GOVERNANCE

Chairperson and Ex-Officio Member of all Advisory Committees

Julie has a diverse background as a banker, lawyer, Notary Public, Accredited Mediator and Non Executive company director. 

She has extensive expertise in risk management, finance, cultural transformations, governance, stakeholder management and business development. A collaborative leader, Julie has demonstrated capability in advising boards and communities. 

Julie held a range of legal and banking roles in her 15 year career at ANZ, including establishing a very successful specialist health banking proposition backed by a team of bankers dedicated to meeting the business and personal banking needs of Medical Practitioners and Pharmacists.

Prior to joining ANZ, Julie was a Special Counsel at Allens Linklaters. She has worked across various areas of law throughout her lengthy career, and whilst at Allens Linklaters she specialised in property, estate planning, probate, succession, trusts, and the provision of general commercial advice to not for profit and charitable organisations. 

Julie is an experienced Notary Public who provides notarial services to individuals and corporations. 

A director of Accordo Pty Ltd, a mediation business established in 2023, Julie assists parties in dispute to explore options and find areas for agreement. 

Julie is also a non executive director of the Australian Sonographers Association Ltd (ASA) and a member of the Finance, Risk and Audit sub-committee.

Deputy Chairperson

Anne-Marie has over 30 years experience as a Company Director for a range of organisations including the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Mothers Day Classic Foundation, Utilities of Australia, Netball Australia (Chair), Australian Council for Superannuation Investors, Northern Health (Chair), Kangan Batman Institute (Chair), Victorian Superannuation Board, and was a trustee on the MCG Trust for 9 years. She is currently a Director of Bank Australia, Chair of TelstraSuper, and a Member of the Australian Commonwealth Games Foundation Investment Committee. 

Anne-Marie has extensive experience in strategic planning, corporate governance, financial management, stakeholder management and the ability to manage growth in a competitive environment. She was CEO of HESTA, the industry superannuation fund for health and community services, and Company Secretary to its trustee company HEST Australia Ltd from May 1998 to February 2015. Prior to this role she was Victorian Branch Secretary of the Australian Education Union and a primary teacher.

International Scientific Advisory Committee Member

Geraldine graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1987. She undertook postgraduate training in oncology at the Royal Melbourne and Repatriation Hospitals, after which she undertook laboratory-based research as a Breast Cancer Fellow. She completed her MD thesis then travelled to Boston, USA where she completed fellowships at St Elizabeth’s Medical Centre and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and developed her interest in gynaecological cancers. 

Following Geraldine’s return to Australia in 2000, she completed a Masters degree in Women’s Health at the University of Melbourne. She now works as a medical oncologist with a focus on caring for women with breast and gynaecological cancers.

Board Director and Chairperson

Sharon McCrohan is one of Australia’s most experienced media and strategic communications consultants, with a career spanning over 20 years as a journalist and adviser to Federal and State government leaders and cabinets, private sector boards, sporting bodies, statutory authorities, charities, and government agencies.

As the mum of two girls, Sharon has a strong personal commitment to the defining mission of the OCRF, which will see the development of an early detection test saving thousands of lives.

Board Director and Member, International Scientific Advisory Committee

Dr Nicole Krzys is a Gynaecological Oncologist working in Tasmania in both the public and private sectors. She is the Head of Department of Gynaecology Oncology at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Dr Krzys has an interest and previous experience in translational research, with a Masters in Science from the University of Oxford where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford she also completed a Masters of Philosophy and worked in the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. Though she now works as a surgeon, she believes that quality research will make the most difference in her patient’s lives and is excited about the advances she will see over her career.

Board Director

Dr Kenny is currently a consultant at the law firm Allens. Dr Kenny was previously a partner at the firm for over 30 years and held positions as Energy Practice Group Leader and Government Sector Leader. His practice at Allens has been principally in the area of infrastructure projects and regulation, acting for a range of private sector and government clients.

Dr Kenny has a keen interest in legal and regulatory reform and is a member of the State Advisory Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

Board Director and Lived Experience Advisory Panel Chairperson

Karleen Radford is an accomplished, MBA-qualified marketing professional with a strong focus on customer experience, continuous improvement, governance, and operational efficiency. With extensive experience in senior marketing and partnership roles across the fuel and banking sectors, she has developed a deep understanding of how collaboration, communication, and sound risk management create lasting impact.

