Professor Leeroy William - Australia
Leeroy is the Clinical Director of a Palliative Medicine Service in Australia, who grew up and trained in East London, moving to Dorset for his postgraduate medical training. He has been working in palliative care since 2003, beginning in Lymington (UK), then New Plymouth and Auckland (New Zealand), before settling in Melbourne. Leeroy has developed leadership roles in clinical, educational and research activities and is the current President of the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine.
He has been a Clinical Lead for Schwartz Rounds and has an interest in cancer pain, health professional education, transitions in palliative care, communication skills, and holistic inter-professional care. His passion for improving the knowledge about palliative care has led to development and management of the Facebook page, “Palliative Medicine Teaching” which developed from medical student teaching in 2012.
Healthcare and society have an important role in supporting people and their families during life-threatening illness. The transition from living with an illness to dying from it affects people in different ways. It becomes even more important that we listen to understand and recognise where we can support people, their families and their social networks.
For these reasons, Leeroy remains dedicated to promoting compassionate healthcare and communities.
Jonathan Hudson - New Zealand
Jonathan has a degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. After graduating he began his career in the UK Civil Service working mainly in technology roles. He moved to work in corporate roles in the telecoms sector specialising in marketing and logistics.
In 1993 he joined a telecoms start-up business as European Managing Director and within 4 years grew that business from scratch to having operations in eight European countries employing over 700 staff. The company listed on the NASDAQ and was subsequently acquired by a competitor on favourable terms. After moving to New Zealand, he setup a software business, Ezitracker which specialised in web-based services focussed on the care and facilities management industries in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. The business was eventually sold to its principal UK competitor. He is currently engaged in building a substantial housing development near Tauranga, New Zealand.
He has over 30 years’ experience of start-up and early-stage companies in the technology sectors and an extensive knowledge of the challenges rapidly growing businesses must overcome if they are to prosper. He has worked in virtually every facet of a company’s operations and is a highly regarded C level executive.
Rachael Wass - Australia
Rachael is the CEO of Meaningful Ageing Australia and is dedicated to making a difference to the quality of life of older Australians. She believes there is a different future for our ageing population, one that puts humanity before profit and allows people to be seen, heard and supported with empathy, openness and compassion. Past achievements in strategic business planning and tactical, operational management, professional services consulting, customer value and brand advocacy. Rachael holds First Class honours in a Master of Aging (Global Population Health), Master of Commerce and Certified Practicing Marketer. Based in inner Sydney, Australia, Rachael is a carer and spiritual practitioner, her passions include learning about indigenous culture, meditation and philosophy.
Greg Cronan - Australia
Upon completing studies about intergenerational practice at Griffith University (Gold Coast Australia), Greg commenced the implementation of a new and innovative intergenerational learning program. These purposeful interactions involve students situated in their classroom discussing school curriculum topics and other mutually agreed subjects via weekly video calls with elders at a residential aged care home. One of the objectives for these discussion is to achieve reciprocal learning, heath and behavioural outcomes for both age groups. The positive changes in mood and behaviour for the students and elders have been significant. Other outcomes from these interactions has been laughter and the enjoyment of two diverse age groups learning together. The program has recently expanded to include elders living in their own home and young children at early learning centres. All video calls are recorded for research, to improvement the program and for the pleasure of viewing the interactions at a later date.
www.intergenerational-learning.com.au
Jo Wood - Australia
Jo is an experienced clinical social worker, currently working at a specialist palliative care unit in Melbourne, Australia. She holds postgraduate qualifications in bereavement counselling and has recently taken up a leadership role with Palliative Care Social Work Australia. This leading organisation represents social workers with experience and interest in palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care.
Jo is passionate about the provision of holistic, interdisciplinary, collaborative and compassionate healthcare for all.
Annie Whitlocke - Australia
Annie has worked in the community to serve those in need for many decades. She is a trained death doula, Death Walker, Death Midwife, mindfulness instructor, Advance Care Directive guide, lay Buddhist chaplain on call for the Buddhist Council of Victoria for all major hospitals and Clinical Pastoral Education trained Pastoral carer for Monash Health. Annie serves all people, no matter what culture, faith or belief; before, during and after their death.
Annie is a member of the Natural Death Advocacy Network NDAN, Australian Home Funeral Alliance and Dying with Dignity. She is a mentor and trainer for Social Health Australia. Annie is also mentor and facilitator for Life Options and trains Death Doulas, and Pet Death doulas.
She is not a psychologist or counsellor yet her decades of lived experience and deep level of companionship has and continues to make her an elder of wide experience. She conveys this in her open acceptance of all she meets through humour, open communication, wide lived experience, candidness and authenticity.
Annie also rescues seriously disabled dogs and currently has four she cares for.