Our people

Verity commenced as CEO in January 2025, bringing a wealth of experience from her role as the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Head of Mission, where she led the execution of quality programs. She holds an honours degree in Education and a Master of Business Administration and is deeply passionate about creating healthier futures for children and their families. With a decade of experience leading teams and driving transformational change for greater social impact, she brings expertise in relationship management and strategic acumen. Verity is recognised as a values-based leader, with a career that career spans the health, child development, education, and charity and not-for-profit sectors.

Michael was appointed as Chair of the WCH Foundation in May 2020. He has over 30 years of international, national and domestic senior executive leadership experience in Australia and New Zealand in the technology sector and across a diverse range of industries and organisational structures in growing businesses. At CEO/MD and Board Directorship levels, Michael’s key focus is driving business, operational performance and exceptional customer service at start-ups, SMEs, corporates, governments and multinationals.

He is also currently the State Director SA & NT of Optus Australia and a non-Executive Director of the ACH Group, with previous executive leadership, Board Director and Chair roles across Australia.

“Growing up, my mother worked as a midwife and from early on I learnt the commitment required to ensure women, children and their families are looked after in the best possible way. I look forward to contributing to this important work,” Michael said.

Wee joined the Board in October 2008 and is a Partner of Bray Chan Chartered Accountants. His areas of expertise include the manufacturing, medical and creative services industries. Wee was formerly the National President of the Australia Malaysia Business Council, and in 2007 was awarded an honorary Companion in the Order of the Defender of the Realm by his birth nation Malaysia.

“Like so many, my passion for supporting the work of the Foundation started from a personal experience; the heart-stopping moment at the birth of my first child when mother and baby may have needed extra care. My involvement with the Foundation has been a privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back and help make a difference to this community in South Australia, in a country that has welcomed me as a citizen,” Wee said.

Morry joined the Board in April 2014. In his time as Tindall Gask Bentley’s managing partner, Morry has overseen the firm’s evolution to South Australia’s largest all-purpose law firm and a national leader with 12 offices across Australia. He is both former President of the Law Council of Australia and Law Society of South Australia, Chair of Lawguard Management and Chair of the Law Council’s Futures committee. Furthermore, he is a member of the Law Society of SA Ethics and Practice Committee, Chair of its Corporate Governance Committee, and is a sought-after legal commentator.

Morry was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours, recognising his service to the law, professional legal societies and to the community.

James (Jim) Birch, AM, joined the Board in May 2023. With 35+ years in senior executive roles in healthcare and justice, he is passionate about improving children’s health and early childhood outcomes. Jim has a strong interest in research and innovation. Apart from the Board, he chairs Little Company of Mary Health Care (Calvary) and Lifeblood, and serves as a director at Beamtree Holdings (BMT) and Catholic Health Australia.

Previously a Partner at Ernst and Young, he led major consultancies across Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. Jim has held CEO positions in health services, served as Chair of the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council, and played a pivotal role in establishing the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Leonie joined the Board in May 2020 and is an experienced Board Director with extensive corporate governance experience and a strong commercial business background. As a former Certified Practising Accountant with significant practical experience, she has a strong understanding of corporate and statutory financial management. In the role as principal consultant of Leonie Boothby & Associates Pty Ltd, Leonie undertakes project-based consultancy contracts across a range of sectors and service areas.

“The funds raised by the WCH Foundation create opportunities to go beyond just meeting the critical and essential needs of our patients, families and Hospital staff – it allows us to create spaces and experiences that provide comfort, care, nurturing and positivity that are so important to wellness and recovery. I’m inspired by the work that is being done to raise funds and deliver programs that make a difference in people’s lives and am honored to be part of the Foundation’s team,” Leonie said.

As the Chief Operating Officer for Saab Australia, Ben drives organisational performance and oversees program delivery across all areas of the business. Ben has extensive local and international experience in strategic leadership roles in defence, manufacturing, construction and agriculture. Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy, is Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of CPA Australia. He has been a member of the Foundation’s Finance & Audit Committee since 2013 and a Board Member since May 2020.

“Many South Australians have a strong connection with the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, often forged during very trying circumstances. The Foundation’s vision and mission immediately resonated with me and joining the Foundation has given me the opportunity to make a real and lasting contribution to our community. I feel humbled every day to support the important work of the Hospital to improve the health and wellbeing of women, children and their families.”

Christine joined the Board in May 2020. She is an experienced senior executive leader in international trade and development, and the professional services industries. She is skilled in board and stakeholder engagement and management, strategy and business development, and executive development and coaching.

“I’m excited by the strategic opportunities ahead for the WCH Foundation and the chance to apply my business and board expertise to guide the organisation’s path and to contribute to the positive impact on lives that the Foundation has,” Christine said.

