Governance
In 1984, the New South Wales Parliament passed the Garvan Institute of Medical Research Act that incorporated Garvan as an autonomous, non-profit research institute. Garvan's affairs are overseen by two Boards of Directors: the Garvan Institute and the Garvan Research Foundation Boards
The Garvan Institute Board is empowered to determine policy and control the affairs of the Institute as laid down in the NSW Parliament Garvan Institute of Medical Research Act 1984. The Board approves and supervises the delegation of authority to committees. Garvan’s Board meets quarterly and comprises 15 members, nominated by Garvan's various stakeholders and appointed by the Governor of New South Wales and the Executive Director of the Institute, who is also appointed by the Board.
The Garvan Research Foundation Board was established in 1981 to assist and support the newly-formed Garvan Research Foundation. The Foundation provides the Institute with an additional source of research funds by attracting financial support from companies and individuals. Over the years, the Foundation has evolved to become Garvan's marketing and fundraising arm. The Garvan Research Foundation Board is subject to the ultimate direction of the Garvan Institute Board.
Mr Bill Ferris is Executive Chairman of the CHAMP Private Equity Group, one of Australia's leading private capital groups, providing venture capital, expansion capital and management buyout funding in Australasia. Mr Ferris is Chairman of the Health and Hospitals Fund Advisory Board as part of the Federal Government's Nation-Building Funds initiative. Former directorships include: Chairman, Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Austar United Communications Limited, and Bradken Resources Pty Ltd. Mr Ferris is also a director of the Garvan Research Foundation. Mr Ferris was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in 1990 for services to the export industry and in 2008 was made Companion in the Order of Australia for his philanthropic activities and his role in the establishment of the private equity sector in Australia.
Mr Martin Hoffman is currently the Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. He joined the Australian public service in March 2009 as First Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet. Mr Hoffman previously had a lengthy private sector career primarily in digital media and technology, including as CEO of NineMSN, Australia's largest internet media company, and as a venture capital investor and executive to smaller companies. He also held senior management roles with Fairfax Media and Optus.
Sister Annette attended St Vincent’s College Potts Point before becoming a Sister of Charity. She completed a BSc (UNSW), Diploma of Education (UNE), Master of Education (Hons) (UNSW) and PhD (Griffith), meanwhile teaching in secondary colleges in various states, then holding the position of Senior Lecturer at Australian Catholic University. From 1996-02 and since 2002 Annette has been Leader of the Sisters of Charity of Australia. She has held the positions of President of CLRI (NSW) and Inaugural Chair of the Stewardship Board of Catholic Health Australia and served on a number of incorporated boards.
Mr Nicholas Curtis has a background in investment banking and the resources industry. He is Executive Chairman of Lynas Corporation Limited, an Australian public company specialising in rare earths. Mr Curtis is the Chairman of Forge Resources Limited, a non-executive director of Conquest Mining Limited and Chairman of corporate advisory firm, Sino Resources Capital Pty Ltd. Mr Curtis also serves as Chairman of Faces in the Street Urban Mental Health Research Institute at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of St Vincents & Mater Health Sydney from August 2004 to October 2009 and as a director of St Vincent's Health Australia Ltd and St Vincent's Healthcare Ltd from June 2004 to October 2010. 
Mr Geoff Dixon held the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive of Qantas Airways Limited from 2000-08. After joining Qantas in 1994 he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 1998 and then to the board of directors in 2000. Mr Dixon currently sits on the boards of publicly listed Australian companies, Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings Limited, and Facilitate Digital. He is Chairman of Tourism Australia, Chairman of the Queensland (Australia) Major Events Corporation and the Garvan Research Foundation. He also sits on the boards of The Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Museum of Contemporary Art. 
