Our board
Michael (Mick) Reid AM
Independent Chair
Michael (Mick) Reid AM has worked in the Australian and international health systems for four decades. He was the Director General of Health in New South Wales and Queensland and the Director General of the Ministry for Science and Medical Research in New South Wales from 2004 to 2007.
Michael is currently a board member of the Western Sydney Local Health District and a member of the Governing Board of the Heart Research Institute. In October 2023, he was appointed Joint-Lead Independent Reviewer for the Commonwealth Government’s Strengthening Medicare Review. The report of the Independent Lead Reviewers was handed down in October 2024.
He was awarded Adjunct Professorships in both the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney and the School of Science and Health at the University of Western Sydney. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.
In 2011, he was awarded the AHHA Sidney Sax Medal for contributions to Australian Health Services. In 2019 he was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community through government and not-for-profit health roles, and to Indigenous welfare.
Geraldine Lannon
Deputy Chairperson
Joining the Ageing Australia Board in March 2023, Geraldine has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, predominantly across metropolitan and rural Western Australian public health and community services.
Geraldine holds clinical, management and governance qualifications including a Master of Business Administration and has been a finalist in the Telstra Women’s Business Awards.
Geraldine is Ageing Australia’s Deputy Chairperson and a member of the Governance and Nominations Committee.
Dr Saranne Cooke
Independent Director
Dr Saranne Cooke is a professional director and chair with experience on a variety of boards across the research and education, health, sport, financial and not-for-profit sectors.
Saranne is the Deputy Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, Chair of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians, Chair of Racing NSW, Chair of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern), a director of Australian Meat Processing Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and HESTA Superannuation.
Dr Cooke chairs Ageing Australia’s Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and was formerly a director of Leading Age Services Australia from 2016 to 2023.
Prior to her career as a professional director, Dr Cooke also held a number of senior roles within energy, banking and manufacturing industries. She holds a PhD in Board Governance, a Master of Business (Marketing), a Master of Commercial Law and a Bachelor of Commerce.
Dr Cooke is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant, and a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute.
Sue Cooke
QLD Elected Director
CEO, Anglicare Southern Queensland
Sue is an experienced aged, health and education executive with current responsibility for the leadership and stewardship of the delivery of aged, community and social services to more than 45,000 Queenslanders annually.
She has held the position of CEO, Anglicare Southern Queensland for two years since 2021, having held the position of Director of Services for Anglicare SQ since 2012 with accountability for the overall operational management of Anglicare’s diverse services and programs including eight aged care facilities, 30,000 in-home care clients, 1,200 young people in out-of-home care, homelessness services and multiple human service programs.
Prior to joining Anglicare, Sue held the position of Director of the Australian Institute for Care Development, the RTO of Aged Care Qld Inc. In this role, she held advocacy and representative positions on aged care workforce issues and priorities.
Prior to this, she held education and health care management roles in both the aged care and acute care sectors.
As a registered nurse, Sue carries a deep understanding of the client journey which informs her leadership and advocacy roles and influences positive outcomes for those she serves.
Sue is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and amongst her other qualifications, Sue holds an MBA, a Masters of Education (Honours) and a Bachelor of Nursing.
Clare Grieveson
WA Elected Director
CEO, Southern Cross Care WA
Clare is the Chief Executive Officer of Southern Cross Care (WA), a not-for-profit provider of aged care and retirement living services in Western Australia.
Before joining Southern Cross Care, Clare served as Group Executive Director of Quality, Safety, and Innovation at Mercy Health, a large national NFP, leading clinical governance, risk, and innovation across hospitals, aged care, and community services.
Clare’s background includes senior roles with the Victorian Department of Health and Monash Health, beginning as a speech pathologist in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.
Clare’s governance expertise includes board roles with Assisi Centre Aged Care, McAuley Community Services for Women, Southern Cross Housing, ACCPA WA State Council, and as a Senior Trustee at CEDA.
Holding governance credentials from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Clare brings nearly 30 years of sector experience and is committed to supporting aged care and community services with strategic insight and dedication. She is committed to advancing the aged care and community services sector in her capacity as the WA-elected director for Ageing Australia.
Jackie Howard
TAS Elected Director
Director for The District Nurses (TAS), Resthaven (SA) and Uniting (NSW)
Jackie is an experienced health and aged care executive, having worked in human services for over 35 years, formerly in the role of CEO Masonic Care Tasmania.
Prior to joining MCT, Jackie held several senior executive roles in the public and private health sectors and the not-for- profit aged and disability sectors in the UK, Germany and Australia, including Anglicare SA, South Australia Health and Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Trust London.
Jackie is committed to, and driven by, getting better outcomes for customers, and helping organisations deliver exceptional care, while achieving sustainable change through focusing on continuous improvement.
