Club Melbourne Ambassadors recognised in The Queen's Birthday Honours

Professor Douglas Hilton AO 

Four Club Melbourne Ambassadors were officially recognised in The Queen's Birthday 2016 Honours List yesterday, for their significant contributions to Australia across medicine, science, education and commerce.

These four recipients are members of the invitation-only Club Melbourne Ambassador Program, a group of Victoria’s elite thinkers and leaders, working together to establish, secure and host international conferences that promote our state’s expertise around the world.

Professor Doug Hilton received the Officer (AO) in the General Division for his distinguished service to medical research and education, particularly in the field of haematology, as a molecular biologist and author, to gender equity, and as a mentor of young scientists.

Professor Robert McLachlan received the Member (AM) in the General Division for his important service to medicine in the field of endocrinology, with a particular focus on men's reproductive health, and for his wider medical research contribution.

Professor Avni Sali received the Member (AM) in the General Division for his significant service to integrative medicine as an educator, clinician and researcher, and to professional education.

Lastly, Mr Mark Stone received the Member (AM) in the General Division for his momentous service to commerce and industry through leadership roles, to the environment and tourism sectors, and to the community.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) Chief Executive, Peter King said inclusion in The Queen’s Birthday 2016 Honours List is a fitting acknowledgement of the Club Melbourne Ambassadors’ remarkable careers.

“I congratulate all four individuals on this wonderful achievement, which reiterates the calibre of Ambassadors we have within our program.

“All of our Club Melbourne Ambassadors are remarkable leaders in their fields, and we are always delighted to see them recognised for their key contributions to the Australian community.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have this unique group of Melburnians, who work voluntarily alongside our team and partners, to lead and help deliver some of the largest and most prestigious conferences in the world,” Mr King said.

Since 2005, Club Melbourne Ambassadors have collectively helped establish, secure and host 114 international conferences, boosting the Victorian economy by more than $640 million.

The Program is owned and led by MCEC, with support and collaboration from the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Victorian State Government.

Professor Douglas Hilton AO

Professor Doug Hilton is Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Biology at The University of Melbourne. He is also the President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Professor Hilton’s research investigates the regulation of blood cell formation and function, with over 200 publications relevant to the fields of immunology and cancer. He is an inventor on 26 patent families and a co-founder of the biotechnology company, Murigen. Professor Hilton is an elected Fellow of Australia’s three premier scientific academies – Academy of Science, Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Professor Robert McLachlan AM 

Professor Robert McLachlan is a Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC, Director of Clinical Research at Hudson Institute of Medical Research, and Deputy Director of Endocrinology, Monash Medical Centre Melbourne. He has been a Consultant Andrologist to Monash IVF since 1991 and is the inaugural Chairman of the Monash IVF Research and Education Foundation. Professor McLachlan has published more than 190 original papers and reviews, and is Editor of the Male Reproductive section of Endotext. He is past President of the Fertility Society of Australia and currently a consultant to the World Health Organisation on male fertility regulation. He is also Director of the Andrology Australia.

Professor McLachlan played a prominent role in securing the Asia Pacific Forum on Andrology for Melbourne in 2013.

Professor Avni Sali AM

Professor Avni Sali AM

Professor Avni Sali is the founding Director of the National Institute of Integrative Medicine. He was the Founding Head of the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine at Swinburne University, prior to which he was Head of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Surgery. He is the current President of the International Council of Integrative Medicine and the past President of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association. As a highly sought after integrative medical expert, Professor Sali regularly contributes to a wide variety of publications, including editorials and articles in Australian and International Medical Journals.

Mr Mark Stone AM

Mr Mark Stone AM

Mark Stone is the Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Victoria’s most influential business organisation. Mark is a Director on the Board of Tourism Australia, a Director on the Board of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), an Australia Day Ambassador and Fellow of the Williamson Leadership program. Prior to joining VCCI, Mark was the Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria. This followed a 12 year period as Chief Executive of Parks Victoria, which manages one fifth of Victoria’s land area, employs 1200 staff and has a $4 billion asset base.

In 2010, Mr Stone helped to establish the inaugural International Healthy Parks Congress, which received endorsement from the International Conservation Union, the UN World Tourism Organisation, Natural England and the Australian Government.