Our team & governance

CEO, Bronwen Edwards founded Roses in the Ocean in 2011 following the suicide of her brother Mark a few years earlier. A fierce advocate for the development of lived experience designed and led, non-clinical alternatives to care, Bronwen is passionate about empowering others with a lived experience of suicide to contribute their unique insights to its prevention. She strives to keep her feet in the grassroots, her head in the strategic influencing space, and her heart very much on her sleeve.

Bronwen is a personal trainer in the wee hours of some mornings, just for fun, and loves escaping to her favourite beach and travelling to interesting places.

Listen to Bronwen’s story on our Roses Radio series.

Katherine Poulton, our General Manager Operations & Quality, joined Roses in the Ocean in January 2018 after a career in education administration and working with young people with learning, physical and socio-emotional needs.

Katherine’s focus on reducing the stigma around suicide and talking openly and often about suicide prevention stems from her own lived experience of suicide and her determination to advocate for positive change in the suicide prevention sector. Her passion lies in the implementation of self-sustainable suicide prevention initiatives in communities.

Katherine believes one of the most important parts of her role within the organisation is to develop tools and communications opportunities to foster a supportive culture for the Roses in the Ocean team who all have a lived experience of suicide.

Outside the office, Katherine is busy with family, practicing yoga and continuous learning through her love of reading and studying. Her commitment to helping others is what drives all that she does.

Stephen Scott is our General Manager – Strategy & Policy. Stephen worked at the New South Wales Ministry of Health where he established the Towards Zero Suicides initiatives, Australia’s first comprehensive suicide prevention system. He also worked at StandBy Support After Suicide where he implemented StandBy’s expansion to national coverage of its services.

His professional background includes policy, strategic planning, health promotion, community development, communications and journalism. He spent many years studying for his qualifications in sociology, anthropology, political economy and public administration. He believes passionately that people with lived experience of suicide are crucial to combating stigma and making prevention more effective.

In his spare time, he likes bush regeneration, native gardening, the beach, and spending time with his husband and chihuahua at their home in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Kerrie Mattiske is the General Manager – Finance at Roses in the Ocean, having previously worked in similar roles in the Not-for-Profit and Philanthropic sectors. Kerrie also has experience in taxation and corporate advisory and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Kerrie has been involved in executive or board roles in the Not-for-Profit sector for almost 20 years, and enjoys working with teams of passionate, caring and committed professionals. When not in the office, Kerrie keeps busy by supporting her two children in their chosen sports (water polo, netball and soccer) as well as catching up on reading, enjoying the outdoors, camping and holidaying with her family.

Amy Bertakis is the General Manager – Service Delivery at Roses in the Ocean. She brings working experience in the provision of direct support, project management, service implementation and leadership in the mental health, disability, human services and suicide prevention fields. Amy looks to draw on her experience overseeing programs for organisations such as Wellways, Beyond Blue, Lifeline and most recently leading the implementation of the NSW Towards Zero Suicides postvention initiative at StandBy Support After Suicide.

A values-based leader with tertiary qualifications in Counselling and (soon-to be) Social Work, Amy aligns her learnings from her studies as well as her working and lived experience, to advocate for and contribute to respectful, inclusive and diverse workplaces and communities.

As a proud Wiradjuri woman, Amy is grateful to live and to work on Dharawal country – between the mountains and the sea. In her spare time, she enjoys a good book, socialising over food, pottering in the veggie patch and spending time with her large family.

An impassioned advocate for Suicide Prevention, Nichola Parry is dedicated to amplifying and integrating the voices of lived experience of suicide nationally, through effective and sustainable community engagement.

Nichola brings a diverse skillset gained whilst working in the corporate sector to her role as Head of LE Engagement and Integration, including over 25 years of people, project and event management experience.

In her spare time, Nichola enjoys various fitness activities, spending time with her loved ones and chilling with her pet pug.

Michelle Dickson is a learning professional with more than 25 years corporate and executive leadership experience. Michelle stepped out of a successful corporate career path into the world of mental health and wellbeing, seeking alignment with her values and to follow her passion for increasing awareness of mental health challenges.

