(L to R) Mr Chris Forbes, Ms Rhonda Renwick OAM, Dr Steve Francis, Professor Brendan Murphy AC, Mr Lachy Haynes, Chair Professor Carol Pollock AO, Deputy Chair Mr Peter Haddad AO, and Professor Vlado Perkovic
The Board at Kidney Health Australia is filled with experts in the field who are dedicated crusaders for the organisation’s vision and mission. The Board works with Kidney Health Australia’s management team to support people at each stage of their kidney disease journey.
From early detection to diagnosis and making the right choices on treatment, together they ensure that people are equipped with the resources they need for the best quality of life.
MB, BS, PhD, FRACP, FAAHMS
Chair
In 2021 Prof Carol Pollock was awarded an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to medical research, education and science, to nephrology, clinical practice and governance. She was also recognised in 2021 by the Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology with the Haiyan Wang Award to recognize individuals who have made substantial contributions to the clinical or translational science and development of nephrology service and education in the Asia Pacific Region. In 2023 she was the recipient of the International Society of Nephrology AN Richards award that recognises excellence in laboratory-based research. She was recognised by the University of Sydney in 2023 with the Ruthven Blackburn Medal, which recognises the Impact of Clinical Research and the mentoring of the next generation of researchers. She is an academic nephrologist with over 480 publications in basic research and clinical medicine and over 39,500 citations. She is an inaugural Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, was conferred a Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence in Research Supervision and recognised as a ‘Distinguished Professor’ by the University of Sydney. She was the 2014 recipient of the Ministerial Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research. She was Scientific Chairman of the 2013 World Congress of Nephrology. She is Chair of Kidney Health Australia, Chair of the NSW Bureau of Health Information and Deputy Chair of the Australian Organ, Tissue and Transplant Authority. Past leadership roles include inaugural Chair of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, immediate past Chair of the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission. She was Chair of the Northern Sydney Local Health District Board since its inception in 2011 until Dec 2016. She was a member of the Australian NHMRC Council from 2018-2021. She is a Director of Certa Therapeutics, Chairs the Health Advisory committee for Lineaire Projects, is a Director of the Photobionics Institute and an Ambassador of Business Events Sydney.
MSc, BEc
Board member
Peter Haddad was appointed to the Board in June 2017. Mr Haddad enlisted in the Army in 1967 and graduated from the Officer Cadet School Portsea in December 1967. His career as a logistics officer in the Australian Army spanned 38 years and he retired from the Army in 2005 at the rank of Major General. When he retired from the Army in 2005, he was engaged by the Commonwealth Games Corporation as the logistics manager responsible for the planning and delivery of logistic support to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. He was also appointed as the Deputy Mayor of the Commonwealth Games Athlete’s Village.
Mr. Haddad is the principal of a consultancy company specialising in defence industry, logistics and supply chain management. From 2006 to 2013 he was engaged by the Victorian Government as the Strategic Adviser on Defence Industries and Head of the Defence Industry Unit. Since 2013, he has been a member of the Defence Council Victoria which advises the Victorian Government on actions and strategies to grow the defence industry sector in Victoria. In addition to his involvement in the defence industry sector, he is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University and Chair of the Industry Advisory Committee for the School of Business, Information Technology and Logistics.
GradD BA, Bachelor of Sciences PSY, MAICD
Board member
Rhonda Renwick was appointed to the Board in June 2017. Ms Renwick is the sole owner of Latrobe Valley Bus Lines (LVBL) and is committed to providing the best possible transport services that enable access, equity and social inclusion for all in the Latrobe Valley. LVBL, a certified B Corp company, engages wherever possible in a better way of doing business with suppliers with like values of diversity, respect, caring for community and environment. Ms. Renwick is committed to providing environmentally friendly alternatives for the transport industry, introducing Australia’s first Euro 6 and Hybrid buses into LVBL fleet.
Earlier in her career Ms. Renwick worked as a community psychologist, leading to her establishing the Kindred Spirits Foundation. KSF supports various social and community based projects, primarily early childhood health and education, and employment opportunities for rural and remote communities through commercialisation of Uniquely Australian Foods. Projects such as the co-founding of Akeyulerre Healing Centre at Alice Springs, supports the Central Arrente people to deal with their health challenges in a culturally appropriate way. Kindred Spirits has been a driving factor in many local community projects such as the Big Red Kidney Bus. Ms. Renwick believes her expertise in indigenous health and community based enterprises will provide important assistance to the Kidney Health Australia.
PhD, MA, BA (Hons)
Board member
Dr Steve Francis has worked for 20 years as a senior manager in the Not-for-Profit sector (Fundraising, Government relations, Advocacy, Policy and Strategy) for charities such as Australian Red Cross. For the past 10 years, he has focused on growing and managing technology businesses that create social good and generate sustainable revenue streams. Steve is a Director and Company Secretary for FrontStream Pty Ltd, Australia’s pre-eminent event fundraising platform. FrontStream is a for-profit business with a large charity client base including Leukaemia Foundation.
MS, GraD, B.Ec
Board member
Lachy advises participants in the renewable energy, waste and water markets on strategic decarbonisation and circular economy opportunities. This includes project development and financing, market entry and expansion, and commercialisation. Lachy has a global perspective, having lived and worked in London and Santiago for over ten years. He contributes his commercial acumen, systems thinking and creative mindset to the Board.
Aside from his professional background and current position as a partner at PwC, Lachy brings lived experience to his role on the Board. He had chronic kidney disease for many years prior to a kidney transplant in 2006.
Lachy was appointed to the Board of Kidney Health Australia in 2020.
Board member
Professor Brendan Murphy AC has joined the Board of Kidney Health Australia after recently retiring from his position as Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care which he held from July 2020. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Professor Murphy was the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Australian Government and, previously, the CEO of Austin Health in Victoria.
He was formerly director of Nephrology at St Vincent’s Health and sat on the boards of the Centenary Institute, Health Workforce Australia, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. He is also a former president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology.
MBBS PhD Melbourne, FASN, FRACP, FAHMS
Provost, UNSW Sydney
Board member
Scientia Professor Vlado Perkovic is the Provost at UNSW Sydney, and previously the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW, a Professorial Fellow at The George Institute, Australia, and was a Staff Specialist in Nephrology at the Royal North Shore Hospital. His research focus is clinical trials, and he is a globally recognised expert in kidney trials, trial methodology and operations. He previously established the CRO George Clinical as a subsidiary of the George Institute (now sold), was Executive Director of that organisation for several years, and continues to serve on the Board. He has led several major international clinical trials that have changed treatment paradigms, including trials that have underpinned the approval of 3 new drugs, all of which were first in class in kidney disease. He currently leads the Steering Committees of several ongoing trials and has recently established the first global patient registry and platform trial in chronic kidney disease. He has been involved in developing Australian and global guidelines in kidney disease, cardiovascular risk assessment and blood pressure management.
He was previously foundation Chair of the International Society of Nephrology Advancing Clinical Trials (ISN ACT) initiative, the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Australasian Kidney Trials network, President of the Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes, and a Board Director
for the Australian Clinical Trial Alliance. He continues to serve on the Boards of several Medical Research Institutes, as well as George Clinical and St. Vincents Health Australia Vlado holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne and completed his undergraduate training at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and of the American Society of Nephrology,