OUR BOARD

The board of Muscular Dystrophy NSW (MDNSW) provides direction, support and governance oversight to the strategic goals of the association.

The Board ensures MDNSW conforms with or exceeds its legal requirements, including financial and audit requirements.


Board Directors

Robert Fraser

President

Robert is a corporate adviser and company director with more than 30 years of investment banking experience.

His expertise is in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, financial analysis, valuation, corporate strategy, equity capital markets (including underwriting, risk management and investor relations), capital management and corporate governance.

Robert is presently the Managing Director of TC Corporate, the corporate advisory division of Taylor Collison stockbrokers, of which he has been a director and principal since 1997.

He has non-executive director roles as Chairman of ARB Corporation, Deputy Chairman of Magellan Financial Group and a non-executive director of FFI Holdings and MFF Capital Investments.

Robert has bachelor of Economics and Laws (Hons) degrees from the University of Sydney. He is also a licensed business broker and real estate agent and a registered tax (financial) adviser.

Robert wishes to use his professional skills and experience to advance the interests of the neuromuscular community.

Michelle Ball

Vice-President

Michelle is Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources for Bank of America Merrill Lynch and a member of the Executive Committee for Australia. In addition, Michelle is the Regional Learning, Leadership Development and Diversity & Inclusion Executive covering 12 countries across Asia Pacific.

Previously, Michelle held several senior regional European and Emerging Market HR roles in both the Banking and Pharmaceutical industries. Before moving into HR, Michelle held a variety of roles within sales and marketing for Johnson and Johnson in the United Kingdom and Australia. Michelle is also a member of the Australia Institute of Company Directors. Michelle qualified as a Dietitian with the University of Newcastle and gained experience as a clinical and community Dietitian. Michelle is also an AOEC accredited Executive Coach.

Michelle is a mother of little boy with a rare form of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and was one of the leaders of a crowdfund campaign called Beat4life which connected people globally to fund critical research in the US. Michelle has attended several international conferences to help advocate for the required research pathways and remains very connected to key scientists, clinicians and patient groups globally, all with a united vision to make strides forward in research for suitable treatments and a cure.

Nathan Teong

BCom, GradDipAppFin - Director

Nathan has worked in the Funds Management industry for 20 years, working in various roles across the Accounting, Investment Operations, Client Services and Performance Reporting teams.

He is currently Performance Reporting Team Leader at Magellan Asset Management, a leading global equity and global listed infrastructure investment manager. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Newcastle and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance from Kaplan Professional.

Nathan’s young son, George, was diagnosed with a congenital myopathy at 4 months of age.

Tait Jenkins

Director

Tait is a Financial Analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Professional Accounting. Additionally, Tait is currently completing a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting under CAANZ.

Tait has held several other governance positions most notably within Boccia NSW and Boccia Australia including Director, Treasurer and Chair and is currently a Director of the national body Muscular Dystrophy Foundation Australia. Further, Tait previously represented Australia in the sport of Boccia for a number of years and continued to be involved through his board position.

At 18 months of age Tait was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 and is driven to ensure others with neuromuscular conditions are also able to achieve their life goals.

Michelle Farrar

Medical Director

Michelle FARRAR, is an Associate Professor in Paediatric Neurology at UNSW Sydney and specialist child neurologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital, leading the Neuromuscular clinical and research programs.

Michelle is focused on developing and translating innovative ways of providing the best possible care from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and beyond to people with neuromuscular diseases.

Mark McCoy

Director

Mark has twenty years of experience as a non-executive director in banking, software, hospital and aged care sectors, and as chair of various board committees for over fifteen years, including three years with a small provider of services to people living with a wide range of disabilities.

His ‘day job’ is running his own professional practice advising the boards and CEOs of public and private sector clients on a wide range of governance and other business issues.

He was the original author of all director-related governance guidance notes published by Lexis Nexis through a subscription service.

His earlier career included several C-level roles (DOO, COO and CFO) in a mix of large international and smaller local organisations.

He has two adult children, one of whom lives with a disability.

Prof. Alastair Corbett

Director

Alastair Corbett is an Honorary Visiting Medical Officer in the Neurology Department at Concord
Hospital and Clinical Associate Professor University of Sydney.

He trained in Dunedin New Zealand and Rochester New York including a Muscular Dystrophy Association of USA Fellowship. In 1986 he was appointed as head of the Neurology Department, Concord Hospital
and continued in that role until 2016.

His main interests have been in Neuromuscular disorders, Stroke and Parkinson disease. He established a Neuromuscular clinic including Clinical Geneticist, Rehabilitation team and close liaison with Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine and continues clinical research in inherited and acquired Neuromuscular disorders.

He has a major interest in improving outcomes for people with Neuromuscular disorders and is very grateful for the opportunity to join MDNSW.

Harvey Blackney

Director

Harvey has had a 40-year career in the prosthetic profession, with varied roles.  They include primary clinical amputee care, clinical research, leadership and commercial management.  Harvey was a founding partner at APC Prosthetics (1998), Australia’s largest amputee care provider, managing the care of in excess of 2,000 individual amputees each year.

Harvey brings a detailed knowledge of the national health system, including the NDIS platforms and Australia’s disparate funding channels.  Along with broad clinical operational management skills, he has worked successfully to advocate for the elevation in access and quality of care for the amputee community in Australia.

Susanna Montrone

Director

Susanna is a government, communications and public policy expert, having worked for various Ministers in the NSW Government for nearly a decade, and overseen the state budget for regional NSW during the Covid pandemic, bushfires and flood recovery.

She has experience as a trusted adviser to government leaders, CEOs and Boards, including as a senior executive for the Powerhouse Museum, and is currently advising start-ups and philanthropic foundations on government engagement.

Susanna has deep networks across all levels of government and an understanding of how to build collaborative partnerships between the private and public sectors. She previously worked both in London and Sydney for leading healthcare companies including in patient advocacy, regulatory reform and market entry.

Committees

Currently, the board has 6 full board meetings per year. Board sub-committees provide extra focus and skills to Muscular Dystrophy NSW and consist of the following:

  • Finance, Governance & Risk Committee
  • Development, Research & Service Delivery Committee

Board Charter

The Charter sets out the role, composition and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and complements detail provided in MDNSW’s Constitution.

Click here for more information about MDNSW’s Board Charter.