Our leadership 

Sandy is an experienced non- Executive Director spanning health, education and child, youth and family services. She is an experienced community services consultant, specialising in strategy and stakeholder engagement and works extensively with government and not for profit sectors. Sandy has a long-standing commitment to feminist values, social justice, and inclusion in our community.

Ashlea is the Director of Partnerships and Enterprise at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where she leads high-impact projects, fosters strategic collaborations, and develops commercial ventures to improve cancer outcomes. Before joining Peter Mac, Ashlea advised leading Australian life-science organisations and led advocacy campaigns that secured over $60 million in investment. She has also worked in the Victorian Government as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Trade and Investment, and as an Adviser to the Hon. Fiona Richardson MP during her tenure as Minister for Women and Australia’s first Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence.

Lesley Ber is a highly experienced finance and risk professional, specialising in the not-for-profit sector. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant with an MBA and diplomas in international tax and governance. Lesley has a background in domestic and international structured finance, general banking and treasury bank auditing. She has also served as a tax examiner and university Accounting lecturer. Currently, Lesley is the Treasurer and Chair of Finance of the National Council of Jewish Women Victoria and a finance committee member for the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health. Her dedication to empowering women and promoting gender equality is a driving force in her work.

Brigid Mahar has extensive experience working with not-for-profit organisations in relation to strategy and operations, specialising in the development of transparent and efficient funding models, policies and processes to support effective decision making.  She is a chartered accountant and has a strong financial background spanning the not-for-profit and corporate sectors.

Julie Bignell is an experienced Board member with extensive experience in corporate governance, risk management, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, industrial relations, and possesses a deep understanding and commitment to women’s reproductive rights and gender equality. She is currently a Director of Austin Health. Julie’s previous experience as a board member includes CareSuper, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation. Julie was previously Secretary of the Australian Services Union (Central and South Qld Branch), incorporating a term as National Vice-President.

Sharon Olivier is a values-based and outcomes-focused professional with experience in the health and education sectors. Her skills extend across strategy, governance, policy, and operations, and she currently holds the role of Company Secretary at Austin Health. Previously, Sharon held Executive Officer roles at two Victorian public health services and was Executive Director at a Victorian TAFE. She well understands the complexities of large organisations and the machinery of government, having worked in various senior roles at the Victorian Department of Health.  Sharon is passionate about supporting women to lead empowered lives.

Stacey is an economist by training, and Director of One Red Step, a social equity consulting practice. One Red Step works with clients to address issues such as gender inequality, family violence, homelessness, disability, disadvantage and marginalisation. Stacey is an experienced management consultant with over 17 years’ experience in private, public and community sectors. Prior to founding One Red Step, Stacey was a Director in management consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers focusing on social policy and was their national staff lead for cultural diversity and inclusion for three years. Stacey is also on the Board of Melbourne City Mission and is a Fellow with the Women’s Leadership Institute of Australia. She is undertaking a Master of Social Science with RMIT University. 

Sally brings over 15 years’ leadership experience in gender equality and health organisations as an executive, non-executive director and volunteer. Most recently, Sally was a Director in the Office for Women in the Victorian Government.

She has also held leadership roles with the Commonwealth Government, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and The Women’s Foundation Hong Kong. Sally has implemented major government programs and strategies, facilitated multi-sector partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and led philanthropic and business development strategies.

Sally brings expertise in gender and health policy, strategy, inclusion and intersectionality, stakeholder partnerships and business development.

In her role as CEO, Sally is a member of the Victorian Government Women’s Health Advisory Council, the Victorian Cancer Advisory Committee and the Mental Health Ministerial Advisory Committee.

She has been an active volunteer with St John Ambulance since a young age and is currently a non-executive director of Lifeline Direct.

Judith joined WHV in 2023 and oversees the corporate services areas as well as acting as Board Secretary. Judith brings extensive executive experience in the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors both in Australia and overseas. She is passionate about bringing business solutions to the not-for-profit sector especially those which improve outcomes for women, girls and other marginalised groups.

Sianan leads Women’s Health Victoria’s research, evaluation and capacity building programs across our priority areas of mental health, sexual and reproductive health and cancer. She has over 10 years’ experience in research and research translation, policy and advocacy in the academic and not-for-profit sectors. Sianan is committed to collaborating with government, the health sector and communities to build the evidence base and develop capability, to improve the health and wellbeing of women and trans and gender diverse people.

Cindy joined Women’s Health Victoria in 2022 and oversees our Counterpart service. She has over 18 years of experience delivering programs and services in the not-for-profit health sector, including advocacy, psychosocial and financial support, peer support and information services. Cindy is committed to delivering effective services and programs in the health and community services sector to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Carolyn joined Women’s Health Victoria in 2018 during the establishment of the 1800 My Options service and brings over 15 years of health promotion and service delivery experience, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. Carolyn is committed to access and equity in health services and reducing stigma in the health system, and to centering the experiences of all women in health system development, delivery and evaluation.

Jo leads Government and Sector Engagement at Women’s Health Victoria. She brings over eight years of experience in policy and advisory roles in the Victorian Government, both as a public servant and ministerial adviser. She has implemented significant policy reforms, including the Gender Equality Act 2020 and the establishment of Australia’s first Gender Equality Commission. She also led the coordination of whole-of-government family violence and sexual assault reforms. 

Her expertise includes stakeholder engagement, politics, program delivery, and advocacy. Jo is passionate about empowering communities and driving sustainable systems change to improve social and health outcomes.