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Media Release: New cultural, community and clinical expertise on board at WHV

New, expert voices have joined Women’s Health Victoria (WHV) enhancing the governance of Victoria’s statewide leader advocating for equity in health. 

 

Published 9 July 2025

Board Chair, Ms Sandy Forbes, said she was thrilled to announce the three year appointments of Ms Deborah Walsh JP, Ms Assunta Morrone, and Professor Euan Wallace AM to the Board, and Ms Lisa Lynch to the Finance and Risk Subcommittee. 

“For more than 30 years, WHV has been working to ensure the health system is equitable, and with the expertise that Assunta, Euan and Deb bring to the board we will have an even broader and deeper level of experience and skills to bring to the task,” Ms Forbes said. 

On the announcement of her appointment, proud Gunggari woman Ms Deb Walsh JP, who has extended family from the Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta nations, said she was looking forward to bringing deep cultural knowledge in community partnerships and service delivery. 

“This is an extension of my role as an Indigenous woman that will enable me to share information with other Indigenous women and families. We will bring their voices into a space where we can better understand what is needed in a culturally appropriate way,” Ms Walsh said. 

Ms Assunta Morrone said she is bringing to the board more than 15 years of experience in the acute health sector with a focus on service innovation, stakeholder engagement and working closely with multicultural communities. 

“I’m excited to join the WHV board because it’s an opportunity to contribute to an organisation whose values and advocacy deeply align with my own commitment to gender equity and improving outcomes for women,” Ms Morrone said. 

Professor Euan Wallace AM said the opportunity to apply his clinical expertise, passion for women’s health and extensive knowledge of the health system would bring a new perspective to the decision-making table. 

“Women’s health has been the focus of my professional life. To have the opportunity now to contribute to WHV and to driving equity for women’s health is such a privilege,” Professor Wallace said. 

Bringing her health and sector expertise as an executive leader at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Ms Lisa Lynch said she is passionate about ensuring the health system focuses on the social determinants of health, to redress the disadvantage that affects women’s access to high quality health care. 

“Joining WHV is a deeply meaningful step for me. It is about being part of an organisation that not only supports women today but also champions for a healthier, more equitable future for generations of women to come. I am keen to collaborate with the team to continue to drive meaningful change in this crucial area,” Ms Lynch said.  

Women’s Health Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation working with government, the health sector and the community to create better health outcomes for women (cis and trans inclusive) and gender diverse people. 

The board and subcommittees comprise a group of dedicated voluntary members who bring a wide range of commercial, not-for-profit, and business skills, expertise, and knowledge to Women’s Health Victoria. 

To view the new Board members profiles, visit Our leadership page.

Joining our Board: 

Ms Deborah Walsh JP (she/her) 

Deb is a passionate advocate for access and equity, working alongside Indigenous communities to advance social justice. Her work brings deep cultural knowledge into the organisation’s research and advocacy for better health policy and services. 

Deb lives in regional Victoria. 

Ms Assunta Morrone (she/her) 

Assunta brings more than 15 years of experience in the acute health sector, with a strong focus on quality care and family violence response. She is currently the National Family Violence and Recovery Specialist at Good Shepherd, where she leads service innovation and stakeholder engagement. 

Professor Euan Wallace AM (he/him) 

Euan is a highly respected clinician, academic, and public health leader with nearly four decades of experience. He previously led Monash Women’s and Newborn Services, served as Chief Executive of Safer Care Victoria, and most recently was Secretary of the Victorian Department of Health. 

Joining our Finance and Risk Subcommittee: 

Ms Lisa Lynch (she/her) 

Lisa is the Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Women’s Hospital, with extensive experience in clinical care, research, and executive leadership. Her career has been dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes for women and families, especially through a lens of equity and social justice. 

Citation:

New, expert voices have joined Women’s Health Victoria (WHV) enhancing the governance of Victoria’s statewide leader advocating for equity in health. 

Acknowledgement of Country

Women’s Health Victoria acknowledges and pays our respects to the Traditional Owners of the land that our offices are situated on, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.

As a statewide organisation, we also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and water across Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders past and present.

Read more about our Reconciliation Action Plan

Our Commitment to Gender Diversity and Inclusion

Women’s Health Victoria’s focus is women (cis and trans inclusive) and gender-diverse people. We address feminist health issues and are committed to supporting all people impacted by gender inequity who can benefit from our work. As a proud intersectional feminist organisation, Women’s Health Victoria is working towards meaningful inclusivity, guided by and supporting people who identify as women, trans, intersex and gender diverse.

Read about our commitment