nib foundation announces new chair, two new independent directors

nib foundation welcomes the appointment of Venessa Wells as the new Chair of its Board, and the appointment of two new independent non-executive Directors, Dr Eduardo Pimenta and Martin Matthews. 

Venessa is well-placed to lead nib foundation’s growing strategic focus on health equity, having served as an independent director for the past four years and with over 20 years of experience in public health and in leadership roles in the charity sector. Venessa said it is a privilege to be chair of nib foundation, a charitable organisation with a strong track record in making a positive contribution to the health and wellbeing of vulnerable Australians. 

Eduardo and Martin’s appointments will enhance the Board’s expertise in public health and healthcare innovation and strengthen its governance frameworks. 

Eduardo is a medical doctor trained in cardiology with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, academia, research, and the pharmaceutical industry - across Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Australia. He is the Country Medical Director at Bayer Australia and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Life Sciences at La Trobe University. He brings deep experience of different health systems and a unique perspective on the collaboration needed to tackle complex health problems. 

Martin has more than 30 years of professional experience in external and internal auditing for the for-profit and for-purpose sectors and spent 13 years with Deloitte in Sydney and London before settling in Newcastle in 2004 where he has most recently been Partner at PKF.  He brings to the Board significant assurance, governance and advisory experience including roles as director, external auditor, internal auditor, and audit & risk committee member of not-for-profit entities. 

Venessa’s appointment follows the departure of Chair Dr Rod McClure, a dedicated advocate of health prevention initiatives and equity in health care, including access to care for people living in rural and remote communities.  

We thank Rod for his dedication to nib foundation during the past four and a half years, and wish him well in his future endeavours, and welcome Venessa as Chair.  To our two new directors, Martin and Eduardo, welcome aboard. 

To find out more about nib foundation’s Board, meet our leadership team here.