Board of Directors
Matthew Grounds AM
Chairman
BCOM, LLB (HONS)
Mr Matthew Grounds is the Co-Executive Chair of Barrenjoey Capital Partners which launched in September 2020 with foundation investors Magellan Financial Group and Barclays plc.
Over a 25-year period, Mr Grounds held a number of local and global senior leadership roles at UBS (formerly a local Australian partnership, Potter Warburg) including leading the local investment banking business since 2003, and most recently, Chief Executive Officer and Country Head of UBS Australasia from 2008 -2019 when he retired. He also served as the Joint Global Head of Investment Banking for UBS from 2009 - 2012 and was a member of UBS’ Global Executive Committee from 2009 - 2015. Before joining Potter Warburg (now UBS) in 1994, Mr Grounds worked for the investment banking business of Schroders plc in Sydney and London.
Mr Grounds is one of Australia’s most experienced corporate advisers and has been responsible for a number of Australia’s landmark transactions for Australian and global organisations.
In addition to being Chair of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute since 2013, Mr Grounds serves on the board of a number of not-for-profit organisations including as a member of the University of New South Wales Council since 2006, an Advisory Board member of JDRF since 2009, Director of the Financial Markets for Children Foundation since 2017, Co-Founder and Director of Charitable Listed Investment Company, Hearts & Minds Investments Limited since 2018, Chair of NSW Government Cardiovascular Research Advisory Group since 2018, and Panel Member, Adara Partners.
David Craig
Deputy Chairman
BEC, FAC, GAICD
Mr David Craig is the former Chief Financial Officer of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and has 40 years’ experience in financial management, strategy, mergers, and acquisitions. Prior to joining the Commonwealth Bank, Mr Craig was the Chief Financial Officer for Australand, Global Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of PwC Consulting, and was a Senior Audit Partner of PwC Australasia for 15 years.
In addition to being the Deputy Chair of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Mr Craig is the Chair of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s Finance and Risk Committee. He is Director of the Financial Executives Institute of Australia and a Director of the Lendlease Group and the Sydney Theatre Company.
Prof Jason Kovacic
Director and CEO
MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FACC, FAHA
Professor Jason Kovacic is the Director and CEO of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1994, and then undertook residency and cardiology specialty training in interventional cardiology at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney becoming a Fellow of the Australasian College of Physicians in 2003. Professor Kovacic then completed a PhD in cardiovascular medicine at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
In 2007, he was elected as a Fellow of The American College of Cardiology and relocated to the USA, to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLPBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. At the NIH, Professor Kovacic discovered critical new pathways that led to the blockage of the body’s blood vessels. Professor Kovacic then moved to The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York where he worked for 11 years, before relocating to Sydney in 2020 to lead the Institute.
Professor Kovacic is also a Director of the Sydney Partnership for Health Education Research and Enterprise (SPHERE), Director of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Editorial Board Member of Vascular Medicine, and Member of Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s Finance & Risk Committee.
Peter Allen
BAPPSC, AAPI
Mr Peter Allen is the former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Scentre Group. Prior to the establishment of Scentre Group in 2014, Mr Allen was an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Westfield Group. Peter joined Westfield in 1996 and between 1998 and 2004 was Westfield’s CEO of the United Kingdom / Europe and responsible for establishing Westfield’s presence in the United Kingdom.
Mr Allen is Chair of the Shopping Centre Council of Australia and a Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and Essendon Football Club. He is also a Director of the Property Council of Australia and a member of the Economics Committee Business Council of Australia.
Hamish Douglass
BCOM
Mr Hamish Douglass is Co-Founder, Former Chairman and Former Chief Investment Officer of Magellan Financial Group. Mr Douglass is the Lead Portfolio Manager of Magellan’s Global Equities Strategies and a member of Magellan’s Investment Committee.
He was formerly Co-Head of Global Banking for Deutsche Bank AG in Australia and New Zealand, a member of the Foreign Investment Review Board, the Financial Literacy Board, the Australian Government’s Takeovers Panel, and the Forum of Young Global Leaders – World Economic Forum.
Elizabeth Gaines
BCOM, MAppFin, CA, AICD
Ms Elizabeth Gaines is the Former CEO of Fortescue Metals Group. Ms Gaines is now a Non-Executive Director of Fortescue and a Global Ambassador for Fortescue Future Industries.
