A/Prof Michael Clements is a Townsville based General Practitioner and practice owner with a background in health leadership and clinical and corporate governance. A/Prof Clements has accrued a wide variety of skills and special interests in his time with the Royal Australian Air Force and then with QLD Health as Director of Medical Services at Ingham Hospital before opening his private practices in Townsville while concurrently working for the QLD Rural Generalist Training Pathway as an advisor. Having worked in rural, remote and overseas clinical environments during and after his fellowship training Michael now gets his ‘rural fix’ by flying himself and other clinicians to remote towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria delivering GP clinics. Clinical interests include aviation medicine, veterans’ health, mental health, chronic disease and palliative care. Michael is an Honorary Associate Professor with James Cook University.

Adj. Prof. Ruth Stewart MBBS (Uni of Melb), PhD (Flinders) FACRRM

Ruth was appointed National Rural Health Commissioner in June 2020. The commissioner assists government to develop policy to improve the health of rural and remote Australians. She is leading the development of the National Rural Generalist Pathway in medicine, has developed a consensus statement on Rural Multidisciplinary Health Teams and in analysing how to improve access for rural women and families to maternity care.

She was a Rural Generalist (broad scope practice rural General Practitioner) with Advanced Skills in obstetrics for over 30 years, has worked clinically in private practice, rural hospitals and clinics from the Torres Strait to the south west Victoria.

For 20 years Ruth was on the board and then was president the ACRRM from 2016-2018. She was Associate Professor of Rural Medicine at Deakin University school of Medicine for 4 years and Director of Rural Clinical Training at James Cook University School of Medicine and Dentistry for 8 years. She has served on the boards of remote hospitals, GP Training Organisations and the Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre.

Ruth’s PhD “Lessons from the development of a maternity managed clinical network in a low volume rural context” was awarded by Flinders University in 2013.

Andrew brings a unique combination of accounting and wealth management experience to guide and advise clients on the optimal strategies to reach their retirement goals.

Andrew has a reputation for building strong personal relationships with clients and providing well thoughtout holistic financial advice. He is regularly called upon by CPA Australia to share his expertise at conferences and seminars. Andrew began his career as an accountant in country New South Wales in 1985 before moving to a Brisbane-based superannuation administration firm in 1989. In 1991, Andrew joined MGD as a senior accountant managing the accounting functions of the firm’s many self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs). In 1998, he became an equity owner and has been building a strong and loyal client base since then.

Dr Jones practises general radiology with a strong interest in cardiothoracic imaging, including occupational lung disease imaging, particularly in dust-exposed workers. She advises several governments and clinical taskforces on appropriate imaging in dust disease and is Associate Professor at the School of Public and Preventive Health at Monash University.

She is also adjunct professor at the University of Sydney, curating content for medical students and clinicians. She works with medical AI companies to develop clinically useful AI tools for medical imaging interpretation, workflow, and education of doctors and other healthcare professionals. She has a long career in medical research, having published over 30 research articles, primarily in the fields of cardiac and thoracic imaging, and in developing statistical methodology in diagnostic testing, publishing several book chapters on these topics. She has also enjoyed a long-term collaborative relationship with Imperial College London.

Christoph Lehner

MD, PhD, FRANZCOG, CMFM

Dr Chris Lehner is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist with a particular interest in complex high-risk obstetrics who is co-leading the obstetric portfolio at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

He is a member of the Executive Board of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (APTBPA) and the Queensland Clinical Lead of the National Preterm Birth Prevention Program, the world’s first program which aims to improve health outcomes for women and babies by safely reducing preterm and early term birth on a population level.

Chris holds several advisory roles within Clinical Excellence Queensland and is a member of the Obstetric Leadership Advisory Group within the Queensland Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Network.

He has been involved in the development of the Safer Baby Bundle educational resources and he is a member of the National Stillbirth Evidence and Implementation Committee within the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (The Stillbirth CRE). Chris co-chairs the joint Timing of Birth Working Group between APTBPA and the Stillbirth CRE.

Dr van der Meer is a Rural Generalist and Rural Generalist Training Advisor with advanced skills in mental health who lives and works on Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), Wulgurukaba country, with her family.  Co-founder of RDAQ's Connect + Reflect program launched in 2023, she is passionate about empowering her colleagues to achieve a sense of wellbeing and meaning in their work and home lives.

