Meet the 2022 Veterinary Business Group Summit speakers

Peter Baines OAM

Peter Baines OAM knows a lot about high pressure environments. Not only has he investigated major crimes and homicides as a Crime Scene Investigator, he has also been deployed to the scene of natural and man-made disasters across Southeast Asia, Saudi Arabia and Japan; led international counter terrorism projects for Interpol and built leadership capacity at the UN Office of Drug and Crime.

As a leader, he is fuelled by a “genuine desire to…create a positive impact”, a motivation exemplified by his devotion to the charity organisation, Hands Across the Water. This is a cause with personal significance; Peter founded Hands Across the Water after leading an Australian team into Thailand to forensically identify thousands of victims following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.

“Leadership,” he says, “impacts businesses and communities,” and is about “actions and reactions, not the positions that we hold.” He believes the qualities that make a good leader are the courage to make difficult decisions, the ability to focus on results and not excuses, and the willingness to dream (and not just during sleep).

Peter describes himself as a visionary that strives to lead by example. He has high expectations of himself and others. This even applies in his spare time – his “happy place” is flying helicopters, a hobby not for the faint-of-heart!

If there is one thing Peter has learnt over the course of his career, it is that leaders “don’t need to have all the answers. Asking for advice and assistance is not a sign of weakness, but actually strength.”

Join Peter at the VBG summit at 9am on Thursday 20 October 2022 for his keynote address, ‘Leadership Matters’, and at 1:45pm on 20 October for his ‘Facing leadership challenges’ workshop. There are special discounts for AVA and VBG members. To register, click here.

Kirrily Dear

Kirrily Dear has devoted her life to pushing boundaries. Her first experience of being a leader was at just eight years old, when she was a Sixer for her local Brownie Guides. Since then, she has gone on to defy limits: she was the first woman on record to run the 1300kms from Broken Hill to Sydney and the youngest person in 90 years – and one of the few women – to earn a directorship with the Australian Institute of Management. She also founded the charity Run Against Violence, which is now going global.

She’s also a business owner. Having recently celebrated her business’ 20-year anniversary, Kirrily has found that the most effective leaders are charismatic, with the skills to adapt to the type of leadership best suited to each situation. As a leader, she describes herself as a visionary, inspiring others and taking them along on her journey. Over the years, she has learnt that progress is cyclical, not lineal. Her talk at the 2022 VBG Summit will teach delegates how to navigate tricky waters and push through when, she says, “your energy and self-belief are buckling under the pressure to perform.” She lives by the mantra: “Say you can’t do it, and I’ll show that you can.”

In her spare time, Kirrily and her family run sheep, cattle, horses and now bison on their property near Mudgee, NSW – assisted by their Koolie dog, Lucy. The bison weaners are the newest arrivals at the farm, having come from Dubbo at the end of July. She also writes a blog and mentors women who are stepping up to senior leadership roles. Her motto is, “don’t doubt, do”, meaning leaders need to back themselves through thick and thin.

^{Image: Bison and bull meet for the first time on Kirrily Dear's property}

Join Kirrily on Thursday 20 October 2022 at 10:45am for her talk, “Dare to be your boldest”. While she doesn’t want to give too many ‘spoilers’, the talk will take delegates on an adventure into “what goes on deep inside a bold mind,” and helping them rediscover “the faith, hope and courage [they] had early in their careers.”

To register, click here.

Dr Nick Mabbott

Dr Nick Mabbott describes himself as in the business of ‘selling sleep’. As a Fatigue Risk Management Specialist, Dr Mabbott has spent more than 26 years pursuing sleep sciences and, as he says, “how sleep relates to incidents, health and wellbeing.” He is renowned for his expertise on the subject, having contributed to more than 60 research reports on how fatigue impacts road and workplace safety and investigated more than 20 fatal fatigue crashes. By the end of this year he will have delivered training on the topic to more than 30,000 people.

Dr Mabbott’s presentation at the VBG summit will be focused on the science of sleep, from how humans sleep to how good sleep benefits health and overall wellness. There will also be practical tips, such as how to get to sleep in five minutes – something which many stressed-out business owners will no doubt be interested to learn.

Poor sleep affects productivity via underperformance, increased numbers of sick days and long-term chronic health impacts, Dr Mabbott says. This has greater-reaching impacts for businesses and business owners who have to bear the brunt of productivity losses. Dr Mabbott also emphasises the need for business owners to practice self-care, saying, “look after yourself so that you can help others.”

On the flip side, Dr Mabbott’s commitment to sound sleep has allowed him to pursue a busy life outside of work. With nine children and twelve grandchildren, Dr Mabbott also pursues a wide variety of hobbies including gardening, cultivating orchids, gem-collecting, woodwork, and cooking.

Join Dr Mabbott at the VBG summit at 8:15am on Friday 21 October 2022 for his talk, ‘Sleep, wellbeing, safety and performance.’ There are special discounts for AVA and VBG members. To register, click here.

In the meantime, he has this advice: “Eat well, move often, and sleep like you deserve it.”