Arun Abey Executive Chairman ipac Securities Ltd; Author: How Much is Enough?

Arun Abey has a passion for helping people enjoy happier lives by identifying their values and goals, and putting clear plans in place to achieve them. This led to him co-found the international lifestyle financial planning firm ipac 25 years ago.  A noted strategic thinker and writer, he is Executive Chairman of ipac and Head of Strategy for AXA.  His latest book is How Much is Enough? Money, Time and Happiness, A Guide to Making the Right Choices.

Richard Aedy Presenter, Life Matters ABC Radio National

Richard Aedy has spent much of his adult life overseas. He did his degree and journalism studies in New Zealand, where he began his career.  He spent five years in London, mostly at the BBC, and returned to Australia 10 years ago. Richard’s been presenting Life Matters on ABC Radio National since the beginning of 2006.  After 20 years in journalism, he still claims to be interested in ‘almost everything’.  Richard is married with two young children and admits to being happy.

Tal Ben-Shahar Positive Psychology Lecturer Harvard University, USA

Tal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer at Harvard University. He currently teaches the largest course at Harvard on "Positive Psychology" and the third largest on "The Psychology of Leadership"--with a total of over 1,400 students. Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporation, the general public, and at-risk populations. Topics include happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, mindfulness, and leadership. An avid sportsman, Tal won the U.S. Intercollegiate and Israeli National squash championships. He obtained his PhD in Organizational Behavior and BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Harvard. His latest book is Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.

Bernadette Bolger General Manager A&B Publishing Managing Director Vitality Plus Pharmacies

Bernadette Bolger arrived in Sydney from Ireland 15 years ago with $60.00 to her name. Since then she has built up a multimillion dollar pharmacy business, been a finalist in the Telstra Business Woman of  the Year Awards and given birth to two children.  Three years ago she realized there had to be more to life than the insane juggle which her life had become. She began to downsize her business and turned her attention to her other great passion – people.  In her role as General Manager of    A & B Publishers she wants to reach people, in particular women and children, and make them aware that the decisions they make today, can affect their happiness and security for years to come.

Steve Biddulph Psychologist Founder, The SIEVX National Memorial

Steve Biddulph has been a world renowned psychologist and author for 20 years.  His moving and accessible books  are in   four million homes and 27 languages, and are the highest selling parenting books in countries from Japan to Brazil. Steve is an advocate for parents and a potent critic of the madness of  corporatized consumerist living, and also a fearless  researcher into the damage done by commercial childcare to children under three. He has been a worldwide catalyst of changing views of men, and the education of boys to be rounded and happy human beings. At home, he has effectively helped shame the Howard government over its cruelty to refugee families in detention, and with 300 schools and churches created the hauntingly beautiful SIEVX Memorial to the 353 refugees who drowned at the height of the Federal election in 2001. He was voted Australian Father of the Year in 2000.

John Brogden CEO Manchester Unity Australia Former NSW Opposition Leader

John Brogden has been the Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Unity Australia since 2006. Manchester Unity was founded in Australia in 1840 and today provides health insurance to over 180 000 Australians in addition to retirement living, aged care and financial services. He is also the Chair of ABACUS – Australian Mutuals, Director of the Australian Health Insurance Association, Director of the Australian Friendly Societies Association and Patron of Lifeline NSW. From 1996 to 2005 John was the Member for Pittwater in the NSW Parliament and served as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 – the youngest person ever to hold the position in NSW.

Dr Michael Carr-Greg Adolescent Psychologist, Ambassador beyondblue and Mind Matters

Described recently as Australia's Dr Phil, Michael is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists. After 7 years as an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne, he now works as a consultant psychologist atthe Albert Road Centre for Health in Melbourne. He is a founding member of the National Coalition Against Bullying and an ambassador for the National Depression Initiative - Beyondblue as well as Mindmatters - one of 16 youth suicide prevention programs run by the Federal Government. He is a columnist for Australia's biggest selling daily newspaper the Herald Sun, Girlfriend Magazine and regularly appears on Channel 7's top rating Sunrise program, Weekend Sunrise and the Morning Show and as a program psychologist on Radio 3AW.

Dr David Chalmers Professor of Philosophy, Director, Centre for Consciousness Australian National University

David Chalmers is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Consciousness at the Australian National University.  His 1996 book The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory was highly successful among philosophers, scientists, and the general public.  As director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona from 1999 to 2004, and as a founder of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, he has been a leader in the interdisciplinary science of consciousness.

