headspace Board

Wendy McCarthy AO (Chair)

Wendy McCarthy began her career as a secondary school teacher and remains passionate about the power of education. For four decades she has been a teacher, educator and change agent in Australian public life. Her national consulting business, McCarthy Mentoring specialises in providing mentors to major corporations, the public sector, and not-for-profit Organisations.

In addition to headspace, Wendy Chairs Circus Oz, McGrath Estate Agents, and Pacific Friends of the Global Fund. In 2009, she retired from her role as Vice Chair of Plan International. She has held many significant leadership roles in leading national bodies, including 8 years as deputy Chair of the Australian broadcasting Corporation.

In 1989, Wendy was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for outstanding contributions to community affairs, women's affairs, and the Bicentennial celebrations. In 2003, she was awarded a Centenary of Federation medal for business leadership and in 2005 she was nominated by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of Australia's Top 100 Public Intellectuals.

She is the author of seven books.

Barbara Hingston

Barbara Hingston has held senior executive and corporate management roles in government and the community sectors. These have included as Executive Director for Mercy Health Care Australia, a national collaboration between Congregations of the Sisters of Mercy owning extensive health and aged care assets throughout Australia, and within the Commonwealth public service, as Deputy Executive Director of the Australian Heritage Commission. Her most recent role has been as Senior Clinician and Direct Service Coordinator for CASA House, a counselling and public advocacy service against sexual assault, in Melbourne.

Barbara has extensive corporate governance experience of diverse public and community health and welfare services.   This has included  Directorships of Boards of public and community health and welfare agencies in eastern Australia.  She is a Board Director of the Austin Health Service, Heidelberg Victoria, also Chairing its Community Advisory Committee and was a Director of Mackillop Family Services, Victoria between 2003-2006.  She has also been a Board Director of Marymead Child and Family Services ACT, a Member of the Public Housing Review Tribunal in the ACT and a Member of the Dental Board of Queensland.

Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM

Professor Littlefield has extensive experience in teaching, clinical practice and research, in child and family psychology, and she established the first professional doctorate in clinical child, adolescent and family psychology in Australia. Professor Littlefield was previously the Head of the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University, and is currently a Professor at La Trobe. Before joining the APS, she was the Inaugural Director of the Victorian Parenting Centre. She was conferred a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to the welfare of children and families. Professor Littlefield is currently Executive Director of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

Ian Marshman

Ian Marshman was appointed Senior Vice-Principal at the University of Melbourne in March 1999.  In this role he is accountable to the Vice-Chancellor and Council for the overall management and administration of the University.  Ian Marshman has specific responsibilities for planning and resourcing an institution with some 7000 staff and an annual budget of $1.4 billion He has particular responsibilities for student recruitment, facilities planning, audit, compliance and external reporting accountabilities.

Ian Marshman's career began as a career Administrator in the Australian Public Service in Canberra in 1973.  He has held senior positions in health at Commonwealth and State Government levels. Ian Marshman is currently Chair of the Management Committee for Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre. He is an auditor for Australian Universities Quality Agency.  Ian Marshman is the Chair of the Universitas 21 Managers Group and a Director of the on-line business school, Universitas 21 Global.  He is also a Director of a number of University boards.  Ian Marshman has a BA (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and an LLB from Australia National University.

Peter Mason AM

Peter Mason is Chairman of AMP Limited, Senior Adviser to UBS Investment Bank and a Non-Executive Director of David Jones Ltd and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel).

Peter has 40 years' experience in investment banking.  He was Chairman of JP Morgan Chase Bank in Australia from 2000 to 2005 and Executive Chairman of their associate, Ord Minnett Group.  Prior to that he was Chairman and Chief Executive of Schroders Australia Limited and Group Managing Director of Schroders' investment banking businesses in the Asia Pacific region.  Peter was a member of the Council of the University of New South Wales for 13 years.  For 12 years he was a director of the Children's Hospital in Sydney and Chairman of the Children's Hospital Fund for eight years.  Peter was appointed a member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the Children's Hospital.  He is a former chairman or director of a number of Australian public companies as well as educational and charitable institutions

Peter is a Director of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation; Chairman of the UBS Australia Foundation, and Chairman of the Dean's Circle of the University of New South Wales' Faculty of Medicine.  He is also an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.

