Newday 2021 Summit Speakers
Zach Mercurio Ph.D.
Author, purposeful leadership and meaningful work researcher
Zach Mercurio, Ph.D. believes everyone is built for purpose, desires meaningfulness, and deserves dignity in work and life. He is an author, speaker, consultant, and researcher specializing in purposeful leadership, meaningful work, mattering, and positive organizational development.
Zach wrote "The Invisible Leader: Transform Your Life, Work, and Organization with the Power of Authentic Purpose" to provide individuals, leaders, and organizations with the tools to activate their purpose and create cultures where everyone matters. It was praised by Arianna Huffington as "a compelling book filled with powerful stories, cutting-edge research, and practical tools that show us how to lead with purpose."
In his work with over 100 global companies, non-profits, schools, and universities around the world, Zach helps forge purposeful leaders and provides practical tools to cultivate positive organizational and team cultures that enable more meaning, motivation, and well-being.
Zach writes regularly on his blog and newsletter, and his thoughts on purposeful leadership, mattering, and meaningful work have been featured internationally in media outlets such as Forbes, Psychology Today, Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Thrive Global.
Zach wrote "The Invisible Leader: Transform Your Life, Work, and Organization with the Power of Authentic Purpose" to provide individuals, leaders, and organizations with the tools to activate their purpose and create cultures where everyone matters. It was praised by Arianna Huffington as "a compelling book filled with powerful stories, cutting-edge research, and practical tools that show us how to lead with purpose."
In his work with over 100 global companies, non-profits, schools, and universities around the world, Zach helps forge purposeful leaders and provides practical tools to cultivate positive organizational and team cultures that enable more meaning, motivation, and well-being.
Zach writes regularly on his blog and newsletter, and his thoughts on purposeful leadership, mattering, and meaningful work have been featured internationally in media outlets such as Forbes, Psychology Today, Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Thrive Global.
Taryn Brumfitt
Body Image Movement
Taryn Brumfitt is an internationally recognised keynote speaker and the fiercely passionate thought leader behind the Body Image Movement.
Best-selling author and director of the inspiring social-change documentary, Embrace, Taryn’s global crusade to end the body dissatisfaction epidemic has seen her recognised by the United Nations Women, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and the Geena Davis Institute.
Taryn’s determination to shift the way the world thinks about themselves and their bodies has the support of many high profile personalities including Olivia Newton-John, Rosie O’Donnell, and Ashton Kutcher, who famously praised her activism as being "good for the world".
Whether it’s becoming General Electrics’ highest rated speaker, or having her talk at Google HQ in Silicon Valley live streamed to every Google office in the world, Taryn remains humble, proud, and eager to make the biggest impact the world has ever seen on body image and self-love.
Named alongside Beyoncé and Emma Watson in Germany’s Brigitte magazine’s ‘Woman of The Year’, Taryn’s positively infectious voice and powerful message has reached over 200 million people, via the likes of the L.A Times, Washington Post, The Doctors, Good Morning America, The Project, Australian Story, The Today Show and Sunrise.
Taryn lives in Adelaide but spends most of her time at 35,000 feet. She is a two-time marathon runner, lover of life and people, Mum to three children and proud Foundation board member for the Hutt Street Centre.
Best-selling author and director of the inspiring social-change documentary, Embrace, Taryn’s global crusade to end the body dissatisfaction epidemic has seen her recognised by the United Nations Women, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and the Geena Davis Institute.
Taryn’s determination to shift the way the world thinks about themselves and their bodies has the support of many high profile personalities including Olivia Newton-John, Rosie O’Donnell, and Ashton Kutcher, who famously praised her activism as being "good for the world".
Whether it’s becoming General Electrics’ highest rated speaker, or having her talk at Google HQ in Silicon Valley live streamed to every Google office in the world, Taryn remains humble, proud, and eager to make the biggest impact the world has ever seen on body image and self-love.
Named alongside Beyoncé and Emma Watson in Germany’s Brigitte magazine’s ‘Woman of The Year’, Taryn’s positively infectious voice and powerful message has reached over 200 million people, via the likes of the L.A Times, Washington Post, The Doctors, Good Morning America, The Project, Australian Story, The Today Show and Sunrise.
Taryn lives in Adelaide but spends most of her time at 35,000 feet. She is a two-time marathon runner, lover of life and people, Mum to three children and proud Foundation board member for the Hutt Street Centre.
Annalise Jennings
Dynamic Exchange
Annalise Jennings is a business and community strategist with 25 years’ experience in Corporate Banking. Over her career she has specialized in projects that focus on transformation and maximizing human potential.