Joining the Roses in the Ocean team as Head of Workforce Development, Michelle has a unique set of experiences to draw upon including experience in frontline Suicide Prevention with NSW Health, participation in service co-design, lived experience advisory groups, more than 20 years of experience leading the design and delivery of training solutions, being a passionate lived experience advocate and self-care blog writer.

Outside of work Michelle loves socialising with friends and family or spending time with her two fur babies – Chinese Crested Hairless dogs named Armani and Calvin. Michelle also enjoys painting, making jewellery and to always be learning something new.

Tony is our Head of Community-Led Safe Spaces.

He comes from a lengthy career in the tourism industry with several years of experience in executive leadership roles and experience within local government, the military, and the teaching sphere.

After Tony’s lived experiences of suicide, he developed a men’s community fitness group for blokes who had similar or shared experiences. The group has been meeting twice a week since 2019 and includes blokes from 13 years old to 70 years old. He actively seeks people in his community to join the group and provides continued support to them. He also enjoys mentoring and supporting blokes through one-on-one projects.

Tony is driven to work towards suicide prevention and the general care and well-being of all members of his community. He enjoys cooking and keeping fit, but his happy place is either in the shed working with wood or sitting down with a sketchbook.

Amie Joseph is the Head of Peer Care Companion (Warmline and in Community). She brings extensive experience in working with vulnerable people in the housing and homelessness sector, child and youth mental health and foster and kinship care sectors. Amie has dedicated her life to working alongside people while sharing her lived experiences, supporting people to find self-efficacy and purpose.

Amie has worked in community organisations, providing frontline and leadership support to improve the lives of people accessing help services. Amie has spent the last 7 years of her working career in leadership roles, where her passion lies in building a trauma informed, person centred workforce. The incredible experience of a Lived Experience Summit opened Amie’s eyes to the courage and commitment that Roses in the Ocean has to embedding a peer workforce and inspired her to pursue a career in suicide prevention.

Amie finds joy in writing, spending time with her small children, and listening to diverse play lists of music and podcasts.

Mark Ellis is our National Service Lead: Suicide Prevention Peer Workforce Support Services.

Mark is a Lived Experience Advocate, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Peer Worker with 30 years of experience supporting people living with complex and enduring mental and emotional distress.

He has worked in a variety of professional roles across the Disability, Aged Care, Schools, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention sectors.

Mark lives in the Wollongong region and is a Lived Experience Member of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative. Whilst not working Mark spends his time with family, his dogs and reading.

Amy Biswas is our Head of Communications & Design at Roses in the Ocean.

Amy’s experience lies in marketing, communications and event management, namely in Melbourne’s Hospitality & Entertainment industries. Deciding to leave the “for profit” sector behind, Amy is now determined to use her professional skills for a social and humanitarian purpose, and is passionate about truly helping in the field of suicide prevention. Her own lived experience gives her a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by suicide.

Outside of the office, Amy enjoys going on adventures out in nature with her dog, jumping in the pool for some laps, whiling away an arvo over a puzzle, dining out and about (a bit of a foodie), and catching a live music gig!

Hunena is a mental health advocate with 15 years of experience in working in the non-government sector as a Mental Health Professional and Community Partnerships Specialist. She brings experience in working on capacity building community initiatives which advocate for social justice and human rights of marginalized, disadvantaged, and minority communities. Her career is marked by a deep commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity in mental health care and community development.

Hunena also has experience in counselling, working in health promotion with priority populations and creating networks with diverse stakeholders to support sector collaboration and improve service delivery for communities.

Hunena has qualifications in Medical Science, Psychology and Counselling, and a Master’s in Human Rights Law & Policy. Her academic and professional journey is complemented by her volunteer work and internships, including at Columbia University Law School and ABC Nepal.