Ms Gaines was also CEO of Helloworld Limited and Heytesbury Pty Limited, and previously held Non-Executive Director roles with Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Limited, NEXTDC Limited, Mantra Group Limited and ImpediMed Limited.
Ms Gaines is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women.
Eileen Hoggett
BCOM, FCA
Ms Eileen Hoggett is an audit partner at KPMG and is the firm’s National Managing Partner of Audit, Assurance & Risk Consulting. She is a member of KPMG’s National Executive Committee, KPMG Australia’s Independent Auditor, Chair of the Audit Committee for KPMG Australia, and was previously a Director on the KPMG Australia Board. She is also Auditor General and the Australian National Audit Office Member.
Beyond KPMG, Ms Hoggett works across a number of large ASX listed companies and her core focus areas are property, construction and fund management. Ms Hoggett is a member of the Audit Committee of St Vincent’s Health Australia, a member of the VCCRI Finance & Risk Committee, and was previously a Director and Audit Committee Chair of both Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW) and CatholicCare Sydney.
Anna McFadgen
Anna McFadgen is the Chief Executive Officer of St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney.
Joining St Vincent’s in 2018, Anna and has held Executive roles in strategy, planning and business development across both St Vincent’s Public Hospital in Melbourne and more recently at St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney.
As CEO of St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney, Anna is accountable for the leadership and management of St Vincent’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Health Service and St Vincent's Correctional Health Service at Parklea Correctional Centre. As a values driven health leader, Anna is proud to support the St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney team in providing the best patient outcomes and experiences for our community.
Anna has over 20 years’ experience in the health sector, including senior clinical, operational and strategy roles across a number of tertiary teaching hospitals in Victoria as well as the Victorian Department of Health.
Prof Vlado Perkovic
MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FASN
Professor Vlado Perkovic is Dean of Medicine and Health and Scientiavla Professor at UNSW Sydney. He leads more than 3500 staff, with an annual budget of over $350 million including total research income of $200 million. Before joining UNSW Sydney, Professor Perkovic was Executive Director of The George Institute for Global Health, Australia, and former President of the Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI).
He is also a part-time staff specialist of Nephrology and Hypertension at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital, a Scientia Professor at UNSW Sydney and a Fellow at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. His research in kidney disease, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and related diseases has been cited over 40,000 times in total.
Professor Perkovic is a Board Member for the Garvan Institute for Medical Research, Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, the Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The George Institute for Global Health, The Ingham Institute, and St Vincent’s Health Australia.
Dr Gary Weiss AM
LLB (HONS), LLM, JSD
Dr Weiss has extensive global experience across a range of industries, both at executive and board levels.
Dr Weiss is Executive Director of Ariadne Australia Ltd, a diversified investment company with investments in a variety of sectors. He is the Chairman of Ardent Leisure Limited, Cromwell Property Group and Estia Health Limited. He is a Non-Executive Director of Hearts & Minds Investments Limited, Thorney Opportunities Limited, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and The Centre for Independent Studies.
Dr Weiss was Chairman of Ridley Corporation Limited from June 2010 until August 2020, Clearview Wealth Limited from July 2013 until May 2016 and of Coats plc from 2003 until April 2012 and executive director of Guinness Peat Group plc from 1990 to April 2011. He has also held directorships of numerous companies, including The Straits Trading Co Ltd in Singapore, Premier Investments Limited, Tag Pacific Limited, Westfield Group, Tower Australia Ltd, Australian Wealth Management Limited, Tyndall Australia Ltd (Deputy Chairman), Joe White Maltings Ltd (Chairman), CIC Ltd, Whitlam Turnbull & Co Ltd and Industrial Equity Ltd. Dr Weiss was also a director of Brisbane Broncos Ltd (formerly Pacific Sports Entertainment Ltd), an ASX-listed company which owns the Brisbane Broncos.
Dr Weiss is also a Commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission.
In 2019, Dr Weiss was awarded the Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to business, and to the community.
Dr Weiss holds an LLB (Hons) and LLM from Victoria University of Wellington and a Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) from Cornell University. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
