Global Speakers

Tim is the CEO of Homestyle Aged Care a role he has held for over 4 years and has over 14 years of health experience including 12 years within aged care. Prior to Homestyle Tim was CEO of Provider Assist, a large aged care consulting service. With over 25 years of business experience he has held roles within finance – up to CFO, IT up to CIO, Project manager, Recruitment and CEO most recently; across a wide variety of industries within privately owned, publicly listed and not for profit organisations.
Tim is currently a Director, and on the audit and finance committee for the Victorian Cytology Service; sits on the Finance and Audit Committee for Rural Northwest Health and sits on the school council of the Wattle Park Primary School, for which he was previously treasurer

With over 30 years experience working in the healthcare sector both in Australia and the UK, Ann oversees Lifeview’s Special Projects including ‘A Better Visit’. Holding previous senior roles at Austin Health, Royal Freemasons, and Hertfordshire Adult Care Services (UK), Ann’s proven track record in change management, including structural change, and the implementation of effective performance management processes, ensures Lifeview easily adapts to industry and directional changes as need arises.

Dr Ghauri Aggarwal is the elected Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care Network and the chair of the Sydney Institute of Palliative Medicine. She has been involved for a number of years with the curriculum development and training of palliative medicine registrars and the strategic development of palliative care in New South Wales. Currently she is involved in teaching and development of palliative care in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Ghauri Aggarwal’s interests include interface between oncology and palliative medicine, undergraduate and postgraduate education in palliative care, communication skills and ethics and end of life decision making. She has co-authored a few publications on hospital based palliative medicine, pain management and is currently involved in research into end of life care.

Fiona Patten’s working life began as a fashion designer in Canberra. Today she is the founder and leader of REASON, a future-focused, evidence-based movement committed to delivering equality, sustainability and freedom through new methods of political engagement and pragmatic consultation.

In November 2014, Fiona was elected a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Northern Metropolitan region. She is one of a number of cross-benchers who hold the balance of power in Victoria’s Upper House.
Her decision to run for political office came after 20 years of lobbying for the rights of small business owners, sexual health organisations, sexual freedoms and censorship reforms. She was best known as the CEO of Australia’s national adult goods and services lobby group, the Eros Association.

Frustrated and deeply disappointed with the lack of social change on censorship, drug law reform, euthanasia and marriage equality, Fiona and her partner Robbie Swan set up and registered the Australian Sex Party in 2009, focusing on civil libertarian issues and personal freedoms.

Since being elected Fiona has garnered respect from all sides of the political divide and has worked tirelessly to deliver legislative reforms that many thought impossible.

Melissa Carey is an experienced registered nurse and academic, with an interest in the connection between culture and health. Melissa is from Anglo/Celtic/Māori descent which has inspired her Autoethnographic research on the impact of intergenerational cultural trauma upon the health and well-being of Māori people in Australia. Melissa is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Southern Queensland. She is currently working with Te Arai, Palliative Care and End of Life Research group at the University of Auckland, and plans to contribute to the Pae Herenga, traditional Maori end of life care customs research project.

Ms McCabe, RN, Post Grad Dip Adv MHN, PMHN, MBA, MAICD has a background in senior executive positions across the mental health and aged care sectors.

Since Ms McCabe’s appointment as CEO of Dementia Australia Vic in 2010, she has successfully overseen an 84% increase in staff and driven the development of the Perc Walkley Dementia Learning Centre, including the Virtual Dementia Experience – a world first multisensory environment for experiential learning in dementia care. This technology has won the state, national and international iAwards, the Microsoft Imagine Cup in the category of Global Citizenship and the Minister for Health Public Healthcare award in 2015.

Ms McCabe has also overseen the expansion of dementia support services in regional Victoria, including the establishment of multidisciplinary regional hubs in a number of rural areas.

Dr Rob Grenfell, a Public Health Physician, is the Health Director of CSIRO’s Health and Biosecurity Business Unit. Leading a broad portfolio covering Nutrition, eHealth, Medtech and Diagnostics and Biosecurity from weeds to Ebola.

He was a member of the Safety and Quality Outcomes Committee of the Hospital Innovation Reform Council, a member of the Victorian Quality Council, Chair of General Practice Victoria, and Member of the Health Advisory Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Professor Andrew Georgiou is based at the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, part of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University. He has worked in several senior research and executive positions including as the UK NHS Assistant Director of Classifications (1995-1997) and Co-ordinator for the Coronary Heart Disease Programme for the Royal College of Physicians in London (1999 – 2002).  Andrew is currently an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Pathology Informatics and the International Journal of Medical Informatics the co-Chair of the International Medical Informatics Association Working Group on Technology Assessment and Quality Development.

Philip is a highly accomplished global business leader and people manager with an international career spanning more than 25 years with leading blue-chip healthcare corporates and novel technology start-up companies.

Philip has held senior global business leadership positions in Europe, US and Australia. He has been instrumental in building businesses, growing market share and developing extensive high-level customer relationships in each sector.

