Sir Ray Avery

Sir Ray Avery is one of NZ's most successful bunessmen and an inspirational leader.

Sir Ray Avery was named the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2010. The award recognises Kiwis who make a major contribution to the nation and inspire through their achievements. He was awarded the Sir Peter Blake medal for leadership in the same year. In 2011, Sir Ray was named “most trusted person” in New Zealand. 

Ray Avery is a successful businessman, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor and humanitarian. In his presentations, Ray shares, his own heartbreaking childhood and inspirational story of one man’s determination to change the world in this candid and often laugh-out-loud funny memoir, ‘Rebel with a Cause’.

Following in the footsteps of the marvellous Fred Hollows, Ray has made modern cataract surgery accessible to the poor throughout Africa and Asia. In addition, Ray invented an inexpensive regulator for hospital drips when he found out that lives were being needlessly lost in hospitals due to uneven flows; he’s developing easily digestible infant food to combat malnutrition and diarrhoea; and he’s created more affordable and effective incubators for newborns. His work has saved millions of lives in developing countries through invention, ground-breaking technology and unrelenting determination that “one man can change the world” and make it a better place for the most vulnerable.

Although he is British born Ray is a passionate Kiwi through and through and as a creative thinker he has thrived in this “classless” land of opportunity where anything is possible for which he’ll be forever grateful.

He’s clever, tenacious, he’s always pulling things apart and he’s always looking for new or better ways of doing things. He’s also street-smart and his irrepressible enthusiasm makes it also very hard for people to say no to him and he has managed to get other wealthy individuals and organisations on board to assist in his remarkable fundraising efforts.

Ray also encourages other talented people to get on board and tackle some of the really big problems confronting the poor in developing countries.

From his “garage”, Ray today manages a global network of experts to work on specific projects and somehow everyone finds themselves donating their time and knowledge for free - and they, too, are rewarded by making a difference and so the circle closes.

His presentations are based on three cornerstones: intelligence, humour and inspiration.