Meet the Experts Leading Congress 2025

Emma McKeon AM

Australia’s Most Decorated Olympian & Swimming Icon

Emma McKeon AM is Australia’s most decorated Olympian and one of the greatest swimmers in history. Over a stellar career, she amassed 14 Olympic medals, including six golds, making her the third-most decorated swimmer and the seventh-most decorated athlete in Olympic history.

Emma was born on May 24, 1994, in Wollongong, New South Wales and hails from a family steeped in swimming excellence. Her father, Ron McKeon, and mother, Susie McKeon (née Woodhouse), were both competitive swimmers, with Ron representing Australia at the Olympics and Susie competing at the Commonwealth Games. Her brother, David McKeon, is also an Olympian. Emma’s early promise was evident when she won one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

After narrowly missing selection for the 2012 London Olympics, Emma took a brief hiatus before returning to the pool with renewed determination. She made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, securing four medals: one gold, two silvers, and a bronze.

Her crowning achievement came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where she won seven medals—four gold and three bronze—becoming the first female swimmer and the first Australian to win seven medals at a single Olympics. She continued her exceptional performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, adding another gold and two more podium finishes to her tally.

Beyond the Olympics, Emma excelled at the World Aquatics Championships, earning 20 medals, including five gold. At the Commonwealth Games, she amassed a record 20 medals, 14 of which were gold, solidifying her status as one of the most successful athletes in the event’s history.

In November 2024, at the age of 30, Emma announced her retirement from competitive swimming, expressing gratitude for her journey and a desire to inspire other athletes. Emma’s legacy is not only defined by her medal haul but also by her embodiment of perseverance, excellence, humility, and sportsmanship. She remains a role model for aspiring athletes and a celebrated figure in Australian sports history.

In retirement, Emma is taking the opportunity to enjoy her passions outside of swimming – spending time with family and friends, exploring other cultures and cuisines, coffee, sleeping in and importantly, imparting her knowledge and lived experiences with the next generation of young athletes.

Hamish McLachlan

Hamish McLachlan’s broadcasting journey began in horse sports and polo, where his roles as a player and administrator opened doors to local and international game-calling opportunities. To refine his skills, he spent three summers in Europe, hosting sports and charity events while commentating matches, all in pursuit of a career in Australia.

In 2008, he returned to Australia and secured his breakthrough with Channel 7 as the host of “AFL Game Day,” blending insightful analysis with lighthearted banter. His success on the show led to hosting roles for Spring Racing broadcasts and tennis commentary at the Australian Open.

Recognised as one of Australia’s premier event hosts, Hamish helmed iconic occasions like the Melbourne Cup, Rio 2016 Olympics, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and the entertainment series “Australian Spartan.” In 2019, he began hosting the prestigious Brownlow Medal Count and Coverage and, in 2020, presented the popular AFL digital series, “The Last Time I Cried.”

Beyond broadcasting, Hamish actively supports causes such as Captain Courageous, where he serves on the board, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, where he is an ambassador. His partnership with AIA Vitality reflects his multifaceted career. Hamish resides in Melbourne with his wife Sophie and their three children and is widely sought after as an entertaining master of ceremonies, having had the privilege of interviewing the late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant at an exclusive event.

Keith Cullen

Keith Cullen is the founder and managing director of WT Financial Group Limited and is the largest (non-institutional) shareholder. He has 37 years of experience as a corporate executive and entrepreneur across the broadcast media, technology, and financial services sectors. Keith successfully conceived and implemented the strategy to pivot the group from its previous B2C focus to a primarily B2B focus through the acquisitions of Wealth Today, Sentry Group, Synchron and Millennium3 Financial Services.

Keith is an entrepreneur and problem solver, and a creator and builder of businesses, ideas and careers. He is an empathetic, persuasive, determined and pragmatic businessman who relishes challenges and balances big picture thinking with hard work and detail orientation; and a sense-of-urgency with perseverance and grit. With a track record of success in the recruitment, training, mentoring and motivation of high-performance individuals and teams, he encourages and instils these traits in those around him.