LORETO TOORAK
WOMEN IN TIME
Mandeville Hall Toorak proudly celebrate the exceptional women who as Loreto Toorak graduates have made profound contributions to society across generations
This inaugural group of Loreto Toorak Women in Time has excelled in politics, education, music, sport, science, philanthropy and religious life Guided by Mary Ward’s vision to "women in time to come will do much” they embody the values of justice, sincerity, freedom, verity and felicity
Their achievements inspire and encourage us, reflecting the lasting impact of a Loreto education
Loreto
LORETO TOORAK
WOMEN IN TIME
MUIRE CORMACK
CLASS OF 1927
MOIRA DYNON
CLASS OF 1936
ROF. ATHERINE BENNETT LASS OF 1978
MARGUERITE RYAN AM
CLASS OF 1954
DAME CARMEN CALIL
CLASS OF 1955
SIMONE CARSON AM CLASS OF 1980
DR MONIQUE RYAN CLASS OF 1984
MARGARET GURRY
CLASS OF 1960
PROF. PRUE FRANCIS
CLASS OF 1976
SIMONE LEYDEN AM CLASS OF 1994
CLAIRE O’NEIL CLASS OF 1998
ANGIE MCMAHON CLASS OF 2002
PATRICOLA OAM OF 1998
Angie McMahon (2002)
ANGIE MCMAHON IS AN AWARD WINNING SINGER-SONGWRITER AND MUSICIAN.
Angie completed Year 12 at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 2012. During her time at Loreto Toorak, she was widely regarded for her championing of the School’s contemporary music program, leading to the growth of this department as an integral part of the Music faculty today. She studied piano, guitar and trumpet, as well as singing in both ensembles and as a soloist, writing her own songs from an early age.
In 2013 Angie won a Telstra Road to Discovery competition, to support Bon Jovi on their Australian tour, catching the attention of the Australian music industry.She then went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne In 2017 Angie won the Josh Pyke Partnership and released her debut single “Slow Mover”
Her debut album ‘Salt’ was released in 2019 and reached number 5 on the ARIA charts She toured Australia and internationally on the back of Salt’s success and has been in high demand as a live performer of her own work as well as sought after for her covers of a range of other works
In July 2023 Angie released the single “Letting Go” which was followed by the release of her second studio album ‘Light, Dark, Light Again’ in October 2023 In interviews to promote this album Angie has spoken with freedom and honesty about the mental health challenges she faced worked through whilst writing and recording.
ONE REVIEWER WROTE:
Light, Dark, Light Again is a record of this moment, capturing something true about the time we live in and the way in which so many of us exist. There is fear and unease in these songs, but there’s also a quiet determination and reclamation of the mind and the self This beautiful, soothing record shows McMahon’s skills not only as a songwriter and storyteller but as a wise guide for the busy and anxious modern mind”
Angie has been nominated for a range of awards by the AIR for which Salt won best album in 2020 Both APRA and ARIA have nominated her for numerous awards and the Australian Music Prize nominated Light Dark Light Again as best album. She will embark on both a national and international tour in 2023
Dame Carmen Calil
(1955)
Dame Carmen Callil founded the internationally recognised feminist publishing company Virago She was renowned as a champion of women writers, publishers and thinkers. Her public life was marked by verity, intellect and collaboration as she determined to demonstrate that ‘women had a history of their own’ to tell. (The Guardian)
Carmen Callil was born in Melbourne in 1938. Following the death of her father in 1947, Carmen and her sister Yvonne were educated as boarders at Star of the Sea College and then at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak Carmen studied Literature and History at the University of Melbourne graduating in 1959 before she travelled to Europe, taking on work teaching English in Italy
She was one of the legendary groups of Australian writers and thinkers such as Germaine Greer, Barry Humphries and Clive James who moved to London in the 1960s and never returned home Carmen established Virago Press in 1973 with a bank overdraft, working from her dining room in a tiny flat off the King’s Road in Chelsea. Virago aimed to champion women writers and published writing on feminist topics; “the resulting venture radically expanded the published range of writing by women and transformed the role of women in publishing itself.” (The Guardian)
In 1978 she established Virago Modern Classics to champion neglected books by women writers; she included Australian authors such as Christina Stead and Miles Franklin in her collection She remained chair of Virago Press from 1973 until 1995, including a period of time where she moved to run the international publishing firm Chatto & Windus, when the company was sold to Little Brown.