“I am passionate about using partnerships as a catalyst for embedding a socially inclusive practices which advocate for the rights of vulnerable communities. I am committed to supporting co-designed community initiatives which improve the lives of people with lived experiences.”

In her free time, Hunena enjoys martial arts and walks at the beach.

Simon Pont is the Head of Lived Experience Organisational Design at Roses in the Ocean. With over 20 years of experience as a social worker and leader in the suicide prevention and healthcare sector, Simon brings extensive expertise in change management, project management, and the implementation of national suicide prevention initiatives.

Most recently, Simon led the national Safe Space service standards scoping study at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, aimed at improving the quality and safety of support services for individuals experiencing suicidal distress. Prior to this, Simon managed and implemented programs at Suicide Prevention Australia and Everymind, and oversaw the delivery of social work services for the NSW Coroners system in regional NSW.

Simon is passionate about driving impactful change for safer and healthier communities, guided by the insights and leadership of people with lived experience of suicide.

In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors in Lake Macquarie, NSW, with his family and two Tamaruke dogs.

A dedication to positive change brought Andrea Reed to Roses in the Ocean as the Operations & Quality Coordinator. With over a decade in the medical, health and human services sectors Andrea has built a wealth of knowledge and compassion, with a keen interest in quality, systems implementation, and continuous improvement. When not at work, you will likely find Andrea strolling the aisles of stationery stores or flea markets. She is grateful to be able to help in a hundred small ways and strongly believes the secret to having it all is believing you already do.

Meet Nicola Goodman, our creative artist. As our Visual Content Specialist at Roses in the Ocean, Nicola brings a wealth of experience in building brands through her skills as a graphic designer and illustrator. With a deep understanding of the importance of visual storytelling, she also likes to create artwork that speaks directly to people’s hearts.

Beyond her work at the office, Nicola enjoys spending time painting alongside her Jack Russell terrier, Bruce, and pursuing new hobbies. She’s also an avid camper and hiker, always seeking new adventures in the great outdoors.

Julia Granahan works as the Lived Experience Engagement and Integration Administrator at Roses in the Ocean. She has moved into the NFP sector after 5 years of developing administrative and customer service skills and enjoys working in a collaborative environment. Outside of work, Julia enjoys spending time with the local community by volunteering at her local thrift shop, spending time with her two cats, gardening and getting stuck into a good book.

Hannah Davy is our Operations Administrator. After 5 years of working in motor insurance, Hannah shifted her focus onto something she believed to be more meaningful and joined Roses in the Ocean in May 2021 as the Workshops Administrator. After a year and half, Hannah decided to take a personal break and has now returned as the Operations Administrator. Hannah’s dedication to creating positive community change is what drives her contribution to suicide prevention and mental health advocacy. With focused interests in eliminating stigma, raising awareness, and furthering the accessibility of impactful resources and services to communities. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Hannah also advocates for safe and inclusive environments, where diversity is celebrated.

Outside of work, Hannah is an avid traveller and enjoys connecting with nature and her spiritual self. You’ll often find her immersed in one of her oracle card decks, and after attending a Bali yoga retreat, Hannah now practises Kundalini yoga daily.

Miranda Richardson is our Workshops Coordinator at Roses in the Ocean.

Miranda comes from a diverse background in finance, operations and customer service across various industries. Miranda is passionate about connecting with others and supporting the human spirit to shine. She believes that the deepest wisdom comes from a lived experience and is excited to work in a role where she can embrace her lived experience and put her passion of making connections to purpose.

Outside of work, Miranda loves being kept busy by her three teenage daughters and cooking up a storm for family and loved ones.

Nadia Bagley is our Project Administrator. She comes from a background of quality, continuous improvement, design and innovation supporting front-line Customer Service and Operations. At the centre of her approach has been an aim to improve the experience of the people she interacts with. Nadia decided to build on this and enter the Not-For-Profit space, wanting to contribute to and serve her community in more direct and impactful ways, for an organisation that aligns with her values.

In her spare time, Nadia enjoys cooking, tabletop gaming and staying active.

