Summit Speakers in 2025
The Corporate PA Summit attracts a fantastic mix of inspirational speakers, celebrity speakers and leading EAs.
Photos and bios of confirmed speakers will be shown below as they become available.
Speakers
Ellie Cole
With an OAM, an AM & 17 Paralympic medals under her belt, in 2021 Ellie Cole became Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian. At age three, her right leg was amputated after she suffered a life-threatening sarcoma cancer, but rather than dwell on adversity, Ellie has instead shown an incredible ability to overcome the odds.
It’s not only her courageous story but her unrivalled sense of humour, wonderful humility and never-say-die attitude that make her a true inspiration.
MOTIVATIONAL MINDSET
Shifting your mindset can be the difference between a happy, fulfilled existence and a daily struggle. After a year of unsuccessful chemotherapy, Ellie’s parents made the heartbreaking decision to amputate her leg. She jumped into a swimming pool eight weeks later for rehabilitation – and from that moment built an inspiring and glittering career.
Ellie focuses on embracing life and adapting to change. She believes that having a disability has taught her that things don’t always go our way, and how important it is to focus on the positive and move forward. A lot of people have emotional limitations that prevent them from living the lives they want to live – but Ellie says these are stepping stones that are easy to overcome – once you know how.
Adam Spencer
Adam Spencer is one of Australia’s most dynamic and engaging minds. He has hosted award-winning breakfast radio shows in Australia’s toughest markets and live current affairs TV. He has won improvised theatre competitions and once interviewed John Travolta in front of 75,000 people. Whether it’s a technically demanding event with dozens of moving parts, or flying by the seat of your pants, Adam prides himself on the high level of energy, engagement and entertainment that he provides whenever on stage, set or screen.
With 25 years experience in television, radio and events, Adam loves curating challenging and thought-provoking conversations. He has interviewed prime ministers, Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel Prize-winning scientists and Australians of the Year — and he was also the first person in the world to ever interview our legendary Thai cave rescuers.
At the Corporate PA Summit, Adam will be presenting, and leading a conversation, about AI and technology, and how it will shape your role, now and into the future.
Adam loves doing the research and crafting the narrative that helps people tell their story. He’s informative, fun and guaranteed to impart take-aways you’ve never heard before. Adam Spencer specialises in bringing challenging conversations to life.
Dr Preeya Alexander
Preeya is a practicing GP, mum of two, author and TV presenter. She is passionate about all things ‘prevention’ in medicine, and on a quest to make complex health information digestible for everyone.
She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Adelaide University. She has been featured as an expert on Sunrise and The Drum and is a regular contributor to online publications such as The Grace Tales, Mamamia and other lifestyle websites, combining her passion for
medicine and her role as an educator to become a shining example of the qualified ‘expert influencer’.
Preeya cohosts Channel 10’s Good Chef Bad Chef and hosted a 2 part series of ABC’s flagship science show Catalyst.
She specialises in preventative health, general medicine, sexual health, mental health and women’s medicine.
Kristina Karlsson
Much loved the world over, Swedish born Kristina was the Founder of kikki.K, and more recently Dream Life (an inspiring & empowering brand turned global movement).
After growing up on a small farm in Sweden, aged 22 she found herself in Australia, half a world away from family & friends, with little money and no idea what to do with her life. So, what was a girl to do?
She imagined what her dream life could look like – wrote her dreams down on paper – and then make them happen.
Kristina sold all she owned to create & build globally loved Swedish design & stationery business, kikki.K – from the ground up, to have: 120 award winning retail stores in 5 countries; a passionate team of ~1,500; a reputation for innovation & service excellence; an online store serving stationery & design lovers in over 150 countries …and total revenue of around $650m.
For over 20 yrs from start-up to mid 2021, Kristina won the hearts & minds of millions the world over, as the creative force and personality behind what was an authentic, founder & purpose led brand.
After a tumultuous experience thru the Covid pandemic – with forced closures of her stores – Kristina lost control of kikki.K and parted ways in heart-breaking circumstances. A riveting story with many learnings.
She has since bounced back – on a mission to inspire & empower 101 million people the world over to discover and chase their dreams.
Simi Rayat
Simi is an ICF Professional Certified Executive Leadership Coach, Chartered Business Psychologist, corporate speaker, facilitator and storyteller. She was very fortunate to discover my passion and drive for personal and leadership development early in her career, knowing after her degree in Organisational Psychology in Nottingham, UK that she wanted to work with a broad range of professionals to empower and enable them to be the best possible leaders, to benefit themselves and everyone around them too. Her work has taken her on an exciting and varied journey through the public and private sectors, from entrepreneurial start-ups and government departments to consulting for firms all over the world.
