While the OCRF has significant community reach and remains a major funding body for ovarian cancer research, we are staffed by a very small team of five (FTE 4.4). By having a small, agile and cross-skilled team, we continue to ensure that there is a sustainable and generous funding pool for our researchers and research institutes to access.
Lucinda Nolan
CEO
With a wealth of knowledge and experience across the public sector and as a Director for several boards, Lucinda is well poised to lead the OCRF team.
Prior to this position, she was selected as the first female CEO of the Country Fire Authority, one of the world’s largest volunteer-based emergency services organisations. She also spent 32 years with Victoria Police, reaching the rank of Deputy Commissioner, and was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2009. Lucinda is a Director on the Boards of Hawthorn Football Club, BankVic, Alkira and the Penington Institute. She holds a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Melbourne University and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
Like so many others, Lucinda has also seen a loved one suffer. Her sister-in-law, Jane, died at the young age of 54, after being diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. This tragic event has reaffirmed to Lucinda that to save women’s lives, we need to find and develop a test for early detection.
Lisa Panetta
Office Manager
Lisa is a chartered accountant with experience working within not-for-profit organisations, making her the ideal person to manage the day-to-day operations and financial management of the OCRF.
Her previous roles have included Project Manager at the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB), and Assistant Manager at Moore Stephens, an accounting firm. In her role at the OCRF, Lisa speaks to many patients, survivors and those who have lost loved ones to ovarian cancer. Moved by their courage, strength and determination to fight this terrible disease, Lisa makes it her mission to provide as much support and guidance as possible.
Lisa’s awareness of ovarian cancer as an insidious disease that does not discriminate came when a close family member lost her five-year battle with the disease at the young age of 23.
Erin Eades
Governance Manager
With a background in the tertiary sector, and formal qualifications in corporate governance, Erin is well placed to support the OCRF in its pursuit to invest in the most innovative research in ovarian cancer.
Erin has held several key governance positions in very different organisational contexts. Having provided high level support to Boards and Executive teams, she brings a wealth of knowledge in connecting governance processes and improving procedures to the OCRF.
Erin has always been community minded, with a keen interest in supporting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. She has volunteered for organisations such as Foundation House and completed an Honours thesis in communicating risk to CALD communities. A bit of an Italophile, Erin returns to Italy frequently to brush up on her language skills.
Ovarian cancer came into sharp focus for Erin with the loss of her aunt to ovarian cancer in 2016. The unexpected nature of her Aunty Caz’s demise highlighted—in a profoundly personal way—that women deserve to live their lives without the fear of ovarian cancer.
Arbel Givargis
Marketing Director
Arbel is an experienced marketer and relationship manager. He holds tertiary qualifications in marketing and management, and brings a breadth of experience, having worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Arbel is passionate about developing deep and ongoing relationships with the OCRF’s key stakeholders, as well as building on the Foundation’s core campaigns to encourage even more donors to engage with and support the cause. Arbel is also actively involved in the community—where he sits on the board of xpandFoundation (a social enterprise), is a committee member at East Camberwell Tennis Club, and performs a volunteer role at Murrumbeena Primary School.
Arbel became acutely aware of ovarian cancer with the premature passing of a close friend’s mother from the disease in 2016. Arbel’s wife also lost her grandmother to ovarian cancer and an aunt is currently fighting the disease, making the cause even more personal.
Samantha Guttridge
Senior Philanthropy Manager
Sam’s previous experience working in Indigenous Health saw her working on many ‘close the gap’ initiatives with large corporate partners and the Australian Government. Sam’s most recent experience in disability saw her work to connect significant philanthropic partners to affect real change for those whom need it most. Having joined the OCRF team in May 2019, Sam is now dedicated to raising the aspirational funds needed to turn the dial on this silent disease and bring a sharper focus to ovarian cancer early detection amongst Australia’s philanthropic community. Like most of us, Sam’s immediate family has been touched by cancer and Sam currently has a family friend undertaking treatment for late stage Ovarian Cancer. If early detection was available the prognosis for Sam’s friend would be much brighter.
Erin Ritchie
Community Fundraising Coordinator
Erin is a currently studying a Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies / International Relations) at Deakin University. Originally a Frocker at heart, Erin joined the team in 2017 to support our community fundraisers. In the three years prior to joining the team, Erin participated in Frocktober, wearing a different frock each day in October – amounting to over 100 frocks! The ability to combine her obsession with sewing and her passion for finding an early detection test for such an insidious disease has made her a wonderful advocate for the cause.