Dom is dedicated to fostering spaces that validate experiences, encouraging radical truth-telling to highlight the stories of those facing structural disadvantage and discrimination. Dom’s identity as queer and genderfluid has made her particularly sensitive to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Dom believes in community’s resilience, tenacity and the importance of centering lived experience roles in program development.

Dom believes that shame is the antithesis of education, and therefore guides individuals to explore their bias through warm and collaborative conversation. Dom’s learnt that it is important to have high expectations of others’ expertise, just as they have of us, which underpins her lifelong commitment to self-reflection, betterment, and growth.

Sam Phipps is Chair of Roses in the Ocean’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, a workshop facilitator and the Community Engagement Coordinator in WA. She has 35 years of work experience across a variety of roles, including customer service, manufacturing operations, human resources and safety. Sam is a small business owner and a lived experience educator with Curtin University’s Valuing Lived Experience Project.

She loves to connect with people and is a passionate suicide prevention advocate and she is dedicated to supporting people impacted by suicide within her community. Sam uses her experiences to drive systemic reform and hold compassionate, courageous conversations regarding mental health and suicide prevention.

When Sam is not working in suicide prevention, she loves to read, grow flowers and spend her time connecting with family and friends.

Jon Eddy is our Community-led Safe Spaces Capacity Building Coordinator

Jon comes from a long working career in the construction industry including successfully running his own plumbing business for many years. He also comes from a longer history of a lived experience of suicide.

After losing his son to suicide in 2019, he made a promise to him to use his grief and pain to help change the way we deal with the topic. In the early days he had no idea how a tradesman could possibly make any difference in this sector. He went forward with his diploma in life and it has led him to Roses in the Ocean which he’s very proud to be a part of.

He’s very much looking forward to both learning from all but also being able to guide others through the process of setting up their own Community-led Safe Space.

We must tear down the stigma surrounding suicide and we must go forward with a firm belief that our sacred lived experience knowledge will lead the change. Compassion, empathy, collaboration and education are his mantras.

When he’s not in the office he absolutely loves to cook and to hike in the wilderness with his wife. Nature frees his soul.

Rachel Luongo joined Roses in the Ocean after 18 years in public and private sector roles in Healthcare, Strategy & Innovation, Finance and HR.

Her move to Non-Profit has seen her leave the corporate life behind to re-focus on a career that allows her to be a part of positive change.

Outside of work, Rachel spends her time in nature creating art through her photography, she loves being close to family & friends, making a good cheese platter, and exploring new restaurants around town.

Kerry Gleeson has been a member of the Lived Experience Collective with Roses in The Ocean for the last five years, and she has participated in some great initiatives. She is delighted to now be a team member within the organisation.

Sarah Simic is our Workshops Administrator at Roses in the Ocean.

Sarah has worked in the not-for-profit sector for many years with a keen interest in implementing new procedures, projects and efficiencies.

Sarah loves to connect with new people from all walks of life and hear their stories. She believes that we can all learn and grow just by listening to the stories of others and sharing our own.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending her time at the beach or relaxing around the house with her cat.

Heidi Forbes is our Community-led Safe Spaces Project Coordinator.

She brings experience in the not-for-profit sector to her role, including areas of suicide prevention/postvention as a Lived Experience Peer Support Worker providing individualised support to persons bereaved by suicide, as well as working within the drug and alcohol and homelessness sectors. Heidi also has over 20 years’ administrative and project management experience within both the not-for-profit and university/education sectors.

Heidi has a particular interest in holistic wellbeing and mindfulness, the integration of health and science within populations, the support and advocacy of the LGBTIQA+ community, along with suicide prevention and postvention.

Heidi is a self-confessed science nerd and loves a good Excel spreadsheet! In her spare time, she enjoys being near the ocean, spending time with her family and two dogs, studying, and seeking out new and interesting things to do and learn.