Professor Patrick McGorry AO

Patrick D. McGorry, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRANZCP, is Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and Director of Orygen Youth Health and Orygen Youth Health Research Centre in Victoria, Australia. Prof McGorry received his medical degree from the University of Melbourne and his doctorate from Monash University in Victoria, Australia. He is a world-leading researcher in the area of early psychosis and youth mental health. Prof McGorry's work has played an integral role in the development of safe, effective treatments and innovative research involving the needs of young people with emerging mental disorders, notably psychotic and severe mood disorders. Orygen Youth Health's early psychosis service, known as EPPIC, was founded by Prof McGorry in 1992, and has been hugely influential internationally.

Prof. McGorry has published over 300 papers and book chapters and has edited 5 books.  He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Australian Government Centenary Medal in 2003 and the Founders' Medal of the Australian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2001. Prof McGorry serves as Editor-in-Chief of Early Intervention in Psychiatry and is Treasurer of the International Early Psychosis Association. More recently he has been invited to attend the US/Canada Policy think tank on youth mental health. He has also played a major role in mental health reform in Australia as a main adviser to the Because mental health matters: Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009-19.

John McGrath AM

Mr McGrath has served as a board member of beyondblue, the national depression initiative since its inception in 2000. He has previous experience in politics, serving as the National Party member for Warrnambool from 1985 until his voluntary retirement in 1999. Mr McGrath brings a strong family carer focus to his involvement in mental health, instigated by the personal experience of having had two sons who suffered from mental illness.

Sheree Vertigan

Prior to taking up the position of President of ASPA in 2010, Sheree Vertigan (BA, MEd, MACE) was the Principal of Reece High School for nine years.

Sheree has worked in a variety of position within education, commencing her career as an English teacher prior to taking up a position as a consultant and then returned to senior positions within schools and the Department of Education.

Throughout her career Sheree has lead, and worked with committees and references groups at regional, state, national and international levels. She has been a keynote presenter at a number of conferences and forums in: leadership, professional learning provision, curriculum development; inclusive practice including developing supportive school environments; innovative practices in ICT and school transformation.

Sheree currently holds a number of other positions including:

• Vice president (secondary), Tasmanian principal Association
• Director, Principals Australia Board
• Member, National Leadership learning Network
• Member, writing team, Principal Standards Project
• Director Asia Education Foundation (AEF)
• Director Headspace Board (National Youth Mental Health Foundation)
• Director Australian National Council for Drugs (ANCD)

Sheree has gained recognition for her outstanding leadership in a number of contexts including Australian Council for Educational Leadership, Stanford Who's Who, Whose Who of Australian Women, Finalist in the Telstra Business Women of the Year (2001), Tasmania Department of Education Learning Together Award for transformation of secondary education, James D McConnell and Design Share Award for Innovative learning Environments, Hardie Fellowship and AEF leading 21st century schools.

Dr Rob Walters

Dr Rob Walters is a practicing GP in Hobart. For the 3 years between Nov 2002 and Nov 2005, Rob was the Chair of the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP now AGPN), the national organisation that represents 117 local Divisions of General Practice.  He is also a medico-legal adviser for the Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) in Tasmania and regularly presents to medical practitioners nationally, on matters related to Medical Indemnity and Medicine and the law.

He has and continues to serve on a number of boards and councils representing General Practice including the Beyondblue Clinical Reference Council and the National Advisory Council on Mental Health. He is a National Men's Health Ambassador. He also has an interest in Occupational Medicine and is the Medical Director on the Tasmanian Work Cover Board and is a past Chair of the Cancer Council of Tasmania and remains active on their Board. Rob holds the rank of Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve and is Consultant to the Surgeon General of the Australian Defence Force on General Practice for the Army, Navy and Air Force. In 2002 he served overseas in East Timor with the UN Forces.  He has had a number of regular media commitments including a weekly national radio program with Charles Wooley on the Macquarie Network and appearances fortnightly on the Nine Network's "Mornings" television program.