Chris Cuffe Executive Director Social Ventures Australia

Chris Cuffe started his career in 1985 as a Chartered Accountant with what we now known as KPMG.  By 1990 he was already CEO of Colonial First State Investments where he led the company from a start up to become Australia's largest professional investment manager.  Chris moved on to become the CEO of Challenger Financial Services Group in 2003.  In 2006 Chris left Challenger, to join Social Ventures Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that provides funding, mentoring and organisational tools to other innovative not-for-profit organisations.

Professor Bob Cummins School of Psychology, The Australian Centre on Quaility of Life Deakin University

Professor Robert A. Cummins has held a Personal Chair in Psychology at Deakin University since 1997. He has published widely on the topic of Quality of Life and is regarded as an international authority in this area. He is a Fellow of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies and the Australian Psychological Society. He is on the editorial board of eight Journals and is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Happiness Studies.

Bill Crews Executive Chairman, The Exodus Foundation

Bill Crews began his career in community service in 1971 at the Wayside Chapel, tending to the elderly, sick, homeless and disadvantaged. After studying theology, he was ordained as a Minister in 1986 and his first posting was the Ashfield Uniting Church. At Ashfield he created the Exodus Foundation to assist homeless and abandoned youth and other people in need. He is the host the popular radio show, Sunday Night Crews, on Sydney’s 2GB. The show explores spirituality, faith, social trends, religious culture and current events.

Dr. Richard J Davidson Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Richard J. Davidson is the Director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Over the course of his research career he has focused on the relationship between brain and emotion. He is co-author or editor of thirteen books, including Visions of Compassion: Western Scientists and Tibetan Buddhists Examine Human Nature. Professor Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in May, 2006. His research has included neuroscientific investigations of exceptional mental abilities in advanced Tibetan monks.

Anne Deveson AO, Broadcaster, Filmmaker Best Selling Author: Tell Me I'm Here  and Resiliance

Anne Deveson is a writer, broadcaster, and former head of the Australian Film, Television and  Radio School, who has had a long involvement in social justice issues. Her films have won national and international awards, including three UN Media Peace prizes; her books including the widely acclaimed 'Tell Me I'm Here' - the story of her son's struggles with schizophrenia. Her most recent book, 'Resilience' was  broadcast nationally on the ABC, and she is currently writing a doctoral thesis on peace for the University of Western Sydney. Anne is an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Therese Fitzpatrick National Workplace Program Manager beyondblue: the national depression initiative

Therese Fitzpatrick is the Program Manager for beyondblue’s National Workplace Program.  Therese is an Occupational Therapist, with extensive experience working with people with mental health issues across a range of settings. Therese has worked as a Senior Rehabilitation Consultant assisting people with mental health issues to obtain and maintain employment and has experience working with both employees and employers to ensure successful outcomes in Return to Work Programs.  In her current role, Therese works with organisations across all sectors to implement beyondblue’s National Workplace Program, which aims to increase awareness of  and reduce the stigma associated with, depression, anxiety and related substance disorders within workplace settings, and look at strategies to manage depression in the workplace.

Professor Daniel Gilbert Harvard College Professor of Psychology Harvard University, USA

According to The Wall Street Journal, Daniel Gilbert is “a leader in the study of affective forecasting,” or how people predict their emotional reactions to future events. He is the author of the 2006 bestseller, Stumbling on Happiness and his groundbreaking research on how people make judgments, choices and decisions lies at the intersection of cognitive psychology and behavioral economics. His work on how people try—and fail—to predict their own satisfactions has had dramatic implications for strategy, sales and marketing, and for understanding customers. Daniel Gilbert is the Harvard College Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, a prestigious chair bestowed in recognition of his superb teaching.

Kerry Graham CEO Inspire Foundation

Kerry joined Inspire Foundation in April 2007 and brought 15 years experience working with children and young people. A lawyer by training, Kerry spent seven years working for Aboriginal Legal Services as a children’s specialist.  She was the founding lawyer of the NSW Youth Drug and Alcohol Court for which she received the National Children's and Youth Law Centre award for "outstanding representation of children and young people in NSW". After leaving law, Kerry committed herself to service delivery and systems reform.  She worked for a number of leading non-profit youth services before undertaking leadership roles for the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation Australia (NASCA) and Good Beginnings Australia.

