2025 ASO Skills Expo Programme

Returning for a second year, watch on throughout the day as Graphic Recorder Dr Sue Pillans captures our commentary and develops it into a take-home visual summary.

8:00 – 8:30 am |      Visit the coffee cart for complementary tea and coffee.

8:30 – 8:40 am |     Delivered by Dr Bill Glasson AO, ASO Member (QLD) and former President and Dr Louise Robinson, ASO Board Director (QLD). 

8:40 – 8:45 am |     Performed by Associate Professor Kris Rallah-Baker, ASO Member (QLD).

8:45 – 9:30 am |     Delivered by Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM, Vice President, AMA:

                                •    Are private doctors going out of fashion?

9:30 – 9:40 am |     Presented by Dr Diana Conrad, Vice President, RANZCO.

9:40 – 9:50 am |     Presented by Paula Llavallol, Head of Foundation, ANZEF and Associate Professor Kris Rallah-Baker, Co-Chair,

                                  RANZCO RAP Committee.

9:50 – 10:20 am |     Towards 2030:

                                  •    What imaging technologies are on the horizon? 
                                  •    Are Extended Depth of Focus (EDOF) lenses the final destination?
                                  •    What interventional glaucoma devices are expected soon?

                                  Industry Panelists: 

                                 •    Glenn Fawcett, Vice President Asia Pacific, Glaukos Corporation 
                                 •    Matt Maunz, Head of Sales, Australian Surgical Franchise, Alcon ANZ
                                 •    Blake Thomas, Country Manager, Johnson & Johnson Vision ANZ
                                 •    David Walker, Marketing Manager Surgical, Bausch + Lomb

10:20 – 11:00 am |     Visit the Photo Booth in the main foyer for complimentary professional headshots courtesy of the ASO. 

                                       Secure your spot by pre-booking here. 

11:00 – 11:20 am |     Presented by George Sotiris, Founder and Director, HR in Health:

                                   •    Trip of compliance: understanding contracts, awards in practice operations for payroll accuracy
                                   •    Understand the link between contracts, awards, and payroll
                                   •    Identify common payroll errors and risks
                                   •    Strengthening compliance through practice operations.

11:20 – 11:40 am |     Presented by Dr Jamie Chew, Co-Founder, i-Scribe:

                                   •    iScribe live demo
                                   •    What it does
                                   •    Where it’s going
                                   •    Ways to use these tools.

11:40 am – 12:00 pm |     Presented by Matthew Montgomery, Case Manager (Solicitor), MDA National: 

                                          •    Issues, Pitfalls, and Limitations — the Medico-Legal Risks
                                          •    Consent and Privacy
                                          •    Storage
                                          •    Who owns the data?
                                          •    Considerations when selecting an AI tool
                                          •    Do I have to use technology?

12:00 – 12:10 pm |     Chaired by Dr Louise Robinson, ASO Board Director (QLD) with member questions fielded by Dr Jamie Chew,

                                       Co-Founder, i-Scribe and Matthew Montogomery, Case Manager (Solicitor), MDA National. 

12:10 – 12:30 pm |     Presented by Jarrod Bramble, Managing Partner, Cutcher and Neale:

                                   •    Practice structures 
                                   •    Sharing profit 
                                   •    Key issues in Agreements and Cross Insurances 
                                   •    Service fee rates 
                                   •    Top 5 Tax Tips for Ophthalmologists

12:30 – 12:50 pm |        The Business of Refractive Lens Exchange.

                                       Sponsored by Rayner and presented by Dr Justin Sherwin, ASO Board Director (VIC).

12:50 – 1:45 pm |     Join us for lunch and meet this year’s sponsors and partners. 

                                    Take some time to catch up with Richard Beazley from RANZCO to update your CPD diary.

1:45 – 2:30 pm |     Chaired by Dr Brad Horsburgh, ASO Member (QLD) and former President. 