She is the founder and principal of Dynamic Exchange, an organization committed to supporting organizations reach their fullest potential. She has worked extensively with Australian Indigenous communities, and is the creator of Whole of Community Change – a blueprint for economic development, social change, and spiritual growth, designed to bring about community ownership and self-determination.
Working as a senior manager for one of the largest Australian Banks, she won the prestigious SAI Global Business Excellence Award. She was a 2016 Finalist for the Banksia Foundation Awards recognizing her achievements in addressing the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainability and Leadership, and in 2017 was invited to the Oslo Nobel Peace Prize Awards in recognition of her community work.
Bringing a blend of corporate professionalism, profound humanity, and wisdom to her client work, Annalise has helped many organizations create a balanced, pragmatic, and strategic culture to understand and build ‘Community’.
Annalise is an adopted daughter of the Aboriginal Thanikwithi Nation. Her aboriginal name is Kili given to her by Thanikwithi Elder Maryann Coconut. A commissioned book - It’s Possible, highlights the success of her Community Change program and provides guidelines for those wishing to emulate it in their own communities.
She is the founder and principal of Dynamic Exchange, an organization committed to supporting organizations reach their fullest potential. She has worked extensively with Australian Indigenous communities, and is the creator of Whole of Community Change – a blueprint for economic development, social change, and spiritual growth, designed to bring about community ownership and self-determination.
Working as a senior manager for one of the largest Australian Banks, she won the prestigious SAI Global Business Excellence Award. She was a 2016 Finalist for the Banksia Foundation Awards recognizing her achievements in addressing the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainability and Leadership, and in 2017 was invited to the Oslo Nobel Peace Prize Awards in recognition of her community work.
Bringing a blend of corporate professionalism, profound humanity, and wisdom to her client work, Annalise has helped many organizations create a balanced, pragmatic, and strategic culture to understand and build ‘Community’.
Annalise is an adopted daughter of the Aboriginal Thanikwithi Nation. Her aboriginal name is Kili given to her by Thanikwithi Elder Maryann Coconut. A commissioned book - It’s Possible, highlights the success of her Community Change program and provides guidelines for those wishing to emulate it in their own communities.
Peter Baines
Hands Across the Water
Peter Baines OAM, developed his unique leadership style by leading international identification teams into Indonesia and Thailand following acts of terrorism and the 2004 South East Asian Tsunami. He would go on to work in the counter terrorism area of Interpol, spent time with the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime and also worked in Saudi Arabia and Japan after natural disasters hit those countries. But it was his work in Thailand that brought the biggest change. After meeting the children left orphaned by the Tsunami, Peter felt compelled to act and founded an Australian charity called Hands Across the Water which has gone on to create opportunities for hundreds of children across Thailand.
Today, Peter has a successful consulting business building engagement through corporate social responsibility and presents across the globe to major corporations and governments on Leadership. He is the author of two books, Hands Across the Water, and Doing Good by Doing Good which provides a blueprint for building experience led engagement programs with a focus on shared value.
In January 2014, Peter Baines was recognised in the Australia Day honours with the awarding of the Order of Australia Medal for his International Humanitarian work. In 2016 he received the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn awarded by the King of Thailand for his devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand.
Today, Peter has a successful consulting business building engagement through corporate social responsibility and presents across the globe to major corporations and governments on Leadership. He is the author of two books, Hands Across the Water, and Doing Good by Doing Good which provides a blueprint for building experience led engagement programs with a focus on shared value.
In January 2014, Peter Baines was recognised in the Australia Day honours with the awarding of the Order of Australia Medal for his International Humanitarian work. In 2016 he received the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn awarded by the King of Thailand for his devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand.
Adirupa Sengupta
Common Purpose
Adirupa has been working in the leadership development space for over 20 years. She has a passion for developing talent and connecting people from different backgrounds. She has extensive knowledge and experience of working across different countries, cities and cultures to help leaders learn to cross boundaries in order to tackle complex problems.
As the Group Chief Executive of Common Purpose Charitable Trust, she works with major organizations and institutions around the world. Adirupa grew up in India and read for an MPhil in International Relations at St. John’s College, Cambridge. She is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s High Potential Leadership Programme.
As the Group Chief Executive of Common Purpose Charitable Trust, she works with major organizations and institutions around the world. Adirupa grew up in India and read for an MPhil in International Relations at St. John’s College, Cambridge. She is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s High Potential Leadership Programme.