Driven by a desire to give back and contribute to causes that matter, Karleen joined the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation to support an issue that touches so many women and families. She brings her expertise in partnerships, governance, and stakeholder engagement to help strengthen the Foundation’s reach, awareness, and impact — combining her professional discipline with her personal commitment to making a difference.

Board Director

Melanie is a Managing Director at x15ventures, the corporate venture scaler of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she leads Truyu, an innovative digital identity protection platform. At Truyu, Melanie leads a cross-functional team including product, engineering, and operations.

Melanie began her career as an M&A lawyer at Allens before moving into corporate strategy at CBA, delivering strategic initiatives and partnerships across the bank’s business units.

Melanie is deeply passionate about the mission of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and proud to be an Observer of the Board. She is also a Board Member of the South West Sydney Women’s Centre and the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Board Director and Member, International Scientific Advisory Committee

Committee of Management Secretary

Director, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London

Professor Iain McNeish is Chair in Oncology and Head of the Division of Cancer at Imperial College London, where he also co-directs the School of Convergence Science in Health and Technology. He leads the Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and is joint lead for the Surgery and Cancer theme within the Imperial NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. His research focuses on ovarian cancer biology to drive improved therapies, leading the BriTROC collaborative and pioneering CRISPR/Cas9-engineered murine models of high-grade serous carcinoma. Previously Professor of Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Glasgow and an MRC Senior Clinical Fellow, he trained at Oxford with postgraduate training across the UK. Clinically, he specialises in ovarian and endometrial cancers as an honorary consultant medical oncologist. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2022. 

Scientific Director, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute

Professor Matthias Ernst is Head of the Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, where his team investigates how disrupted communication between tumour and normal cells drives gastrointestinal cancers. After completing his PhD at ETH Zürich, he undertook postdoctoral training at Merck Sharp & Dohme in Pennsylvania before moving to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) in Melbourne to study molecular drivers of cancer growth. He later served as Deputy Head of Bone Biology at Novartis in Switzerland, returning to LICR as Group Leader and Acting Director. In 2012, he joined the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, advancing molecular and genetic approaches to understand epithelial renewal and tumour formation. His laboratory works closely with clinicians to develop new therapeutic strategies for patients. 

Professor in Residence of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California

Dr. Orsulic is a Professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Her laboratory's research has yielded several key insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer. The most significant contributions include: the development of the first genetically defined mouse model of ovarian cancer; demonstration that specific molecular pathways collaborate in ovarian cancer induction and progression and that alternative signaling pathways play a role in resistance to targeted therapy; generation of the first BRCA1-/- ovarian cancer cell lines that grow in immunocompetent mice; and identification of molecular biomarkers for individualized therapeutic strategies in ovarian cancer. Her laboratory’s genetically engineered syngeneic ovarian cancer cell lines have been used by multiple pharmaceutical companies for drug testing.

Professor of Cellular and Integrative Physiology & Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr. Nephew is the Jerry W. and Peggy S. Throgmartin Chair of in Oncology, Assistant Director of Basic Research and Co-leader of the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program and Co-Director of Ovarian Cancer Working Group of the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. His main areas of expertise are epigenetics and epigenetic therapies and ovarian cancer stem cells.  His research has contributed to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying therapy resistance in ovarian cancer patients. He serves on scientific advisory boards of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and Ovarian Cancer Action (London), is the Dean of the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Academy and a member of the Van Andel Research Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team. 

Enabling Capability Platforms Director Biomedical and Health Innovation, RMIT

Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski is an internationally recognised immunologist and interdisciplinary research leader. She is Director of RMIT University’s Biomedical & Health Innovation Enabling Impact Platform and the ATRACT Centre, and Head of the Cancer, Ageing and Vaccines Laboratory. Her work spans nanotechnology, immunotherapy and vaccine innovation, with a focus on developing practical immune-based solutions for cancer, malaria, asthma and age-related disease. She has published more than 260 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals and holds ~60 patents across 11 families, several of which have progressed into clinical trials or commercialisation. Her current programs include human trials in vaccine development, ovarian cancer diagnostics and precision medicine. In 2022, she received the Distinguished Mexican Award for global impact and mentoring. 

Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Texas

Dr. Mok is an endowed Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and is the Editor-In-Chief of the journal Cancers. His primary research focus is on studying the role of tumor microenvironment in the pathogenesis and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. Ongoing research projects include the use of spatially resolved multi-omics platforms to generate a three-dimensional atlas for ovarian cancer, identification of cell-cell crosstalk networks among various cell types in the ovarian tumor microenvironment, and functionally characterizing candidates that may be used as therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer treatment. The ultimate goal is to identify diagnostic, prognostic and predictive markers for ovarian cancer to improve patient survival. 

Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Honami Naora, PhD is a Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She was raised in Canberra and trained at the Australian National University, Pasteur Institute, and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Naora’s research investigates bidirectional communication between cancer cells and stromal cells, with a focus on delineating and targeting the mechanisms that control peritoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer. Dr. Naora has received numerous grants as Principal Investigator from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and has extensively served on review panels of the NIH and other agencies. Dr. Naora also serves on several institutional committees at MD Anderson and is strongly committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists. 

Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr Anirban K. Mitra is an Associate Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics at Indiana University School of Medicine, with affiliate appointments in Biology and the Biochemistry Graduate Program. His research centres on understanding how ovarian cancer cells communicate with and are shaped by the metastatic microenvironment. Dr Mitra completed his postdoctoral training in ovarian cancer biology at the University of Chicago, following a PhD in Biochemistry from Mumbai University. His work has been supported by the DoD Ovarian Cancer Research Program, the Marsha Rivkin Center, Colleen’s Dream Foundation, and multiple institutional awards. 

Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine

John B. Liao, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a gynecologic oncologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Dr. Liao is a physician-scientist who leads a clinical and translational research program studying immunotherapies for gynecologic cancers. His research interests focus on the development of novel vaccines, cellular therapies and other immunotherapies and the identification of biomarkers that predict response to immunotherapy. He serves as principal investigator of phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials and directs a translational laboratory that studies novel therapies in preclinical models and profiles the immune response of patients receiving investigational immunotherapies. 

Board member andConsumer Representative Panel Chairperson

Medical Researcher, Chemo and Beauty Blogger, Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Dr Marques is a Melbourne medical researcher who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015, at the age of just 31. “I used to exercise regularly and I did not smoke, neither was I overweight. I didn’t know I had some of the symptoms, including pelvic pain and frequent urination. Other common symptoms include abdominal bloating, loss of appetite or feeling full quickly, change in bowel habits, menstrual irregularities and lack of energy. To my surprise, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer’’. Dr Marques has spoken at length about her own experience hoping to help other women have the best chance of staying healthy.

OCRF Ambassador

Daniella splits her time between motherhood, Monash University in the Blood Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory as a research scientist and engaging in community awareness about Breast and Ovarian Cancers. Daniella lost her mother to ovarian cancer at the very young age of 59. Unfortunately, at the time of her mother’s diagnosis, Daniella found out that her family carries a BRCA1 mutation. This dramatically increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer to 80% and ovarian cancer to 40%. Daniella found out at 28 years of age that she too carries this gene mutation. Her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a very late stage as she was predominantly asymptomatic before eventually being diagnosed her with stage 4 ovarian cancer. During the following 12 months it spread to her mother’s brain and liver. After witnessing her mother’s experience Daniella was anxious about her own health, realising that not only does she have an increased risk of ovarian cancer but there is no early detection for this disease. Considering the lack of early detection, she made the drastic decision to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes at the young age of 39. The ongoing early menopause is a daily challenge, yet far better than dealing with a cancer that is known for taking the lives of young women far too early. She encourages women to be pro-active about their health, challenge their medical team if they are concerned with their results and trust their instinct when it comes to their body.

OCRF Ambassador Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Jordan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2019 at 27 years old. She was quickly treated with surgery and chemotherapy and is currently in remission. As an ovarian cancer patient, Jordan is looking forward to being able to use her personal experience to advocate on behalf of the OCRF, raising awareness of the disease, and the fact that there are critical funding shortages for research into early detection tests and treatments.

OCRF Ambassador, Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Vali was 16 when she first started experiencing strange and vague symptoms; it wasn’t until surgery for endometriosis at 19 that Vali was diagnosed with ovarian cancer during a routine operation for endometriosis. Vali then had a recurrence at 24 which rendered her infertile after surgery and chemotherapy. Due to amazing advancements in treatment Vali was able to become a mother to twin girls in 2013, Vali has now been dealing with ovarian cancer for over half her life and is passionate about research and preventing her friends, family and most importantly her daughters from having to live through the same struggle she has faced.