Prof Liz Reymond MBBS (Hons), PhD, FRACGP, FAChPM

Liz Reymond is a palliative care physician with over 20 years’ experience. Over ten years she established Queensland’s largest multidisciplinary specialist palliative care service in Metro South Health. Attached to that service, she developed the Brisbane South Palliative Care Collaborative, the research and service development arm of the clinical service. Her research interests include palliative care symptom management, advance care planning, and palliative care service delivery and development. Liz is currently directing various palliative care projects at local, Queensland-wide and National levels, including the National caring@home projects; the Queensland-wide PallConsult project providing support for clinicians delivering end-of-life care in Queensland; the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning; and more recently has been appointed as Director of the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Support and Pharmacy Service.  Liz has been affiliated with the Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry since 2005, currently awarded the academic title of Professor.

Dr Louis Peachey is a Girrimay and Djirribal man from the Djirribaligan language group (Rainforest People) of North Queensland. He is a Senior Medical Officer at the Atherton District Hospital where he works as a Rural Generalist Anaesthetist, and runs a regular clinic at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.

Dr Peachey was the founding President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, and is a former Board member of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. Dr Peachey served on the National Board of Headspace between 2012 and 2016.

In 2021, Dr Peachey was awarded a Life Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine in recognition of service to the College and significant contribution to Rural and Remote Medicine and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

NB Pronunciation Guide for session Chair

The Double ‘R’ within the various names are a trilled ‘R’ and take some practice to get right. However, folks who languages do not include this particular phoneme are typically unable to perceive the trilled ‘R’, but register a ‘D’ sound instead.

Girrimay – Gid-Im-May

Djirribal – Jid-Ib-Bell

Djirribaligan – Jid-Ib-Bell-Ig-Ghan

Dr Louise Burns is currently a PGY3 HMO and ACRRM registrar at Mildura Base Public Hospital in Victoria.  A 2011 alumnus of James Cook University, Louise took a decade long sabbatical after graduation from medical school.  In this time, she accrued a plethora of varied and unique experiences including working with the Queensland State Emergency Service as a qualified RPAS pilot and senior operational member, backpacking and working in the UK and Europe, employment as a sentence planning advisor with Queensland Corrective Services and study in numerous areas ranging from philosophy to physics to paramedicine and nursing.  Louise grew up on an avocado farm in the rural community of Dimbulah in Far North Queensland and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a rural doctor – a career path that took the scenic route post-graduation.  Louise has interests in palliative care and mental health as well as research interests in the health and wellbeing of rural and remote doctors.  Louise is a passionate writer and is in the throes of having her second book published – Doctor Imposter.  In her downtime, you can find Louise kayaking or engaging in a good Marvel Cinematic Universe or Jurassic Park movie marathon.         

Dr Sam Manger is a clinical and academic General Practitioner and Consultant with a focus on lifestyle medicine and mental health. He is the Academic Lead of the Postgraduate Degrees in Lifestyle Medicine at James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the Immediate Past-President of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. He is an Ambassador for the Federal Government initiative Equally Well Australia, Advisory Group Member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Shaping a Healthy Australia project and Handbook of Non-Drug Interventions (HANDI), host of The GP Show podcast for health professionals and was awarded the RACGP QLD GP of the Year in 2021.

Ewan Wylie is Head of Operations and Business Development at Heart of Australia; a specialist mobile healthcare program servicing rural, remote, and First Nations communities in Queensland.

A skilled Respiratory Scientist, Ewan has over 19 years’ experience delivering mobile and occupational health programs across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.

In his current role with Heart of Australia, Ewan oversees the delivery of 11 specialties, including cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, respiratory and radiology, as well as their occupational and corporate health services.

With expertise in the areas of lung surveillance and early intervention programs, Ewan helped to spearhead the launch Heart of Australia’s mobile CT truck in 2022, home to the world’s first battery-powered, mobile CT scanner. Through that innovation, Heart of Australia has been delivering CT services, including contrast and cardiac studies, to communities across Queensland.

Ewan holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Rehabilitation from the University of Wollongong and an MBA from the University of Newcastle.

Mr Jason Byrnes BPhty, MMSP, MAPA, MACP.

