Our Board

Elizabeth Foley

HeartKids Limited Board Member and Chairperson

Elizabeth Foley is a seasoned Non-Executive Director and CEO, with experience across a range of sectors, including financial services, digital innovation, health and medical
research and professional services industries. Over the past ten years, Elizabeth has worked in the Australian health and medical research sector, five years as CEO and Managing Director of Research Australia, six years on the Board of the Population Health Research Network (PHRN), and three years creating the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC).Elizabeth has extensive board experience in health research and patient support organisations, which have faced similar concerns and challenges to HeartKids.

Most recently Elizabeth, as CEO, led a digital transformation of The Australian Institute of Project Management, which resulted in an increase in membership and services offered,
and a dynamic turnaround in profitability.

Elizabeth is currently on the Board of the Australian National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) and Chair of the audit and risk committee. She has also worked at Chief Executive Women as Director Research and Business Engagement, and has extensive knowledge and experience operating in the fundraising sector.

Elizabeth has exemplary formal qualifications, proven business acumen and brings exemplary stakeholder management credentials, particularly working with senior
levels of government, including Federal, State MP’s and senators, as well as senior public servants. Elizabeth is ambitious to see Australians who have congenital heart disease or who develop heart disease as children lead fulfilling and healthy lives.

Rohan Geddes

HeartKids Limited Board Member and Deputy Chairperson

Rohan has over 25 years' experience in personal and employment-related tax matters, specialising in FBT, payroll tax, superannuation, employment termination, and redundancy arrangements, and PAYG. 

He is a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he leads the Employment Taxes and Payroll Consulting Practices.  In these roles, he provides proactive advice to employers, assisting them with the processes and policies used to help manage the tax and administrative impacts of remunerating their employees and their contractors.  He has also worked in Australia and the US, providing personal tax assistance to high net wealth individuals and expatriates. 

Rohan is a heart kid.

Beverley Barber

HeartKids Limited Board Member 

Beverley Barber is a Director with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and is an experienced Executive and Non-Executive Director with a background spanning a range of industry sectors.

Throughout her career, Bev has worked across State, Federal, and Local Governments.

She has worked with ASX listed companies and small to medium enterprises and was a Board member on the HeartKids Australia Board and more recently on the South Australian Board.

In addition to experience in business transformation, organisational design, leadership, and culture, Beverley holds qualifications in management and public policy and has significant public policy and governance proficiency and a wealth of knowledge and experience in politics and Government Relations. Beverley is committed to the development and growth of HeartKids Ltd. Beverley is also a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.

Professor David Celermajer

HeartKids Limited Board Member 

David Celermajer is the Scandrett Professor of Cardiology at The University of Sydney, Director of Echocardiography in the Cardiology Department as well as Director of Adult Congenital Heart Services at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Clinical Director at The Heart Research Institute.

Some of David’s major achievements include; NSW Health Minister’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cardiovascular Research in 2012, Simon Dack Award for excellence in cardiology in 2010, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science since 2006, and Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research, for outstanding lifetime contribution in 2002.

Elle Pendrick

HeartKids Limited Board Member

Elle has over ten years’ experience successfully prosecuting significant agendas at the highest level of government, including as a Ministerial Adviser. She has worked in Australia and Cambodia on state and federal government health policy and has a Masters of International Health.

Elle has directly contributed to the development and launch of the National Action Plan for Childhood Heart Disease and the HeartKids blog page. She also raises the awareness of HeartKids and life as an adult with CHD through her own social media platforms. As a heart kid, she is committed to seeing HeartKids achieve its full potential.

Elsa van Wijk 

HeartKids Limited Board Member 

Elsa is an experienced and trusted adviser to Australian and international organisations and their boards. Her experience has been gained in the technology and innovation sectors, developing and delivering digital content and solutions to consumers and clients. 

She has shaped, developed and implemented strategy and organisational direction in multidisciplinary teams. Elsa engages and builds strong relationships with stakeholders to achieve organisational goals. Elsa has a child with CHD so is acutely aware of the journey and experiences of heart families. Elsa has joins the HeartKids Board to contribute to and achieve equitable access to support and allied health services and funding to all CHD patients and their families.

Felicity Flack

HeartKids Limited Board Member 

Bio coming soon.

Ken Murphy

HeartKids Limited Board Member and Company Secretary 

The father of an eleven-year-old heart kid boy (2018 Toowoomba Ambassador - Two Feet & a Heartbeat), Ken Murphy joined the Board of HeartKids in January 2019.

Ken has over 20 years of experience as a qualified Company Director/Chairman across multiple industries including Health and Community Services in both the Not For Profit and Private sectors.  Complemented by over 25 years of Chief Executive and Managing Director level experience in the Not For Profit, Commercial, and Government-Funded sectors across multiple industries, Ken is also a current/past member of various Government, Business, and Community Committees and Taskforces.  He brings capability with Corporate Governance, Finance, Risk Management, Strategic, and Operational Development, Human Resource Management, Company Restructures, Mergers & Acquisitions, Project Management, Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Funding, Problem Solving, Innovation, and Change Management.

Ken is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow of the Institute of Management & Leaders (Aust. & New Zealand), Certified Practicing Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, and a Member of the Safety Institute of Australia.

Lionel Henderson

HeartKids Limited Board Member and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Lionel Henderson is an experienced Company Director and manager of large-scale research engagements. He is a Director of Business Development & Commercial with CSIRO, where he has developed the framework for several research alliances and collaboration frameworks, including public-private partnerships, and has managed CSIRO’s involvement in multiple CRCs. Lionel has managed the licensing for a range of CSIRO’s technologies domestically and internationally and has recently returned from a USA posting. He has also been a member and Chair of a number of external committees for CSIRO. Lionel is an experienced Company Director, having been a Director or Company Secretary for several CSIRO joint ventures, since 2004.

Prior to joining CSIRO, he managed a horticultural biotechnology company for 10 years, which had a significant international business and large intellectual property portfolio. Lionel has a science background and has worked in the commercialisation of new technologies since 1988.

As the grandfather of a heart kid, Lionel is committed to the success of HeartKids Ltd.

Matthew Tognini

HeartKids Limited Board Member

Matthew has a passion for helping businesses achieve their potential.  Throughout his career as a chartered accountant, he has worked closely with his clients to help them not only achieve financial independence but also help them to optimise their business structures and operations.

In his business career, Matthew has worked and specialised in SME business clients.  He has overseen taxation compliance, strategic planning, restructuring, and human resources issues for a variety of clients.

Matthew came to HeartKids through the diagnosis of his daughter, before birth, with a complex congenital heart defect. 

Shane Ogilvie

HeartKids Limited Board Member 

Bio coming soon.

Simone Wright

HeartKids Limited Board Member and Chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Commitee

Simone Wright is a Director with Pearson Australia Group and is an experienced Executive Director with a background in High Tech Manufacturing, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Architecture, Financial Services, Publishing, and Education sectors.

Simone has worked in many different organisation types including co-operatives, partnerships, and high-profile public organisations with globally based teams.

She has worked extensively in reporting to Boards on matters of risk and compliance and was a member of the Heart Kids Steering Committee for the Government Action Plan.

In addition to experience in strategic human resources management, organisational design, leadership capability, employee experience, wellness and skills development, Simone has post-graduate qualifications in business management and the new world of work. 

As a parent of a heart child, Simone is committed to the purpose of Heart Kids and ensuring a successful HeartKids Ltd.