Mr Nigel Williams
B Comm (Marketing, Accounting and Finance)
Chair of the Board from 24 February 2026
Chair of the Investment Committee and Member of the Audit, Risk and Information Technology Committee
Appointed to the Board in November 2023.
In February 2025, Nigel Williams retired as the Chief Risk Officer of the Commonwealth Bank Group and as a Director of the Institute of Financial Research Institute, Switzerland. Nigel has also held directorships in the ANZ Bank New Zealand, the Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, China, NZX Limited and eTrade Australia Limited.
Nigel has more than 40 years’ of business experience across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He is currently a Director of ASB Bank Limited.
Nigel has a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Marketing, Accounting and Finance from University of Otago. He also has completed leadership and strategy courses at University of Oxford, Duke University, Michigan University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ms Nerida Dean
BEc Dip Ed (UNE)
Chair of the Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee
Appointed to the Board in October 2018, then elected December 2018, re-elected in December 2021 and re-elected in November 2024.
Ms Dean brings a wealth of experience and a strong community perspective. She has spent the bulk of her working life as a secondary teacher and has served on several Boards at a local and regional level, including as the Deputy Chair Queanbeyan Local Health Committee for 14 years.
Ms Dean is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Mullumbimby and is involved with the build of the new Tweed Hospital. She has been involved with Cancer Council NSW for eight years, taking on numerous volunteer roles such as Community Speaker, MP Liaison, Relay for Life Committee member, Eat It To Beat It facilitator, Australia’s Biggest morning tea host and Daffodil Day stall holder.
Ms Alexis George
Bcom, FCA, GAICD
Chair of Audit, Risk and Information Technology Committee and Member of the Investment Committee
Appointed to the Board in August 2025.
Ms George was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AMP Ltd in August 2021 and is responsible for leading the AMP business.
Ms George has extensive experience in the financial services industry in Australia and overseas.
Ms George spent seven years at ANZ, including as the Deputy CEO, working with the CEO to drive group-wide strategic initiatives with responsibility for the shared service centres and banking services.
As Group Executive Wealth Australia, Ms George led ANZ’s ~$4 billion wealth divestment program, including the separation and sale of its life insurance and superannuation businesses. She oversaw the complex process of separating and migrating systems and data that supported the businesses so they would operate independently of ANZ.
Prior to ANZ, Ms George spent 10 years with ING Group. She was the CEO Czech Republic and Slovakia, responsible for banking, insurance and funds management, and Regional COO Asia, responsible for product, marketing, technology and operations.
Ms George is a member of the Financial Services Council Board, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is a member of Chief Executive Women and is a passionate advocate for women in leadership roles.
Ms Carolyn Heise
BN, RN, PGDip Public Health (Leadership), MBA
Member of the Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee
Elected to the Board in December 2020 and re-elected in December 2023.
Ms Heise is a dedicated registered nurse and health service leader. She is passionate about the nursing profession and the provision of high-quality health services to her community. Ms Heise’s dynamic and varied career has included working as a registered nurse, managing district cancer services, public hospitals, and preventative health care services on the Mid North Coast of NSW. She holds additional post-graduate qualifications in Public Health and a Master of Business Administration.
Ms Heise has worked alongside Cancer Council in Regional NSW for many years and while in the Position of Nurse Manager for the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute in 2017, she actively participated in fundraising events such as Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and as a contestant in Coffs Coast Dancing with the Stars.
In 2019, while working as the Director of Nursing, Midwifery and In-Patient Services at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, Ms Heise was diagnosed with cancer. As such, she has a unique perspective on the patient journey – both as a senior health service manager and as a survivor of cancer.
Ms Sarah Lukeman
BE (Chemical), BPol Studies (Ecologically Sustainable Development) Hons, GAICD
Member of the Audit, Risk and Information Technology Committee
Elected to the Board in December 2023.
Sarah Lukeman has been a member of many not-for-profit boards and committees and elected to Singleton Council 2016-2021.
Sarah’s life changed when she was diagnosed with a rare form of acute myeloid leukaemia in 2006 and joined a clinical trial that led to molecular complete remission. As a long-term survivor, she completed Cancer Council NSW advocacy and consumer involvement in research training and now trains researchers and consumers to work together.
Sarah has been a Cancer Council NSW CanAct Leader and sat on Consumer Review Panels. She has been on the Executive of Cancer Voices NSW since 2017 and was the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Hunter Cancer Research Alliance 2020-2022.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) from The University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Policy Studies (Ecologically Sustainable Development) from Murdoch University, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course and a member of Women on Boards.
Professor Phoebe Phillips
BSc (Hons), PhD
Chair of the Cancer Research Committee
Appointed to the Board in November 2024.
Professor Phoebe Phillips is a leading cancer researcher at the University of New South Wales with over 25 years of experience, focusing on innovative treatments for pancreatic cancer. Her research has led to several clinical trials, including a current Phase-2 trial she is leading.
Beyond her research, Professor Phillips is dedicated to enhancing community engagement in cancer research, organising outreach events and advocating for the inclusion of lived experience in research programs.
In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her contributions to pancreatic cancer research and health policy change. With extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector, including as President and Board Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research (Board Director, 2013-18) she has played a key role in shaping health policy in Australia. Her leadership in research and health policy change to improve health was recognised by award of an International Eisenhower Fellowship in 2019.
Professor Phillips brings expertise in cancer research and a passion for improving patient outcomes.
Virginia Marshall
BCom, MBus, MCom, GAICD, CA
Appointed to the Board in March 2026.
As a Chartered Accountant Ms Marshall brings business experience spanning 25 years across a variety of industries in Australia and New Zealand. Ms Marshall is currently CFO for an Australian bio-tech company, specialising in enzymatic advanced recycling, and is a Non-Executive Director for Teachers Mutual Bank Limited.
Ms Marshall previously supported Cancer Council NSW as an external member of our Audit and Risk Committee (now Audit, Risk and Information Technology Committee) from May 2018.
Ms Marshall has a Masters of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and completed her earlier studies in New Zealand where she originates from.