Richard Leder OAM – Chair

BEc LLB (Hons)

Richard Leder OAM is the Head of Commercial Litigation at the law firm Wotton Kearney. He specialises in commercial litigation and media law. He represents a range of media institutions including Channel 7 Melbourne and the actress Rebel Wilson. He also advises the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and represents corporate and professional organisations and community welfare groups.

Richard was appointed Chair of the RCH Foundation in October 2022, having previously held the position of Deputy Chair since 2003. He serves on the Executive and Finance, Investment, Remuneration and Grants Committees of the Board. He also sits on the RCH1000 committee.

Richard was the Deputy Chair of the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board from 2018–2022 and serves on the boards of Australian Friends of Asha and The Conversation Media Group.  He also served on the Melbourne Press Club board for over 25 years.

In June 2019 he was awarded a Medal of the Order (OAM) of Australia for his contribution to the community, recognising in particular his long contribution to the RCH Foundation.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 1998 and Chair since 2022.

Dr Gillian Sparkes AM – Deputy Chair

PhD MBA FAICD FIPAA MRACI

Dr Gillian Sparkes AM has a distinguished career that spans the private, public and not for profit sectors having worked three decades in industries that interface with the environment and community, before senior public service. Gillian held senior roles with both the Australian and Victorian Governments including Deputy Secretary Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, Chair Sustainability Victoria and held the role of Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability – an independent statutory role that reports and advises government and the community on the environment – for a decade, before stepping down in June 2024. Gillian is currently the ministerial appointed member of the Monash University Council, Chair of FrontierSI (formerly the CRC for Spatial Information), a board member of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Parks Victoria, NT EPA and a Trustee of the Royal Society of Victoria.

Gillian holds a PhD in Applied Science, a Master of Business Administration, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a National and Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, has an Honorary Doctor of Science from Swinburne University of Technology and is an Honorary Fellow of Monash University. Gillian was recognised as one of the Top 50 Victorian Public Sector Women in 2020 and appointed as a Member of the Order (AM) in the General Division of the Queen’s Birthday 2021 Honours for significant services to environmental sustainability, and to public administration.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2015 and Deputy Chair since 2022.

Professor James Angus AO

Professor James Angus AO is an Emeritus Professor and Honorary Professorial Fellow in the Doherty Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS), University of Melbourne.

In July 2013 he completed a 10 year term as Dean of the Faculty of MDHS at the University of Melbourne. Before becoming Dean, he was Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of MDHS. At the University of Melbourne, James has been President of the Academic Board (2000-2001), Pro Vice-Chancellor (1999-2001) and member of University Council (1999-2001).

James was awarded the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science (1984), is a Fellow of the Academy (FAA) and has been a member of its Council. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

In 2003 he was awarded Australia’s Centenary Medal for contribution to Pharmacology and the Community. James was a First Vice-President of the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) and was President of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists. From 2009-2011 he was President of Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand.

His current roles include Lieutenant Governor of Victoria from November 2021; Director, Jack Brockhoff Foundation; Director, RCH Foundation; Chair, Campus Council at RCH; member, Melbourne University Publishing Advisory Board and Chair, Governance Board Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2010 for distinguished service to biomedical research, particularly in the fields of pharmacology and cardiovascular disease, as a leading academic and medical educator, and as a contributor to a range of advisory boards and professional organisations both nationally and internationally.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2020.

Peter Blunden AM

Peter Blunden AM is the Executive Editor of News Corp Australia. In a career spanning more than 48 years with the company, Peter has held senior editorial positions with several of Australia’s biggest newspapers, including The Australian, the Herald Sun and the Adelaide Advertiser. Peter has served as editor, editor in chief and managing director of the Herald and Weekly Times in Melbourne, which has been his home for the past 30 years.

Peter was Victorian Managing Director for eight years with responsibility for all News Corp print and digital mastheads in Victoria including the Herald Sun, Sunday Herald Sun, the Weekly Times, Leader Community Newspapers and the Geelong Advertiser Group, before which he served five years as managing director of the Herald and Weekly Times and eleven years as editor and editor in chief of the Herald Sun.

Peter edited the Adelaide Advertiser for more than five years, held various senior positions with The Australian, and was founding editor of The Australian’s colour magazine in 1988. His career with News Corp Australia has taken him from Sydney to Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne. Peter was inducted into the Victorian Media Hall of Fame in 2014 and was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to the media industry in 2001. He was awarded an Order of Australia in 2024 and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Melbourne Press Club in 2025.

Peter is Chairman of the Board of the Post Courier in Papua New Guinea, a Director of the Herald and Weekly Times, the RCH Foundation, the Good Friday Appeal, and a committee member of the Moonee Valley Racing Club.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2012.

