Board of directors
The Board is the guardian of the purpose for which Beyond Blue was established – its vision, mission, values and beliefs. The Board fulfils its primary role by:
- appointing and removing the Chief Executive Officer and monitoring performance
- overseeing the development of, and approving, Beyond Blue's strategic plan
- supporting the delivery of the strategic plan by ensuring adequate management of resources to achieve agreed corporate and performance objectives
- providing input into, approving, and monitoring performance against Beyond Blue's annual budget and operating plan
- monitoring, and where necessary, approving Beyond Blue's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements including external financial reporting
- recommending to Members the appointment and/or removal of and monitoring the performance and ongoing independence of the auditor of Beyond Blue.
The Board has formally delegated responsibility for the day-to-day operation of Beyond Blue to the Chief Executive Officer and executive management team.
The Board oversees and monitors management’s performance by:
- meeting at least four times per year
- receiving detailed financial and other reports from management at these meetings and at other times as required
- receiving additional information and input from management when necessary
- assigning authority to the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee (which operates under Terms of Reference approved by the Board) to oversee particular areas of responsibility.
Our board of directors
The Honourable Linda Dessau AC CVO
Beyond Blue Chair, appointed May 2024
• The 29th Governor of Victoria, first female in the role (2015 – 2023)• Appointed as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by King Charles III (2023)
• Family Court Judge for 18 years
• Former magistrate in the Children’s Court, the Coroners Court and the Magistrates’ Court
• Former Commissioner of the AFL, President of the Melbourne International Arts Festival and a Trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria
• An honorary doctorate by La Trobe University (2022)
• A Companion of the Order of Australia (2017)
• A Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to family law, and to the community (2010)
Lisa Singh
Appointed 12 September 2023
• CEO of the Australia India Institute
• Former Australian Senator and the first woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to the Australian Parliament
• Former Tasmanian Member of Parliament and Minister in the Tasmanian Government
• Former Head of Government Advocacy for Minderoo Foundation’s Walk Free initiative
• Advisory Boards of the University of Melbourne’s Asialink and the University of NSW Human Rights Institute
• Former Deputy Chair of the Australian Government’s Australia-India Council
• Former Minister in the Tasmanian State Government
• Senator in the Australian parliament and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney-General, and for the Environment, Climate Change and Water.
Dayle Stevens OAM
Chair of Digital Sub Committee, appointed 12 September 2023
- 30+ year career in technology in roles spanning the telco, energy, financial services and consulting industries.
- Executive for Data & AI at Telstra
- Previously Chief Data Officer at AGL Energy, Divisional CIO and held other technology roles at National Australia Bank.
- IT consultant with PWC, Dayle has worked all over the world helping businesses transform through the adoption of new technologies.
- Long championed diversity in STEM
- An Ambassador at Girl Geek Academy and until recently as Board Chair at Robogals - both being global organisations aimed at encouraging women to participate in STEM.
Ken Wyatt AM
Appointed 29 May 2023
- Proud Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi man elected in 2010 as the Federal Member for Hasluck, the first Aboriginal Member of the House of Representatives.
- The inaugural First Nations member of the Federal Executive as Assistant Minister for Health. (2015)
- The first Aboriginal Minister to serve in a Federal Government, after being appointed Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health. (2017)
- Former District Director for the Swan Education District, and Director of Aboriginal Health in NSW and WA.
- Awarded the Order of Australia in 1996
- Awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2000
Dr Abbe Anderson
Appointed June 2021
- Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia
- PhD in Public Health and Community Medicine from the University of NSW
- Former CEO of the Brisbane North Primary Health Network, Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local and Brisbane North Division of General Practice
- Served on numerous governance bodies including as a member of the Minister for Health's Primary Health Network (PHN) Advisory Panel on Mental Health and as Chair of the National PHN Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs working group
- Over thirty years’ experience in the public, private and not-for-profit health sectors of Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
Dr Jason Lee
Appointed September 2020
- Rurally trained psychiatrist, spent more than 10 years working in a generalist psychiatrist capacity providing outreach services to Gulf of Carpentaria remote Aboriginal communities
- Immediate past Chair of the RANZCP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Committee.
Professor Helen Milroy AM
Appointed September 2020
- Australia's first Aboriginal doctor and distinguished child and adolescent psychiatrist
- GP and Consultant in Childhood Sexual Abuse
- Chair in Child Mental Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Psychiatry, University of Western Australia
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Member of the RANZCP Foundation and Presidents advisory group
- Honorary Research Fellow with Telethon Kids Institute
- Inaugural Chair of Gayaa Dhuwi Australia
- Descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
- Recognised as a member of the Order of Australia in January, 2023.