Jackie currently serves on the Boards of Ageing Australia, The District Nurses (Tasmania), Resthaven Inc. (South Australia) South Eastern Community Care (Tasmania), and Uniting NSW/ACT.
Jackie is a Nurse by background, holds an MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Linda Mellors
Multi State Director
CEO, Regis Aged Care
Dr Linda Mellors is Managing Director and CEO of Regis Aged Care Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest providers of aged care services.
With more than 20 years of executive experience in health and aged care, including chief executive of a group of hospitals and health services, and operating a national aged care service, Dr Mellors is committed to person-centred care models, workforce support, and a philosophy of continuous improvement.
Dr Mellors is a Director of Regis Healthcare Ltd and Mackillop Family Services. She was the inaugural Chair of the Aged Care Reform Network, formerly Chair of the Aged Care Guild, Co-Chair of the Victorian Metropolitan Hospital Chief Executive group, Chair of the North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Service, Board Member of the Parent Infant Research Institute and Board Director of the South West Melbourne Medicare Local.
Dr Mellors holds a PhD in cardiac physiology, Bachelor of Science with first class Honours, Bachelor of Arts and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is also a graduate of the Williamson Community Leadership Program, operated by Leadership Victoria.
Stephen Muggleton
Multi State Director
Group CEO, Bolton Clarke
Stephen is Group Chief Executive Officer of Bolton Clarke, a not-for-profit aged care company with nursing homes, retirement village and home care services in every Australian state, and subsidiary operations in New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK.
He is currently the Australasian Services Care Network representative on the National Aged Care Alliance, Co-Chair of Trade Investment Queensland’s Health Export Advisory Committee, and a member of the Ageing Asia Global Advisory Board.
His contributions to health and aged care have been recognised with an Adjunct Professor title from The University of Queensland, a Queensland Reconciliation Award, a Prime Minister’s Award, and an Institute of Management Award for not-for-profit Manager of the Year.
In 2019, he was named a Global Ageing Influencer.
Amongst his qualifications, Stephen holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, Master of Health Administration, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Sue Peden AM
Independent Director
Sue’s executive career has focused on brand strategy development and advertising – both traditional and digital.
She worked for some of the country’s most respected agencies on many iconic brands for almost 25 years before co-founding her own business, which was sold five years later. She currently consults for clients ranging from large multinationals to start-ups.
Sue is Chair of Carers Victoria and is also a Board Member of the Ballarat General Cemeteries Trust, appointed by the Victorian Government.
She also serves as Deputy Chair of Unlabelled. Sue was Director of Leading Age Services Australia from 2019 to 2023. Sue also chairs Ageing Australia’s Consumer Advisory Committee.
Sue has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, is a Fellow and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, as well as a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
She is a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), awarded for Significant Service to Community.
Jane Pickering
SA/NT Elected Director
Chief Executive, Eldercare Australia Ltd
Jane has been the Chief Executive of Eldercare Australia Ltd since 2013 and has held several Executive and Chief Executive positions in the health and aged care sectors prior to her appointment there.
She has undergraduate and post graduate qualifications in Nursing, Education, Leadership and Business and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Services Management, and a Justice of the Peace for SA.
Jane has held several Board positions in the community housing and health sectors and is a member of industry advisory Boards for both Flinders University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.
She was the private sector representative on the Workplace Equality and Respect Project Governance Group for the SA Government and is a member of the SA Gender Pay Gap Task Force.
Jane is also the Chair of SA Leaders for Gender Equity. This group of Executives aims to increase women’s representation in leadership roles in business and addressing the gender pay gap in business.
Mark Sewell
NSW/ACT Elected Director
Director, Wesley Mission
Community Services Ltd
Mark, an inaugural Ageing Australia Board member, has dedicated his career to aged care leadership through previous ACSA roles and community service governance through his Directorships on the Wesley Mission Community Services and Grand Pacific Health.
He also serves on the Quality Advisory Committee for Access Care Network Australia. Mark is also an aged care advisor to the Community Industry Group.
He was formerly CEO and Company Secretary of Warrigal, a provider with 14 locations across south-eastern NSW and the ACT, retiring in October 2022 after 20 years in the role.
Prior to that, Mark worked for NSW government departments in the areas of child protection and disability services, including regional and state management.
His board and committee experience includes NSW Business Chamber Illawarra Regional Councillor, member of the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council for the Illawarra and the Aged Care Qualifications Industry Reference Council, ACSA Board member, NSW Divisional Councillor and Illawarra Regional Chair.
He is also the former Board Chair of Lighthouse Church and Community Care and Chair of Cedars Christian College.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Sociology), and a Master of Business Administration (Business Law). He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
