Catherine Lourey was appointed NSW Mental Health Commissioner in 2017 and brings over 30 years’ experience leading and delivering major strategic and complex mental health projects at the state and national level. She has held positions at the local health district, state government and federal government levels, understands the systemic issues people and services face when accessing and providing support, and is a passionate supporter of lived experience being at the core of mental health reform. She is deeply committed to improving the lives of people living with mental health issues and strengthening the communities that support them, and has recently led the development of Living Well in Focus 2020-2024, the updated NSW strategic plan for community recovery, wellbeing and mental health in NSW.

Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, and Associate Professor of law at La Trobe University. He has experience in mental health services as a social worker and manager. Associate Professor Maylea’s work sits at the intersections of health, welfare and the law, and is underpinned by human rights and social justice. He is the author of over 80 peer-reviewed publications and commissioned reports. He previously managed and evaluated mainstream Aboriginal and child and family community mental health services in regional areas and has served as Chair the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC).

Carolyn is the CEO of Mental Health Australia, taking up the role in April 2023. She has significant experience in mental health policy development and reform, strategy development and execution, and service delivery. She has a track record of leading through transformations and change. Prior to Mental Health Australia, Carolyn was the Chief Strategy Officer of Beyond Blue, where she led the development of Beyond Blue’s 2023 – 2028 strategy; the development and execution of Beyond Blue’s policy reform agenda; the development and implementation of Beyond Blue’s brand strategy; and the design and initial implementation of Beyond Blue’s business transformation. Carolyn serves as a Director of Prevention United, a national mental health promotion charity. Carolyn is driven by a determination to improve mental health and wellbeing through innovative approaches, and bold policy reform.

Dr Russell Roberts is professor of mental health, and leadership at Charles Sturt University, and Clinical Associate Professor at University of Sydney. He is national director of Equally Well Australia, tasked to oversee the national implementation of actions to improve the physical health of people living with mental illness. He is also Chief Investigator on the Rural Universities Network (RUN) mental health research collaborative. He is a board member of ANZ Mental Health Association, and has previously served on the NSW Mental Health Commission Advisory Council, as Director of Clinical Training at Griffith University, Queensland, as Editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of Rural Health and as Chair if the Workplace Mental Health Symposium. He is referenced as one of the 50 most influential rural Australians. Russell has extensive experience as a clinician, rural mental health service director and academic. He has worked as Clinical Psychologist in rural SA, Qld and NSW. As the director of a mental health service in western NSW, leading an organisation of over 1,000 staff, and $110m pa budget delivering comprehensive services across the spectrum of care. Facilities in his organisation ranged from Australia’s largest integrated mental health hospital, to teams in Australia’s most remote locations such as Bourke, Lightning Ridge and Wilcannia. With state, national and international awards in E-mental health and Aboriginal workforce development, Russell has over two decades of experience in developing, implementing, and consolidating new and innovative health services across a range of complex service environments. He has led the development of several of innovative, programs such as the Mental Health Emergency Care Rural Access Program, the Mental Health Rural Outreach Service, and the Aboriginal Workforce Development Program. He has published over 90 refereed journal articles, books and book chapters, over 60 conference presentations, 15 keynote speeches, with $9.725 Mill in research grant funding and over 4,600 citations of his research work.