Jason is a titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Member of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. His primary area of clinical practice is in advanced scope orthopaedics, where he leads a multidisciplinary team providing an alternative care pathway for rural patients requiring orthopaedic management. Jason has volunteered for sporting organisations and events at a national and international level. He provides second opinion consulting and mentoring to private practice and has supported numerous physiotherapy and medical students within the hospital system. Jason has coordinated and contributed to clinical research. He has written for the Australian Journal of General Practice and is an adjunct lecturer on the University of Southern Queensland’s inaugural undergraduate physiotherapy program.

Mother and son duo, Judy and Tim Sharp are breakthrough speakers with an inspirational story like no other.  When Tim was born Judy quickly realised he wasn’t responding like other babies his age. Yet doctors would not diagnose Tim with Autism until after his 3rd birthday. Judy was told there was very little hope for Tim or his development. Rejecting the prognosis Judy never gave up on her son and finally discovered she was able to open the door to communication through drawing. A discovery that changed their lives forever, in ways they could only imagine.

Tim was nominated for Young Australian of the year and at age 16 he was the only Australian selected for the VSA (Very Special Arts) Festival in Washington DC. VSA was founded by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith - sister of President John F. Kennedy. The ABC's "Australian Story” has covered Judy and Tim's story twice, propelling them into the nation's living rooms.  Animated episodes of Laser Beak Man have been released and screened on networks within NZ, Australia and Asia. In 2012 a short film about Tim was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  His art has been exhibited at the Sydney Opera House and the National Museum of Australia, Washington DC and New York.

When Tim and Judy spoke at TEDx Sydney they received the only standing ovation of the event. In 2015 they signed a book deal with Allen & Unwin and released the story of their lives aptly titled: A Double Shot of Happiness. 2014-15 Laser Beak Man found residency at the New Victory Theatre in New York with the Dead Puppet Society. There was great enthusiasm and sup0port for the development of the stage show including support from the Jim Henson Foundation. Laser Beak Man premiered at the Brisbane Festival in 2017 and then subsequently toured to Melbourne and the Sydney Opera house to rave reviews.  The show received 4 Helpmann award nominations.  And in exciting news, we hope to see Laser Beak Man hit the big screen.  Plans are in the pipeline...watch this space! 

Katja Enoka (she/her) is a Registered Music Therapist working in Meanjin, Brisbane. She has been working in collaboration with clients and families for five years in a wide range of areas including: early childhood intervention, disability, mental health, and dementia. As a passionate advocator of music therapy, Katja spent several years on the Queensland branch board of the Australian Music Therapy Association, through which she established regular events to advocate for music therapy and educate future students. In her work, she focusses on supporting young neurodivergent people to build their relationship with music as a tool for coregulation and connection. Katja has presented at several Australian Music Therapy Association conferences and music therapy symposiums and published an article in 2022 in the Australian Music Therapy Journal.

Ted Weaver is currently a Professor of O&G at Griffith University Qld and a Senior Medical Officer within the Department of O&G at Sunshine Coast University Hospital Qld.

He is Co-chair Qld Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council, which oversees the safety and quality of maternity and perinatal services in Qld.

He has had a long involvement with RANZCOG, serving on different committees, and as President from 2008-10, during a period of significant maternity reform.

He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2016 for services to Medicine and Medical Education,

Ted was awarded Honorary Fellowship Australian College of Midwives 2002, for developing collaborative systems of maternity care.

He is a father of 4 children and a grandparent to 2

In some spare time, Ted enjoys planting trees on his small farm, bushwalking and reading.

His secret superpower is making artisanal pastry to indulge his family.

As a leader within our Wealth Management team, Richard is driven to make a positive difference in the lives of our clients through the provision of specialist goals-based advice and education. His insights are particularly valuable for Australians who are on a successful path and seeking to attain and maintain financial independence.

Richard, with the support of MGD’s team of relevant specialists, works closely with local and expatriate executives and senior staff. He is a strong advocate of people using a goals-based decision-making framework to build strong and resilient personal balance sheets that can be deployed to meet their needs and life aspirations. Richard also works closely with a range of large organisations that facilitate the provision of financial services and advice to their employees and/ or members, including private companies, government-related entities, and professional associations. Previously holding senior wealth management positions with NAB, Berkley Group, and Tynan Mackenzie, Richard relocated to New York in 2011 and, in 2015, joined MGD to provide specialist Australian expat advice. Richard returned to Australia in December 2019 where he is now a leader in our Wealth Management team. Richard regularly presents educational seminars and webinars for executives, professionals, and senior staff across a range of private companies, professional associations, public sector organisations, and universities.