Jemma Lunney is the Peer CARE Companion Warmline and Volunteer Coordinator. She comes to Roses in the Ocean after 12 years in policing, with a passion for normalising conversations around mental illness and suicide. Jemma strongly believes in the importance of giving everyone a voice and allowing people to feel heard and safe. She is also a fierce advocate for creating awareness about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Outside of work, Jemma enjoys yoga, reading, being in the garden and spending time with her husband, two kids and Charlie the puppy.

Fiona has joined Roses in the Ocean as our People and Culture Business Partner and brings extensive HR skills, knowledge and experience across both the government and not for profit sectors, having worked for influential organisations such as Children’s Medical Research Institute (Jeans for Genes), YMCA NSW, YMCA Brisbane and Lives Lived Well.

Fiona is a collaborative and passionate HR practitioner fuelled by her desire to foster and cultivate an inclusive, diverse, and rewarding workplace and culture, in order to be able to effectively support the lived experience workforce.

Weekends and down time are spent with her partner, two teenage kids and two doggy fur babies. She also has a keen interest in the science fiction and fantasy genres, is a Marvel comics and movies enthusiast, and enjoys activities such as console gaming, writing, spending time at the beach and listening to music.

Doris is our Service Delivery Administrator for our Non-clinical Peer CARE Companion Services. After completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology, her unwavering passion for helping others propelled her through six years of dedicated service in non-for-profit organisations within the disability sector and government departments. During this time, Doris honed her professional skills and discovered what truly matters to her: authentic human connection, self-expression, growth, all generously seasoned with a healthy dose of humour. As the child of immigrant parents, Doris is also driven to raise awareness and dismantling cultural stigmas surrounding mental illness and suicide within Vietnamese communities.

Doris doesn’t see life as a series of random events; she believes in turning her experiences into meaningful connections and using them as unique tools to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

On her days off, you can either find Doris immersed in a Haruki Murakami novel, curating her 200th Spotify playlist for a very specific mood, sweating profusely at the gym or (when Melbourne weather allows) indulging in some light “people-watching Olympics” at the park.

Sasha Baker is our Regional Peer CARE Companion Coordinator for WA.

Sasha comes from a variety of experiences in mental health, peer and not-for-profit sectors, including areas of service navigation, advocacy and peer support.

Sasha’s lived experienced of suicide and mental health challenges has driven her to be passionate about the peer space and have a particular interest in holistic wellbeing and person-focused and trauma-informed approaches. Sasha is driven to create spaces for people to create connection and to feel seen and heard. She is proud to be a part of something that shares her values of the lived experience perspective and take action in suicide prevention.

Beyond work, Sasha is usually attending yoga, spending time with her horse but is also always eager to try something new and go on different adventures.

Ronelle has many years of finance experience in a wide variety of industries but feels most inspired when working in the not-for-profit sector. She loves being part of an organisation that is giving back to the community, as this makes it feel more than just a number crunching job.

Away from work, Rone is a passionate gardener, loves winding down at a Pilates class or getting out for a bushwalk. Spending time with her family and friends and travelling to new destinations keeps her happy, grateful and inspired to live life to the fullest.

Elle Wales coordinates our digital peer hub – PEERnet. She is passionate about peer work and the transformational power of centring lived experience. Elle has held roles within peer support and peer leadership, and loves any opportunity to provide peers with the support or information they need to do their important work.

In addition to peer work, Elle has an extensive background in design, marketing, and chronic illness advocacy. She enjoys using her creative problem-solving skills within new contexts, where they contribute to meaningful projects.

Outside of work, Elle is an arts & crafts enthusiast, slow runner, podcast obsessive, nature explorer, procrasti-baker, and certified tall person.

Kat comes to the newly created role of Service Delivery Peer Facilitator after several years working in a lived experience leadership role within a South Australian Non-Government Organisation. They are passionate about using their lived experience to inform connections and contribute to collective knowledge with people across Australia and love to learn from and facilitate learning with others. Their identity as a non-binary trans person has instilled a love for healing within communities, and they love to hold space for others during their ‘aha!’ moments.