Simi has worked on a freelance and employed basis as a senior manager, consultant, psychologist and coach. She has led high-performing teams and has felt the pressures first-hand of the highs and lows of delivering success through others. In 2011, Simi started her own private Psychology practice Minds for the Future in Melbourne which she built into a thriving business, building a team of eight psychologists across three sites in the city before selling to new owners and returning to London, UK in 2016.
Simi has worked very intentionally and deliberately for twenty years to be where she is now; working in partnership with clients globally with a common aim of growing themselves and creating inclusive cultures so those around them can also flourish and love what they do that little bit more.
Casey Beros
For 15 years, Casey’s job has been to ask questions of our brightest minds on how to live a happier, healthier life. She is fascinated by how communication affects the care we receive, and how that affects outcomes. She is often called upon to act as a conduit between clinician and consumer – a role she relishes and navigates with aplomb.
An experienced health journalist, Casey holds her own in nuanced, complex and dense medical territory as a speaker, and is often called upon to act as a medical facilitator for some of our biggest health brands. An engaging and entertaining speaker, she’ll have you crying with laughter one minute and tearing up the next.
Casey gave the closing keynote at the Corporate PA Summit in Perth, and was easily one of the best speakers we’ve ever worked with, creating a huge impact with our WA-based attendees. Travelling from Perth, Casey is the wellbeing expert on Channel 10’s Well Traveller, and has hosted TV programs for the ABC (Tonic) and Channel 10 (Everyday Health) and writes frequently for Australia’s leading digital platforms. In 2021, she released her first book, The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide to Better – blending her love of entertainment and education to deliver a stealth help guide to navigating the obstacle course of life. A Mum of two young girls, she is particularly passionate about mental and women’s health.
Anthony Carthew
Anthony has more than 25 years’ experience as a professional EA across a variety of industries, including previous roles at David Jones and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Joining the Sydney Opera House in 2006, he is now EA to the CEO and Head of Protocol – overseeing visits by international heads of state and royal families. Anthony manages the Assistants Team and was the founding chair of Sydney Opera House’s Pride network to help promote diversity and inclusion at the Opera House.
In 2018, he won EA of the Year Australasia (with Executive PA Media), and speaks regularly at conferences and events about the EA profession, mentors for aspiring PAs and EAs, and was featured in ABC TV’s documentary “Inside the Sydney Opera House”.
Rachael Bonetti (masterclass leader)
Rachael is a former career executive assistant who has supported a high profile billionaire, thought leaders, CEOs and Chairs internationally for 27 years.
Today she’s a passionate advocate for the assistant community and loves creating and delivering the development opportunities she wishes existed as she moved through her own career. Rachael is a corporate trainer, podcast host, Forbes Australia contributor and the founder of The Elite EA Academy. She is also a certified wellbeing practitioner and loves helping people navigate high performance without the burnout.
She works with companies and assistants all over the world on all things career success, mindset and wellbeing.
Amy Scott (masterclass leader)
Amy Scott, a force fuelled by her love for people and her dedication to cultivating thriving team dynamics. Formerly a seasoned lawyer, Amy’s mantra of “less friction, more fun” is the heartbeat of her mission.
Raised amidst the tranquil landscapes of rural Central Otago, New Zealand, Amy’s early adventures included representing New Zealand in ice hockey as well as working in wool sheds. Her eight-year legal career polished her into a strategic thinker with a keen eye for detail.
However, Amy’s path took a transformative turn when she discovered the groundbreaking “dots communication” tool—a Kiwi innovation that has captivated more than 37,000 individuals across diverse industries throughout NZ and Australia.
Known affectionately as the “dots lady,” Amy’s vibrant energy and ‘down to earth’ approach have reshaped how people communicate and collaborate.
Strap yourself in for a fast paced, engaging & entertaining presentation. Amy’s main aim is to empower individuals to unlock their full potential through effective communication.
Expect to walk away armed with practical tools and a renewed passion for authentic connections in your professional and personal worlds!
Fantastic summit – I tell everyone that this is the premier conference for EAs in Australia – I love that it is high octane with great presenters and no “dead spots”. Keep doing what you’re doing – its working very well!
DFAT