Wendy Norris

Wendy Norris is a senior investment leader and company director with over 25 years’ experience across sovereign wealth, private markets, and operational leadership.

Most recently, Wendy served as Chief Executive Officer of OneFortyOne, a A$3 billion trans-Tasman forestry business with over 500 employees, where she led executive renewal, cultural reset, and strategic transformation.

Previously, Wendy spent 13 years at the Future Fund, Australia’s A$250 billion sovereign wealth fund. She was Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Private Markets, overseeing a A$60 billion portfolio across infrastructure, timberland, private equity, venture and property, and later served as Deputy CIO, Change & Innovation, chairing the Investment Committee and shaping the Fund’s long-term strategy.

Wendy holds an Applied Science degree from the University of New South Wales, a Graduate Management Certificate from the Australian Graduate School of Management, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.

She is currently an advisor to the Rest Superannuation Board Investment Committee.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2022.

Andrew Anderson

MAICD

Andrew Anderson is the Director of Broadcast Operations at the Seven Network. He began his career at Channel 7 in Melbourne in 1978. Andrew has worked on Seven’s biggest telecasts as a technician, operator, manager, and television executive including the Olympic Games, AFL, Supercars, Horse Racing, the Australian Open Tennis, Seven News and Sunrise.

Andrew, began as an electronics technician, and moved through various operational areas. He became Seven Melbourne’s first programming and presentation manager in 1987 which was part of the transformation of the Seven Network from a series of local stations to a network-based operation. In 1992, Andrew became the Seven Network Presentation Manager and led the transition to full automation introducing operational efficiencies in 1994 across Australia.

Andrew returned to Melbourne 2000 to helm the design and implementation of the Melbourne Broadcast Centre which transitioned the Seven Network to digital and centralised all channel playout to Melbourne, a first for Australian commercial television. He led many other projects including the relocation of the network operations to Eveleigh and more recently the relocation of Seven Melbourne to a new facility in Collins St Melbourne.

Andrew is a current Director of NPC Media PTY LTD, a JV with the Nine Network and he has completed his AICD training and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2023.

Sameer Kumar

BBus FCA

Sammy Kumar is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tenet Advisory and Investments. He has over 35 years’ experience across strategy, deals, digital, financial effectiveness, and operations. Sammy served on the Board of the RCH from July 2012 to July 2015 and was reappointed in July 2018. Sammy has been a RCH Foundation Board Director since 2015. He is a committed member of the broader community with additional Board appointments at Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust and Centre for Australia-India Relations (DFAT’s – CAIR).

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2015.

Felicity Green

Felicity is the Co-founder and Director of for-purpose strategy firm, Ensemble Strategy. She has dedicated her career to helping bold leaders create strategies for a better world. Springboarding from corporate management consulting at Grant Thornton Australia, Felicity was an early entrant to the for-purpose advisory market, helping to launch Spark Strategy. She has spent the last decade advising clients across the not for profit, government and philanthropy sectors, running social impact consulting teams from the helm as Chief Executive Officer.

With an MBA from Peking University, multiple not for profit board positions and recognition in the Telstra Business Woman of the Year Awards, she has a proven track record of innovative strategic thinking that drives tangible impact. With particularly deep experience in gender equity, women’s health and philanthropy, Felicity is known for her ability to craft crisp strategic narratives and facilitate powerful partnerships.

An avid public speaker, she’s also made guest appearances on leading podcasts and is widely published.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2023.

Tiffany Lucas

Tiffany has a background in law and not-for-profit management. She is a Partner at CIE Legal practicing corporate and commercial law with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions.

Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and English (Summa cum laude), a Juris Doctor in Law (Magna cum laude) and a Masters of Bioethics from Monash University. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was a participant in the Victorian Government’s Women’s Board Leadership Program.

Tiffany is the current President of the RCH Auxiliaries. She also holds several other philanthropic leadership roles including Chair of Arts Project Australia (APA) and Director of the APA Foundation.

She previously served on the Development Board of the RCH’s Children’s Bioethics Centre, the RCH Clinical Ethics Committee, as a Director and Secretary of Dancehouse Inc, as a Director of the Northern Rivers Performing Arts Centre (NORPA), as a Director and Head of Legal at TEDxMelbourne, and was President of the American Women’s Association.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2022.

Chris Pidcock

Chris Pidcock has over 30 years’ experience in equity markets and superannuation funds.

He is currently a Consultant to Australian Super on Private Equity Investments and his previous roles have included Director, Australian Equities at Super Investment Management (SIM), the wholly owned in-house asset manager for the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust (REST), Equity Strategist at Goldman Sachs and Head of International Research at JBWere in New York.