With a varied background in mental health service delivery, project work, co-design, facilitation, training, and development they are keen to support others to use their lived expertise to change systems and create a world where understanding and kindness are our driving forces. Outside of work they love to indulge in creative hobbies like sewing and dancing, are a passionate book worm and dog parent to Stanley, a 44kg staffy x mastiff.

Is (he/they) lives on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Country and is the Victorian Peer CARE Companion Warmline Coordinator. Is brings his experience in peer work and project coordination across the lived experience, mental health, youth, disability and eating disorder sectors to build the Warmline across Victoria to provide peer-led support for people supporting or caring for people navigating suicide.

As an autistic, mad, queer, trans, young and multiply disabled person with lived and living experience of suicide, Is invests deeply in embedding disability justice, trans liberation and intersectionality in suicide prevention and all spaces that work with communities.

Outside of work, you can find Is talking about and cuddling his greyhound, two cats and blue tongue lizard, whilst juggling crosswords, sudokus and paint by numbers kits.

Layne Stretton is the Workshop Developer and Lead Facilitator for Roses in the Ocean, with a self driven mandate to create workshop experiences for people that change the way that they view their story and themselves in the process. Each lived experience story is rich with knowledge, insight and wisdom that can assist others to navigate the complexities of their experiences with more personal empathy, compassion and self-love. Layne is passionate about advocating for change across communities, particularly communities that might be marginalised or unable to connect with the current systems.

A book reader, gym goer and sometimes lycra wearer, Layne can be found balancing his self-care with outdoor pursuits and a passion for understanding how human beings can better work together.

James Gallacher is an engaging leader who brings exceptionally well-developed relationship-building, coaching, mentoring, facilitation and consultative skills to his role as Facilitator with Roses in the Ocean.

James has a passion for supporting people to break through with new ways of thinking and working, and an emphasis on building connectivity, confidence, positive self-concepts and awareness. James is an incredible husband, awesome father of twins and devoted dad to the family dog. He’s also a passionate Collingwood AFL/AFLW supporter, anxiously awaiting that next premiership flag.

Sam Fewings brings lived experience, change management and a deep caring to his role as a Facilitator for Roses in the Ocean. Sam has 20 years experience as a Senior Executive in Insurance and Human Resources. His second job is as a married father of two, who also enjoys working on his tennis game. Sam is a member of the lived experience panel for the Black Dog Institute and is passionate about helping those struggling with their mental and emotional health.

Tanya Elizabeth is honoured to be a Lived Experience Facilitator for Roses in the Ocean. She has a background in Community Art, Youth Work and is a registered Arts Therapist, Sexologist and Clinical Arts-based Supervisor. She founded and works in private practice at the Skinner Street Studios in Kirulpa, West End and is a NDIS registered provider.

Tanya draws from her lived experience with suicidality, trauma and mental illness. She works from trauma-informed, person-centred, process-oriented, inclusive and collaborative frameworks.

Tanya co-ordinated the ‘Rainbow Horse Project’ where 88 horse sculptures were created by vulnerable communities in Mongolia to honour culture over a year. She has shared Arts Therapy with Syrian refugees in Lebanon, community workers and artists in Oaxaca, Mexico and juvenile offenders in the Brisbane Juvenile Detention Centre. She established the Art Trolley program at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Brisbane and was the General Manager of Spaghetti Circus, Mullumbimby.

Tanya works as a stilt performer and loves live music, skateboarding and dancing! She adores vibrant colours, flowers and her 2 Burmese cat fur babies.
Tanya believes in the power of authentic, creative expression and embodiment and to heal and deeply connect with ourselves and others.

Genevieve O’Reilly is passionate about supporting those with lived experiences of suicide to ‘find their voice’ and share their wisdom. She believes that when we own our stories and share them with others, we offer a gift that informs and inspires, while healing ourselves in the process. In her work with Roses in the Ocean Genevieve strives to provide a soulful space where people can share, connect, and feel validated as they contribute to the valuable cause of suicide prevention.

