Sir Ray Avery GNZM

Successful Scientist, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ray is an internationally recognised charismatic and entertaining public speaker who challenges everyone to “Dream Big”.

A former street kid Ray went on to become an internationally recognised scientist and entrepreneur.

A founding member of the Auckland University Department of Clinical Pharmacology and former Technical Director of Douglas Pharmaceuticals Sir Ray made a major contribution in the development of New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical industry.

Working throughout Africa and Asia and exposed to the raw and real shortcomings in healthcare, Ray was determined to use his knowledge to tackle big health issues endemic throughout the developing world.

As Technical director of the Fred Hollows Foundation Sir Ray made high quality low cost Cataract lenses available to the poorest of the poor, restoring the sight of millions of people around the globe.

Sir Ray has lived in New Zealand for 50 years but much of this time he has spent delivering healthcare solutions throughout Africa and Asia.

In 2011 Sir Ray was made a Grand Knight companion which is the highest Knighthood in NZ for his services to philanthropy and the same year he was voted the most trusted person in NZ by a reader’s digest pole.

In October 2022 Sir Ray moved his family to Sydney Australia so he could be closer to his wife’s Greek Australian family and Sir Ray say’s “he’s loving it mate”.

How to create a successful business

The key ingredients and strategies for a company to become successful and build unassailable teams to beat the competition.

Sir Ray has over 50 years’ experience setting up a range of successful business enterprises ranging from FMCG, SaaS, Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing and building and construction companies.

Ray provides a litmus test on how to determine if the business is likely to be a success by applying a risk analysis process through to building the business at scale and getting and inspiring the best talent and implementing the best brand, marketing strategies.

After dinner speaking engagements : Sir Ray is a very entertaining sophisticated after dinner speaker that adapts his after dinner performance to the mood of the audience, making sure they are entertained minute by minute.

In the style of comedian Michael McIntyre Ray draws on his extraordinary world travel experiences to tell stories from war torn countries to provincial towns in NZ and Australia what makes Australian and New Zealand cultures unique.

Ray leaves audiences in tears of laughter.