With recent changes to the AGITG Board of Directors, the team would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the outgoing Directors and welcome the new Board Members.
Retiring from the Board of Directors
We would like to acknowledge and thank retiring Directors Michael Gordon, Andrew Barbour, Dan Kent and Trevor Leong for the time they have dedicated to the Group, as well as their tireless efforts to improve and develop the AGITG in their roles.
Professor Andrew Barbour
Professor Andrew Barbour is a Surgical Oncologist at the University of Queensland, and an active member of the AGITG Upper GI Working Party. Alongside Professor David Goldstein, he was Chair of the pancreatic cancer trial GAP, which provided new insight on the potential impact of pre-operative chemotherapy. Professor Barbour is a translational researcher at the School of Medicine, the University of Queensland. He is the head of Surgical Oncology Lab at the School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Genome Initiative (APGI) that has published several key studies that have improved our understanding of pancreatic cancer. In 2015, he was awarded the Innovation Grant for a genomics substudy of the DOCTOR trial for oesophageal cancer.
Dan Kent
Dan retired as Chair of the AGITG/GI Cancer Institute Community Advisory Panel (CAP) in May 2017 – a role he had undertaken for six years after joining the CAP as a founding member in 2008. In 2015 Dan was presented with the Inaugural AGITG ‘John Zalcberg OAM Award for Excellence in AGITG Research’ in recognition of his significant and outstanding leadership contribution to AGITG research over a sustained period. Dan brings a wealth of experience through his active involvement in the AGITG/GI Cancer Institute in a leadership capacity, his involvement in other external groups, his managerial experiences as Director of Bundaberg Distilling and Bundaberg Rum companies 1988-2000 and holding Fellow memberships of the Certified Practising Accountants and the Australian Institute of Management, as well as lived experience as a rectal cancer survivor.
Michael Gordon
Michael is an independent company director serving on the boards and investment committees of companies in the financial services industry both here in Australia and internationally. Michael is a Director of Total Risk Management Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Russell Investments which is trustee of the Russell Investments SuperSolution Master Trust and he also chairs the Investment Committee. Michael chairs the FWD Group Investment Committee in Asia and also sits on both the Investment Advisory Committee of Altius Investment Management in Sydney as well as the Investment Committee for a large family office. He has had a distinguished career as a leading investment professional with Perpetual, BNP Paribas, Fidelity International and Schroders.
Trevor Leong
Trevor is Director of Radiation Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He is an academic radiation oncologist, is actively involved with clinical research programs and has been a principal investigator in numerous phase I/II/III studies relating to gastrointestinal malignancies. He has been involved with AGITG activities for over 18 years as a trial investigator, member of the Scientific Advisory Committee, and Board member.
Joining the Board of Directors
The AGITG extends a warm welcome to Grant Mundell and Geoff Parnell, who are joining the Board and bringing with them not only finance and governance expertise, but also their own lived experiences of GI cancer.
Geoff Parnell
Geoff, an oesophageal cancer survivor, is an experienced business executive and company director with extensive and diverse experience across a wide range of organisations and stakeholders. Geoff is a collaborative leader and team member with a focus on strategic and critical thinking. He currently consults in the residential and commercial strata, facilities management, human resources, construction, health and NFP sectors through his private company Aqumen Pty Ltd. His current non-executive directorships include Mosaic Community Care, Ocean Gardens Retirement Village, IBN Corporation and Industrial Mining and Marine Services.
He is a tutor at Curtin University, a member of the Adoptions Applications Committee with the WA Department of Communities and a Patient Advocate with Ferronova.
Grant Mundell
Grant was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour (NETs) in January 2014. He has, and continues to, live through various treatments and has seen first hand the benefits of medical research and multidisciplinary operations. Grant brings a wealth of financial experience and expertise to the AGITG Finance Committee and Board. His 25 years’ experience in the finance industry has been forged at local and global institutions across various asset classes, primarily domestic institutional equities. His most recent 4 years have been at Equity Trustees as their Investment Specialist. As a member of the Equity Trustees Asset Management team he advises and implements investment strategies for Not-for-Profit organisations. His role enables him to combine his professional expertise and passion for the for-purpose sector, managing funds in a sustainable manner by preserving, while also growing funds over the longer term to help drive social change. He has previously been a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel for Neuro-Endocrine Cancer Australia (previously known as The Unicorn Foundation), participated in clinical trials and been an advocate for GI cancer patient treatment and experiences.