Our team

BEc., LL.B., PhD

Mind Board committees - Finance, Audit and Risk; Governance and Nominations; Culture, People and Remuneration; Program, Practice and Quality

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.

MBBS, PhD, FRANZCP

Mind Board committees - Program Practice and Quality; Finance Audit and Risk
Current and previous positions - Professor of Psychiatry, University of Sydney; Clinical Director, Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research; Consultant Psychiatrist, Prevention Early Intervention and Recovery Service, Western Sydney Local Health District; Chair, Board of trustees of the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW. Past chair of One Door Mental Health.

Anthony Harris has had a long-term interest in severe mental illness. This led him into his training as a psychiatrist and later formed the basis of his research.  He has been active in the NGO sphere since 1996 when he joined what was then the board of the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW motivated by the need to advocate for better services in mental health. Later as chair he helped guide the organisation first into its incorporation and then into its merger with Mind Australia.

BComm, LLB

Mind Board committees - Governance and Nominations; Culture, People and Remuneration
Other Board roles - Co-Chair Independent Governance Board The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research, Advisory Member Australian Mental Health Prize, Assistant Director Strategic Advice Mental Health NDIA

Erandathie is a mental health advocate. She draws on her personal experience of living with a mental health condition and peer support to promote the consumer perspective. She advocates for mental health services that recognises the most basic human desire to have control of one’s own life and future, and services built on the belief that believe people living with mental health conditions have the ability and autonomy to achieve that.

Erandathie has experienced first-hand the power of peer support. Coming across a peer support network and finding her ‘people’ was a life changing experience and one that changed the narrative of her recovery. She is the co-editor of the book 'Peer Workforce in Australia: a new future for Mental Health'.

PhD, MS (Health Policy & Administration), MBio, BA, RN, RPN MAICD

Mind Board committees - Chair of Program, Practice and Quality Committee; Governance and Nominations

Margaret is an experienced mental health professional with extensive experience across the health and government sectors. She is currently the CEO of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) and a non-executive Director on the Boards of Colac Area Health and HealthShare Victoria. Margaret's previous roles have included Chief Operating Officer at Mind Australia, Executive Director of Health Service Policy and Commissioning and Director of Mental Health with the Victorian Department of Health. In 2017 she was named as one of Victoria’s top 50 Public Sector Women.

Mind Board committees - Finance, Audit and Risk; 
Current and previous positions - Executive Director One Door Mental Health, Strategy Director at Accenture (current)

Auswell is a seasoned management consultant who partners with C-Suite executives and executive teams across multiple sectors, including banking, wealth management, and asset management. He specialises in reinventing business and operating models through digital transformation, with a focus on creating differentiated customer and employee experiences, sustainable competitive agility, and long-term shareholder value.

Mind Board committees - Program, Practice and Quality (PPaQ)
Current and previous positions - The Black Dog Institute, Executive Director; Lifeline Australia Indigenous helpline, Advisory Board; Beyond Blue, The Way Back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Advisory Group; National Mental Health Commission - National Suicide Monitoring System, Expert Advisory Group; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Steering Committee, Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Clearinghouse; LEAP – Suicide Prevention Australia Lived Experience, Advisory Panel; Queensland Lived Experience, Advisory Group

Leilani is a proud Quandamooka woman, whose ancestral home is Stradbroke Island. She is the CEO and Founder of First Nations Co., a community-led Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consulting business whose sole purpose is to deliver improved outcomes for the community. Leilani is already well known within the sector for her work and leadership in suicide prevention and mental health. 

Leilani is a powerful advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led culturally informed practices within mainstream services. This work derives from losing many loved ones to suicide and Leilani’s own lived experience of mental ill health. Living with depression, anxiety and suicidality, Leilani navigates workplace obligations and her own wellbeing.

BEc (Hons), LLB, MComm (Hons), MA (Hons Kings College London), Barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria

Mind Board committees - Finance, Audit and Risk; Committee Chair of Culture, People and Remuneration

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, an interest that stems from her sister, Isabella, living with mental ill-health. Teresa has participated in social policy reforms including in social impact investing, the NDIS, housing, national health reform and across human services.

Mind Board committees – Governance and Nominations; Culture People and Remuneration

Angela is the Customer Advocate of a major Australian bank with a mandate to address and prevent poor customer outcomes. Angela is passionate about advocating for people in vulnerable circumstances, in particular First Nations communities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Angela is a vocal supporter of other significant community issues such as mental health and domestic and family violence. Angela has a strong background in advocacy, strategic development, and organisational governance. Angela’s corporate and not-for-profit experience supports Mind to continue its focus on getting the right outcomes for its clients. 

MBChB, PhD, FAFPHM

Mind Board committees - Program, Practice and Quality

Bernie is an experienced health sector manager and Public Health Physician, who has had diverse roles in public health, consulting and implementing evidence-based health programs. With her partner, she is an active carer for their daughter who is living with schizophrenia, working to deliver person-centred services. Through self-managing NDIS funding, and with the support of visionary health professionals, they have created a wrap-around multidisciplinary team including peer support workers to give their daughter hope, and support her to meet her personal goals.

Richard spent over 12 years as the Victorian Minister for Planning and Housing. During this time, he initiated significant changes to Victoria’s housing sector, including the Big Housing Build. Prior to his appointment as Minister for Planning and Housing, he held a number of Ministerial portfolios including Local Government, Aboriginal Affairs and Multicultural Affairs.

Richard is a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and served as a Melbourne City Council member. He started his career as a social worker at the Flemington Community Health Centre where he worked in the public housing towers for seven years.
 

Mind Board committees - Chair, Finance, Audit, and Risk Committee

Simon is a Partner of KPMG in the Audit and Assurance division and their National Technology Sector Lead. He is also a current member of the Audit and Risk Committee of CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia). Simon is passionate about ensuring communities, and particularly vulnerable individuals within them, have access to appropriate mental health support.

MBBS, FRACPS, Master Paed, AI Ethics Cert, GAICD

Emeritus Professor Bennett is a company director, strategist and corporate advisor across the health and aged care sectors. She has was formerly the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Enterprise and Partnerships (2020-2021) and the Dean, School of Medicine, Sydney (2011-2021) at The University of Notre Dame Australia. 

Christine is a specialist paediatrician and has over 40 years of health industry experience in clinical care and governance, strategic planning and health policy, commercial and investment advice, medical education and research and has held chief executive roles in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. 

Professor Bennett was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014. The Award recognises Professor Bennett’s distinguished service to medicine and health care leadership, as a clinician, researcher and educator, particularly in the fields of child and family health, and social policy.