AIIA NSW Healthcare NDIS Briefing: Innovation and the New World of Assistive Technology

Managing Director and Chief Digital Officer, Centre for Digital Business
Former Head of Technology Authority, NDIA
AIIA Board Director

Marie Johnson is the Managing Director and Chief Digital Officer of the Centre for Digital Business. As a Federal government agency CIO and Chief Technology Architect, Marie has led significant transformation programs across the digital machinery of government. Marie led Microsoft’s Public Services and eGovernment initiatives worldwide. Marie was named “Innovative CIO of the Year 2006-2007 – Australia” by the Australian Financial Review MIS Magazine and one of Australia’s 2013 “100 Women of Influence” by the Australian Financial Review & Westpac Group.

Director and Co-Founder
Making Strides

Jim graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sport Science). Jim has 8 years experience working in sports, primarily as the Director of Performance at Acceleration.

While Jim is very grateful for the opportunities he was given in sport he is now more than ever passionate about working with neurological disorders and improving peoples quality of life. He co – founded Making Strides in 2013 which is a spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre. They train hundreds of people every year from around Australia and the world with spinal cord injuries and other neurological disabilities (cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, muscular distrophy etc). Our main objectives are to make people stronger, more independent and improve their quality of life.

They became exclusive Australian distributors of ReWalk in 2014. Currently, they have 5 personal users in Australia and Clinical ReWalks available for trial in Gold Coast and Melbourne. Several funding bodies have now funded ReWalk training and there has been a ReWalk purchase funded also.

Director, Digital – Ministerial and Communication Services
NSW Department of Family and Community Services

Laura leads the Digital Consolidation Program at FACS, which is applying user centred design methods to the delivery of the department’s digital front door. She has spent much of the past two decades developing digital opportunities and programs of work across financial services, consulting, media and entertainment industries. She is passionate about applying inclusive design practices to deliver great digital experiences and about the harnessing technology to deliver change. Outside of FACS, Laura is pursuing a PhD in Human Computer interaction at UTS, exploring how technology can improve the lives of older persons with memory impairment.

Principal Manager, Open Data, Apps and Customer Feedback Systems 
Transport for NSW