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As CEO of ACHPER, Mark sees movement as a national priority. He’s committed to transforming health through education, sport, and recreation—driving innovation so every Australian can move more, live well, and thrive. No one left behind. Greater national impact ahead.
Lover of active adventures in nature—sailing, cycling, swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking. Coach and mentor passionate about helping people of all ages grow through play, movement, and shared pursuits.
A strategic leader with over 30 years’ experience, Mark has led innovation and transformation across sport, education, and professional services. He brings deep expertise in service design, commercialisation, and digital strategy, and is known for growing participation and building thriving communities. Mark has partnered with more than 35 national brands and seven national sporting organisations, including Netball Australia, where he led community sport innovation and digital transformation. A lifelong sailor, former Olympic aspirant, award-winning coach and founder of tech and consulting businesses, Mark blends curiosity, creativity, and coaching into everything he does—always putting people, purpose, and impact at the centre.
Sector experience includes for profit, for purpose and not for profit. Industries – Professional Services, Member Services, Associations, Retail, Manufacturing, Publishing, Software as a Service, Community Sport, Education, and more. Leader of strategy, innovation, commercialisation, digital enablement, transformation and change. Experience in multiple business models including professional services, retail, licensing and annuity revenue.
Mark holds a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Swinburne University’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, where he twice received the top student award. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Performance Coaching accreditation through the Victorian Institute of Sport and Australian Sailing. Mark maintains lifelong learning through leadership programs, innovation courses, and industry conferences across leadership, education, sport, and technology. Member Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
Anja van Aswegen is an educator with experience in teaching mainstream, special, EAL, and gifted cohorts of students at schools, private programs, and volunteer settings. She works as a Primary school classroom teacher within the Queensland education system. Recently, she has undertaken a Masters of Education and Professional Studies Research at Griffith University. Her thesis, which she is presenting at this conference, explores formalised sex education in Australia – a topic of passion and interest.
Melanie spent 15 years working in the university sector and has taught in Aboriginal studies, specifically in cultural safety and community engagement.
Melisa is a health and physical education (HPE) academic within the University of Southern Queensland and research on health-related work of teachers.
Adrian is an experienced sport and recreation leader with over 25 years’ experience in community development, facility management, and strategic sector advocacy, driving inclusive, active, and connected communities across Australia.
Kristen is a marketing, business development consultant with an extensive background in stakeholder management to drive growth. Kristen has sourced and secured mutually beneficial business partnerships for over 25 years spanning education, corporate, sport and professional associations.
Sam Rossi is a passionate education leader with a strong track record in delivering innovative health and wellbeing programs that empower students to thrive through active, engaging learning experiences.
We exist to empower educators, coaches, parents, and communities to make movement a natural, joyful, and lifelong part of every person’s life. Through education, advocacy, and innovative programs, we break down barriers and ensure movement is for everyone, everywhere, every day.
Our Branches
ACHPER Tasmania
The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land across and waters within and surrounding Australia in which we share. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and to the leaders of tomorrow. We acknowledge the histories and living cultures and the many thousands of years in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have sustainably developed their nations with dignity, grace and aspiration. We recognise and accept yours as the oldest continuous living culture in the world and that your sovereignty has never been ceded.
We are an inclusive, safe and respectful organisation which celebrates diversity and actively supports the inclusion of children, young people and adults from LGBTIQA+ communities, people with disabilities, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and people with diverse religious beliefs or affiliations.
Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation Ⓒ2025 All Rights Reserved. ABN: 76 631 438 668
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