Board and Team

Patron
Governor of Victoria
The Honourable Linda Dessau AC

Our Board

Mr Stephen Moulton
The Chair

Stephen became an owner and partner in Danaher Moulton in October 2019 after five years as a corporate advisory/M&A partner at Gadens.  Stephen was a corporate/M&A partner at Clayton Utz (2012 – 2014) and PwC Australia (2009-2012).  Stephen was Chairman of Partners for four years and Managing Partner for 10 years at Mills Oakley Lawyers during his 20 years with the firm.  Stephen is a corporate/commercial lawyer with over 30 years’ experience.  Stephen is currently a non-executive director of SugarbyHalf and formerly a director of the Carlton Football Club (2006-2012).  Stephen has been involved with the O’Brien Foundation for nearly 20 years.

Mr Campbell Walker

Campbell is the immediate past Chairman of the Foundation and past Chair of the O’Brien Institute. Campbell joined UMS in 1988 as Executive Director two years after its founding. Campbell has sales and marketing skills honed in the beer industry at Fosters and Lion Nathan, together with a broad understanding of the construction industry after working with the Podgor Group and Grollo. He is responsible for the company’s Business Development and Customer Relationship Management and is passionate about health and safety in the workplace. He is Chair of UMS which now has over 500 staff and operates from 20 locations across Australia and New Zealand. Campbell is actively involved with community-based activities and is Chair of the Melbourne Day Committee. He is a Director of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, an organisation working to eradicate road trauma, and a longstanding Director of Facilities Management Australia. He also manages his family’s interests in property investment partnerships at Evolve Developments.

Professor Mark Cook

Professor Cook is Professor and Director of Neurosciences at St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Prof. Cook is a neurologist specialising in the treatment of epilepsy and has formed a large research group with a broad range of interests across epilepsy, neuromuscular disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Apart from his responsibilities within the Hospital, Professor Cook is the Chair of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital at the University of Melbourne, Director of the Graeme Clark Institute, a Director of the O’Brien Institute and O’Brien Foundation, and Editor of Epilepsia and sits on several advisory boards.

Mrs Julie Leeming OAM DSJ

Julie was a member of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Board for 14 years. During this period, she was Honorary Convenor of a prestigious fundraising committee that raised in excess of $1M for the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Julie was previously a School Principal serving several schools in the UK and spent 12 years as Musical Director of an Amateur Operatic Society in Birmingham UK. She was awarded life membership for her work as Musical Director of Queensbridge Operatic Society in UK, and for her work as Honorary Secretary and Chair of the Lady Mayoress’ Committee. She received the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, Australia and became a Dame of the Order for her charity work in Melbourne. In 2019 Julie was awarded an Order of Australia. Julie founded and chairs the Hummingbird Ambassadors that have raised in excess of $1M for the Foundation.

Mr Alan Jane

Mr Alan Jane is a Founding Partner and Creative Director of Disegno, a creative brand development agency that offers a wide range of marketing, design and digital services. For over 35 years he has worked on iconic Australian and global brands including Vegemite, Rosella, and ALDI to name just a few. Alan’s role on the Board will be to assist with the marketing and fundraising of the O’Brien Foundation using his marketing, creative skills and knowledge derived from his involvement in other charity organisations such as the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Rotary International.

Ms Joanne Casey

Ms Joanne Casey has extensive experience in public relations and sponsorship. After a short period working in the media, she worked as a Consultant for 10 years at one of Australia’s largest public relations companies. For eight years she was the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for the Victorian Amateur Turf Club (now the Melbourne Racing Club) managing media relations and sponsorship. She sat on the Spring Racing Carnival Committee that successful grew the Carnival into a major tourism event.

Ms Casey moved to the Arts working in sponsorship at the Arts Centre Melbourne, public relations at the National Gallery of Victoria and developing engagement programs for the public library network at the State Library of Victoria. After several years working in local government she moved to the non-for-profit sector and is a Senior Advisor with Wendy Brooks & Partners.