- Commissioner with the Australian Football League 2019+ and the National Mental Health Commission, and on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 2013–2017
Derek Schoen
- Farmer: Beef, Grain and Hay Producer
- Integrity Advisor, Drought Transport Subsidy, NSW Department of Primary Industries
- Independent Chair, Rural and Regional Seatbelt Taskforce, Transport NSW
- Director, AgStewardship Australia, National Farmers Federation (2017- 2019) and NSW Farmers Association (2012-2018)
- Board Chair of Murray Local Land Services
- Member, NSW Farmers Association Executive Council
- Chair, NSW Farmers Association Cattle Committee
- President, NSW Farmers Association (2015-2018)
- Vice President, NSW Farmers Association (2014)
- Former Director, Cattle Council of Australia and Southern Riverina Rural Co-op
- Former President and former Sec/Treasurer, Redlands Rural Bush Fire Brigade
- Former Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Corowa Shire Council.
Denise McComish
Chair of Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, appointed September 2019
- Non-executive director Webjet Limited, Macmahon Holdings Limited and Chief Executive Women
- Former partner with KPMG for 30 years with extensive experience providing audit and advisory services nationally and globally
- Current member of the Takeovers Panel, formerly a member of the Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee (2011-2014) and the Australian Accounting Standards Board (1993-1999)
- Chair, Advisory Board for the School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University
- Former Director, Industrial Foundation for Accident Prevention and Australian Scholarships Foundation
- Awarded a Doctorate in Business Honoris causa from Edith Cowan University, 2016
- Recognised in the Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining, 2018.
The Hon. Robert Knowles AO
Appointed 1 February 2017
- Farmer and Company Director
- National Mental Health Commissioner (2012-2017)
- Chairman of the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
- Former Chair of Mental Health Australia
- Former Commissioner on the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission
- Former Victorian Minister for Health, Housing and Aged Care (1992-1999) and MLC for Ballarat (1976-1999).
Dr Jessica Dean
Appointed August 2015
- MBBS (Hon), LLB, BMedSci (Hons), MAICD
- Doctor specialising in Intensive Care Medicine
- Completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Laws from Monash University
- State Finalist for Young Australian of the Year
- Former President of the Australian Medical Students’ Association
- Former Federal Councillor of the Australian Medical Association.
Johanna Griggs AM
Appointed June 2014
- Television presenter, Seven Network
- In September 2009 Griggs was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters Honoris Causis – from Macquarie University in NSW for services to swimming, media and charity fundraising
- A former competitive swimmer she represented Australia, winning Bronze at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990, and a silver at the 1991 World Championships.
Georgie Harman
Beyond Blue CEO, appointed June 2014
- Director, Mental Health Australia
- Former Deputy CEO at the National Mental Health Commission
- Responsible for Commonwealth policy and investment in mental health, suicide prevention, tobacco control, substance misuse, cancer and chronic disease at the Department of Health 2006
- 2012 Responsible for design and implementation of major system reforms in mental health and organ and tissue donation
- Was the inaugural Executive Director for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation in Sydney – Australia's first and largest independent HIV/AIDS charity.
Kate Carnell AO FAICD FAIM
Interim Chair, appointed April 2024
- Beyond Blue Deputy Chair (December 2016 to April 2024)
- FAICD, FAIM
- The inaugural Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO)
- Former CEO of Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Former CEO of Beyond Blue
- Former CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Australian General Practice Network
- Former CEO of the Australian General Practice Network
- ACT Chief Minister (1995-2000)
- A pharmacist by profession and was the inaugural chair of the ACT Branch of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the first female to become the National Vice-President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Johanna Griggs AM
Appointed June 2014
- Television presenter, Seven Network
- In September 2009 Griggs was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters Honoris Causis – from Macquarie University in NSW for services to swimming, media and charity fundraising
- A former competitive swimmer she represented Australia, winning Bronze at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990, and a silver at the 1991 World Championships.
Dr Jessica Dean
Appointed August 2015
- MBBS (Hon), LLB, BMedSci (Hons), MAICD
- Doctor specialising in Intensive Care Medicine
- Completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Laws from Monash University
- State Finalist for Young Australian of the Year
- Former President of the Australian Medical Students’ Association
- Former Federal Councillor of the Australian Medical Association.
Georgie Harman
Beyond Blue CEO, appointed June 2014
- Director, Mental Health Australia
- Former Deputy CEO at the National Mental Health Commission
- Responsible for Commonwealth policy and investment in mental health, suicide prevention, tobacco control, substance misuse, cancer and chronic disease at the Department of Health 2006
- 2012 Responsible for design and implementation of major system reforms in mental health and organ and tissue donation
- Was the inaugural Executive Director for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation in Sydney – Australia's first and largest independent HIV/AIDS charity.
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