Board of Directors

Bill Moss AM

Founder & Chairman

Bill Moss AM is a well-known Australian businessman, philanthropist and sufferer of muscular dystrophy.

Bill spent 23 years as a senior executive and Executive Director with Macquarie Group, the pre-eminent Australian investment bank, where he founded, grew and led Macquarie Real Estate Group to a point where it managed over $23 billion worth of investments around the world.

In 2007, Bill Moss AM left Macquarie to pursue philanthropic initiatives which included establishing the FSHD Global Research Foundation, Australia's first not-for-profit organisation focused on finding a treatment or cure for Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy (FSHD) of which Bill suffers.  

Of late, Bill has participated in the Australian Government's Australia 2020 summit while also joining the Government's Disability Investment Group.

Bill currently Co-Chairs the Territory 2030 Steering Committee and is a member of the ASIC External Advisory Panel.

Bill Moss AM regularly features in the Australian media, providing comment on the finance and banking sectors, the global economy, and the ongoing need for Australia to do more to advance the interests of the country's disabled and disadvantaged.

In 2006, Bill was awarded one of Australia's highest honours, the Order of Australia (AM), for services to the banking, finance, and charitable sectors.

Professor John Rasko

Director & Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee

In 2004 Prof. Rasko led a team that identified the gene for Hartnup Disease reported in Nature Genetics. He has championed gene therapy for haemophilia with collaborators in the USA, published in Nature Medicine papers.

He serves on national committees, editorial boards and grant review panels. He has authored ~100 publications and co-edited a book published by Cambridge University Press on the ethics of inheritable genetic modification.

He is a highly sought speaker and is active in fundraising for biomedical research.

Michael Zahn

Director

Michael has several years experience in communications and marketing, with particular expertise in issues management, crisis management and marketing communications. 

Over the last three years Michael has been involved in some of Australia's largest and most complex public relations campaigns, representing some of the country's most well-known organisations.

Michael has developed and run a number of public relations exercises in the emerging economies of China and Russia and continues to have a strong interest in this area.

In 2006 Michael was asked to deliver a lecture on public relations at Macquarie University. 

Of late, Michael has taken a keen interest in helping Australian not-for-profit organisations with communication strategies and fundraising.

Dr Alan Watts 

Director

Dr Alan Watts has had an extensive career, with experience in the fields of science, business and technology.  Alan has an Honours degree in Science, for which he majored in Chemistry and Genetics, and he completed his Doctorate in Molecular Immunology at the University of Sydney. 

Alan has experience in the general field of molecular immunology and cytokines, and practical experience with proteomics.   Alan has published a number of papers and is named on several patents.  

Alan's career has seen him in many varied positions, including a post-doctoral position at the Weizmann Institute, Israel, as Scientific Director of a Sydney-based biotechnology company, and in the commercial division of pharmaceutical company Merck Sharpe and Dohme.   Additionally, Alan has experience in business development, particularly in the context of start-up companies. 

Alan currently holds the position of Medical Manager in the Medical Department of US pharmaceutical company Abbott.   In addition to FSHD Global, Alan gives his time to two not-for profit organisations, in his role as Trustee of the Wenkart Foundation and Director of a licensed sporting club.

Dr Lucy Burns

Director

Dr Lucy Burns is a General Practitioner, business woman, entrepreneur and mother, and has FSHD. 

Lucy was diagnosed with FSHD at the end of her first year of medical school.  She went on to complete her medical degree as well as a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology and has a Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Lucy has been working as a GP for the past 15 years and currently works with the Defence Force at HMAS Cerberus.  Lucy also owns and runs an online company called Better than Flowers, which delivers chocolate gift bouquets around Australia, in addition to running the volunteer organisation Australia's Biggest Book Group, an online book club.  Lucy donates all the profits from her business ventures to research into FSHD.

Lucy is a highly sought after public speaker and she has been greatly successful in raising the public profile of muscular dystrophy and FSHD within the community.

Annie Chatfield

Director/Company Secretary

Annie Chatfield commenced her nursing career training at Charing Cross Hospital, Central London in 1983.  She then went on to complete her Diploma in Community Health, specialising in Cancer Care and Palliative Care Nursing. 

