headspace Board

Wendy McCarthy AO (Chair)

Wendy McCarthy began her career as a secondary school teacher and remains passionate about the power of education. For four decades she has been a teacher, educator and change agent in Australian public life. Her national consulting business McCarthy Mentoring specialises in providing mentors to major corporations, the public sector and Not for Profit Organisations.

In addition to headspace, Wendy chairs Circus Oz, McGrath Estate Agents and Pacific Friends of the Global Fund. In 2009, she retired from her role as Vice Chair of Plan International. She has held many significant leadership roles in leading national bodies, including 8 years as deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In 1989 Wendy was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for outstanding contributions to community affairs, women's affairs and the Bicentennial celebrations. In 2003 she was awarded a Centenary of Federation medal for business leadership and in 2005 she was nominated by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of Australia’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals. She is the author of seven books.  

Professor Ian Hickie AM

In October 2006, the Australian Financial Review included Professor Hickie in its list of the top 10 cultural influencers. In October 2000 he was appointed as the inaugural CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative and from 2003-06 served as its Clinical Advisor. In 2003, he was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director of the flagship Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.  In 2006, Professor Hickie received the Australian Honours Award of Member (AM) in the General Division; for services to medicine in the development of key national mental health initiatives and general practice services in both the public and non-government sectors. 

In 2007, he was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Australian National Council on Drugs and has led the BMRI as a founding member of the new National Youth Mental Health Foundation (‘headspace’). In 2007, Professor Hickie was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.  From 2008-13, Professor Hickie is one of the first round of new NHMRC 2008 Australian Fellows; recognising excellence in Australian Medical Research. His research, clinical and health services development work focuses on expansion of population-based mental health research and development of international mental health strategies.  In July 2008 he was appointed to the Federal Health’s Minister’s new National Advisory Council on Mental Health.

Barbara Hingston

Barbara Hingston BA, BSW, GAICD, MAASW has held senior executive and corporate management roles in government and the community sectors. These have included as Executive Director for Mercy Health Care Australia, a national collaboration between Congregations of the Sisters of Mercy owning extensive health and aged care assets throughout Australia, and within the Commonwealth public service, as Deputy Executive Director of the Australian Heritage Commission. She is also an experienced clinician, in individual and group counselling practice in the fields of sexual assault, family violence and other trauma, with both victims and perpetrators, most recently as Senior Clinician and Direct Service Coordinator for CASA House, a counselling and public advocacy service against sexual assault, in Melbourne. Alongside her current governance roles in community and public health organisations, she now works as a consultant in the evaluation of service delivery and public policy practice in these fields, including primary prevention of violence against women and children for the AFL, as a facilitator of its Respect and Responsibility Program.
    
Barbara has extensive corporate governance experience of diverse public and community health and welfare services. This includes Directorships of Boards of public and community health and welfare agencies in eastern Australia. She is a Board Director of the Austin Health Service, Heidelberg, Victoria, also chairing its Community Advisory Committee and a current member of the Nurses Board Victoria and Physiotherapists Registration Board Victoria. Barbara was also a Director of Mackillop Family Services between 2003-2006, along with holding a Board Director position at Marymead Child and Family Services. She was also a Member of the Public Housing Review Tribunal in the ACT and a Member of the Dental Board of Queensland.

Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM

Professor Littlefield has extensive experience in teaching, clinical practice and research in child and family psychology, and she established the first professional doctorate in clinical child, adolescent and family psychology in Australia. Professor Littlefield was previously the Head of the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University, and is currently a Professor at La Trobe. Before joining the APS, she was the Inaugural Director of the Victorian Parenting Centre. She was conferred a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to the welfare of children and families. Professor Littlefield is currently Executive Director of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

Ian Marshman

Ian Marshman was appointed Senior Vice-Principal at the University of Melbourne in March 1999.  In this role he is accountable to the Vice-Chancellor and Council for the overall management and administration of the University.  Ian Marshman has specific responsibilities for planning and resourcing an institution with some 7000 staff and an annual budget of $1.4 billion He has particular responsibilities for student recruitment, facilities planning, audit, compliance and external reporting accountabilities.

Ian Marshman’s career began as a career Administrator in the Australian Public Service in Canberra in 1973.  He has held senior positions in health at Commonwealth and State Government levels. Ian Marshman is currently Chair of the Management Committee for Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre. He is an auditor for Australian Universities Quality Agency.  Ian Marshman is the Chair of the Universitas 21 Managers Group and a Director of the on-line business school, Universitas 21 Global.  He is also a Director of a number of University boards.  Ian Marshman has a BA (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and an LLB from Australia National University.

Peter Mason AM

Mr Mason is Chairman of AMP Limited and a Senior Advisor to UBS Investment Bank.   He has 40 years experience in investment banking.  He was chairman of JP Morgan Chase Bank in Australia from 2000 to 2005, and chairman of their associate, Ord Minnett Group. Prior to this he was chairman and chief executive of Schroders Australia Limited and group managing director of Schroders' investment banking businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

Mr Mason is a director of David Jones Limited, the University of New South Wales Foundation, the UBS Australia Foundation, and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth.  He is also a member of the Takeovers Panel.  Mr Mason is a past director of a number of public companies and educational and charitable institutions, including 12 years as deputy chairman of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and 13 years on the Council of the University of New South Wales. 

