Bond University has celebrated three alumni whose careers have shaped business, medicine and global environmental advocacy at the 2026 Alumni Awards on the Gold Coast tonight.
Olympic swimming champion and business leader Grant Hackett received the University’s most prestigious accolade, the annual Alumni Medal.
Mr Hackett, who was accompanied by his mother Margaret, was presented the award by Bond University Vice-Chancellor and President Tim Brailsford before a capacity crowd at a gala function in the Princeton Room at Bond University.
Greenpeace Australia senior communications leader Kimberley Bernard was named recipient of the Alumni Community Service Award, while obstetrics and gynaecology doctor Dr Dominic Edwards received the Young Alumni Award.
“Grant, Kimberley and Dominic each represent the very best of Bond University students in different ways,” Professor Brailsford said.
“They have each pursued excellence in very different fields - from international sport and business leadership, to global environmental advocacy and frontline healthcare - but what unites them is a commitment to using their talents to create meaningful impact for society and leave a legacy for the next generation.
“These awards recognise not only extraordinary achievements, but also leadership, resilience and service, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate them as members of the Bond University alumni community.”
GRANT HACKETT — ALUMNI MEDAL
Few Bond University alumni have matched elite sporting success with corporate achievement as convincingly as Grant Hackett.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist and one of the greatest distance swimmers in history received Bond University’s 2026 Alumni Medal, recognising a second career that has seen him rise to the top of Australian business leadership.
Mr Hackett first arrived at Bond on a sporting scholarship in 1998, studying Commerce and Law before later returning to complete an Executive MBA at the Bond Business School in 2012.
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award,” Hackett said.
“I loved my time at Bond and am so grateful for the education and opportunities I received. They were critical in helping me transition into business, and they’ve played a big role in the path I’ve taken since.”
After dominating world swimming for more than a decade - winning Olympic gold in the 1500m freestyle at both Sydney and Athens, setting multiple world records and remaining undefeated in the event at major international meets between 1997 and 2006 - Mr Hackett turned his attention to business.
Today he is Chief Executive Officer of Generation Development Group, an ASX-listed financial services company that entered the S&P/ASX 200 in 2025 following significant expansion and acquisitions.
Mr Hackett said many of the lessons that shaped his swimming career translated directly into leadership.
“Every characteristic of success is the same, regardless of the environment,” he said.
“The environment changes, but the values and discipline and focus you need are exactly the same.”
KIMBERLEY BERNARD — COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
From remote Pacific islands to international climate negotiations, Kimberley Bernard has built a career focused on giving communities a voice in the global environmental conversation.
The Bond University alumna and senior communications leader with Greenpeace Australia received the 2026 Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of her work in environmental advocacy and climate justice.
Over the past decade, Ms Bernard has spent months aboard Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior, including a 2023 Pacific voyage to Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu gathering legal testimonies on climate change impacts for a campaign presented before the International Court of Justice.
“It is such a privilege to do the work I do, and it didn’t just land in my lap,” she said.
“I am so grateful to Bond and the incredible faculty who invested in me, encouraged me, believed in me and showed me that the sky is the limit. “
Ms Bernard said storytelling remained central to creating change.
“Story is everything,” she said.
“Nature, justice and climate all have a story, and bringing those stories to life is how we create change.”
DR DOMINIC EDWARDS — YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Dr Dominic Edwards’ work in women’s health has already taken him from Queensland maternity wards to some of the world’s most resource-constrained medical settings.
The Bond University graduate received the 2026 Young Alumni Award, recognition that follows his recent Australian Medical Association Women’s Health Award.
Now based at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane, Dr Edwards has combined clinical work in Australia with humanitarian and women’s health programs in Uganda and Cambodia where his work supports women living with vesicovaginal fistula and advanced pelvic organ prolapse.
“To see someone regain continence; to see that confidence return, it’s not just a clinical outcome,” he said.
“It’s dignity restored.”
Dr Edwards said the recognition reinforced his commitment to women’s health, mentorship and service.
“The values and experiences I gained there continue to guide my work,” he said of Bond University.
“I feel incredibly grateful to receive the Bond University Young Alumni Award. It strengthens my commitment to mentorship, to teaching, and to giving back to the community that gave me so much.”