Dr Anthony Grant Director, Coaching Psychology Unit, School of Psychology University of Sydney

Dr Anthony M Grant is recognised as a pioneer of Coaching Psychology. He established, and is the Director of, the Coaching Psychology Unit at the School of Psychology at Sydney University which offers Masters degrees in evidence-based coaching. As both a practitioner and academic his work is frequently reported in the media. He has written five books on evidence-based coaching and has coaching-related publications in the peer-reviewed and professional press. His books on coaching have been translated into eight languages.

Garry Halliday CEO Carers NT

As CEO of Carers NT since 2001 Garry Halliday has led that organisation through a spectacular growth phase both in the quality and quantity of services provided to unpaid family caregivers across the Northern Territory. This growth has coincided with a conscious decision to apply research findings in the field of Positive Psychology to the operation of the organisation. Garry is a Social Worker by profession and a 1995 Churchill Fellow. His Fellowship topic was ‘The use of Laughter as an intervention tool for Carers’.

Clive Hamilton Executive Director The Australia Institute Author: Growth Fetish and Affluenza

Clive Hamilton is Executive Director of The Australia Institute, a public-interest think tank committed to "a more just, sustainable and peaceful future". Clive has previously been an academic economist and a senior public servant and has held visiting positions at the University of Cambridge, the Australian National University, and the University of Sydney. He has published on a wide range of topics including national well-being, the environment, and spirituality. His latest books are Growth Fetish; Affluenza (with Richard Denniss) and Silencing Dissent (with Sarah Maddison).

Wendy Harmer Humourist, Author, TV & Radio Presenter

Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s best-known humorists.  Her writing and performance skills have brought her success in a wide variety of mediums. As a stand-up comedian she performed her one-woman shows Love Gone Wrong, Please Send More Money and Up Late and Loving It at the Melbourne, Edinburgh, Montreal and Glasgow Mayfest Comedy Festivals, in London’s West End and the Sydney Theatre Company.  Wendy enjoyed huge popularity leading Sydney radio station 2Day FM’s top-rating Breakfast Show for 11 years from 1993 - 2003.  She is the author of six books for adults, including the best seller Farewell My Ovaries. Her much-loved children’s fairy character Pearlie in the Park, is the star of seven books. Wendy has also penned two plays for young adults and wrote the libretto for Lake Lost, a Baz Luhrmann production for Opera Australia.  She has hosted, written and appeared in a variety of TV shows including ABC’s Gillies’ Report and The Big Gig.  Beginning her career in journalism as a teenager, Wendy has continued to be a regular newspaper and magazine contributor.

Dr Russ Harris Medical Doctor and Psychotherapists, Acceptance Commitment Therapy Trainer Author: The Happiness Trap

Russ Harris is a doctor of medicine, and author of the best-seller ‘The Happiness Trap’. As a GP, Russ became increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of medical illness (and increasingly disenchanted with writing prescriptions). Ultimately this led to a career change, and he now works in two different, yet complementary roles: both as a therapist and as an executive coach. Russ is Australia’s leading trainer in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, a unique and creative mindfulness-based therapy, which although firmly based on cutting-edge behavioural psychology, has many parallels to Buddhism.

Anne Hollands CEO Relationships Australia (NSW)

Anne has over 20 years' experience as a psychologist in the fields of relationship and family services and organisational development. Anne works extensively with all forms of media, including regular segments on ABC and commercial radio, and Channel 7 Sunrise, as a commentator on a wide range of social, family, and relationship issues. Earlier in her career, Anne worked in mental health, child protection, family counseling, and in tertiary education. She has served on a number of boards and advisory committees, including the NSW Child Protection Council, and was recently awarded a Churchill Fellowship.

Joan Hughes CEO Carers Australia

Joan Hughes is CEO, Carers Australia. She has a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences, Human Resource Development. In 1999 Joan became Honorary Associate in the Department of Nursing Research Centre, University of Sydney. In 2000 she reached the finals for the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award. In 2003, she was the runner up in the National CEO Awards sponsored by Equity Trustees. Joan was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2004. Her research about ageing parents of people with disabilities was carried out in Canada, USA and the UK. From 1993 until 2006, Joan was CEO Carers NSW, which has won many state and national awards including one of three International Caregiving Awards in Washington DC, USA. In 2003 Joan was an expert panellist in a forum in Washington DC, USA on Intergenerational Caregiving. In July 2006 Joan was appointed CEO Carers Australia.

