Board of Directors

Dr John Farhall, Deputy Chair

BA (Hons), MA (Clinical Psychology), PhD, MAPS

John has more than 30 years’ experience working, teaching and researching in the mental health field. He is an Associate Professor in Psychological Science at La Trobe University, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with North Western Mental Health and a sessional member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He has served on a range of advisory committees for the Victorian and Federal Governments.

Jeremy Coggin, Director

B.Sc.(Architecture), B.Sc.(Computing), MAICD

Jeremy is a business strategist skilled at identifying and delivering change goals which grow businesses. He is a multi-disciplinary professional with expertise and qualifications in business, digital, design and facilitation. He has over 17 years of corporate experience in both agency and in-house management, and consulting roles leading and managing transformation across multi-channel value chains. Jeremy’s previous positions include delivery head at a digital agency, senior manager at Deloitte Digital and also a board member of family and carer specialist, ARAFEMI. Jeremy is currently Business Planning Manager at CPA Australia.

Judith Earls, Director

LLB (Hons), LLM(MON), Cert Mediation/Arbitration University of Adelaide

Mind Board committees - Finance, Audit and Risk Management

Judith is a former partner of Phillips Fox lawyers and now practices on her own account. She has broad experience as a commercial solicitor with expertise in corporate governance, due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, business and corporate law, commercial contract drafting and estate planning.

Professor Allan Fels AO, Director

BEc., LL.B., PhD

Mind Board committees - Finance, Audit and Risk Management

Melissa Field, Director

B.Comm, CA, MBA (Hons)

Melissa has broad experience as both an executive and advisor in the commercial sector, including seven years 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.

Amanda Ford, Director

FCPA, Bach Bus.(Acc), MBA (Marketing major), Grad Cert (HRM), Dip FS (Financial Planning),

Chris Gibbs, Director

BA, MHA

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.

Bernie McCormick, Director

Mind Board committees - Service, Quality and Risk

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 28 years. For the last 19 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 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 a modest, but influential role on the Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) List at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, writing educational insight documents for court staff.