Tim Jarvis AM
Scientist, adventurer and author
Tim Jarvis AM is an environmental scientist, author, adventurer and public speaker with Masters degrees in environmental science and environmental law. He is committed to finding pragmatic solutions to major environmental issues related to climate change and biodiversity loss.
Tim has undertaken unsupported expeditions to the world’s remotest regions, including to the South Pole, high Arctic and across the Great Victoria Desert, and is well known for his historically authentic recreations of the Antarctic survival journeys of heroic era explorers Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Ernest Shackleton.
His environmental project 25zero aims to raise awareness of climate change by focusing on the world's disappearing equatorial glaciers. Tim is the founder and leader of The Forktree Project, a native revegetation and rewilding project on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, and is Global Ambassador and Governor of environmental NGO WWF and a Vice President of Flora and Fauna International.
Tim has undertaken unsupported expeditions to the world’s remotest regions, including to the South Pole, high Arctic and across the Great Victoria Desert, and is well known for his historically authentic recreations of the Antarctic survival journeys of heroic era explorers Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Ernest Shackleton.
His environmental project 25zero aims to raise awareness of climate change by focusing on the world's disappearing equatorial glaciers. Tim is the founder and leader of The Forktree Project, a native revegetation and rewilding project on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, and is Global Ambassador and Governor of environmental NGO WWF and a Vice President of Flora and Fauna International.
Danling Xiao
Creative social entrepreneur
Danling Xiao pursues her passion in creativity and entrepreneurship with a strong focus on human-centred design and sustainability. Danling has dedicated her work to her design practice Mundane Matters as well as various clients including SMEs, government organisations and tech startups.
Since her fruit and vegetable sculptures on Instagram became a global viral success in 2015, Danling has been voicing relentlessly for sustainable living. She collaborates with talents of diverse expertise, from tech experts to hands-on builders and makers, to achieve greater social good together. In 2018, with the support of City of Sydney Art & About, Danling launched Wasteland, a 24-metre tall installation made from marine debris to raise awareness for plastic waste and circular economy. Wasteland inspired her to launch Re/Co in 2020, an online delivery service for household cleaning products in reusable packaging, aiming to reduce plastic waste, household chemical pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Most importantly, Danling enjoys her morning yoga, meditation, books, food and late afternoon walk - self love and nourishment is her top priority.
Since her fruit and vegetable sculptures on Instagram became a global viral success in 2015, Danling has been voicing relentlessly for sustainable living. She collaborates with talents of diverse expertise, from tech experts to hands-on builders and makers, to achieve greater social good together. In 2018, with the support of City of Sydney Art & About, Danling launched Wasteland, a 24-metre tall installation made from marine debris to raise awareness for plastic waste and circular economy. Wasteland inspired her to launch Re/Co in 2020, an online delivery service for household cleaning products in reusable packaging, aiming to reduce plastic waste, household chemical pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Most importantly, Danling enjoys her morning yoga, meditation, books, food and late afternoon walk - self love and nourishment is her top priority.
Vicky Welgraven
Respectful relationships champion
Vicky Welgraven is a proud Adnyamathanha woman from the Northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. She has worked in the Public Sector for the past 26 years working in both federal and state government where she has held a number of key positions including managing staff and teams.
Vicky is a champion of those impacted by domestic and family violence, promoting gender equality and respectful relationships. Through her work as a White Ribbon Australia Community Partner and as a Director on the Our Watch Board, she seeks to address power imbalances leading to gender-based violence.
Vicky is also a member of the South Australian Premier’s Council for Women where she plays a part in providing leadership and advice to the Premier and the Minister for Human Services to ensure the interests and needs of women are at the forefront of the South Australian Government’s policies and strategies.
In 2019, Vicky was a Finalist for the Winnovation Awards in the Innovation & Intrapreneurship within Government Category for her innovative approaches to Reconciliation, Aboriginal history / culture; promoting gender equality, respectful relationships and an end to domestic and family violence.
Vicky is also a passionate Advocate for Reconciliation where she served as a board member on the Reconciliation SA Board for the past 6 years. In 2019 she was appointed the ‘First South Australian Aboriginal Woman’ as an ‘Australia Day Ambassador’. Where she generously volunteers her time to visit regional and metropolitan areas across SA to embrace communities, share insights from her varied lived experiences, and reflect on who we are as nation and celebrate our diversity.
Vicky is a champion of those impacted by domestic and family violence, promoting gender equality and respectful relationships. Through her work as a White Ribbon Australia Community Partner and as a Director on the Our Watch Board, she seeks to address power imbalances leading to gender-based violence.