In her retirement Carmen contributed reviews and articles to publications across the United Kingdom and France, coauthored several books and was active in several social causes. Numerous honours were bestowed upon her, including a distinguished writing award from the International Women’s Writing Guild, and honorary doctorates from Sheffield, York, Oxford Brookes and the Open University In the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Callil was made a dame for services to literature.
Dame Carmen Callil died on 17 October 17 2022.
Hon Clare O’Neil MP (1998)
Clare O’Neil was made Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security in 2022. Clare has been committed to the value of justice throughout her professional life, working in a range of settings across Australia, always while remaining connected to her local community in Melbourne.
Clare began her schooling at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1991 in Grade five, which marked the start of her lifelong, closest friendships Loving her politics classes especially, Loreto was a significant part of shaping Clare’s social justice values which have underpinned all her career and life decisions since.
As the youngest female mayor in Australian history, she set out on the path of community service and a lifelong engagement in politics She went on to study in the USA at the Harvard Kennedy School as a Fulbright Scholar, completing a Master of Public Policy Returning to Australia, Clare consulted at McKinsey & Company in Melbourne, shaped public policy in Canberra and worked with local First Nations groups in north-east Arnhem Land. Clare joined the Australian Labor Party at the age of 16
In 2013 she was elected to Federal Parliament as the ALP Member for Hotham– with her eight-week-old baby in her arms In a 2018 letter to her newborn son, she reflected on the experience of taking part in an election campaign at that time and the motivation she drew upon to say yes to the opportunity she was given.
From a distance, most people see politics as all posturing and pantomime Up close, politics is deeply meaningful and inspiring. You think about the people you know who desperately need change to be made The Indigenous families you worked with in Arnhem Land, who lived 10-people to a two-bedroom house, who had lost hope that the government would ever be there for them, if they ever believed it to begin with The dairy farmers in your family, who do backbreaking work but still struggle to survive, the rural communities they love in decay. The baby you fostered, and how she deserves a chance at living a better life than her parents In politics, you will have the power to do something to help them.
When the Labor Party was elected in 2022, Clare became the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Albanese Labor Government and was appointed as the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security While her work takes her to all parts of the country, Clare is happiest living in and exploring Melbourne’s Southeast, with her husband Brendan, three kids, two dogs and four chickens.
Emily Petricola
(1998)
Emily Petricola is an international athlete, Paralympic champion & world record holder
She competes as an elite cyclist whilst living with multiple sclerosis Describing MS as “an invisible disability” which affects every aspect of her life in unpredictable, unseen ways,
Emily demonstrates that with sincerity and determination, living your dreams can be powerful and transformative no matter what the circumstances Emily graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1998 She studied to become an English and Humanities teacher.
Emily spent more than 15 years working in senior management and teaching roles in both the UAE and Australia. She is a qualified rowing coach and mentor to young athletes in her work across Melbourne
Emily was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 She was determined to continue to find ways to be physically active and competitive whilst also learning to manage the challenges of MS; this came in the form of cycling. Her dream of competing at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020 (held in 2021) was realised after many years of training and commitment an followed the success she found at representing Australia at several World Championships in the years prior. Since her cycling debut, Emily has won nine World Championship titles across both road and track disciplines and a further four silver and two bronze medals
At her Tokyo Paralympic debut, Emily won gold in the women’s 3000m individual pursuit C4 with a world record time of 3:38.061 and followed this up with a silver medal in the women’s road time trial C4
The entire community of Loreto Toorak cheered her on in real time watching this amazing achievement from locked down Melbourne.
Whilst continuing to learn, navigate and thrive with Multiple Sclerosis, Emily works as a highly respected rowing coach, whilst training for the 2024 Track World Championships and the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will look to defend her title in the Individual Pursuit.
