Melissa Field, Chair
Melissa Field, Chair
B.Comm, CA, MBA (Hons)
Mind Board committees - Finance and Audit; Remuneration; Governance and Nominations; Quality, Assurance and Risk
Professional associations - Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Other board roles - Surf Coast Shire Audit and Risk Committee, Trimantium Growth Ops Ltd (ASX: TGO), Attra Pty Ltd
Melissa has broad experience as both an executive and advisor in the commercial sector, including as an Executive Director with Ernst & Young. She has particular expertise in finance, accounting and assurance and in planning and implementing strategic change in entrepreneurial organisations.
Chris Gibbs, Deputy Chair
Chris Gibbs, Deputy Chair
BA, MHA
Mind Board committees - Governance and Nominations; Quality, Assurance and Risk
Other board roles - VATMI Industries, Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders, Orygen Research, Australian Centre of Psychiatric Nursing Research, Community Advisory Council North Western Melbourne PHN
Chris has held leadership roles in the public health sector (Melbourne Health), the Victorian Public Service and the community services sector. Chris was the Director of North Western Mental Health. He has served on a wide range of industry and government advisory committees. He commenced as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer for the Mental Health Professionals Network in 2008.
Jeremy Coggin, Director
Jeremy Coggin, Director
Exec MBA, B.Sc.(Architecture), B.Sc.(Computing), GAICD
Mind Board committees - Governance and Nominations
Professional associations - Australian Institute of Company Directors
Other Board roles – Mental Health Carers Australia, Mental Health Australia
Jeremy has worked on boards with a mental health mission since 2012, starting at mental health carer ARAFMI Victoria through to its merger with Mind Australia. He is currently president of Mental Health Carers Australia, the only national group solely concerned with advocacy on behalf of mental health carers, and is also the carer board member of national advocacy peak, Mental Health Australia. He is passionate about how we can design person-led systems and services by embedding the voice of consumers, family and carers, and service providers at the heart.
He is a design and innovation professional with expertise and qualifications in business, digital, design and facilitation. He currently heads Experience Design and Innovation for CPA Australia, and has over 20 years of management consulting experience working in senior management roles at Areeba, Deloitte, and CPA Australia.
Professor Allan Fels AO, Director
Professor Allan Fels AO, Director
BEc., LL.B., PhD
Mind Board committees - Finance and Audit
Current and previous positions - Professor, Melbourne, Monash and Oxford University; Former Dean, and current Professor of Government, Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG); Former Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC); Former Chairman, National Mental Health Commission (NMHC); Patron, Mental Health Australia; Patron, Mental Health Victoria
Allan Fels has had a deep interest in mental health for many years and is the father of Isabella who has schizophrenia. He was chairman of the Haven Foundation from its inception until its merger with Mind Australia. He has also played an important role in the national mental health policy in Australia and especially as chairman of the National Mental Health Commission from 2012 to 2018.
Teresa Fels, Director
Teresa Fels, Director
BEc (Hons), LLB, MComm (Hons), MA (Hons Kings College London), Barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Mind Board committees - Finance and Audit
Current and previous positions - Executive Director, Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance (current); Competition economist, Ofcom UK and CRA International; lawyer, Freehills; Takeovers Panel, Commonwealth Treasury; director, Hospital Purchasing Victoria
Teresa Fels has a deep commitment to mental health and is on the board of The Haven Foundation, which provides long term housing for people living with mental ill-health, including for her sister Isabella. Teresa has participated in social policy reforms including in social impact investing, the NDIS, housing, national health reform and across human services.
Amanda Ford, Director
Amanda Ford, Director
FCPA, Bach Bus.(Acc), MBA (Marketing major), Grad Cert (HRM), Dip FS (Financial Planning),Diploma Integrated Risk Management, MAICD
Mind Board committees - Finance and Audit; Governance and Nominations
Amanda is an experienced and broadly skilled senior executive with nearly 30 years' experience in corporate services and business management across a number of sectors including: arts and entertainment; philanthropic foundations; early childhood intervention; disability; child protection; job service network and disability employment services; and most recently, health. A risk management and governance specialist, her focus and proven success is the driving and supporting of change in complex environments.
Bernie McCormick, Director
Bernie McCormick, Director
Mind Board committees - Quality, Assurance and RiskProfessional associations - Member of the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council
Bernie has a varied academic background including architecture, environmental engineering and psychology. Bernie has experience in the mental health system as a consumer for the last 29 years. For the last 20 years he has been active in some form of consumer perspective driven role. He has worked as a consumer consultant in two Australian mental health services and as information officer at VMIAC, where he was also the VMIAC newsletter editor for just under 10 years. He has lectured at Universities and TAFE on consumer issues and perspectives and has been a recipient of many services similar to that which Mind provides. In the last few years he has also worked in various roles including the Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) List at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court writing educational insight documents for court staff. Bernie also works as a freelance consumer consultant in other areas of the system such as MHV and NWMH as required and where his experience is sought.
Ruth Vine, Director
Ruth Vine, Director
MBBS, LLB, FRANZCP
Mind Board committees - Quality, Assurance and Risk
Other Board roles - Forensicare, Medical Board of Victoria
Ruth has worked as a consultant psychiatrist in clinical and administrative roles since 1991. She worked in senior roles in forensic mental health for almost a decade and was then employed in the Department of Health and Human Services for 13 years in roles including Deputy Chief Psychiatrist, Chief Psychiatrist and Director of Mental Health. Ruth was the Executive Director of NorthWestern Mental Health, a division of Melbourne Health from 2013 - 2019. Ruth has also worked in the community sector as a consultant psychiatrist, and with the Department of Health and Aging on the 4th National Mental Health Plan. She has contributed to a number of policy and service developments initiatives across mental health, disability, and alcohol and drugs services.