Dr Felicia Huppert Professor of Psychology, Director, Well-Being Institute Cambridge University, UK

Felicia Huppert is Professor of Psychology in the University of Cambridge, and Director of the Well-being Institute.  She has degrees from the Universities of Sydney, California (UCSD), and Cambridge.  Her research uses behavioural and neuroscience approaches to understanding the causes and consequences of well-being across the life course.  Felicia is lead expert on well-being for the UK Government’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing.  She has edited a multi-disciplinary volume entitled “The Science of Well-being” (Oxford University Press, 2005).

Dr Tony Kidman Director, Health Psychology Unit University of Technology, Sydney

Dr Antony Kidman is a clinical psychologist, Director of the Health Psychology Unit of UTS based at Royal North Shore Hospital, a Member of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society and the founding editor of its journal The Clinical Psychologist.  He is a Member of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the International Academy of Cognitive Therapy.  He has 143 publications including 9 books to his name.  He has been in practice in conducting research more than 25 years.  He was awarded an Order of Australia in 2005 for his contributions to clinical psychology.

Dr Rosie King GP, Sex Therapist Best-Selling Author: Good Loving, Great Sex

Dr Rosie King graduated from the medical faculty at the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 1976, and worked as a doctor in general practice for 12 years before specialising in sex and relationship therapy. Dr King is an author, academic, educator and researcher with over 25 years of clinical experience. She lectures and runs workshops within Australia and internationally for medical professionals, corporations and the lay public. Dr King is the author of the best selling book Good Loving Great Sex on finding balance when your sex drives differ.

Jon Konrads Olympic Champion Swimmer Board Member, Black Dog Institute, Sydney

John Konrads represents a unique mix of sporting legend and senior business executive. He astounded the sporting world when at the age of 15 he broke all world freestyle records from 200m to 1500m. Together with his sister Ilsa, the "Konrads kids" dominated the record books during the late 50s and early 60s. After retiring from the pool, John made a successful transition to business with a distinguished career in Australian corporate life. John now applies his experience and skills in executive career management and retains active sporting interests as a Director of the Cook and Phillip Park aquatic and fitness complex in Sydney's CBD where he also conducts his swim clinics. He is a Board Member of the Black Dog Institute which addresses the diagnosis, treatment and de-stigmatisation of mental disorders.

Julie McCrossin MC, Journalist, TV & Radio Presenter
Julie McCrossin talks to people for a living. After 20 years as a broadcaster with ABC Radio National, ABC TV and Network Ten, she is now a freelance journalist and facilitator.

Stephen Meek Principal Geelong Grammer School

Mr Stephen Meek commenced as Principal of Geelong Grammar School on October 1, 2004. Stephen was previously Headmaster of Hurstpierpoint College, in West Sussex, U.K., a co-educational boarding and day school with more than 650 students, aged 3 to 18 years. He held this position for nine years, at a time of significant change at the College, including the successful introduction of co-education at the school. Prior to Hurstpierpoint College, Stephen spent ten years and seven years respectively at two of the United Kingdom’s leading schools, Sherborne School, a traditional boys’ boarding school in Dorset, and Dulwich College, a large academic London day school. Stephen is a graduate of St Andrew’s and Oxford Universities and holds a Master of Arts (1st Class Honours) in Medieval and Modern History.

Jill Milroy Dean of Indigenous Studies University of Western Australia

Jill Milroy is a Palyku woman whose traditional country is in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Like her mother Gladys, Jill is a storyteller and their work together is about  the rights and needs of children to be born into stories and connected to country. Jill has more than 20 years experience in programs that support Aboriginal people and particularly Aboriginal secondary students, to study at university.

Natasha Mitchell Presenter, All in the Mind ABC Radio National

Natasha Mitchell is host of 'All in the Mind' on ABC Radio National, where she is a multi-award winning science and health broadcaster and journalist. She has received international recognition for her work, including 3 Gold World Medals at the New York Radio Festivals, and a prestigious MIT Knight Journalism fellowship in 2005. She originally trained as an engineer, but now does what she really loves - chatting to people about the wonders and idiosyncrasies of the human condition.

Dr Rachael Murrihy Senior Clinical Psychologist, Health Psychology Unit University of Technology, Sydney

Dr Rachael C. Murrihy is an experienced clinical psychologist and clinical academic in the Health Psychology Unit at the University of Technology, Sydney. She currently specialises in the treatment of adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems and provides training for parenting over the adolescent years. For a decade Rachael has been working with children and adults, both in the public sector in and private practice, treating a wide range of mental health problems. Her research, published in scientific journals locally and internationally, has focused on a number of interest areas including aggression management training for oppositional adolescents, mental health training for GPs and perimenopause. Dr Murrihy is currently in the process of editing an international handbook for the treatment of conduct problems for children and adolescents with Professor Thomas Ollendick from Virginia Tech University.

