Champions
The Life in Mind Champions provide leadership across settings, sectors and communities about safe and effective communication and collaboration. They also promote collaboration to build on mutual efforts, avoid unnecessary duplication of work, research and resources, and provide direct input and support to operationalise The Charter.
Lucinda Brogden
Co-Chair & Commissioner
National Mental Health Commission
Lucy has a strong commitment to helping others and building stronger communities. She takes an evidence-based approach to problem solving and social investment.
Chez Curnow
Mental Health & AOD Manager
Suicide Prevention & Low Intensity Strategies
Chez is a passionate advocate for equity in access and encouraging help-seeking behaviours in regional and rural communities.
Maria Cassaniti
Centre Manager
NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre
Maria’s key area of interest is in the development of mental health services that promote access and equity of service provision and that respond to the needs of culturally diverse populations.
Bronwen Edwards
CEO
Roses in the Ocean
Bronwen is the Founder and CEO of Roses in the Ocean, a leading lived experience organisation in the suicide prevention sector. She is a key advocate for the inclusion of lived experience in all aspects of suicide prevention.
Dr Aaron Groves
Chief Psychiatrist Tasmania
Dr Groves is Tasmania’s Chief Psychiatrist. He has extensive experience in the mental health sector and is committed to contributing his knowledge and expertise to shaping mental health policy and clinical practice and implementing initiatives under the Tasmanian Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Mark Leopold
Head of Policy and Strategic Alliances
SuperFriend – Industry Funds’ Mental Health Initiative
With leadership experience across a diverse array of commercial organisations and government agencies, including Head of Workplace Engagement at Beyond Blue, Mark understands that effective, visible action on mental health and wellbeing improves organisational performance.
Being aware of his own triggers, signs and symptoms helps Mark to build resilience and adapt to life’s demands. Sharing his experience helps others to achieve their best possible mental health.
Brendan Maher
Movember Foundation
Brendan is a passionate advocate for suicide prevention. He has been working in the suicide prevention sector for over 10 years, starting at Lifeline Australia in 2007, before moving to R U OK? in 2013 and Movember in 2019.
Clare Kinsella
Director, Communications and Media Relations
Suicide Prevention Australia
A passionate and experienced mental health and wellbeing advocate, Clare leads the communication strategy at the national peak body, Suicide Prevention Australia. Her experience spans across public health campaigns, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. The use of safe language, stigma reduction and advocating for responsible media reporting around suicide and mental ill health is an important part of her work.
Jo Robinson
Senior Research Fellow
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Jo has worked in suicide prevention for almost 20 years. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, where she leads the suicide prevention research unit.
Lachlan Searle
Director External Relations
Mental Health Australia
A communications professional, storyteller and content marketer, Lachlan is passionate about promoting positive discussions on mental health and social and emotional wellbeing.
Christopher Rainbow
Project Manager Suicide Prevention
Beyond Blue
Christopher has spent over a decade working in the mental health sector in both Australia and New Zealand. At Beyond Blue, he manages the ongoing improvement and evaluation of digital, self-guided suicide prevention interventions; including psychological distress screening for website visitors and the Beyond Now suicide safety planning app.
Katherine Newton
CEO
R U OK?
Katherine’s commitment to prevention efforts spans 8 years having trained as a volunteer Lifeline telephone counsellor prior to transitioning to the sector professionally. Katherine’s not-for-profit experience also includes a senior leadership role with White Ribbon, working to prevent men’s violence against women.
Katherine leads a small, responsive, and dynamic team at R U OK? and continues to be inspired by the those in the community who believe in peer-to-peer support.
Professor Nicholas Procter
Chair Mental Health Nursing
University of South Australia
Professor Procter is Chair: Mental Health Nursing and leader of UniSA’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Research Group. He is a former member of the writing team for Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy (LiFE Framework) and the Steering Committee for the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Own Motion Investigation into Suicide and Self-Harm across the Australian Immigration Detention Network. In addition to many other activities Professor Procter is an advisor to Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Taskforce and Australia's National Representative to the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) to 2023.
Samuel Hockey
Youth and lived experience researcher
University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre
Samuel endeavours to always amplify the voice of real people's experiences in mental health to change healthcare systematically. He is invested in the change occurring respectfully and with the knowledge of who the change serves in front of mind.
Charlie Willbridge
Ambassador Program Manager
R U OK?
Charlie is the Ambassador Program Manager at R U OK?. Charlie has studied at the Australian College of Applied Psychology, Curtin University and UNSW. Their combined 20 years of experience in counselling, community work, health promotion and team management gives them a holistic approach to their work and a diverse understanding of issues affecting the social services, health and welfare sectors in Australia. Preferred pronoun: they/them
David Burroughs
Chief Mental Health Officer
Westpac
David has worked as a psychologist across community, military and workplace mental health for around 20 years. His speciality has been operating at the nexus of clinical and organisational psychology to help design, implement and evaluate strategies to support positive workplace mental health and proactively manage mental ill-health. Dave is also actively involved in the small business and men’s mental health domain and has a passion for the practical application of psychological research.
Fiona Cornforth
CEO
Healing Foundation
Fiona Cornforth is a Wuthathi descendant of the far northeast cape of Queensland with family roots also in the Torres Strait Islands. She has an extensive background working as part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' community, business and government initiatives for better outcomes and impact. On a foundation of senior and leadership roles in the community, and all tiers of government, she has used management degrees and tertiary teaching accreditation to raise awareness around the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the power and strengths of First Nations peoples' cultures for healing. Fiona has gained experience and perspectives in education, leadership and business development globally and shares a message of celebration and gratitude for the greatness of ancestors, elders, and the ontology and authority that holds her and her family.