                                Panelists: 

                                •    Conjoint Professor Ashish Agar, Vice President, ASO
                                •    Dr Diana Conrad, Vice President, RANZCO
                                •    Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM, Vice President, AMA
                                •    Katrina Ronne, Chief Executive Officer, ASO
                                •    Dr Peter Sumich, President, ASO

2:30 – 3:00 pm |     Ophthalmology is a simple business model that has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. What is the gorilla in the room? 

                                Chaired by Dr Brad Horsburgh with panelists: 

                                 •    Donna Glenn, Business Manager, Gordon Eye Surgery and Lane Cove Eye Surgery
                                 •    Dr Timothy Beckman, Ophthalmologist, Terrace Eye Centre
                                 •    Peggy Ekeledo-Smith, Head of Practice, Moreton Eye Group

3:00 – 3:30 pm |     Visit the coffee cart for complimentary tea and coffee.

3:30 – 3:40 pm |     Presented by Adele Creighton, Director of Healthcare, Macquarie Bank:

                               •    Insights from Macquarie Bank
                               •    Key drivers of a successful practice. 

3:40 – 4:00 pm |     Presented by Nicole Brown, Partner, Cutcher and Neale: 

                               •    Minimise tax, maximise after tax cashflow
                               •    Building wealth in tax effective structures
                               •    Case study scenarios
                               •    ATO taxpayer focus — are you next?

4:00 – 4:20 pm |     Presented by Julian Muldoon, Director, 1Group Property Advisory: 

                               •    Property ownership versus leasing
                               •    Purchasing — what to consider: site/due diligence and negotiations
                               •    Leasing — tips and traps
                               •    Site feasibility — converting a building, what metric to use.

4:20 – 4:50 pm |     Presented by Jarrod Bramble, Managing Partner, Cutcher and Neale alongside ophthalmologists Dr Matthew Cranstoun,

                                  and Dr Darryl Gregor.

4:50 – 5:00 pm |     Delivered by Dr Louise Robinson, ASO Board Director (QLD).

5:00 – 10:00 pm |     Please meet in the main foyer of The Westin Brisbane to depart via a chartered transport service to Outback Spectacular.  

                                     Pre-booked tickets are essential. Please complete this at the time of your event registration. 

Join us for the Leaders Breakfast Forum where the greatest minds from across the healthcare sector come together and unpack the issues of the day.

9:00 – 9:30 am |     This Keynote Presentation will be delivered by Dr Jana Pittman, former Australian Olympian turned OBGYN Registrar. 

                                  Dr Pittman will share her wisdoms on leadership and overcoming fear. 

                                  A sit-down breakfast will be provided during this session.

9:30 – 9:45 am |     Dr Jana Pittman’s Keynote Presentation is followed by a one-on-one Q&A Session with Dr Tricia Drew, ASO Board Director (VIC).

                                  ASO Members are invited to submit their questions for Dr Pittman ahead of the Skills Expo at info@asoeye.org. 

9:45 – 10:15 am |     Take a moment to catch up with colleagues and key healthcare thought leaders ahead of the Forum or participate in

                                    a Meet and Greet with Dr Jana Pittman.

10:15 – 11:45 am |     The Forum will be hosted Dr Bill Glasson AO and is sponsored by Ramsay Health Care. 

                                    Panellists:

• Ramsay Health Care, National Chief Executive Officer of Ramsay Surgical Centres, Claire Thurwood
• AMA President, Dr Danielle McMullen
• AMA Vice President, Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM
• Day Hospitals Australia Chair, A/Prof Anthony Lynham
• Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, Hon Tim Nicholls MP
• ASO President, Dr Peter Sumich
• RANZCO Vice President, Dr Diana Conrad
• Aller Consulting Managing Director and Health Advisor, David du Plessis

                                    Everything is up for discussion, including the creep towards US-style Managed Care in Australia, the rise of private

                                    health insurers vertically integrating into our hospitals, the pros and cons of the current plans for the mass entry of

                                    Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) into Australia, and more.