Margaret Gurry AM
(1960)
MARGARET GURRY DEDICATED HER LIFE TO ADVOCATING FOR EDUCATION FOR SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
Margaret Gurry embodies the Loreto values of justice and verity. As the founder of “Friday Night School” Margaret has made a difference to both the students whose access to education has been inequitable and to those students who have benefitted from their partnership in her program. Like Mary Ward, Margaret believes in the power of education to transform lives
Margaret Gurry completed Year 12 in 1960 having attended Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak from Year 5, including for 6 years as a weekly boarder Margaret went on to complete her General Nursing training at St Vincent’s Hospital, graduating with distinction in 1963. She later completed qualifications in Intensive Care nursing and Obstetrics during her 25-year career as a nurse across hospitals in Melbourne and Papua New Guinea. Margaret also worked in the fields of finance and law, including for nearly 40 years as a para- legal.
In 1996 through her membership of her local St Vincent de Paul group, Margaret founded Friday Night School She saw the difficulties that some recently arrived refugee and migrant families in her community had in supporting their children’s educational needs and set up a homework club to offer assistance. Beginning with one family from Timor Leste and later involving a larger number of families from the Richmond area, the homework club became a weekly tutoring session in East Melbourne, held every Friday afternoon- hence the name “Friday Night School”
The tutors were students and teachers from local Catholic secondary schools and other volunteers, who as the school grew also came to tutor the parents of the children getting help with their homework in the next room
Today, Friday Night School supports over 150 children each week with the support of over 170 tutors, as well as providing scholarships, educational resources and a community of friendship and connection for families, right across Melbourne.
Margaret has been Secretary and Director of Friday Night School Limited since 2009 She has been a Trustee of the Scobie and Claire Mackinnon Trust since 1997, a Board Member of the Sisters of Charity Foundation from 2001-2007 and was Secretary of the Melbourne Refugee Sanctuay Gorup Inc from 2007-2017
Margaret’s contribution to our community was recognised through being made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004; she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of the University from ACU in 2007 In 2009 she was bestowed the Papal Honour of Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.
Marguerite Ryan AM (1954)
MARGUERITE RYAN IS A CHAMPION OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Working in Kenya for almost 20 years she established a charitable foundation that has transformed the lives of thousands of girls and their communities through the provision of access to equitable education and through advocacy for housing, health and safety Marguerite’s commitment to education and justice echoes the “Loreto spirit” of her own school days.
Marguerite was born in Sydney; her mother Germaine (Quessy) was a past pupil of a Loreto school in Mauritius. The family moved to Melbourne and Marguerite spent the last 8 years of her schooling at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, graduating in 1954
Marguerite married Maurice Ryan and they had seven children During their school days Marguerite was heavily involved in supporting their schools, both St Kevins College and Loreto Toorak where her daughters followed in her footsteps She contributed to the Mothers’ committees at both schools as well as working for other local charities that supported the wellbeing of children.
Alongside roles working as a consultant in marketing and fundraising for Eastern Palliative Care and the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce, Marguerite worked for the Christan Brothers of Australia, helping to establish the Christian Brothers Foundation in support of schools and families in Tonga, Fiji, Tanzania and Kenya. Her experiences in East Africa had a profound impact on Marguerite
SHE ONCE WROTE:
I believe that every child has the right to an education. In Australia we accept this without question, but in Kibera, going to school is just a dream for most I believe that every woman has the right to live in safety, have skills training and the ability to provide for her family, as well as the self-esteem that this brings I also firmly believe that every woman has the right not to be subjected to abuse, simply because they are ‘just women.’
Inspired by her own education and a sense of justice, Marguerite used her fundraising experience and expertise to establish a new foundation to support the women and girls of the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya In partnership with Br Frank Chappell XX they began a charity called Women for Women in Africa in 2004. They opened a local social centre in Kibera providing advocacy, support and resources to assist girls to move into formal schooling and in so doing lift up the families, and particularly the mothers of these girls, to be empowered to seek change in their own community
In 20 years Women for Women in Africa has helped over 3000 children in Kibera and made a difference in the lives of countless families The director of Women for Women in Africa since its inception, is Loreto Sister Leonida Kwamboka ibvm, continuing the Loreto spirit and connection of which Marguerite is so proud,
In 2007 Marguerite was a Victorian Finalist in the Australian of the Year and in 2013 she received the Order of Australia in recognition of her work in Africa
Moira Dynon (Shelton) (1936)
Moira Dynon was a passionate believer in the power of Loreto students from all around Australia to live out Mother Gonzaga Barry’s view that, “would it not be a good thing for all Loreto girls to federate, in a great league for a noble end ”
Her commitment and her experience as a woman of action for social justice, led to the establishment of the first Loreto Federation, a movement that continues to this day
Moria Shelton graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1936 and went on to study Science at the University of Melbourne. In 1942 she was commissioned in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force and took on responsibility for the inspection of RAAF munitions around Australia during the war, often the only female officer training or inspecting all male units. Following the war Moira became a research officer in the area of antibiotics with the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Victoria and was appointed as the female officer on the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research In 1950 Moira married John Francis Dynon; they made their home in Malvern and raised five children together.