Vicky is also a member of the South Australian Premier’s Council for Women where she plays a part in providing leadership and advice to the Premier and the Minister for Human Services to ensure the interests and needs of women are at the forefront of the South Australian Government’s policies and strategies.
In 2019, Vicky was a Finalist for the Winnovation Awards in the Innovation & Intrapreneurship within Government Category for her innovative approaches to Reconciliation, Aboriginal history / culture; promoting gender equality, respectful relationships and an end to domestic and family violence.
Vicky is also a passionate Advocate for Reconciliation where she served as a board member on the Reconciliation SA Board for the past 6 years. In 2019 she was appointed the ‘First South Australian Aboriginal Woman’ as an ‘Australia Day Ambassador’. Where she generously volunteers her time to visit regional and metropolitan areas across SA to embrace communities, share insights from her varied lived experiences, and reflect on who we are as nation and celebrate our diversity.
Bek Smith
Mental Fitness Trainer
Bek Smith is on a mission to disrupt the way we approach mental health - and she's determined to do so without "fighting a battle" or "waging a war" against anything!
For three decades of her life, Bek lived with mental illness. At 17 she began her studies in psychology, and also discovered the powerful effect exercise had on her cognition and her mood. Whilst struggling through an eating disorder, exercise addiction, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and PTSD, Bek concurrently completed her Bachelor of Science degree, worked as a psychology researcher, gained her Honours degree in Physiology and her Masters in Physiotherapy, commenced a successful clinical career and became a Reebok sponsored athlete.
Fast forward to the present day, and Bek now works as a psychological wellbeing advisor and educator, sharing the message that our diagnoses do not determine our outcomes, and that there is much more we can do to protect our mental health. Her approach to wellbeing is deeply human, highly relevant, and informed by her life experiences as much as it is by her qualifications. Bek is inspired to share the language and practices of mental fitness as a means to marry together her passions, address our epidemic of mental ill-health, and live out her purpose to elevate human consciousness.
For three decades of her life, Bek lived with mental illness. At 17 she began her studies in psychology, and also discovered the powerful effect exercise had on her cognition and her mood. Whilst struggling through an eating disorder, exercise addiction, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and PTSD, Bek concurrently completed her Bachelor of Science degree, worked as a psychology researcher, gained her Honours degree in Physiology and her Masters in Physiotherapy, commenced a successful clinical career and became a Reebok sponsored athlete.
Fast forward to the present day, and Bek now works as a psychological wellbeing advisor and educator, sharing the message that our diagnoses do not determine our outcomes, and that there is much more we can do to protect our mental health. Her approach to wellbeing is deeply human, highly relevant, and informed by her life experiences as much as it is by her qualifications. Bek is inspired to share the language and practices of mental fitness as a means to marry together her passions, address our epidemic of mental ill-health, and live out her purpose to elevate human consciousness.
Bel Ryan
Art therapist and counsellor
Bel Ryan is fascinated by people, their stories, and how our experiences impact our lives. As a leading art therapist, counsellor, lecturer and director of Ignite Art Therapies, Bel is passionate about the power of using creativity to problem-solve, reflect, inspire and motivate.
Through her work and lived experiences, Bel has developed invaluable insights into grief, vicarious trauma and mental health. She is driven by her belief in "keeping things real’ and is passionate about fostering self-care for individuals as well as within teams and organisations.
Bel has been designing and facilitating programs for over 20 years, working extensively with vulnerable people in settings from schools, to health, to workplaces, to paediatric palliative care. Her distinct fusion of creative and experiential approaches positions her uniquely as a practitioner that cultivates (in herself as well as others) self-awareness, understanding, learning and empowerment.
Most recently, Bel’s focus has been on providing a safe space for leaders to consider how they can best lead for the greater good. She believes that we all need a space to be real and acknowledge our experiences, so that we can break through our barriers and realise true success, abundance, confidence, freedom and purpose.
Through her work and lived experiences, Bel has developed invaluable insights into grief, vicarious trauma and mental health. She is driven by her belief in "keeping things real’ and is passionate about fostering self-care for individuals as well as within teams and organisations.
Bel has been designing and facilitating programs for over 20 years, working extensively with vulnerable people in settings from schools, to health, to workplaces, to paediatric palliative care. Her distinct fusion of creative and experiential approaches positions her uniquely as a practitioner that cultivates (in herself as well as others) self-awareness, understanding, learning and empowerment.
Most recently, Bel’s focus has been on providing a safe space for leaders to consider how they can best lead for the greater good. She believes that we all need a space to be real and acknowledge our experiences, so that we can break through our barriers and realise true success, abundance, confidence, freedom and purpose.