OCRF Ambassador, Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Jemima was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006 at the age of five. This diagnosis came completely by fluke after her mother felt a lump on her stomach following days of complaints about a stomach-ache. On the same day she was diagnosed, Jemima underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumour and her right ovary before having four rounds of chemotherapy over the next four months. Jemima feels fortunate to have been ovarian cancer free for almost 16 years and began working with the Ovarian Research Foundation in 2018. She is grateful for the connections she has formed and is passionate about using her experience to support the OCRF in their quest to develop an early detection test and effective treatments for ovarian cancer.

OCRF Ambassador, Ovarian Cancer Survivor

Sirin Steele was diagnosed in 2016 with ovarian cancer after thinking she might be pregnant again. What was supposed to be a visit to the GP during a work lunch break for a pregnancy test resulted in a diagnosis that would change her life. She found herself having surgery within a week of diagnosis and underwent five months of chemotherapy. In the months that followed her treatment Sirin had to navigate her way to a “new normal” as the treatment and surgeries she endured became apparent. The disheartening fact that there is no early detection test or accurate screening method spurred Sirin to use her skills to raise awareness for ovarian cancer research. To give back to her incredible community, Sirin founded AusLitTeal, the official national campaign that lights up major landmarks and skylines to mark World Ovarian Cancer Day on May 8th each year.

Board member, Chairperson and Ex-Officio Member of all Advisory Committees

Partner, Ernst & Young

Menchi is a Partner in Ernst & Young, with 25 years’ experience in leading teams across a range of strategic, operational, and financial services with a focus on business process, risk management, governance, internal controls and behavioural analysis.

Menchi has experience in providing strategic advice to boards, audit committees and senior management; including building a stronger culture of risk management and internal financial and operational control within their organisations. He has worked with some of Australia’s largest companies and government agencies in addressing the practical challenges of better operational and financial practice and risk management. He regularly works closely with CEO’s, senior executive management and Boards to implement change. 

Menchi sits on a number of Boards and Audit and Risk Committees and has been an independent member of the OCRF FRAC since 2019.

Justin Flynn is a strategic and commercially astute CFO and board director with a proven record of leading sustainable growth, transformation and performance improvement across mid-sized industrial and service organisations. 

With expertise spanning finance, strategic planning, M&A integration, digital transformation and crisis leadership, he has delivered significant revenue growth, turnaround outcomes and operational efficiency. Justin is known for his calm and authentic leadership, considered thinking and ability to build high-performing teams. 

He partners effectively with CEOs and Boards to drive long-term value, manage risk and enable positive organisational change. Passionate about purpose-driven businesses, he seeks to contribute at board and executive levels where growth ambition, strong governance and people-focused values are central.

With over a decade of senior leadership, Ren Barlow BBUS BMUs GAICD is a CEO, Chair and Non-Executive. Experienced at orchestrating the rhythm between commercial acumen, social governance, and creative storytelling to empower contribution, collaboration and decisions at a board level that impact ethical investment, climatic change and elevate woman’s rights.  Currently on the Board of OCRF, The World Literacy Foundation and Chair Infinity Circles Impact Group and The Creativity Garden. 

Ren’s Impact Leadership and commercial portfolio as a founding Chair and Non- Executive Director, Founding CEO, consultant, philanthropist, and activist that drive unwavering purpose to deliver impact through education, empowerment, and elevation.

With over a decade of extensive board service, Ren has established, developed, managed, and evolved the Family Office running an extensive Property and Investment Portfolio. As Founding Chair of The Literacy Gift, Ren creates impact by empowering those at the core of inequality to change the trajectory of their own lives… for good.

Michael has worked with Westpac in structured product development roles where he was responsible for sourcing, repackaging and marketing financial markets products. Michael spent three years in Hong Kong and two years in New York where he acted as Westpac’s senior financial markets representative, helping expand the bank’s reach in structured credit products. He has also worked with Lonsec as part of the research team and at various times had responsibility for sectors including structured and exchange traded products, fixed income and alternatives.

Michael has assisted his with various fundraising activities after his late wife Sarah was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015.

Principal, Eaton Square

Maurice has been a member of the FRAC committee for 5 years, and together with his family are active fund raisers and supporters of the OCRF.

Maurice is a principal at Eaton Square specialising in international M&A and capital solutions. Previous roles include Chairman of a Family Office, General Counsel for national fresh produce supply chain group and 20+ years as commercial lawyer including 10 years as partner. Private interests include investments in financial services, FMCG and property finance.

Away from work Maurice enjoys jogging, supporting Collingwood and travel