Prof Stark is a leader in headache, particularly in the Australasian region. As well as being an admired clinician, he has improved education, advocacy and provision of care in headache greatly. As such, he has been acknowledged at the highest level with the award as Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his achievements. Whilst I have known Richard, he has held multiple prestigious roles in our Australian and New Zealand Headache Society (ANZHS, the local association of neurologists (ANZAN), the Asian Regional Congress of Headache (ARCH) and the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), using his wise and diplomatic approach in these leadership roles. I wholeheartedly endorse Prof Stark as a candidate for being President of the IHS.