Mickey Kumatpi O’Brien
Cultural educator and advisor
Mickey Kumatpi Marratyu O’Brien is an Aboriginal person and descendant of the Kaurna (Adelaide Plains) and Narrunga (Yorke Peninsula) peoples. He has been providing cultural advice for many years and is a proud ambassador for the Kaurna people. His warm Welcome to Country is always a highlight at our summits.
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country. He is truly valued as a Newday Leadership advisor.
Mickey connects with audiences through his engaging storytelling ability where he delivers powerful lessons passed on to him through his people, culture, history and experiences. Reminding audiences that, "cultural knowledge and respect is part of every story and each human journey."
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country. He is truly valued as a Newday Leadership advisor.
Mickey connects with audiences through his engaging storytelling ability where he delivers powerful lessons passed on to him through his people, culture, history and experiences. Reminding audiences that, "cultural knowledge and respect is part of every story and each human journey."
Annie Harvey
Wellbeing Educator
Annie Harvey is a Wellbeing Educator who shares her personal experiences of ‘burnout’ during careers in PR and teaching and as a carer. She provides practical, evidenced-based tools developed during her years of research and working with clients in the area of mental and emotional wellbeing, with a particular interest in helping those in caring professions manage empathy fatigue.
Author of the bestselling book The Little Book of STILL, Annie provides simple daily strategies that add micro mindful moments to our day without needing to make time to meditate. She has also taught hundreds of people the superpower of mindfulness + meditation.
Annie’s simple yet powerful message of taking some time to be STILL and to experience the joy in life was taken to the next level at TEDx Adelaide in 2017. Her current project, and passion, is reducing intergenerational anxiety by bringing kindergartens and aged care residents together using laughter therapy.
As a speaker, Annie is often referred to as the ‘pattern interrupt’. Her enthusiasm is infectious, providing groups with a natural ‘mood lift’, leaving everyone calmer and energised as a result and she does this through the power of our own natural laughter.
Author of the bestselling book The Little Book of STILL, Annie provides simple daily strategies that add micro mindful moments to our day without needing to make time to meditate. She has also taught hundreds of people the superpower of mindfulness + meditation.
Annie’s simple yet powerful message of taking some time to be STILL and to experience the joy in life was taken to the next level at TEDx Adelaide in 2017. Her current project, and passion, is reducing intergenerational anxiety by bringing kindergartens and aged care residents together using laughter therapy.
As a speaker, Annie is often referred to as the ‘pattern interrupt’. Her enthusiasm is infectious, providing groups with a natural ‘mood lift’, leaving everyone calmer and energised as a result and she does this through the power of our own natural laughter.
Matthew Wright-Simon
Newday co-director and emcee
Matthew Wright-Simon is delighted to be working with the Newday Leadership team, working alongside Katrina in curating and designing and hosting summits, labs and our recent eSeries. As he has done since 2018, Matthew will link the intimacy of what's shared with the big picture and the events that shape our lives as leaders.
Matthew's purpose is to creatively stimulate, facilitate, engage and activate people to contribute to positive social, environmental and economic impact – and to have a lot of fun in the process!
Matthew's diverse commercial work with engagement consultancy, Ecocreative, is informed by his roles in thought leadership, philanthropy and conservation with TEDxAdelaide, the Awesome Foundation and Landscape Partnerships, an environmental NGO he co-founded several years ago.
In 2019, Matthew co-founded Double Denim, a sustainable textiles social enterprise that benefits a women's homelessness service. This is one of several social enterprise ventures he helps lead, complemented by his role on the board of the South Australian Social Enterprise Council peak body. In 2019-20, Matthew was voted as one of Pro Bono Australia's Impact 25 for his contribution to social and environmental advocacy and enterprise in Australia.
Matthew's purpose is to creatively stimulate, facilitate, engage and activate people to contribute to positive social, environmental and economic impact – and to have a lot of fun in the process!
Matthew's diverse commercial work with engagement consultancy, Ecocreative, is informed by his roles in thought leadership, philanthropy and conservation with TEDxAdelaide, the Awesome Foundation and Landscape Partnerships, an environmental NGO he co-founded several years ago.
In 2019, Matthew co-founded Double Denim, a sustainable textiles social enterprise that benefits a women's homelessness service. This is one of several social enterprise ventures he helps lead, complemented by his role on the board of the South Australian Social Enterprise Council peak body. In 2019-20, Matthew was voted as one of Pro Bono Australia's Impact 25 for his contribution to social and environmental advocacy and enterprise in Australia.
