Our people

Andrew is a current Director of The Leasing Collective business (previously Urban Food Collective) which assists retailers with their property portfolios and leasing requirement on a national and international level. He is a current board member of the South Melbourne Market and is the current Chair of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of South Australia. He has lived experience with the disease, with his father having passed away at the start of 2020.

Peter has more than 15 years’ directorship and governance experience including within the “for profit” and “for purpose” sectors and as a past facilitator for the Australian Institute of Company Directors in its finance, strategy and risk programs. Peter is also a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee for Neurological Research Australia.

Peter’s executive career included senior broad financial management and governance responsibilities across a wide spectrum of business sectors, various sized businesses and within both listed and non-listed environments. His areas of expertise include strategy development and implementation, financing, negotiation, governance, organisational risk assessments, organizational evaluation and restructuring and financial management.

Peter is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, and a senior member of the Australian Corporate Treasurer’s Association.

Diana has spent 25+ years as a senior executive and company director in the not-for-profit sector. An experienced CEO, she has led both not-for-profit and commercial organisations involved in agriculture and sport. Diana currently provides company secretary and governance services to several community sector organisations through her consultancy, NFP Assist, and in addition to serving as President of MND Queensland, her other voluntary roles include director/secretary of a disability charity and company secretary for an Aboriginal family legal service.

Diana has a Master of Business Law and is currently studying for a Bachelor of Laws. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Associate of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Samar is Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care at the University of Western Australia and 2023 WA Australian of the Year. Samar adopts a public health approach and a focus on under-served population groups such as people with MND and advocates for person-centred health and social care. Her research programs on supporting family caregivers at end of life and the Public Health Model of Bereavement Support have informed policy and practice at the national and international levels. Samar is also currently the President of MND WA.

David is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and University of Sydney. Previously he held Chairs of Clinical Neurophysiology from 1987 and of Neurology from 1991 at the University of New South Wales during which he was appointed Chairman of the Department of Neurology, Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals. David led one of the two research teams around which the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute [now renamed “NeuRA”] was formed in 1991, and was Director of Clinical Research until 2002. From 2002 to 2008, he was Dean of Research for the Health Faculties at University of Sydney and from 2008-2013 Bushell Professor of Neurology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, was a member of the Executive Committee of the International Federation for 18 years, immediate past Editor of Clinical Neurophysiology, and inaugural Editor of Clinical Neurophysiology Practice. He was appointed Officer in the Order of Australia in 1999, and elevated to Companion in the Order of Australia in 2019.

Amy is a public sector professional with over 20 years experience in government, both at the Federal and State level. She has held senior positions focussed on policy, strategy, intelligence and governance in her day job and is mum to four lively kids and a Labrador in her non-paid job! 

Amy likes to keep herself busy through being a member of the local ACT MND community and has been an MND NSW Board Member since 2013, where she currently serves as Vice-President.

Amy brings her lived experience to the Board, through being a carer for her mother who passed away from MND.

Tracey is Professor of Neuroscience, at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, and Associate Dean Research for the College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania. She leads a group of researchers and students dedicated to using cellular and transgenic models to determine the mechanisms underlying MND, and to develop and test new therapies. Tracey is currently on the board of MND Tasmania.

Marion is a corporate lawyer with over 25 years’ experience. Marion is currently the General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Prior to joining Lifeblood, she worked for large firms in Australia, London and New Zealand and regulators in New Zealand.

Marion is a fellow of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership and was previously a director of MCM.

Jeremy is an accomplished finance professional with extensive expertise in governance, strategy, and finance. He is a partner and CFO at IDA, a boutique private credit and investment manager. His career highlights include significant roles at Macquarie Group, where he contributed to the real estate structured finance division and later to the real estate and infrastructure funds management arm. Before joining IDA, Jeremy founded Jameson Capital, a boutique real estate investment manager. He is a Fellow of the Tax Institute.

Jeremy has been an active member of the State Council for MND Victoria since 2016 and has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk (FAIR) Committee since 2017.

Jeremy’s father passed away from MND at a young age.

In 2022, Peter’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with MND. While initially confronting, this diagnosis became a catalyst for transformation. Rising above feelings of helplessness, Peter stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit, embracing a renewed sense of purpose: to turn his personal journey into a platform for advocacy and hope. As an Ambassador for MND Australia, Peter is passionately committed to raising awareness by amplifying the voices of those affected; as well as fostering greater understanding, compassion and meaningful change around this devastating disease.

Peter is an accomplished professional with extensive experience within the private, public, and non-profit sectors; encompassing leadership, behavioural change, stakeholder engagement and governance. Peter also served with distinction in the Royal Australian Air Force for over 35 years, an experience that shaped his resilience, discipline, and deep sense of purpose.

Jane’s husband, Robert, died 10 months after his diagnosis of MND. Jane understands the intricacies of caring for someone with rapidly progressive MND, particularly within the aged care system.

Since her husband’s death, Jane has worked tirelessly via numerous initiatives, to make a difference to people living with MND and their carers. Jane is the current Chair of the MND Research Collective: Lived Experience Research Advisory Panel and is also the producer and host of the podcast Let’s Talk MND. Jane spent 20 years in the corporate world, before starting her own award-winning business.