Moira worked to establish Loreto Federation, the bi-annual gathering of Loreto educated past students from around Australia, which held its first conference in Melbourne in 1955. She was the foundation Federation President in 1954-55 and President of the Loreto Toorak PPA from 1956-57 Her Loreto education motivated her to use her gifts for the greater and common good.
Moira was active in a number of other Catholic women’s organisations throughout the 1950s-60s and with their support instigated a series of impactful international aid projects. In 1952 the Dynons established the Malvern branch of the United Nations Australia Association In 1960 she initiated and ran an appeal to provide secondary education for Japanese children of returned Australian servicemen, with international and Japanese welfare agencies, raising $150,000 for this cause From 1964-67 Moira was chair of Aid for India and in this role and through its successor Aid India she oversaw the donation of tens of thousands of tins and pints of milk to be sent to India by 1970. She assisted famine relief campaigns in Bengal, Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as supporting the welfare of unemployed Italian migrants through her presidency of the Italo-Australian Welfare Association.
Moira was committed to her Catholic faith and to ecumenism; she drew upon her Christian beliefs on her work as a humanitarian, both internationally and in her local community
Dr Monique Ryan MP (1984)
MONIQUE IS THE INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR THE FEDERAL ELECTORATE OF KOOYONG.
With a distinguished career in paediatric medicine prior to entering politics, Monique is a passionate and persuasive advocate for climate change, transparency in government and the rights of young people She referred to these famous words of Mary Ward in her first speech to Parliament; ‘There is no such difference between men and women that women, may they not do great things? And I hope in God that it may be seen in time to come that women will do much’.
Monique graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1984 as Dux of School She attended Loreto Toorak along with her twin sister and held the role of school hockey captain and swimming captain. Monique went on to study medicine at the University of Melbourne before completing paediatric training in Sydney and the USA.
In 2022 Monique answered an advertisement seeking Independent candidates to run in the electorate of Kooyong in the forthcoming federal election. Running a grass roots campaign involving thousands of local volunteers, she won the seat in May 2022 becoming the first Independent and first woman to hold Kooyong. Monique is committed to action on climate change, integrity and transparency in government, evidence-based healthcare, and gender equity. Since being elected to Parliament, she has also advocated for tax reform to ensure government can continue to provide equitable services for the next generation of young Australians
She believes that government must provide policy certainty, legislative and financial support for investment in Australian research and development, especially into renewable energy sources and industries In her first speech, paying tribute in part to her mother Marguerite, Monique said; “I received an excellent education at a convent school
The nuns who ran that school were feminists who cared about social justice Some volunteered in my campaign in Kooyong in 2022. The founder of the Loreto order of nuns, Mary Ward, said in 1612: There is no such difference between men and women that women, may they not do great things? And I hope in God that it may be seen in time to come that women will do much.
I will be forever grateful to my parents for an education in which it was made clear that I could and should try to do much in my own life We have in this place an opportunity to support education and to ensure gender equality in all facets of Australian life, which should never be taken for granted ”
Muire Cormack (Lally) (1927)
Muire ‘Moya’ Lally was the first medical graduate from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak Graduating just three years after the opening of Loreto Toorak, she was one of few women to undertake a medical degree in the 1920s, Moya went on to establish an influential and community minded career in Queensland, as a highly regarded ‘lady doctor’ at a time when few women entered the medical profession.
