Trust Members

SMCT Trust Members

A Board of appointed Trust Members oversees the strategic direction of the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT).

This Board is responsible to the Minister for Health and must ensure good governance of the cemeteries entrusted under its care. Members of the Trust are appointed by the Governor in Council for a three-year term. Members may seek reappointment after their first term.

Current SMCT Trust Members:

Dr Vanda Fortunato - Trust Chairperson

PhD, MA, BA

Vanda Fortunato has spent the last 20 years in executive and strategic leadership roles in Australia and overseas, with significant experience in public health, primary care, not-for-profits, medical training, academia, pharmaceuticals, health insurance and consulting. Vanda has been a CEO of two not-for-profits, and has held senior executive roles with Medibank, a clinical research organisation and Accenture. She has also worked for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Vanda is currently on the Board of BreastScreen Victoria, Vasey RSL Care, The Queen Victoria Market Trust and was previously the chair of a private aged care company New Aged Care.

Robin Buckham

BA, DipEd, MCom (Mktg), GAICD

Chair of the Infrastructure and Transformation Committee

Robin has had a varied career across the commercial and academic sectors. Most recently, Robin has been an interim executive, with executive roles at Bendigo Kangan TAFE, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Robin is currently an active Board member, with roles including the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians. She was CEO of Family Business Australia, a Not-For-Profit Association dedicated to sustaining and growing family businesses, and has her own consultancy practice following her substantive role as Deakin University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Development with responsibility for international and domestic marketing.

Early in her career she worked for 15 years with Australian steel manufacturer and distributor Tubemakers. She had a variety of roles around Australia with the company and was Manager Oil & Gas Pipelines, managing a $200 million steel pipe mill when she left. She was then Director Marketing, Recruitment & Partnerships at the University of Wollongong, where she managed the international and domestic student recruitment functions and alumni, community and fundraising portfolios. She had a senior executive role in the University’s commercial arm and was a member of the TAFE Illawarra Advisory Council, and a Director of the Port Kembla Port Corporation.

Rosemary Barker

BA GDip HR & IR, Grad Cert Bus Management, MAICD

Rosemary is the Acting Deputy Public Advocate responsible for program strategic planning to meet legislative and government priorities and operational service demands aimed at protecting people with a disability.

Rosemary has extensive Executive and Board experience including as an independent Committee Chair, Board member and Executive support to Boards. Rosemary has specific experience in the areas of strategic planning, governance, human resources and organisational development.

Chloe Shorten

BA (Comm) GAIST, GIA (CertGovPrac)

Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Chloe is a governance and corporate affairs professional with an extensive executive career in the Australian resources, engineering, and tech sectors.

She serves on the board of Alfred Health and chairs their Community Advisory Committee; the board of Industry Funds Services and is a member of their Audit Risk and Compliance Committee and she is the Chair of the Centre for Digital Wellbeing.

Chloe works to bring the interests of the public and private sector together. She is an influential advocate for children and families, a columnist and regular commentator on digital wellbeing for children and adolescents and youth homelessness. Chloe is the author of two books on contemporary Australian families published by Melbourne University Press.

She is the Inaugural Ambassador for the Foyer Foundation (youth homelessness) an ambassador for the Gidget Foundation (perinatal mental health) Ambassador for Youth Mental Health at Victoria University and strategic advisor to Burnet Institute for their Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Program. She has been a non-executive director on national boards in mental health, women’s health and disability services.

Chloe will chair the Trust’s Audit and Risk Committee and serve on the Governance Committee.

John Nguyen

FCA, MBA, BCom, PostGradDipFin, MAICD

John has over 25 years of professional services and corporate sector experience. John’s professional services career has taken him from Melbourne, New York, London, Singapore, Jakarta and Canberra where he worked with banking, financial services and public sector clients to solve complex and challenging issues. He was a former partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and Ernst & Young and held senior roles at ANZ Bank and KPMG.

John has extensive experience advising public and private sector clients in the areas of financial and risk management, governance and accountability, strategic management and large program delivery.

Nova Peris

Nova is a descendant of the Gija people of the East Kimberley, the Yawuru people of the West Kimberley and the Gagudju people of West Arnhem Land. Well-known for her career in elite sport, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games appearances, Nova was also the first Aboriginal Australian woman elected to Federal Parliament, serving as a member of the Australian Senate. Other achievements include advising Melbourne Water on community engagement and establishing the Aboriginal health-focused Nova Peris Foundation.

Jimi Peters

Jimi is a proud Yorta Yorta man from central Victoria. He is Oxfam Australia’s National Partnerships Lead for their First Peoples Program and is active in community health organisations, including as a board member of First Peoples’ Health & Wellbeing.

Jason King

Jason ‘Jase’ King is a Ngarigo and Gunditjmara (Yigar) man. Jase’s career has focused on improving the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia, especially within Victoria. With a strong background in leadership and advocacy, Jase demonstrates a deep commitment to social justice and empowerment within Aboriginal communities. He has served on the boards of National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and several Aboriginal Community Controlled Service Organisations.

Jase has served as CEO for several Aboriginal organisations, managing large budgets, implementing strategic plans, and fostering positive relationships with stakeholders. His expertise in policy development, program implementation and community engagement has led to advancements in healthcare, child welfare, and cultural preservation. Currently he is the ESG Procurement Lead at the University of Melbourne.

Catherine Scarth

Chief Executive Officer, AMES Australia

Catherine Scarth’s career has focussed on the design and implementation of innovative social programs and enterprises in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has achieved this through the creation of partnerships with government, employers and the community sector to deliver programs designed to increase the economic and social participation for newly arrived migrants and refugees.

Ms Scarth is the Chief Executive Officer of AMES Australia, an organisation providing a wide range of interconnected services with partners in settlement, education, vocational training and employment in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and Northern Territory.

Ms Scarth is a Board Member of The Social Policy Group and Thrive Refugee Enterprises.