A career highlight to meet these heroes

This year, for the 5th year in a row, I performed the host duties at Telstra's technology and innovation festival Vantage. It's a real buzz pulling together an event that sees over 130 world class tech companies and 7,000 guests over three days. The quality of the technology on display is mindblowing and every year seems to go to another level.

This year a lot of talk was about 5G and the new IoT world it will usher in. But the 2018 Vantage event had a special kicker for me.

This year I also had the distinct honour of hosting the final keynote session, a one hour conversation with the two Australian cave divers at the heart of the miracle rescue in Thailand, Richard Harris and Craig Challen.

Two more quietly spoken, unassuming guys you will never meet, but they were absolutely central to the rescue. As an anaesthetist Richard was responsible for administering the first dose of the tranquilising drug that sedated the 12 boys and their adult coach. Craig as a retired vet gave out the first of the top up doses. After that it was left to "a couple of IT guys" to administer doses three and four. Fair to say the IT guys and girls in the room shuffled nervously in their chairs wondering if they could have delivered under the circumstances.

I'm sure you'll get a chance to read multiple accounts (and watch a movie or two on the subject too) in good time. But I for one will never forget the day I got to guide these men through telling their story.

The word "hero" is bandied around pretty loosely these days, but it rests very fittingly on these shoulders. Well played gents!