The Understanding Boys Podcast

Kylie Rogers is one of Australia's leading commercial and media executives. Her current role is Executive General Manager, Customer and Commercial at the Australian Football League (AFL). Her previous roles include National Commercial Director and National Head of Generate at Network Ten, and Commercial Director and Managing Director at Mamamia, Australia's largest women's media company, where she oversaw significant growth and profitability for the organisation in Australia and internationally. In this episode Kylie shares her experience working with purposeful organisations, gender equity in the workplace, and the types of conversations we need to be having with our boys. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Genevieve is best known in her role as National Head of PR and Talent Relations for News Corp Australia. She has also worked on a number of advisory boards including the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Melbourne Press Club, as well as helping out at local sports clubs her children are involved with. Join us for this authentic and genuine conversation with this amazing mum as she shares her stories about her own life and her learnings along the way. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Dr Sarah Meachem is an academic research scientist and health research advocate in the area of male reproduction. Sarah's research has a clinical relevance for men's health in the better management of male infertility and her work is recognised globally. She is the author of over 80 publications and has received awards for her vision for the nation's health sector. Sarah completed her PhD at Monash University where she studied the hormone control of testis function. She is a Director of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science, a Manager for the co-badged PhD International Research Training Program between Germany and Australia and serves on the Advisory Group to the Board of the Australian Society for Medical Research and is the Chair of the national steering group. In this episode we talk to Sarah about her fascinating work in men's health.

Martine Oglethorpe is a digital wellbeing and online safe educator, speaker and writer. For over 10 years, Martine's blog, The Modern Parent, has been a trusted resource for parents on the challenges faced by families in the cyber world and has recently authored a new book, The Modern Parent – Raising a Great Kid in the Digital World. Martine has a background in secondary education, holds a Masters degree in Counselling and is a Mental Health Education Consultant at headspace. She is an accredited speaker with the Office of the eSafety Commission of Australia and has presented to parents groups, schools and teachers across Australia. If you have ever wondered if you should let your child watch Squid games, play Fortnite, get Tik Tok, Instagram, or play Call of Duty, then this episode is worth a listen.

Matt and Robyn Cronin endured great loss when their son Pat was killed by one coward punch. Since April 2016, Matt and Robyn have dedicated their lives towards research, awareness, and education in ending the coward punch through the Pat Cronin Foundation. The foundation provides free presentations to schools, clubs and community groups, helping young people create solutions to Be Wise, Think Carefully and Act Kindly. Hear Matt and Robyn's inspirational story, and their fierce determination to honour Pat's life by bringing about change so we can have a world free from the coward punch.

Jacqueline Hey is the Chair of the Board of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and is also serving on the Board of Qantas Airways, is a School Council member at Brighton Grammar School and a member of Chief Executive Women. Between 1987 and 2010, Jacquie held several executive positions with Ericsson, including Managing Director, in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Middle East. She was the first female Director of Cricket Australia from 2012 to 2020. Jacquie holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics from the University of Melbourne, a Graduate Certificate of Management from Southern Cross University, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. We're pleased to welcome Jacquie to the podcast as she talks about her amazing life in business and as a mother.

Join us for our latest podcast with Jennifer Keyte an accomplished journalist and broadcaster who we all recognise as the news anchor on Network Ten's, Ten Eyewitness News. Jennifer is one of Melbourne's most trust and respected presenters with decades of experience. She brings sophistication and glamour to our screens delivering news on politics, crime, justice, general Australian and worldwide news demonstrating an illustrious career. Jennifer commenced her career in radio quickly establishing herself as a journalist where she moved to television first joining Network 10. She has worked alongside some iconic journalist across all three commercial television networks. In 1990 she became the first female solo primetime news anchor on Australian commercial television. In 2009, Jennifer was proud to receive the Walkley Award for Television News Reporting on behalf of the Seven News Melbourne team, for their coverage of the Black Saturday bushfires and in 2010, a TV Week Logie Award for Most Outstanding News Coverage for the Victorian Bushfires. Jennifer has two sons, James and Alexander and is an avid theatre enthusiast.

Jon Muir OAM a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to mountaineering, a Centenary Medal and the Australian Geographic Society's Adventurer of the year. He started climbing full-time as a teenager and since then, he has gained ground-breaking solo records in climbing the south side of Mount Everest and navigating the Kedarnarth Peaks as well as walking to the South and North Poles without huskies or mechanical vehicles. In 2000 Jon paddled a kayak for 52 days along the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, living off the natural environment. In Jon's fourth attempt in 2001, he and his dog Seraphine began a journey from Port Augusta in South Australia to Burketown on the Queensland North Coast, dragging a cart, taking 128 days on foot and covering 2500 kilometres, reaching Burketown. Jon is also the first person to complete a solo and unsupported walk across the Australian continent. In addition to achieving all this and more Jon and his wife Suzan are living in the forest surrounded by the Grampians National Park and living a sustainable life. We've tried to capture his enormous life in this episode, which we know you'll enjoy.

