deeply. He equips teams with actionable insights to tackle the real challenges of leadership today, always with a dash of wit that keeps audiences entertained and thinking.
Richard’s approach empowers people to drive performance, build resilience, and foster transformational change.
Attendees leave not just motivated, but ready to lead with purpose and spark meaningful change.
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SARAH SOLLY – MGA Claims Specialist
For the past eight years, Sarah has been a member of the MGA Operations team, specialising in the claims system management.
A major focus Sarah's work has been the evolution of our centralised claim form, which has been continuously improved to capture essential information and facilitate effective claim triaging. By optimising these processes, we have enhanced operational efficiency and strengthened our ability to deliver prompt and effective solutions for our clients.
Beyond process improvements, we have built and maintained strong relationships with underwriters, allowing them expedite claims settlements & provide mutual support during catastrophe events.
With a deep understanding of MGA claims operations and a commitment to efficiency, accuracy, and client advocacy, Sarah is passionate about ensuring a seamless claims experience that delivers optimal outcomes for all stakeholders.
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