Di O'Neil Director of Training and Mission  St Luke's Anglicare, Victoria
Di has had 40 years experience as a social worker.  She has a strong commitment to strengths based work and an unshakable belief that clients are their own best experts.  She has significantly influenced the development of the Strengths Approach in Australia as a framework for social justice and capacity building in case work, in communities, and in management.

Venerable Tenzin Palmo Founder, Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, India

Venerable Tenzin Palmo was raised in London and whilst in her teens she became a Buddhist.  She travelled to India when she was 20, met her teacher and in 1964 became one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She spent 12 years ins seclusion, practising meditation in a Himalayan cave. Vicki Mackenzie’s bestselling Cave in the Snow is the story of her life. Following requests by her teacher and other lamas, Tenzin Palmo took on the formidable task of starting a nunnery, Dongyu Gatsal Ling, in India to give young nuns the opportunity to realise their intellectual and spiritual potential. Her books include Reflections on a Mountain Lake.

Professor Gordon Parker Executive Director Black Dog Institute

Gordon Parker is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, and Executive Director, Black Dog Institute. He was awarded a Citation Laureate, Psychiatry/Psychology, for being the most highly cited researcher in Australia. He was Head, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales for 20 years, and Director of Mental Health, Prince of Wales Hospital. In a past life he wrote for The Mavis Bramston Show and OZ Magazine, was an ABC Science broadcaster, and in 2004 had a play produced by La Mama in Melbourne.

Anna Patty Education Editor The Sydney Morning Herald
Anna Patty is the Education Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald. A graduate of the universities of Sydney and Wollongong, she was previously a reporter at The Times of London, The Daily Telegraph and The Sun-Herald. She has won several awards for her coverage of health care issues. She remembers having a very happy time growing up in the Blue Mountains and attending Katoomba High School.

Dr. Stephen Post Professor of Bioethics, Philosophy and Religion, School of Medicine Case University President, Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, USA

Dr Post has been making headlines by funding studies at the USA’s top universities to prove once and for all the life-enhancing benefits of caring, kindness, and compassion. This new research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from self-realization to physical health is significantly affected. Dr. Post has written numerous articles and scholarly books on unselfish love and giving and his research is supported by leading private and government foundations. His most recent book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, co-authored with Jill Neimark, reports on the growing new science of love and giving with its key to health, happiness, and a longer life.

Matthieu Ricard Karuna-Shechen Monastery, Nepal

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk at Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu and French interpreter since 1989 for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He received his PhD in Cellular Genetics at the Institut Pasteur in France, before forsaking his scientific career to concentrate on Tibetan Buddhist studies. He received the French National Order of Merit for his humanitarian work setting up clinics, schools and orphanages in the Himalayan region. Mr. Ricard’s photographs of the spiritual masters, the landscapes and the people of the Himalayas have appeared internationally in books and magazines. The dialogue with his father, Jean-Francois Revel, The Monk and the Philosopher, was a best seller in Europe, and The Quantum and the Lotus reflects his long-standing interest in science and Buddhism. His new book, Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill, explores the meaning and fulfillment of happiness.

Sophie Scott National Medical Reporter ABC

Sophie Scott is the national medical reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Her stories appear on the ABC's flagship news bulletin at 7.00pm, Lateline, Stateline and 7.30 Report. Her reports can be seen throughout the Asia-Pacific Region, through ABC's Australia TV network. She can also be heard on ABC radio. In 2005, Sophie Scott received the Health Research in the Media Award in recognition of her ability to communicate complex information in a way that the general community can easily understand. She is the Vice President of the Australian Medical Writers Association and her first book titled Live a Longer Life" is published by ABC books.

Dr. Martin Seligman Founder of Positive Psychology; Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology, Director, Positive Psychology Center University of Pennsylvania, USA

Dr Seligman’s research into positive emotion, positive character traits, and positive institutions has demonstrated that it is possible to be happier — to feel more satisfied, to be more engaged with life, find more meaning, have higher hopes, and probably even laugh and smile more, regardless of one’s circumstances. Positive psychology interventions can also lastingly decrease depression symptoms. He is the international best selling author of Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism among many other titles.

