Inspiring Speakers

Janine Shepherd

Janine Shepherd is an inspirational speaker and writer whose books have become classics in the survivor genre. A champion cross-country skier in training for the 1988 Winter Olympics, Janine’s life changed forever when she was hit by a truck during a bicycle training ride in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Doctors warned her parents that—even if she somehow miraculously survived her massive injuries—Janine would almost certainly never walk again.

After a risky procedure to rebuild her shattered vertebra and almost six months flat on her back in a hospital spinal ward, Janine came home to heal. With the promise of a career as an elite athlete now gone forever, Janine faced a daunting recovery and an uncertain future.

Struggling to rehabilitate with permanent disabilities, Janine rekindled her defiant spirit in a dramatically improbable way. Sitting outside in her wheelchair one day and watching a small plane fly overhead, she declared, “That’s it! If I can’t walk, I’ll fly!”

Still encased in a full body cast, Janine had to be lifted into an aircraft for her introductory flight lesson. But within a year she had defied the odds and succeeded in gaining her private pilot’s license. Her talent and skill as a pilot subsequently earned Janine a commercial pilot license and ultimately, her flying instructor’s rating. She then decided to learn to fly upside down, and finally, to teach aerobatic flight to other pilots.

Janine went on to succeed not only as a professional pilot but also to attain her university degree, raise three children, and author several best-selling books. Her remarkable life story ultimately captured the interest of a prominent film company, which produced the feature-length movie aptly titled Never Tell Me Never.

Andy Nunn

A mindset and performance speaker who reveals how to rewire the way you think, adapt under pressure, and thrive in a world that never stops changing. A professional mentalist with more than 20 years on stage, Andy helps people master their mindset, communicate with impact, and take smarter risks.

Andy Nunn is a sought-after keynote speaker for leading organisations including Google, Amazon, SAP, Sony, and Ralph Lauren — delivering interactive sessions that spark self-awareness, connection, and change.

Andy’s reputation grew from his acclaimed TEDx talk, “Seeing Is Believing,” which explored how perception shapes trust, decisions, and performance. His keynotes aren’t lectures — they’re immersive experiences where audiences don’t just learn about mindset and bias, they feel them in real time. Blending neuroscience, psychology, and performance, Andy reveals how small shifts in perception can create powerful results in leadership, communication, and culture. Whether speaking on mindset, communication, or risk, he leaves audiences entertained, challenged, and inspired to think differently.

Described as “a speaker who makes insight tangible,” Andy combines warmth, intelligence, and energy to help people master the one thing that drives every result — how they think.

Craig Tiley

Craig is recognized as one of Australia’s most innovative and forward-thinking chief executives. His charismatic and passionate nature, together with his business acumen, has leveraged him to the forefront of sports administration and the leader behind Australia’s largest and most successful international sporting event.

He has been the driving force behind the growth of the Australian Open into a truly global brand and one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Craig’s incredible relationship with the players has long been a key to the success of the Australian Open right from when he was appointed Tournament Director for his first event in 2006. He was later appointed CEO of Tennis Australia in 2013.

In that time, he has led unprecedented growth in the event’s global awareness and audience, revenue, player compensation, facilities and on-site activities for fans. As a result, the Australian Open has continually broken attendance records with the 2025 event attracting more than 1.2 million people across three weeks. The event also delivered record economic benefits to Victoria, injecting $565.8 million into the state’s economy – cementing its position as Australia’s biggest annual event with a global audience of more than 1.9 billion viewers.

As Tennis Australia CEO, Craig has led the introduction of successful initiatives to shift the historical decline in tennis participation including the rollout of digital platforms, which has increased access to courts by over 350%. He has led the diversification of Tennis Australia with the creation of a global production unit, development of music and food partnerships, the launch of a venture capital fund and a successful incubator partnership.

He also serves as the Chair of the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) in Australia and is on the Board of Safety Culture and Rising (Melbourne’s International Arts Festival).

Salil Parekh

Sumit Virmani

Sumit heads marketing and communications at Infosys, with responsibility for realizing Infosys’ brand ambitions globally.

A transformative marketing leader, Sumit has, for over 25 years, shaped brand experiences and narratives across industries and geographies. He joined Infosys in 2004 and has since helped navigate Infosys into the league of the world’s Top 100 brands, and to evolve into the fastest growing IT services brand globally.

He champions the role of brand purpose, brand promise and brand performance as the foundational pillars that position the business for short-term growth and long-term market share gains. Sumit is also the Trustee at Infosys Foundation and serves on the Board of WongDoody – Infosys’ experience design company. Prior to joining Infosys, Sumit worked with Polaris Software and the Tata Group where he honed his skills in business development, brand strategy, marketing effectiveness and corporate communications. Forbes ranked Sumit among the top 50 most influential CMOs globally in 2023. CNBC Storyboard 18 recognized him as a global marketing visionary in 2024.

He serves on the steering committees of The Drum, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and the Association of National Advertisers to help further the marketing agenda in boardrooms.

Inderpreet Sawhney

Raja Shah

Raja Shah, Executive Vice President and Industry Head at Infosys, is an accomplished business leader. He has over 27 years of diverse experience and consistent track record of scaling trusted client relationships and building high-performing teams. He leads the CMT & SURE sectors (Technology, Media, Energy, Utilities, Communications, and Services) across global markets, helping clients leverage Infosys' vast expertise to drive innovation and growth. At Infosys, Raja has been instrumental in transforming the company into a trusted advisor and strategic partner, and helped secured numerous industry awards and Industry first for its clients.

In his leadership of the CMT (Communications, Media & Technology) and SURE (Services, Utilities, Resources & Energy) verticals, Raja has enabled clients to pivot from traditional models to next-gen digital platforms, sustainable solutions and outcome-driven partnerships. He has built high-performing teams, scaled trusted client relationships and influenced market-first initiatives that align with ESG, cloud-native services, AI/ML and industry-specific transformation.

Raja holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering. He has also completed the Global leadership programs at Stanford university and Harvard Business School. Based in Melbourne, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching live cricket, and playing the sport in his spare time.

Melissa Doyle

An accomplished and awarded journalist with more than 30 years experience, Melissa is one of the best-known and trusted voices and faces in Australian media.

A graduate of Charles Sturt University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Melissa began her career in Canberra in 1990, working as a reporter and presenter for WIN TV and Prime TV before joining the Seven Network in 1995. She went on to co-host Sunrise from 1997 to 2013, transforming it into Australia’s leading breakfast program and covering some of the world’s most significant events — from the Beaconsfield mine disaster and the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, to Olympic Games, natural disasters, and historic elections.

Melissa later anchored Seven News and Sunday Night, earning numerous accolades including a Walkley Award, a Logie, and three international Edward R. Murrow Awards for her team’s coverage of the Lindt Café siege. She has also hosted This Is Your Life, The House of Wellness, and Smooth FM’s weekend breakfast, winning multiple Australian Commercial Radio Awards.

An accomplished author of four books, including 15 Seconds of Brave and How to Age Against the Machine, Melissa was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for her significant service to the community and the broadcast media.

A passionate advocate for children’s and humanitarian causes, she serves as National Patron of Make-A Wish Australia and as Ambassador for World Vision, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and Adopt Change. Above all, Melissa is a devoted wife and proud mother of Nick and Talia.