Patrick McGorry AO

Patrick D. McGorry, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRANZCP, Australian of the Year 2010, is Executive Director of Orygen Youth Health (OYH), Australia’s largest youth mental health organisation, comprising a world-renown research centre and a clinical service targeting the needs of young people with emerging serious mental illness. He is also Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and founding member of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation (headspace) board.

Prof McGorry is a world-leading researcher in the area of early psychosis and youth mental health. His innovative, ground-breaking research has played an integral role in the development of safe, effective treatments that have helped transform the lives of tens of thousands of young people the world over. Orygen Youth Health’s early psychosis service, known as EPPIC, was founded by Prof McGorry in 1992, and has been hugely influential internationally. Its evidence-based model has been exported to many countries, and early intervention in psychosis has become one of the major growth points in international mental health reform. Prof. Mcgorry has played a major role in mental health reform in Australia as a key adviser to the Because mental health matters: Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009-19, and is frequently asked to advise on youth mental health policy internationally.

Professor McGorry also has interests in the areas of homelessness, refugees and torture survivors, youth suicide, youth substance use and the treatment of emerging personality disorder.

Prof. McGorry has published over 300 papers and book chapters, edited five books, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including: Australian of the Year 2010, the Melbourne Award for contribution to community in 2009, the Castilla Del Pino Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of Psychiatry in Spanish-speaking countries in 2009, the Australian Government Centenary Medal in 2003 and the Founders’ Medal of the Australian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2001.

John McGrath AM

Mr McGrath has served as a board member of beyondblue, the national depression initiative since its inception in 2000. He has previous experience in politics, serving as the National Party member for Warrnambool from 1985 until his voluntary retirement in 1999. Mr McGrath brings a strong family carer focus to his involvement in mental health, instigated by the personal experience of having had two sons who suffered from mental illness.

Helen Milroy

Professor Helen Milroy (MBBS, FRANZCP, CATCAP )is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.  She is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the Bentley Family Clinic and Director for the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia.  Helen is a Past President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, current member of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation Development Team, the Western Australian Indigenous Implementation Board and the Australian Health Ethics Committee.

Helen’s work and research interests include holistic medicine, child mental health, recovery from trauma and grief, application of Indigenous knowledge, and developing and supporting the Aboriginal medical workforce.

Sheree Vertigan

Prior to taking up the position of President of ASPA in 2010, Sheree Vertigan (BA, MEd, MACE) was the Principal of Reece High School for nine years.
 
Sheree has worked in a variety of position within education, commencing her career as an English teacher prior to taking up a position as a consultant and then returned to senior positions within schools and the Department of Education. Throughout her career Sheree has lead, and worked with committees and references groups at regional, state, national and international levels. She has been a keynote presenter at a number of conferences and forums in: leadership, professional learning provision, curriculum development; inclusive practice including developing supportive school environments; innovative practices in ICT and school transformation.

Sheree currently holds a number of other positions including:

• Vice president (secondary), Tasmanian principal Association
• Director, Principals Australia Board
• Member, National Leadership learning Network
• Member, writing team, Principal Standards Project
• Director Asia Education Foundation (AEF)
• Director Headspace Board (National Youth Mental Health Foundation)
• Director Australian National Council for Drugs (ANCD)

Sheree has gained recognition for her outstanding leadership in a number of contexts including Australian Council for Educational Leadership, Stanford Who’s Who, Whose Who of Australian Women, Finalist in the Telstra Business Women of the Year (2001), Tasmania Department of Education Learning Together Award for transformation of secondary education, James D McConnell and Design Share Award for Innovative learning Environments, Hardie Fellowship and AEF leading 21st century schools.

Dr Rob Walters

Dr Rob Walters is a practicing GP in Hobart. For the 3 years between Nov 2002 and Nov 2005, Rob was the Chair of the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP now AGPN), the national organisation that represents 117 local Divisions of General Practice.  He is also a medico-legal adviser for the Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) in Tasmania and regularly presents to medical practitioners nationally, on matters related to Medical Indemnity and Medicine and the law.

He has and continues to serve on a number of boards and councils representing General Practice including the Beyondblue Clinical Reference Council and the National Advisory Council on Mental Health. He is a National Men’s Health Ambassador. He also has an interest in Occupational Medicine and is the Medical Director on the Tasmanian Work Cover Board as well as a past Chair of the Cancer Council of Tasmania. Rob holds the rank of Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve and is Consultant to the Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force on General Practice for the Army, Navy and Air Force. In 2002 he served overseas in East Timor with the UN Forces.  He has had a number of regular media commitments including a weekly national radio program with Charles Wooley on the Macquarie Network and appearances fortnightly on the Nine Network’s “Mornings” television program.