Ms Efee Peell

Ms Efee Peell is the Founder and Managing Director of Optimal Effect Group, a consulting company partnering with ambitious businesses to challenge established thinking and drive transformation. She is also a Director of the O’Brien Foundation.

With over 20+ years engaged in financial and operational partnerships with businesses to develop and achieve sustainable advantage, Efee has strong CFO, strategic and commercial finance delivery experience. The breadth of her experience has been gained from a variety of industries across both local and international landscapes with exposure to the following markets: Health care with Australian Unity, Retail with Pacific Dunlop and Priceline, Apparel with Rodd & Gunn, Pharmaceutical with Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, Wholesale & Distribution with Hagemeyer, Sonepar and Lawrence & Hanson, Manufacturing with Dunlop Tyers, FirstAid with first-aid, medical & safety services along with Event Management, and numerous tech startups.

 
Mr Royce Pepin AM, MBE, GCSJ, Ph.C

Mr Pepin is the Managing Partner of Pepin’s Pharmacies. His international community interests and positions have included World President of Jaycees International (Junior Chamber of Commerce); Chairman of Board, Project Concern International (USA); Treasurer and Chairman of Finance, United Way International (USA); Advisory Board, Multilateral Middle East Initiative (USA); Board Member, Children’s Heartlink (USA).

National and local involvements included State (Zone) President and National Executive, Jaycees Australia; Chairman of the Board of The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund and the Greater Melbourne Foundation; Councillor, Philanthropy Australia; Board Member, United Way Australia; Victorian Chairman and National Vice-Chairman, Freedom From Hunger Campaign; President, Project Concern Australia; Board and Executive Member, Melbourne Moomba Festival; Co-founder and Board Member, Keep Australia Beautiful; Co-founder and Administrator, Footscray Historical Society; Board Member, Geelong Community Foundation; President of the Board of Directors, Parkinson’s Victoria Inc.; Vice-President Parkinson’s Australia and Grand Prior, Grand Priory of Australasia of The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller.

Currently, member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the PCI Emeritus Council of Project Concern International (PCI Global) based in San Diego, California, USA; Member of Rotary International; Member of Board of Directors of O’Brien Medical Research Institute Foundation.

Mr Pepin was recognised for his community service when in 1975 he was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE); in 1998 invested a Knight of Honour (KSJ), currently promoted to Bailiff- Emeritus Grand Cross of Justice of The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller (GCSJ); in 2000 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and in 2004 was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Our Team

 
Dr Ramin Shayan
Director O’Brien Institute Department

Dr Shayan is a Melbourne-trained Specialist Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon. He attended the University of Melbourne Medical School, before undertaking a PhD in cancer biology at the Ludwig Institute and Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne. He obtained a fellowship in Plastic Surgery at the Royal Australasian College of Surgery in 2012, and since 2013 has co-headed the Lymphatic and Regenerative Medicine research group at the O’Brien Institute Department, St Vincent’s Institute for Medical Research. Ramin has over 45 academic publications, including book chapters and papers in the journals Nature, Cancer Cell and Nature Reviews. He is an editor of five international academic journals and is interested in all areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has a particular interest in microsurgical treatment for lymphoedema. Ramin is a member of the Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery Team at St Vincent’s Hospital, and holds public hospital appointments at the Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospitals. He is an editor of five seven international academic journals and is interested in all areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has an interest in microsurgery, particularly in the microsurgical treatment of lymphoedema; the management of adipose tissue related disorders (such as lipoedema) and in vascular malformations. Ramin is a member of the Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery Team at St Vincent’s Hospital, and Victorian Melanoma Unit, and holds public hospital appointments at the Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospitals. Ramin lobbied the State Government for funding for establishment of the St Vincent’s Lymphoedema Service, to which Ramin is the consulting plastic surgeon. Ramin has worked as a consultant to in the biotechnology sector in Australia and the US. He has served as the Victorian representative for plastic surgery to the board of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and as convener of the Plastic Surgery Section of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Annual Scientific Congress.