In the early 1990's Annie was Head of Community Health Services for South Central London and was a member of a national panel that was instrumental in writing Health Care Standards for National Health Services and several charities, including the McMillan Trust and the Marie Curie Fund.  During this time Annie was sponsored by the National Trust Services to obtain a Masters of Business Administration at Oxford Brookes University, England.

Since moving to Australia in 1996 Annie has completed her Graduate Law Degree at the University of New South Wales.  Annie currently works as a consultant for several large government and and independent organisations to develop business risk management strategies, with particular emphasis on Environmental Policy, Occupational Health and Safety, Public Liability and Employee Relations. 

Annie is known for her passion for social justice, youth education and indigenous issues.  She has worked with and advised many charities during her time in London, to promote the delivery of community based health programs.

Dr Christine Bracy

Director

Dr Christine Bracy is a Speech Language Pathologist who received her PhD from La Trobe University, Melbourne in 2002.  Her research interests are in the areas of interpersonal communication following brain impairement, and psychosocial adjustment to communication difficulties associated with degenerative disease or brain impairment.

Christine's doctoral work explored the impact of interpersonal communication difficulties within a marital context following traumatic brain injury.  She maintains a passion for understanding how acquired communication problems influence the close relationships and support networks of those living with injury or illness.

Until her recent retirement, Christine was researching, teaching and supervising students undertaking the Master of Speech Pathology Degree in the Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University.

As someone living with FSHD, Christine has a keen desire to promote and support research efforts aimed at better understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying this condition and at developing effective treatments.

Beverly Baker

Director/Treasurer

Beverly Baker is currently employed by Sir Roden Cutler Charities.

Beverly has 30 years experience in the not-for-profit/charity sector.

Beverly has a strong sense of procedural fairness and natural justice and has worked tirelessly for those on the fringes and those who have been otherwise overlooked by mainstream society. 

Beverly brings with her bookkeeping and records management skills, together with a talent for organisation and administration.

Barry Robinson

Director

Barry Robinson has been CEO & Managing Director of Wyndham Vacation Resorts since 2003.  With 1200 staff, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific is the region's leading and largest vacation ownership company.

Born in New Zealand, Barry's formative years were spent at several independent hotels and resorts.  During this time, Barry built a reputation as one of New Zealand's leading resort managers.  He was one of the youngest General Managers with Quality Inns, NZ, when he managed Quality Hotel Dunedin at 27 years of age.

Barry has held a variety of senior positions across Asia with industry giants including Swiss-Belhotel International and Swissotel Worldwide Partner Hotels, and was Managing Director Asia Pacific for Choice Hotels International.

As CEO & Managing Director of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Barry has been the driving force behind many significant business practice innovations that have resulted in new sales and customer satisfaction records.

John de Mestre

Director 

John has practiced as a solicitor in Sydney for over 20 years, 12 of which have been as Principal of John de Mestre & Co.  Through his practice he has been involved with many and varied areas of general practice including sports, family and commercial litigation.

John has a particular interest in sports law.  He has acted in a number of high profile sports matters.  He is also a regular presenter of seminars and papers in the area of sports law.  

John brings with him a vast knowledge and experience within the legal profession and ideas for FSHD Global.

Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg

Director

A/Prof Andrew Kornberg is a paediatric neurologist with considerable neuromuscular experience.  He completed Paediatric Neurology and Neuromuscular Fellowships in St. Louis, USA and is currently the Director of both Neurology at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and the National Muscular Dystrophy Centre at the Howard Florey Institute. 

Andrew has major clinical and laboratory research interests in the muscular dystrophies and immune-mediated neurologic syndromes.  His Directorships have been very productive, with national and international grants being received for research into novel genetic therapies in muscular dystrophy.

Andrew has been asked to speak at Washington University in St. Louis at Grand Rounds and was an invited member to the European Neuromuscular Centre Workshop in the Netherlands.  He has given many invited lectures in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region on immune mediated neurologic syndromes and other neuromuscular disorders.

Andrew is the senior editor of a wholly written Australian Neuromuscular textbook, which is nearing completion.