Chris also sits on a number of Investment Committees at not-for-profit organisations, as well as being the Chair of the Province Finance Advisory Committee for the Loreto Sisters in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical, Honors), Graduate Diploma in Accounting, Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, and is a Fellow of FINSIA.

RCH Foundation Board Director since 2024.

Dr Catherine Olweny  

Dr Catherine Olweny is a Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist the RCH, where she has worked since 2009. She has special interest in the prevention and management of procedural anxiety and distress and the prevention of medical trauma. She advocates for Trauma Informed Systems for healthcare delivery, a trauma informed approach to clinical education and for wellness-centred approach to leadership in healthcare. 

Dr Olweny is a Board Director of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) and is chair of the RACMA Finance and Audit Committee. She is an executive member of Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia (SPANZA). As Chair of the SPANZA Guidelines and Statements Committee, she supports the provision of safe, equitable and high-quality perioperative care for children.  

Dr Olweny studied medicine at Flinders University of South Australia, part of the first cohort of graduate medical students in Australia. She was awarded Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) in 2009 and Associate Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) in 2023. She has a Master of Arts in French Studies from the University of New England, a Master of Counselling from Monash University and is trained in Clinical Hypnosis and Therapeutic Child Play. She practices as a registered counsellor, providing therapy to paediatric patients. She also provides supportive counselling to senior medical staff, international medical graduates, doctors in training and medical students. 

RCH Foundation Board Director since December 2024. ​

John Stanway  

John Stanway is currently the President of Children’s Healthcare Australasia and Independent Chair of the South West Alliance Rural Health (SWARH).

John was the Chief Executive Officer at the RCH from April 2017 until his retirement in July 2021. Prior to commencing in this role, John was the Chief Operating Officer at The RCH for more than ten years, overseeing clinical operations. From 2012, John also held the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the RCH, John managed Monash Medical Centre, was Chief Executive of the Transport Accident Commission and held various senior management roles at General Motors Holden.

John has a double major in Economics and a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. John was also President of the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association and Chairman for 10 years. John is a former Board Director of the RCH Foundation, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Ltd, and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

RCH Foundation Board Director since December 2024.

Nadia Carlin

GAICD

Nadia Carlin has over 35 years of experience in audit, risk, governance, and finance.

Nadia was a senior audit partner at PwC with experience across the public, commercial and not-for-profit sectors, spanning a wide range of industries including retail and consumer, health and medical research, mining services, technology and education.

Her leadership roles at PwC include serving as a member of both the firm’s Governance and Executive Boards, as well as leading the firm’s Assurance and Audit Transformation program. She was also the firm’s COVID Recovery leader. Nadia is a Council Member at the University of Melbourne, holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

RCH Foundation Board Director since October 2025.

Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO

MBBS, MBA, MD, FRACP, FRACMA, FAICD. FAHMS, DMedSci (Hon), FCHSM (Hon)

Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO is a highly renowned leader with a track-record of shaping and strengthening health services in Victoria with deep experience across clinical, academic medicine and hospital administration. 

Previously, Professor Kilpatrick was CEO of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (2017–2023), and CEO of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) (2008–2017). In her clinical career, Professor Kilpatrick trained in neurology, specialising in epilepsy, working in both public and private practice. She continues to work actively across the health sector serving on several boards, including Chair of Healthdirect Australia and Chair of The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and Board Director of Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) and Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN). Professor Kilpatrick was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019. 

RCH Foundation Board Director since October 2025. 

Dr Peter Steer

MBBS, FRACP (Paediatrics), FRCPC (Paediatrics), FAAP, GAICD

Dr Peter Steer is the Chief Executive Officer at the RCH, a position he was appointed to in March 2025. Peter is a paediatrician with a strong focus on research and brings more than three decades of Australian and international health leadership experience to his role at the RCH.

Previously Peter served as CEO of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, President of McMaster Children’s Hospital in Canada, and as CEO of Children’s Health Queensland. Most recently, Peter was the Group Chief Executive of Mater Misericordiae Ltd in Brisbane.

Peter’s extensive experience as a paediatrician with subspeciality training in neonatology is supported by significant research activity. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, he is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Paediatrics) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

RCH Foundation Board Director since July 2025.

Ryan Brown – Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary
The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation

Ryan Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of the RCH Foundation, a position he was appointed to in 2024. Ryan joined the organisation in 2017 and in this time has held senior leadership positions including as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and the Director of Fundraising. He has played a key role in leading strategic philanthropic growth, building strong connections both across campus and with our donor community.

Ryan has over 20 years leadership experience and has spent the past 14 years in the public health sector. He currently holds non-executive board positions with Omeo District Health, Gippsland Primary Health Network and Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.