Alex Rathgeber is an Award-Winning Australian actor, best known for his work as Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, the Tin Man in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz and his UK performance of Raoul in the 21st Anniversary cast of The Phantom of the Opera in the West End. Originally from Horsham, Alex graduated from the world renowned Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2003, and established an amazing reputation across many performance disciplines including: musical theatre, television, cabaret, concert, album recordings, solo shows, voice-overs as well as the development of original stage and screen works. He appeared in several household television programs such as Rush (Network 10), Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (ABC) and Winners and Losers (Seven Network). In 2015, Alex was awarded the prestigious Helpmann Award for his performance in Anything Goes, and earlier in his career he received a Civic Reception by the Mayor of Horsham for his outstanding work and success in London. In addition to these, Alex has received many other notable nominations including both the Sydney Theatre Awards and Green Room Awards for various performances. On top of his career success, Alex is also a keen ambassador for Entertainment Assist, where he advocates for increased mental health awareness and support for Australian entertainment industry workers. Additionally, he continues to support his hometown and is ambassador for the Horsham Town Hall Performing Arts Centre. More recently, Alex has also collaborated with Global Citizen Australia in their endeavour to increase Australian vaccination numbers against COVID-19. In this episode we talk to Alex about change and challenge, what it's like to be a performer and about finding your voice. This episode will also help parents who have children who want to work and live in the Performing Arts world discover what is required of them, and they can help their sons bounce back and maintain a sense of optimism or resilience in a changing world.

Hunter Johnson is co-founder and CEO of The Man Cave, a charity that focuses on and teaches emotional intelligence to young men (boys aged 12-16) across Australia. He also leads STUFF™, a men's personal care brand that champions healthy masculinity. With a background in emotional intelligence, facilitation and social entrepreneurship, Hunter has worked with thousands of young people across Australia and his work has led to speaking engagements at the United Nations, Government House, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Town Hall, and Universities. Previously, Hunter has co-managed FYA's Young Social Pioneers, a leading incubator program for Australia's top social entrepreneurs and advised the Nexus Australia Youth Summit, a global movement of philanthropists, impact investors and social entrepreneurs collaborating to fast-track social change. Hunter was a Finalist in the 2020 Young Australian of the Year Awards (Vic), one of Harper's Bazaar's Visionary Men of 2019, a 2018 Queen's Young Leader and the 2018 EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Southern Region). Join us as we talk to Hunter about his life and what led him to this work. They talk about boys and their relational capabilities, about how for some it is difficult to find the words and the language about what is going on. Hunter also provides some great takeaways for parents, including creating authentic spaces for our kids to engage with.

James Tomkins, OAM, is one of Australia's most established and decorated rowers, having competed in 6 Olympic Games and countless other World Championships and Rowing Cups. He is also the only rower in history to win world titles in every sweep oar event. In 1997 James received an Order of Australia, was named as the Victorian Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Victoria in 2008 and in 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria's Hall of Fame as well as being awarded with the International Rowing Community's highest award, the Thomas Keller Medal for his outstanding career. In addition to achieving all of this, James inspired many by holding down full-time employment, studying and working in the Finance sector, as well as being a dedicated husband and father to three daughters. He is now heavily involved in sports administration as a member of the International Olympic Committee and Australian Olympic Committee. His passions include sport and the benefits that a positive and healthy lifestyle it brings, and with this, he continues to challenge himself in events like Ironman events, ultra-marathons and island crossing in kayaks. Join us for the next episode of the podcast, where Dr Swann talks to James about what elite sport taught him, how he applies those lessons today, as well as what he thinks about mental health and what he has learnt from being a parent. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.

Father of three, Daniel Petre, talks about his book 'Father Time', an Australian classic. About being a dad and about being mindful as parents, on how to attain balance in a working life, especially as someone who had great success in the corporate world as well philanthropy. Daniel Petre, a philanthropic internet entrepreneur, has been at the forefront of the technology industry in Australia for over 30 years. He is a successful technology executive, and has extensive experience in running large organisations and developing new business models. Daniel was the former lieutenant to Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, where he spent nine years working at Microsoft, including three as Managing Director for Australia. He is also the co-founder of AirTree Ventures, an early and growth stage venture firm that partners with world-class Australian and Kiwi entrepreneurs. Daniel's contribution to the not-for-profit sector is also extensive, with positions held on the Area Health Advisory Council for The Children's Hospital at Westmead, the Advisory Board of HealthInsite and The UNSW Foundation, among many others. He and his wife set up the Petre Foundation in 2000, which has funded research chairs both at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Garvan Institute, as well as a scholarship for University Medallists at UNSW. Daniel has a Doctorate in Business (Honoris Causa), a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Counselling, is a published author, and was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 2005, for distinguished service to Australia. We really hope you enjoy the conversation today.

Dr Robert Blum is currently managing a global research project looking at the impact of gender and gender norms in society. In this episode Dr Blum talks about gender norms, the impacts on boys (and girls) while telling some incredible stories from his lifelong experience working with adolescents and paediatric medicine. Dr Robert Blum (MD, MPH, PhD) is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has edited two books, and has written nearly 250 journal articles, book chapters and special reports. In 2006, Dr Blum was made a member of The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, and in 2007 was named the Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. He is also a consultant to The World Bank and UNICEF as well as the World Health Organization where he has served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Child and Adolescent Health Department as well as the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the Human Reproductive Program. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.