Philip’ roles in Australia have included VP Global Marketing at Cochlear and General Management with Roche Diagnostics and Bio-Rad Laboratories, and CEO of Applied Physiology, an Australian start up software company in the intensive care monitoring sector.

Simon is a Director and Founder of Geoactive IT, an Australian based software and geographic information systems services provider and a Board Member of Ballarat Health Services. Simon specialises in software development, geographic information systems and security. Simon began his career in the Royal Australian Navy. His innate talent for solving challenging problems has turned into a successful career outside of defence. Simon now has over 15 year experience in providing Information Communications Technology products and services to the utility and defence industry in Australia. This has been across numerous technology disciplines and professional levels. Most recently this has been as a Director of Geoactive IT – a startup that he co-founded whose primary aim is to streamline business operations through smart, cost effective technology solutions. In this role Simon has been able to make lasting contributions to businesses by improving their value proposition with cost-effective information communication systems.

Ms Nikki Johnston – is a palliative care nurse practitioner who works for Calvary Public Hospital Bruce – Clare Holland House. Her current role involves integrating specialist palliative care into residential aged Care. Although her role is predominantly clinical, Nikki is working with a research team who have been recognised internationally for their approach that led to decreased length of hospitalizations and increased dying in their preferred place. The approach was found to also assist staff in normalizing death and dying, while providing essential anticipatory prescribing and better decision-making leading to planned care for residents.  The team is currently undertaking a randomized control trail using stepped wedge methodology. She is also a guest lecturer at the University of Canberra and the Australian Catholic University.

Kathy is a Registered Nurse with 14 years’ experience in the acute hospital setting. Her specialties include medical nursing, palliative care and dementia care where she has worked in clinical, management and project roles. She holds post graduate qualifications in leadership and management and dementia care.
In 2014 Kathy was awarded the Hesta Australian Nursing Team Innovation award for the understanding Dementia program aimed at educating non clinical staff and volunteers about dementia and communicating with patients with dementia.
Kathy’s passion is working with older people and working with the community to promote positive ageing and living well.
Her role as coordinator at the Treehouse Program has allowed her to utilize her innovative thinking and leadership skills to develop a program that is truly person centred, client driven and unique with proven positive effects for both clients and carers.

Dr Tanya Petrovich is Business Development Manager, Learning and Development, Dementia Australia Vic Division.

Tanya leads the Learning and Development team in applying innovations in technology throughout dementia care education. This includes the Virtual Dementia Experience, an immersive sensory environment at the Perc Walkley Dementia Learning Centre which won the 2014 Victorian iAward, National iAward for Education and APICTA award for E-learning, 2015 Victorian Public Health Award-Gold Winner. The Virtual Dementia Experience gives participants an understanding of what it might be like to have dementia and also how the built environment impacts on the person living with dementia.

More recently in 2016 EDIE- Educational Dementia Immersive Experience was released for use on the Samsung – Oculus Gear VR. This mobile technology has opened the opportunity to have these virtual experiences available to people not only in Australia but worldwide. The EDIE project was awarded the project Innovation Award for projects less than$2.5Mil from the Simulation Australasia Innovation Awards 2017 and also the Best Aged Care Software Development and Deployment Award at the Information Technology in Aged Care awards (ITAC) 2017.

Steve Macfarlane graduated from Monash University in 1991, and completed psychiatry training in 2003. He has held positions as Director of Aged Psychiatry at Peninsula Health and Alfred Health, and has been an Associate Professor of Aged Psychiatry since 2008. Steve is the current Chair of the RANZCP Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry, and is Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Support Australia, which runs the national DBMAS and SBRT programmes. He has been actively involved in Alzheimer’s clinical trials since 1999, and has clinical interests in frontal lobe disorders and senile squalor.

Robert is an Executive Director and co-founder at Mirus Australia and has over a decade of management consulting experience in aged care.

At Mirus, Robert develops strategic service offerings and the associated methodologies for the industry, adapting our delivery strategies to accommodate our clients’ needs.

Before the inception of Mirus, Robert was a Senior Manager with the PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory practice, developing the National Aged Care Advisory practice for PwC and associated methodologies. Prior to PwC, Robert spent four years in the US with an IBM company, SPSS. Here he worked with Fortune 500 companies helping them implement business intelligence and reporting tools around corporate strategies.

Michelle is a Dementia Consultant at Care Partnerships Australia in Western Australia. She worked with the Bethanie Care Group for 10 years in Western Australia and finished a mentorship program for their clinicians in December 2017. She focused on changing the culture of dementia care across all business streams, building knowledge and best practices for ideals of person-centred dementia care in partnership with client’s staff and families.