Alongside her facilitation role with Roses in the Ocean, Genevieve serves as a coach, counsellor, and change agent across corporate and clinical environments. Combining practical insights with a deep understanding of human behaviour, her work with leaders and teams empowers people to make a meaningful impact in their chosen profession.

Born in New Zealand, Genevieve returns to the Southern Alps to recharge and connect with family and friends while biking, skiing or hiking. When not in the mountains, you may find Genevieve on the dance floor, stepping out a few Latin tunes dancing salsa or bachata.

Sam Phipps is Chair of Roses in the Ocean’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, a workshop facilitator and the Peer CARE Companion Lead Regional Co-ordinator. Sam is a lived experience educator with Curtin University’s Valuing Lived Experience Project and has 35 years of work experience across a variety of roles, including customer service, manufacturing operations, human resources and safety.

She loves to connect with people and is a passionate suicide prevention advocate. Sam is dedicated to supporting people impacted by suicide within her community and uses her experiences to drive systemic reform and hold compassionate, courageous conversations regarding mental health and suicide prevention.

When Sam is not working in suicide prevention, she loves to read, grow flowers and spend her time connecting with family and friends.

Mark has a living experience which contributes to his work as a Peer Support Worker and Mentor, specialising in persons at risk. Mark volunteers his time across a variety of roles in the suicide prevention sector and is a Consumer Representative on Federal, State and NGO committees and panels.
He collects old movies as a change of pace.

Amy has worked for suicide prevention services in lived experience roles, including facilitating workshops from a lived experience lens and supporting people experiencing thoughts of, or those bereaved by suicide. She is driven by the power of connection when discussing suicide and values solidarity, compassion and kindness.

Amy is excited to be part of the LEAG to contribute and learn from others, particularly around the diversity of experiences.

Amy has a greyhound, is a big Simpsons fan and loves being amongst nature.

Fairley has an extensive career in managing teams and is currently studying Certificate 4 in Mental Health. He volunteers his time mentoring and supporting others within his community and is passionate about affecting systemic changes through collaboration and conversation. Fairley brings a cultural diversity lens to conversations and has contributed to a variety of outreach projects including the asylum seeker suicide prevention task group – an initiative of the greater Dandenong suicide prevention place-based trial.

Fairley lives in Melbourne with his family and enjoys connecting with people through authentic connection and conversations.

Ray enjoyed a career in industrial sales and operations before making a change several years ago and moving into the charity and not for profit sector. Ray currently works as a support worker in mental health and suicide prevention as well as volunteering in a range of suicide prevention and postvention activities. Ray also helps to facilitate a peer led suicide bereavement support group. He values family, connection and community and loves spending time with his family, working in the garden, cooking and running.

Darlia is bereaved by her partner (and 8 friends).

She has been in the lived experience space for 2 years now in different roles, and her current role is with Jesuit Social Services as the Regional Coordinator for the StandBy Support After Suicide program in North West and South East Melbourne. She is very passionate about this space, that we respectively share with honour, to support those who have lost someone to Suicide.

Her favourite thing to do on the weekend is spending time with her dog, spending time with friends and family, listening to live music, eating yummy food whether cooked together or out at an amazing Melbourne restaurant.

Ben is an emerging leader in the lived experience and Peer Workforce space, and a passionate lived experience and consumer advocate.

Having living experience of mental ill health, suicidal distress and substance use recovery since his early teen years, as well as caring and supporting loved ones with similar experiences, Ben is passionate about changing the narrative around living with mental ill health and challenging the existing stigma around suicide.

Improving lived experience integration and developing the Peer Workforce are two of Ben’s greatest personal and professional goals.

Imeleta is a cultural artist, musician and community leader, she sees herself as a strong advocate for culturally diverse young people and women and those who are struggling with mental health and finding verbal therapies challenging. As a parent of a young person with a mental illness who attempted to take her life during the pandemic, Imeleta hopes to grow and bring awareness to mental health and to ensure young peoples voices are heard, society understands their value and to stay connected with what’s happening on the ground.

