Meet the Team

David Hobart

Director, Vitalis Institute

David Hobart is a performance coach and former hedge fund manager whose career spans more than 30 years. Beginning as a trader in 1994, he developed a unique expertise in risk management under uncertainty—a foundation that now informs his transformative coaching approach. Since 2006, David has partnered with founders, investment professionals, corporate executives, and athletes, helping them build resilience, clarity, and consistency in high-stakes environments .

David’s coaching philosophy is built around three integrated pillars:

01

Performance improvement

Enhancing decision-making effectiveness by at least 5% through focused mental and behavioural strategies.

02

Enduring behaviour change:

Aligning beliefs with outcomes to foster deep, lasting transformation.

03

Well-being and emotional agility

Clearing emotional residue via his proprietary Self-CARE model—Self-Compassion, Awareness, Regulation, Expression—to reduce bias and increase presence.

David draws on decades of mindfulness training and philosophical study alongside direct financial market experience. His method helps clients convert performance anxiety into actionable presence—for example, using physical and mental anchoring in high-pressure moments .

At Vitalis, David leads tailored coaching programs that:

  • Enhance decision-making and stress resilience for executive teams and founders
  • Embed performance frameworks to elevate strategic clarity and innovation
  • Support mental fitness through methods proven in finance and elite sport

With a grounded mix of technical insight, emotional intelligence, and hands-on experience, David steers Vitalis to elevate leaders who don’t just perform—they thrive.

Stuart Smith

Director, Vitalis Institute

Stuart Smith is a performance consultant with over two decades of experience in the human performance field, spanning elite sport, Formula 1, and corporate leadership. With a foundation in Sports Science (BSc and MSc), Stuart began his career as a strength and conditioning coach, working with elite Australian athletes before moving to Europe, where he became a full-time performance coach for Formula 1 drivers.

His time in F1 revealed a deeper insight: that physical conditioning alone is not enough—true performance hinges on psychological readiness. This realisation led him to complete a Master’s in Psychology while working full time, marking the beginning of his enduring commitment to performance psychology.

Stuart has since worked with world-class athletes across disciplines including snowboarding, AFL, rugby, cricket, basketball, and extreme sports. He also advises multinational financial institutions and mining companies, delivering executive coaching, group training, and digital performance programs to optimise decision-making, resilience, and sustainable high performance.

At Vitalis, Stuart leads programs focused on:

01

Integrating physical and psychological readiness to support peak performance

02

Translating elite sport performance frameworks to high-stakes corporate environments

03

Building long-term personal fulfilment through behavioural alignment and mental clarity

With a rare combination of field-tested methods, psychological insight, and international experience, Stuart helps leaders build the mindset and systems required to thrive under pressure—on the field, in the boardroom, and beyond.

Dr Ben Levi

Director, Vitalis Institute

Dr Ben Levi is a highly experienced chiropractor, nutritionist, and movement specialist based on the Gold Coast, with over 30 years in health and wellness. He champions a holistic, evidence-informed approach focused on natural care, personalized nutrition, and functional movement to empower individuals and families.

Background & Philosophy

  • Holds a Master’s in Chiropractic (Macquarie University), a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy, and a Graduate Diploma in Nutritional Medicine.
  • Values his lineage: grandson of Dr Rudi Levi, one of the Gold Coast’s first doctors, and son of a GP and physiotherapist.
  • Practices what he preaches—training six days a week in CrossFit and studying Ido Portal movement methods.
  • Personally follows a modified ketogenic diet, tailoring nutritional strategies to individual needs.

Expertise

01

Spinal care

Offers comprehensive spinal, orthopedic, and neurological assessments, including referrals for spinal x-rays, to ensure precise, safe adjustments.

02

Nutrition

Guides clients through metabolic health and dietary frameworks like modified ketogenic protocols.

03

Movement

Integrates corrective exercises and functional movement planning to build physical resilience.

03

Behavioral Education

Inspires and educates families toward sustainable lifestyle habits and evolving better health journeys.

Role at Vitalis As a Director, Dr Ben offers integrated performance systems including:

  • In-depth physical readiness through chiropractic and functional movement
  • Nutritional clarity to support energy, focus, and longevity
  • Habit and behavior frameworks for sustainable wellbeing

With his multi-disciplinary toolkit rooted in decades of family-driven medical lineage and personal commitment to peak physicality, Dr Ben strengthens Vitalis’ mission—helping leaders and teams not just perform, but thrive.