Speakers

David Sutton is a senior Pedorthist at Melbourne based Pedorthic clinic Bilby shoes. He is also a clinical advisor for Victorian state government funding body SWEP and clinical advisor to Tekscan (USA) and provides teaching to other clinicians regarding In-shoe pressure mapping and footwear prescription.

David has a strong history in embracing the science of objective data collection and a longer history in Pedorthics, starting his journey as an apprentice shoemaker in 1979.

Dr Liz Thompson is a Senior Staff Specialist in Paediatric Rehab with NSW Health and in her private work sees clients of all ages. She completes procedural interventions including botulinum toxin for spasticity and dystonia management. Her areas of interest include assisting people with intellectual disability, Autism Spectrum disorder and now clients with connective tissue disorder spectrums (as she is increasingly being referred these clients privately)!

Dr. John Negrine graduated from the University of Sydney in 1984. He completed his residency at Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney.

In 1989 he was selected as Commonwealth Orthopaedic Registrar, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital London.

In 1990 Dr Negrine commenced the Sydney Orthopaedic training scheme which he completed in 1993 gaining the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Orthopaedic).

In 1994/5 he was the Accredited Foot and Ankle Fellow at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas Texas where he studied and worked under the world renowned Foot Surgeon Dr. James W. Brodsky.

Dr. Negrine specialises exclusively in conditions of the Adult Foot and Ankle covering all aspects of sports injuries, arthritis and foot deformity.

Dr. Negrine is an Executive Member and past President (2008-2010 inclusive) of the Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, as well as a member of the Australian, American and European Foot and Ankle Societies.  He also has numerous local and international presentations and publications to his name.

Dr. Kelly Robb is the Director of Product and Innovation at The Kintec Group and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. She completed her PhD at Wilfrid Laurier University, specializing in the relationship between mechanoreceptor facilitation, lower limb muscle activity, and foot orthotic interventions.

For the past decade, Kelly has worked extensively within the academic sector, contributing to the advancement of research in the foot orthotic industry. Her recent publications in leading peer‑reviewed journals have established her as an international authority on the neurophysiological effects of textured foot orthoses during human locomotion. Her research continues to evolve on uncovering the mechanisms underlying orthotic effectiveness, with the long‑term goal of enhancing clinical practice and strengthening evidence‑based treatment for foot care professionals.

Since assuming her leadership role at Kintec, Kelly has leveraged her passion for academic excellence and clinical education to support the company’s internal clinical development, ensuring that research‑driven knowledge directly informs improved patient care.

Dr. Robb is currently the chair-elect for the Parkinson’s Society of Southwestern Ontario Board of Directors, a past president of the Pedorthic Association of Canada, a successful recipient of Canadian Tri‑Council research funding, and a two‑term member of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Research Ethics Board. She currently teaches in Western University’s Pedorthic Diploma Program and serves as a sessional instructor in Biomechanics at several Ontario universities.

Dr Ron Schiedon, Amstelveen, The Netherlands, is an experienced consultant in orthopaedic footwear and a qualified Orthopaedic Shoe Technician. Throughout his career, he has played an active role in the professional development of the orthopaedic footwear sector. He is a member of both the Dutch Association of Orthopaedic Shoe Technology (N.V.O.S.) and the Dutch Association of Shoe Technology (N.B.O.T.). In addition, he has served as a consultant to N.V.O.S.
His commitment to education and professional advancement is reflected in his role as Secretary of the Board of the Dutch Foundation for the Promotion of the Development of Orthopaedic Shoe Technologists (O.F.O.M.). He has also contributed to the Bachelor program Orthopaedic Schoe Engineering and contributes to the quality standards and innovation within the field as a consultant and member of the advisory board of S.E.M.H.
As Project Leader of UNIVERS, he played a key role in guiding and coordinating initiatives aimed at advancing knowledge and professional practice within the sector. In recognition of his longstanding contributions and dedication, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, a distinguished Royal Dutch honour.

Fred Holtkamp has currently the position of Associate Professor of the Chair in Health Innovation of Fontys University of Allied Health Professions in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. He also holds a position as visiting professor at the University of Labor and Social Affairs (ULSA) in Hanoi Vietnam.

He started his career in medical engineering and is now for more than 20 years working in the field of Prosthetics – Orthotics, (Orthopedic Engineering) and Shoe-Technology. He is specialized in biomechanics, gait analysis and cad/cam systems.

He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and in mechatronics and also a PGdip in gait analysis, biomechanics and orthotics. He received his Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation engineering at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. In 2021 he is distinguished with the title of “Officer in the order of Oranje Nassau’ for his work in education and research in orthopedic engineering and shoe technology.

Karl is in private Pedorthic practice since 1988 in Sydney Australia running a modern Pedorthic clinic and laboratory. This includes the use of in-shoe plantar pressure mapping and other assessment or scanning technology. Karl has a strong interest in education in Pedorthics. He has conducted training in Australia and Japan over the past 25 years and has been Chairperson of the Pedorthic Association Australia for 10 years, convening the international Pedorthic congress IVO2012. The position of President of the International Association for Pedorthics (IVO) followed for a full 3-year term. He currently serves as a delegate of the IVO to the WHO.

He was instrumental in the initiation and set up of the national Pedorthic certification structure in Australia. He was academic in casual
appointment in the Pedorthic Bachelor program at Southern Cross University from 2015 to 2025 and involved in several research
projects and publications.

Katrin Wegener commenced her training to become a qualified orthopaedic shoemaker and orthotic specialist in Germany in 1994.
Katrin received an award for second place in the 1999 State graduate competition. In 2006, she passed the supplementary exam at the state-approved Ralph GROTSTOLLEN School of Podology to achieve the status of a German state-certified Podologe (Podiatrist).

Katrin arrived in Australia in 2009 and qualified as an Australian Certified Pedorthist (CM). She has been involved in providing training as part of the Australian Pedorthic Certification Course Program. She has participated on the certification panel for the Australian Pedorthic Register and has published several articles for a German local newspaper as well as professional articles for a German pedorthic and podiatry magazine. She has presented at several national and international conferences and is the current President of the Pedorthic Association of Australia.

Katrin continues to reside in Australia while further developing her successful career with an established client base within the profession.

After 24 years as a Podiatrist, Natalie decided to follow her passion for all things footwear and completed her Pedorthics degree in 2024. Her Allied Health career has seen her embrace a variety of clinical, managerial and academic roles across the private, public and NGO sectors in Australia and the UK. This diverse experience has highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in patient care, a topic her case study presentation demonstrates.

Shyamol Das, BSc (Pedorthics), C.Ped CM (Au), is a Certified Pedorthist and Director of Walking Power, a Brisbane-based
pedorthic practice. After spending over 15 years as a Chemical and Petroleum Engineer—holding a Master of Engineering
(Research) from the University of Adelaide—he transitioned into healthcare by earning a BSc in Pedorthics from Southern Cross
University. Today, Shyamol specialises in custom orthoses, medical-grade footwear, biomechanics, and diabetic foot
management. His practice uniquely combines engineering principles with evidence-based clinical care to optimise patient
mobility and outcomes.