Anwyn is a very passionate suicide prevention advocate, using her own lived experience to share & connect with others. She aims to live a life that prioritises empathetic, trauma informed and radical acceptance of self & others. She resides in Perth, working for the government by day and sleeping by 8pm by night.

Her free time is spent engaging in as many sapphic stereotypes as possible with her wife: spoiling her dog, playing intense board game campaigns, hiking and descending into the chaos of life as a birder/twitcher. She is also a diehard Freo fan and if anything has taught her hope, it’s supporting the Freo Dockers.

Pamela is a company director and executive coach and mentor with extensive experience in public, private and NFP sector leadership.

After studying journalism, Pamela began her career on newspapers in the UK and Bermuda. She came to Australia in 1980 and worked as a political adviser and chief-of-staff to State and Federal Ministers.

Pamela began the corporate phase of her career in 1995 as Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs at Ansett Australia, and subsequently held executive leadership roles at the National Australia Bank and Coles Myer.

She has held numerous director positions and is currently a director of Campbell Page Limited and Chair of the Dax Advisory Group. Pamela is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Pamela runs her own executive coaching and mentoring business, assisting individuals, families, teams and organisations to reach their full potential. Pamela works with a range of larger and smaller organisations, as well as individuals, across the public, private sectors and non-for-profit sectors.

Leanne is a senior finance, governance and risk executive and a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA). She has held leadership roles in various profit for purpose organisations, including charities and credit unions; and in public practice. Leanne is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Act for Kids, an Australian charity that provides therapy and support services to children and families who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing harm from child abuse and neglect. She is also a Non-Executive Director, Deputy Chair and the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a leading disability service provider, Aruma.

Founder and CEO of ‘Roses in the Ocean’, Bronwen lost her brother, Mark, to suicide in 2008. Bronwen holds numerous state and national advisory roles across the suicide prevention sector and government, is an international speaker and consultant in the suicide prevention field.  She is the Co-chair of the International Association of Suicide Prevention Special Interest Group: Lived Experience and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Peter Dalton is General Manager Global Digital Solutions, Global Wealth and Private Banking ANZ & Group General Manager Innovation. Peter is also a member of the ANZ Corporate Responsibility Committee. He brings a valuable business and innovative mindset, is a proven Corporate Leader with a particular bias towards creating a simple and outstanding customer experience.

Alison had a long career in Human Resources in Financial Services in the UK, culminating in the role of Group Head of Talent & Culture for the London Stock Exchange Group. She played an integral part in shaping and implementing organisational culture through rapid growth, acquisitions and significant change. She worked with senior leaders to introduce values and ensure they were embedded in management practices and processes.

Employee mental health is a passion; Alison sponsored employee mental health programmes and diversity networks. Since leaving the commercial world Alison has taken Non-Executive roles for Sussex University and a top performing London schools academy. She also acted as Board Adviser to Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (UK). Alison relocated to Sydney at the end of 2023 and is building her experience in suicide prevention volunteering for Lifeline.

Alison has an MSc in Coaching Psychology (2023) and an MSc in Leadership and Strategy (2015) from London Business School Sloan Programme.

Kris is a seasoned CEO and senior executive leading large For-Purpose organisations. With a background in psychology and business (MBA), Kris has a proven track record in scaling organisations and spearheading human-centred transformative initiatives to achieve business objectives. As a leadership coach and consultant, Kris focuses on the vital intersection of people, culture, and performance, partnering with business leaders and communities to cultivate psychologically safe, diverse, and inclusive cultures essential for sustainable success. She is a non-executive director with the peak body for community mental health services in Qld and advocate for LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent equity and inclusion.

Michael is passionate about helping individuals and organisations do good work for their clients, customers and communities. He does this by combining social purpose with business acumen to achieve great outcomes. Michael has developed his passion for social purpose through experience at Wesley Mission, Anglicare and various Board positions. His work is founded in strong business acumen developed through roles in project management, marketing, product management, e-commerce and HR in the Financial, Manufacturing and Technology sectors.