Recently in April 2017 she was nominated for a Better Practice award for the work with Age link theatre in Dementia, also a runner up in the Asia Pacific awards .In November 2015 she spoke at the World Dementia Congress in Taiwan and the National Dementia Congress in Melbourne raising awareness on the rights of people living with dementia and the need for a National approach for Dementia Care Standards. She has written the Dementia Guidelines for the Bethanie Group.

Ilsa Hampton, MPH, BA, BTheol, GradCertMgt, GradDipEd, commenced in March 2016 as CEO of Meaningful Ageing Australia. Ilsa has extensive experience in the strategic integration of pastoral and spiritual care in aged care. Prior to joining Meaningful Ageing Australia, Ilsa worked for 8 years at aged and community services organisation Baptcare (Victoria & Tasmania) in a number of senior roles; and held various sector positions such as Chair of the multi-faith Diploma of Pastoral Care and Ageing Committee, and Chair of Spiritual Health Victoria’s Aged Care Advisory Group. From 2002 Ilsa has also worked as an accredited supervisor in Clinical Pastoral Education in various locations around Melbourne; building on ten years of experience as a spiritual care practitioner in a wide range of settings. Ilsa has a long-standing interest in how life’s inevitable losses can be creatively and gently supported in the lives of professionals, volunteers, organisations, and those they are serving.

With 20 years experience in community services, Lucy has:

• Has worked in areas of crisis support, homelessness and alcohol and drug misuse
• Was responsible for implementing the Child protection and Disability Gateway in Tasmania in 2009 after legislative reform as a senior executive
• Been the CEO with Glenview Community Services for the past 6 years with a focus on sector reform, change management and creating positive workplace cultures.

Lucy has significant experience in the areas of sector reform having led large teams through a range of industry and legislative changes. Combined with her former career in hospitality and marketing, Lucy provides a well rounded practicable approach to business in finding workable yet strategic solutions. She is also the winner of the 2017 Australian Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership.

Anthony has background in technology focusing on telehealthcare. Since 2013 he has lead the client technology department to deliver emergency response solutions and developed our safe and smart home offering nationally to over 3000 clients. Additionally, Feros Care have now managed over 500 clients using MHCAH Telehealth, vital signs monitored with Video Conferencing, between Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to Joining Feros Care in 2012, Anthony held management positions in the construction and hospitality industry specialising in technology focused customer service.

Althea is the Creator/ Artistic Director behind the Mind the Change Inc. She has a passion for theatre, performance and art therapy. After having completed a performing arts degree and her study in Aged Care, and Arts and Dementia Care, she decided to developing a series of FUN workshops which could be enjoyed by those living with dementia and their carers.
In 2015 Mind the Change Inc. became an incorporated association, and in early 2016 became an accredited charity. Mind the Change Inc. extended its services in 2016 to include residential care in its workshop series, and continues to host regular community-based workshops across the Perth metropolitan area. Mind the Change Inc. has been published in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care (2015), Head2Head Journal (2014) and The CANWA Catalyst Bulletin (2012/13). Mind the Change Inc. has also presented their creative concept at the Alzheimer’s Disease International Conference (2015) and was a finalist in The Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards (Improved Outcomes in Seniors Mental Health 2014).

Samantha Edmonds is the Silver Rainbow, National Project Manager at the National LGBTI Health Alliance. Silver Rainbow provides national coordination and support activities promoting the well-being of LGBTI elders and the ongoing delivery of the LGBTI awareness training to create an LGBTI inclusive aged care sector.
She is also a member of the Aged Care Sector Committee (ACSC), which provides advice to the Government on aged care policy development and implementation, and is the Chair of the ACSC Diversity Sub-Group.
Samantha is a Death Doula and Palliative Care Volunteer as well as a member of the Dementia Australia Consumer Advisory Group and contributes whenever she can to their blog.

Catherine Cini, GriefLine’s CEO is a Family Therapist, Educator and Bereavement Counsellor with over 40 years experience. Before GriefLine, she worked in private practice for 25 years.

Catherine began her career as a school teacher and then school counsellor within secondary schools. During her time as an educator, Catherine prepared a specialised framework for alternate programs tailored to year 11 and 12 students who were troubled. She then delivered these programs to adolescents.

Catherine has also worked in prisons where she designed and delivered programs for youth. The aim was to decrease recidivism within the prison system.

Catherine was also the director of Monash Family Therapy and in 2012 received an award recognising her humanitarian services to the community.

Tamar Krebs has been immersed in the field of people living with dementia for most of her adult life.
Academically trained, with degrees from several universities, her skills and experience come from hands-on problem solving in Israel and Australia.
In a career spanning over two decades, Tamar has worked in establishments where standards ranged from ‘shockingly inadequate’ to those where residents experienced near ‘5-star hotel’ treatment. She understands the needs of older people, particularly those living with dementia, and this led to her believing there had to be ‘a better way’. This belief led to her founding Group Homes Australia, where 6-8 residents living beyond a diagnosis of dementia live in a home in their local community where they engage in life.
Just three words define her clear objective: “Doing Dementia Differently”.