New members of the Medicines Australia Advisory Council
Advisory Council set their sights on the horizon
27 October 2021: Medicines Australia has appointed two new members to its future-focused Advisory Council. Former Secretary of the Department of Health, Glenys Beauchamp PSM and CEO of Rare Cancers Australia, Richard Vines were announced at Medicines Australia’s AGM today.
“It is with great pleasure to introduce these two brilliant minds to the Advisory Council,” said Dr Anna Lavelle, Chair of Medicines Australia Board and Chair of the Advisory Council.
“Glenys Beauchamp brings deep experience from her time serving as a senior public servant. Her leadership of the Department of Health and outstanding foresight in coordinating a whole of government response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires was recognised with the Public Service Medal. Glenys’ thorough understanding of the intersection between industry policy and health policy, having formerly led the Department of Industry, will be of enormous value to the Advisory Council and the Board,” said Dr Anna Lavelle.
“It is a great honour to join the Medicines Australia Advisory Council,” said Glenys Beauchamp PSM. “As we start to recover from the pandemic, we must identify strategic issues that will pose risks, opportunities and trends that may impact our Australian health system,” she said.
“Richard Vines is a powerhouse in patient advocacy. Rare Cancers Australia, under Richard and Kate’s leadership, has gone from strength-to-strength ensuring that patients’ values, wishes and concerns are heard loud and clear. The patient voice is an essential element as the Council look to smart and effective solutions that make a real difference to the health of all Australians,” said Dr Anna Lavelle.
“I am grateful to be contributing to the important work of the Advisory Council,” said Richard Vines. “The patient voice is a key driver to ensuring Australians from all walks of life have fast access to medicines when they need them. Looking at the long-term operational issues will be a focus area that can create real change,” he added.
Glenys and Richard will join the other members of the Advisory Council:
- Dr Anna Lavelle, BSc (Hons) PhD GAICD FTSE – Chair, Independent director
- Belinda Wood – Senior Director Government Affairs ANZ – Gilead Sciences
- David Norton
- Glenys Beauchamp PSM
- Greg Allen, FCHSM, CHE – Finance Manager, Epworth Freemasons Hospital
- Jane Hill, FAICD – CEO, Ovarian Cancer Australia
- Kelly Constable – Co-Founder and CEO of AULUS Partners
- Dr Leigh Farrell, FAICD – Executive Advisor to Certara C-Suite
- Richard Vines – Founder and Chair of Rare Cancers Australia
-ENDS-
Media contact: Chrystianna Moran
+61424 995 118 / chrystianna.moran@medicinesaustralia.com.au
About Glenys Beauchamp PSM
Glenys Beauchamp is now working in the private sector after more than 35 years in the public service, including the Australian Public Service and ACT Public Service. She was Secretary in the Australian Public Service for nearly 10 years, leading three departments with a variety of functions. She established and led the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport following the 2010 Federal election and later headed up the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the Department of Health.
Soon after leaving the public service from March 2020, she chaired a Health Industry Co-ordination Group with key health and industry stakeholders to help secure PPE for Australia at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Richard Vines
In 2012 Richard and his wife Kate established Rare Cancers Australia, a patient advocacy group whose mission is to improve the lives and outcomes for rare cancer patients. Richard is now a highly sort after spokesperson for cancer patient advocacy issues and is a member of a number of committees. In September this year, Richard was named Co-Chair of the Cancer Drugs Alliance Committee, a stakeholder coalition tasked to promote timely access to drugs for cancer patients.
About the Medicines Australia Advisory Council
The Advisory Council was established in 2017 to support the Medicines Australia Board’s role in shaping strategy and maintaining appropriate continuity of direction. The future-focused Advisory Council will provide the Board with advice on trends and issues impacting Industry in the medium to long term. The Advisory Council will hold their next meeting in November this year.