Clare Shann Senior Program Manager beyondblue: the national depression iniative Depression in the Workplace Program

Clare is the Senior Program Manager for beyondblue’s National Workplace Program. She is a psychologist, with experience and qualifications in mental health, human resources, and adult learning and development. She has applied her skills across a range of mental health settings, for example, private practice, a psychiatric hospital unit, community-based psychological group programs for war veterans and their families, and a university research centre.

Dr Norman Swan Broadcaster, Journalist, Doctor, Presenter the Health Report ABC Radio National

Host of the Health Report, on ABC Radio National, Dr Norman Swan, is a multi-award winning broadcaster and journalist.  One of the first medically qualified journalists in Australia, Dr Swan was born in Scotland, graduated in medicine from the University of Aberdeen and later obtained his postgraduate qualifications in Paediatrics. Dr Swan was named Australian Radio Producer of the Year in 1984 and was awarded a Gold Citation in the United Nations Media Peace Prizes for his radio work. He has won three Walkley National Awards for Australian journalism, including the prestigious Gold, and Australia's top prize for Science Journalism, the Michael Daly Award, twice. In addition to the Health Report, Dr Swan appears on local ABC Radio, he presents the popular “Health Minutes” on ABC NewsRadio each week and edits his own newsletter, The Choice Health Reader, which is published in partnership with the Australian Consumers Association. On television, Dr Swan has hosted ABC Television's science program, Quantum, and been a guest reporter on Catalyst and Four Corners.

Dr Charlie Teo Neurosurgeon, Founding Director The Centre for Minimally invasive Neurosurgery

Dr Charles Teo, MBBS FRACS, is a world renowned neurosurgeon who has dedicated his life to treating patients with brain tumours. He established the Cure For Life Foundation to help fund advancements in the treatment of brain cancer, hopefully one day leading to a cure. Dr Teo continues to develop new and innovative surgical techniques. Currently he works at the Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Sydney and is the founding director of The Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery. He has been an invited speaker to almost every continent and over 24 countries and has featured on television programmes such as 60 Mniutes, the ABC's Australian Story, Today Tonight and A Current Affair.

Dr Tim Sharp Founder and Chief Happiness Officer The Happiness Institute Author: The Happiness Handbook

Dr. Sharp has three degrees in psychology (including a Ph.D.) and an impressive record as an academic, clinician and coach.  He runs Sydney’s largest clinical psychology practice, a highly regarded Executive Coaching practice, and is the founder & CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) of The Happiness Institute, Australia’s first organisation devoted solely to enhancing happiness in individuals, couples, families and organizations. Dr. Sharp is also a best selling author, sought after public speaker, and makes frequent appearances in the local and international media.

B. Alan Wallace President Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies, USA

Dynamic lecturer, progressive scholar, and one of the most prolific writers and translators of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D., continually seeks innovative ways to integrate Buddhist contemplative practices with Western science to advance the study of the mind. Having devoted fourteen years to training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by H. H. the Dalai Lama, Dr. Wallace went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College and a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford. His books include Genuine Happiness: Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment and The Attention Revolution – Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind.

Jonathon Welch Founding Choir Director, Conductor Choir of Hard Knocks, Melbourne

With a diverse career spanning 30 years in the music industry, there are not many areas of music that Jonathon Welch hasn't been involved with, and doesn't love! Considered one of the finest tenors of his generation, Jonathon has performed with some of the world's most highly regarded singers including Dame Joan Sutherland and k.d.lang and integrates a busy singing career with teaching and conducting around the globe. With a deep commitment to the community, Jonathon has directed some of Australia's finest community choirs and on his return to his "hometown" of Melbourne created the Choir of Hard Knocks.

Paul Wilson National columnist International Best-Selling Author  The Quiet, The Little Book of Calm

Paul Wilson is described in Who’s Who as “the guru of calm”. He is a teacher, author and columnist whose focus is on meditation and peacefulness. His weekly syndicated column reaches an audience of several million. And his books (more than a dozen with “Calm” in the title, including the one that started the global “little book” phenomenon, The Little Book of Calm) are in 24 languages, with more than 8 million in sales. These days he writes more spiritually-oriented books with “Quiet” in the title.

Effie Zaho Money Magazine

Paul Wilson is described in Who’s Who as “the guru of calm”. He is a teacher, author and columnist whose focus is on meditation and peacefulness. His weekly syndicated column reaches an audience of several million. And his books (more than a dozen with “Calm” in the title, including the one that started the global “little book” phenomenon, The Little Book of Calm) are in 24 languages, with more than 8 million in sales. These days he writes more spiritually-oriented books with “Quiet” in the title.