Our Board

Dr Ian Pollard is an actuary and Rhodes Scholar with 40 years’ experience as a company director and chairman. He is Chairman of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists which promotes the application to public policy of the best available environmental science. Dr Pollard has been Chairman of RGA Reinsurance Australia and New Zealand, a role requiring detailed understanding of trends in health, disability and mortality, since 2006. He is an executive coach and an author and speaker in personal and professional development.

Mr Booth is a consultant and was previously a senior public servant and academic with more than 30 years’ experience in senior roles in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and the United States. Mr Booth is a Principal at international consultancy Nous Group and is the former CEO of independent statutory agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand. His work in the health sector helped shape strategic policy in primary care, rural health and regulation and he led the establishment of Primary Health Networks in Australia. His academic work has included examining aged care provision in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Ms Anderson has more than 30 years’ experience as a CEO and senior executive in a range of marketing and media companies, including Southern Star Entertainment, PBL, Ninemsn and Reading Room Inc (bookstr.com), of which she was CEO and founder. As well as her knowledge of the marketing, media and entertainment sectors, Ms Anderson is a former Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate, and serves on the Boards of ASX-listed companies including Carsales.com, Invocare, Siteminder, and in previous years Marley Spoon AG and WPP AUNZ.

Professor Gail Garvey AM is a proud Kamilaroi woman, NHMRC Research Leadership Fellow, and Professor of Indigenous Health Research at the University of Queensland. Gail leads research focused on improving cancer outcomes and wellbeing for Australia’s First Nations people, including the TACTICS Centre of Research Excellence. Over three decades, Gail’s work has helped to shape national health policy for First Nations Australians. Gail has published over 180 papers and secured more than $50 million in research funding. Gail has also helped to establish the National Indigenous Cancer Network in 2013 and the inaugural World Indigenous Cancer Conference in 2016.

Ms Low is a distinguished chartered accountant and finance expert, who was with PwC Australia for more than 28 years. She sits on the boards of four ASX listed companies: Appen Limited, AUB Group Limited, IPH Limited and Marley Spoon AG and is a member of Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation. She is a former deputy chair of the Audit and Assurance Standards Board, and sits on the boards of various not-for-profit organisations including Guide Dogs ACT/NSW, Public Education Foundation and Primary Ethics.

Professor Preen is the Chair in Public Health at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia (UWA) and was Director of the UWA Centre for Health Services Research from 2006-2015. He also holds honorary positions at the University of South Australia and Swansea University (UK). His current role is aimed at bridging the divide between academia and government to increase the translation of research findings to facilitate evidence-based decision making in policy settings.

Professor Whiteman is a medical epidemiologist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, where he was deputy director from 2016–2021. He has a special interest in the causes, control and prevention of cancer and leads a program of research comprising national and international studies of melanoma and other cancers. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine and a member of the Academy of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Martin became the Institute’s CEO in January 2023, after serving as Deputy CEO since 2018. An experienced health system executive, he has previously held a number of senior leadership roles at Commonwealth and state levels, spanning strategy and research to policy development and health system performance. Since joining the Institute in 2016, Martin has guided the development of a number of the Institute’s key programs, and he remains Chief Investigator of the 45 and Up Study. Prior to joining the Institute, he was Executive Director at the National Health Performance Authority. Martin has a PhD from the University of Sydney.