“Take some of these hits now and get to the end if you believe in your purpose.”

The last twelve months have been a rollercoaster of emotions, challenges and achievements for every business owner (and staff!) in Baw Baw Shire. To acknowledge the resilience of our community and begin to plan for the future we would like to invite all members of our business community to join us for the Business in Baw Baw Resilience and Innovation Summit.

The event will include:

• Breakfast
• Keynote from Mark Wales on Resilience, Adaption and Leadership
• Update from Council on Economic Development, Tourism, Major Events and Grants
• Panel – Growth, Challenges, Possibility and the Future of Business in Baw Baw Shire
• Networking

Introducing Mark Wales

Mark Wales will be joining us to discuss resilience, adapting to change and leadership. Mark’s 16-year career with the Australian Military and six-year career with the SAS has taken him to the most remote of places overseas. As a Troop Commander in charge of 30 elite soldiers, Mark’s role was to lead combat missions deep behind enemy lines. Like many in his situation, Mark battled depression and stress disorders after warfighting in Afghanistan which he chose to tackle with the same intensity that he applied to Special Ops training. At the end of his career, he had completed 10 tours of duty to Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor Lebanon and the Solomon Islands.

Mark’s successful recovery and growth led him to embark on a high-profile career in business. He studied with the Wharton School of Business – an Ivy League College in the U.S.A. before joining the elite consulting firm McKinsey &  Company in New York City. Mark was awarded a place in Wharton’s prestigious 40 under 40 awards for business excellence. Whilst attending Wharton, Mark finished in third place out of 1000 students in the Wharton Writing Contest.

In 2017, Mark was a popular contestant in Australian Survivor, and will be starring in the TV show The World’s Toughest Race: Eco Challenge Fiji 2019 (screening worldwide in April 2020) He is a passionate owner of a tough-luxury ecommerce brand called Kill Kapture, and now works as a corporate speaker training thousands of clients each year in Australia and the U.S.A. Mark’s fiancé is Samantha Gash, an elite endurance athlete, and they have a 19-month old boy called Harry.

To get to know Mark a little better visit https://markwales.com.au/

Growth, Challenges, Possibility and the Future of Business in Baw Baw Shire

After we have enjoyed a fantastic presentation from Mark, the Economic Development and Advocacy Team will provide an update on all things business, funding, tourism and events.

We will then welcome an expert panel to have an open discussion on the future of Business in Baw Baw Shire. Our special guests will be released shortly, however, to get you started our panel members will be sharing their expertise on:

• The Baw Baw Economy
• Industry and Employment
• Education
• Start Up and Business Innovation
• Women and Leadership

This will be a facilitated panel and we invite you to submit your questions to economic.development@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au ahead of the event.

And if you’re not already sold, we can promise you a delicious breakfast and some great company. We look forward to seeing you all there!

**Dietary Requirements

Please email economic.development@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au

Due to current restrictions, you will need to wear a mask and show identification prior to entry to the event.

Numbers will be capped to ensure COVID safe requirements.

Please register early to avoid disappointment.