Professor Rod Hunt is a clinician scientist working in the field of newborn intensive care. He is the Financial Markets Foundation for Children Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics at Monash University and has a clinical appointment at Monash Health, Victoria. He is also Director of Research in Victoria for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. His research focuses on neonatal neurology, neuroimaging and neurodevelopment. Professor Hunt explores the mechanisms of perinatal brain injury and neuroprotection using various methods of neuroimaging, with the goal of reducing perinatal brain injury and improving long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, including further reductions in rates of cerebral palsy. Along with fulfilling his clinical role at Monash, Professor Hunt is responsible for leadership and ongoing strategic development of newborn medicine research and training innovation at Monash University.

Professor Alison Calear is co-head of the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University in the ACT. Her research expertise is in youth mental health, eHealth and the prevention and early intervention of anxiety, depression and suicide. Professor Calear’s current National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) fellowship takes a public health approach to suicide prevention in young people, with a particular focus on harnessing interpersonal connectedness to reduce suicide risk. Professor Calear has extensive experience in community-based research, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and clinical trials.

Professor Alistair McEwan is a biomedical engineer, holding the Ainsworth Chair of Technology and Innovation at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) and the University of Sydney. As Theme Leader for Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation and a key contributor to the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Bioengineering, he explores innovation and advancements in healthcare technology. His research involves the development of early diagnostic electronic devices for conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Working with interdisciplinary teams, Professor McEwan leads research into cognitive assessments and innovative mobility and communication solutions using bionics, robotics, and artificial intelligence for individuals with cerebral palsy, enhancing their quality of life and enabling them to stay better connected to their community.

Dr Jodie Avery is a social researcher with advanced skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. She is currently senior research fellow and Imagendo program manager in the endometriosis research group with the Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, SA. As a chronic disease epidemiologist, Dr Avery’s primary area of research has concerned the intersection of women’s chronic health conditions with psychosocial factors that may influence other associated comorbidities. This includes investigating psychosocial and mental health aspects of women’s chronic conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and incontinence throughout the life course.

Dr Nikki Boswell is a research assistant with the Tuning in to Kids® team at the University of Melbourne, Victoria. Dr Boswell completed her PhD at the University of Queensland with a focus on understanding the relationship between parenting practices, family food environments and eating behaviours during early childhood. Dr Boswell has a Master’s in Human Nutrition and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Secondary Education), and over 10 years’ experience working with families and young people through her work in health promotion, community nutrition and education. In her role at Tuning in to Kids, Dr Boswell is involved in implementing and evaluating the Tuning in to Kids® programs in the retail and research setting.

Dr Jessica Buck is an early career researcher with training in neuroscience and cancer, and is currently a Forrest Research Fellow based at the Telethon Kids Institute and the University of Western Australia. Dr Buck undertook her Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Newcastle and, following this, completed her Master of Science in Neuroscience and PhD in Oncology at the University of Oxford. Dr Buck was supported by Charlie Perkins, Chevening, and Oxford Australia scholarships, and was awarded the 2019 Young Australian Achiever of the Year in the UK award for her research, leadership and sporting achievements. Her specific areas of expertise include magnetic resonance imaging, preclinical radiation therapy, and mouse models of brain cancer.

Dr Robert Galinsky, Research Group Head of Perinatal Inflammation and Neurophysiology at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, is a fetal physiologist with a specific interest in developmental neuroscience. He has made significant contributions to understanding the patho-mechanisms of perinatal brain injury that have informed clinical practice guidelines and underpinned clinical trials for neuroprotective interventions in the fetal and newborn brain. His research focuses on identifying the cellular and physiological mechanisms that trigger abnormal development in the fetal and newborn brain. Using these discoveries, Dr Galinsky’s goal is to develop new diagnostics and therapeutics aimed at preventing brain injury and life-long disability in our smallest and sickest patients.

Dr Andrew Vincent is a senior biostatistician in the Freemasons Centre for Men’s Health, providing training, consultancy, supervision and services to staff, students and affiliate researchers at the University of Adelaide, SA, and affiliated institutions. He offers contemporary and advanced statistical methodologies in this consultancy role, and he is also a senior investigator on scientific and clinical programs across a broad spectrum of health and medical research. His particular focus, also embedded in his training and consultancy, is the translation of clinical questions into tractable problems with precise hypotheses and appropriate analytical techniques. He has a high level of proficiency in study design and statistical methodologies. Dr Vincent was also clinical biostatistician at the Netherlands Cancer Institute where he worked for eight years in the clinical trials unit.

Dr Kate Vandyke is co-lead of the Myeloma Research Laboratory, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Precision Medicine Theme. Dr Vandyke’s research interests involve elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the disease progression in the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma. Her research is primarily aimed at identifying those patients that do very poorly, surviving less than two years, and identifying tailored treatments for these patients.