Muire Geraldine Lally – known as Moya - was born on 24 March 1910 She grew up in Sandringham, completing her secondary education at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak She graduated in 1927 at just 17 years of age, and only three years after the opening of the School in 1924. Muire gained entry to study Medicine at the University of Melbourne However, her young age forced her to defer her medical studies until 1929, meaning she began her degree in the shadow of the Depression
Muire was the first Loreto student to graduate in Medicine from the University of Melbourne in 1934; only seven of the 41 graduands that year were female graduates One of her fellow graduands was Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, who was to later become a war-time legend.
Following her graduation, Muire sought to do her Medical Internship in Brisbane, Queensland While a Resident Medical Officer of the Brisbane and South Coast Hospitals Board, Muire was a member of staff of the Lady Bowen Maternity Hospital (60 beds), the Hospital for Sick Children and the Brisbane General Hospital where she worked with honorary surgeons, physicians and gynaecologists and had experience in infectious diseases and much experience in anaesthesia. In 1937 she moved to Townsville to do locum work, assisting in a small private hospital where her reputation as a ‘lady doctor’ was well known
She met Brisbane barrister, Ralph Francis Cormack in Townsville and they were later married at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne in January 1938.
She met Brisbane barrister, Ralph Francis Cormack in Townsville and they were later married at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne in January 1938. Following their marriage, Ralph and Muire Cormack lived in Townsville, where she continued to practice under the name of Dr Muire Lally Following the outbreak of World War II, Muire’s husband Ralph enlisted in 1941 and he was posted to Victoria Barracks, Brisbane, where the Cormack family then remained for the duration of the War
The family returned to Townsville in late 1946 but with her family responsibilities, Muire had little time to resume her medical career She did however retain her registration as a Medical Practitioner until 1994 by which time she was in her early 80s She was an active member of the Townsville Business and Professional Women's Club, and her personal identity always was still very much that of a "lady doctor”, as well as that of a devoted wife, and a loving mother to her four children.
Muire died on 23 September 1999.
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Catherine Bennett
(1978)
Catherine Bennett is a leading public health expert, advocate and teacher. Her commitment to public health, to research and academia has drawn widespread recognition across the country and internationally. Catherine speaks with verity and sincerity on matters impacting the lives of vulnerable community members, drawing on her outstanding experience and qualifications to provide a voice of reason and calm in often febrile public debates
After graduating from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in the class of 1978, Catherine trained in epidemiology, biological anthropology and population genetics. Her career cuts across university and government sectors, including working with the Victoria Archaeological Survey, the National Skeletal Provenancing Project, and managing outbreak responses with NSW Health and the Australian Government.
After working as Olympic Public Health Coordinator for Northern Sydney, Catherine returned to academia as Director of Population Health Practice at the University of Melbourne for 8 years before moving to Deakin University as inaugural Chair in Epidemiology.
She was Head, School of Health and Social Development at Deakin until 2019, leading it to become one of the top 100 Public Health Schools in the world Catherine also led the establishment of the Council for Public Health Institutions of Australasia as inaugural President and Chair (2010-2015), and her contributions as a leader in public health have been recognised with the CAPHIA Award for Strategic Achievement in 2017.
Catherine’s teaching has also been recognised, including the Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence and her research and service and leadership were recognised by Deakin University with her conferral as an Alfred Deakin professor in 2022. Catherine’s research includes a longitudinal cohort study of superbug transmission in the community
Catherine was a leading public expert, researcher and commentator during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 response bringing her reasoned and calm views into the homes of so many Victorians via Zoom.
Catherine continues to work as keynote speaker, and advisor to governments, industry and institutions across the globe as well as holding the Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Epidemiology at Deakin University
Professor Prue Francis AM (1976)
Prue is a woman of sincerity, whose work has made a profound difference to countless women who receive a breast cancer diagnosis Her cancer research and clinical care impacts the lives of women and their families, and her teaching provides a powerful role modelling for younger doctors and scientists about how to work with verity.
Prue was born in Melbourne, one of eight children She was educated for 13 years at Loreto Mandeville Hall in Toorak In Year 12 she was captain of Mornane and Dux of her year.
