Keynote
Dave Clare
Circle Leadership, Founder
Driven by a PURPOSE to evolve the world of work, Dave's sense of mission is clear: to redefine business success not just for the accolades but for the impact.
As an elite performance coach, Rich centres his approach on the mastery of the breath.
In the formative years of his professional life Rich served as an intelligence officer for the Australian Government, working exclusively in the field as a counter-terrorism expert. He spent several years leading investigations and operations against high priority national security threats, being deployed primarily under cover in Australia and the Middle East.
On returning to civilian life, Rich joined a boutique London-based executive search firm, Augmentum Consulting before returning to Australia to co-found InterSearch Australia, where he continues to maintain an advisory role.
After training with legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer Laird Hamilton in 2016, Rich dedicated himself to developing his understanding of breath control and its relationship to peak physical performance, mental resilience, and emotional control.
Rich is a trusted advisor and mentor to world class athletes, senior executives and emerging talent through various school programs. He continues to explore the limits of human potential from his home in Noosa, Australia where he lives with his wife Bec and daughter Ryder.
Sessions
Richard Burrows’s Sessions
Action
Sustain High Performance: the power of breath
FWD>SUSTAIN
Join Rich Burrows from Performance Breathing Australia for a guided exploration of the immense power of conscious breath control. “The mind is the king of the senses, but the breath is the king of the mind.” The path of the founder or entrepreneur is one that will repeatedly challenge body, mind and spirit. The ability to sustain focus, to sustain energy, to sustain motivation will determine whether the vision one wishes to share with the world is itself sustainable. No amount of grit, or hustle or grind will overcome the inevitable setbacks along the path. We need to develop the internal skillset to ride these waves, find agency over our internal state, and cultivate the ability to harness attention; to show up as the best version of ourselves on any given day. The breath offers a compass on this journey. Rich will lead you through a range of practical exercises deployed by world class athletes, elite military operators and business executives to find calm in the chaos. No gimmicks, no special equipment, all you need to pay is attention.
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Venue 114
FWD›››25 Speakers and Panellists
Keynote
Elea Wurth
Lead Partner Trustworthy AI, Strategy Risk & Transactions, Deloitte
Keynote
Mark Visser
Big wave surfer, author, keynote speaker, mindset coach and founder of The Ocean Warrior
At FWD›››FEST 25, Mark will ignite your entrepreneurial spirit with his keynote on DAY TWO, Riding the Wave, sharing actionable insights to tackle challenges and seize opportunities.
Featured
Daniel Flynn
Thankyou, Social Entrepreneur | Co-Founder
Daniel Flynn is one of Australia’s most compelling social entrepreneurs, known for transforming bold ideas into powerful movements.
Featured
Ivan Carl Engelbrecht
Leonardo.ai, Head of Product and Design
Ivan thrives on solving challenging problems, is always looking to learn more and pushing boundaries through collaboration.
Featured
Kevin Wan Lum
LGT Crestone, Deputy Chief Investment Officer
Kevin has more than 25 years of financial markets and investment management experience in Australia and overseas.
Featured
Mark Woodland
Kismet, Founder & CEO
Mark has built and scaled multiple purpose-driven companies, combining technology, empathy, and relentless execution.
Alex Knight
Advanced, Managing Director
Helping innovative founders turn R&D into a growth engine.
Alexander Cohen
Scope&Go AI Agency, Founder
Alexander specialises in bridging technical and non-technical environments to create impactful solutions.
Bryton Wishart
Cured Compliance, Founder
Bryton is a proud entrepreneur and technology enthusiast with an obsession for learning. Bryton is on the Silicon Coast Board.
Craig ‘CJ’ Josic
Co- Founder, Silicon Coast
Craig Josic aka CJ is epitomises the essence of a visionary leader and community builder. With over a decade of unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
David Neal
CEO, Eighth Mile Consulting
Dr Karen Sutherland
Senior Lecturer in Public Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast
Jason Garland
Chair, Sunshine Coast Tech Industry Alliance (SCTechIA)
Kathryn Giudes
Managing Director, macroDATA Digital Solutions & Chair of Silicon Coast
Kelly Lavery
Inventor - CEO, Strucket
Laura Ashmole
Head of Growth, River City Labs
Mayor Rosanna Natoli
Sunshine Coast Council, Mayor
Mayor Natoli will lead the Sunshine Coast community to a bright future while protecting the lifestyle we love.
Nicole Nixon
Five Faces, CEO
Nicole brings a rare blend of empathy and operational discipline, shaped by diverse roles in manufacturing, consulting, and entertainment.
Oscar Lloyd
Founder, ProxiTech
Peter Deans
Creator & Founder 52 Risks and Gōru I Strategy & Risk Advisor
Richard Burrows
Director, Performance Breathing Australia
Rob Steffler
DeLorean Project
Sam Bala
Principal, Omnichannel Architecture, NewStore
Sean O'Neill
Nash Capital, Managing Director
Sean O’Neill is the Managing Director of Nash Capital, a mid-market private equity fund in Australia that manages $200m of high-net-worth client funds.
Thomas Pollock
Managing Director, Gov Ready
Tim Collier
National Head of Strategy, Cummins & Partners
Tracy Sheen
AI Speaker and Consultant, The Digital Guide