Graduating in 1976, Prue studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne After graduation, she worked as a doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne In 1990, she moved to New York City where she completed specialist training in Medical Oncology and then worked in cancer research In 1994 she returned to Australia and was appointed as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and a visiting Medical Oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital.
Since 2003, Prue has been the Clinical Head of Breast Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is a Clinical Professor with the University of Melbourne She is a breast cancer clinician researcher committed to improving the outcomes and care for patients with early and advanced breast cancer through clinical trials, associated research and education Prue is known for her leadership of the SOFT trial that led to international change in the management of young women with breast cancer.
In 2015 she was awarded the Medical Oncology Group of Australia Cancer Achievement award In 2022 Prue was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medical research in the field of oncology, and to education
Prue and her husband have 3 children, including Dr Rachel Stewart (Class of 2013) and Dr Anna Stewart (Class of 2015).
Simone Carson AM
(1980)
Simone is the co-founder of SecondBite, one of Australia’s largest food rescue organisations. SecondBite works with food growers, manufacturers and retailers to rescue surplus and unsold edible food that would otherwise be wasted in landfill, and distribute it to local charities and non-profits around Australia. Simone’s passion for social and ecological justice have motivated her work and led to the extraordinary success of this impactful organisation
Simone attended Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak from Grade 5 in 1973 graduating in 1980 She began her career as a Nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Children's Hospital in Victoria In the course of her work at the hospital for 15 years she came across many families who on top of dealing with medical issues, also found it difficult to access fresh food. Seeing this, Simone developed a deeper understanding of the link between healthy food and good physical and mental health
Her time working in the ICU also persuaded her that communities can and must care for their members; Simone has spoken of her belief that partnerships between individuals, organisations and communities are the key to our society’s success
Simone and her husband Ian started SecondBite in 2005, as a means of rescuing surplus, unsold and wasted food in order to redistribute it to charitable groups around Australia.
Simone and her husband Ian started SecondBite in 2005, as a means of rescuing surplus, unsold and wasted food in order to redistribute it to charitable groups around Australia.
The organisation began in Victoria collecting 600kg of food in the first 12 months and quickly grew into a national organisation In 2023 they distributed more than 25 million kg of food, the equivalent of 50 million meals, to over 1100 charities around the country As Co-Founder and current Board Deputy Chair of SecondBite, Simone has been instrumental in keeping the organisation committed to working collaboratively with community groups and advocating for further information and action on the issue of food insecurity
Simone’s work with Second Bite has been widely recognised; in 2016 she was appointed to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and in 2017 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia In 2018 she and her husband Ian were joint recipients of the Melbournian of the Year awards. Simone has been acknowledged by both La Trobe and Monash Universities for her community work and by the Woman’s Leadership Initiative for mentoring future leaders.
In 2023 she and Ian were promoted to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Legends Hall of Fame as Sustainability Champions
Simone Leyden AM
(1994)
SIMONE IS A PASSIONATE AND DETERMINED PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATE, DRAWING ON BOTH HER EDUCATION AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES,
Simone graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1994 and has fond memories and lasting friendships from her school days; She completed a Bachelor of Business Management and Marketing degree at Monash University, before commencing her career in the field of advertising, holding senior positions over 12 years at various media corporations including News Corp and Australian Consolidated Press
In 2011 Simone took on the role of Chief Executive Officer of NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia, having co-founded the organisation in 2009, after witnessing the huge disparity in treatment and support for less common cancers following the diagnosis of her sister Kate. This experience set up her quest for to work for greater access to treatments and diagnostics, to raise funds for the NeuroEndocrine Tumour (NET) Nurse Support Service, clinical trial research, and raise awareness about NET cancers within the medical community and general public.
Simone has authored numerous peer reviewed papers published in a range of journals including the International Journal of Cancer Simone’s pursuit of equitable access and investment in breakthrough treatments for rare cancers has led to her current role as Director of Global Patient Advocacy and Government Affairs at Telix Pharmaceuticals. She is a determined and persuasive advocate who draws upon the strength of her network and connections in the community to bring about real action that has a direct impact on people's lives.
Simone is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and in 2023 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) as part of the Kings Birthday Honours, for significant service to community health, particularly with neuroendocrine cancer organisations