Professor John Horvath was the Australian Government Chief Medical Officer from 2003-09. He is currently continuing to advise the Department of Health & Ageing and the School of Medicine, University of Sydney, and holds the position of Honorary Professor of Medicine. He is currently a member of council of the NHMRC, Chairman of the Healthcare Committee and of the Prosthesis Listing Advisory Committee of the Australian Government. Professor Horvath is a member of the boards of Crown Ltd and Crown Melbourne Ltd. Professor Horvath is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and is a distinguished practitioner, researcher and teacher. Professor Horvath was previously a clinical professor of medicine at University of Sydney, a specialist renal physician at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), and Area Director of Renal Services for the RPA and Concord Repatriation General hospitals. He is also known as a leader in a range of medical training and workforce organisations. He is also a former president of the Australian Medical Council and the NSW Medical Board.
Ms Anne Keating is a company director and holds board positions in a range of industries including advertising, banking, and property. She is on the boards of the Goodman Group Limited, Ardent Leisure Group Limited, Reva Medical Inc and Clearview Wealth Limited. Ms Keating is also a member of the RBS Group (Australia) Advisory Council, a governor of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and a trustee of the Centennial Parklands and Moore Park Trust. Her former boards include Insurance Australia Group Limited, NRMA Limited, the WorkCover Authority of NSW, the Tourism Task Force and was an inaugural director at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Ms Keating was the General Manager, Australia for United Airlines from 1993-01.
Dr Lisa McIntyre is a partner with the strategy consulting firm LEK Consulting and head of LEK's Asia Pacific Life Sciences and Health Care practice. She has over 18 years consulting experience for the biotechnology and healthcare sector and has worked with over 100 different biotechnology and life sciences and healthcare clients. Dr McIntyre relocated to Sydney in 2002 after nine years in the United States co-heading LEK's Life Sciences practice where she advised many of the world's leading biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical companies.
Mr Greg Paramor is a founding partner of Equity Real Estate Partners. Greg has been involved in the real estate and funds management industry for more than 35 years, and was the co-founder of Growth Equities Mutual, Paladin Australia and the James Fielding Group. Greg was the CEO of Mirvac between 2004 and 2008. Greg is a past president of the Property Council of Australia and a past president of Investment Funds Association, a fellow of the Australian Property Institute and The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Greg is a director of a number of not-for-profit organisations and is also a board member of the Sydney Swans and LJ Hooker.
Mr Steven Rubic was appointed CEO of St Vincents & Mater Health Sydney in April 2008. Prior to this he was Executive Director of St Vincent's Private Hospital a position he held since 1997. He is currently a board member of the Garvan Research Foundation, the Health Industry Superannuation, Macquarie University Council, a member of Australian Commission on Safety and Quality Health Care (Private Hospital Sector Committee) and is a past chairman of the NSW Private Hospitals Association. He is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Australian Institute of Management. 
Mr Warren Scott is the General Counsel of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and a former director and the General Counsel of Citigroup in Australia. He was formerly the Chairman of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, as well as a delegate to the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. He is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales, the American Bar Association, the New York Bar Association and the California Bar Association. Warren is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales and as a lawyer in New York and California.
Ms Jillian Segal is a director of the National Australia Bank and ASX Limited. She is also Deputy Chancellor of the University of NSW and involved with a number of other community not-for-profit organisations, including as Chairman of the General Sir John Monash Foundation. Ms Segal is also a member of the Federal Government's Remuneration Tribunal. Ms Segal has had a career in law, regulation, governance and policy development. Formally she was President of the Administrative Review Council and Chair of the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman Board. From 1997-02, Ms Segal was a commissioner of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), being Deputy Chair from 2000-02. Prior to joining ASIC, Ms Segal was a corporate lawyer specialising in corporate and environmental law, having been a partner at Allen Allen & Hemsley.
Professor John Shine is Executive Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and a board member of the Garvan Research Foundation. He is Professor of Molecular Biology and Professor of Medicine at the University of NSW. Professor Shine is a director or member of many scientific, research and medical bodies throughout Australia, including the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering & Innovation Council (PMSEIC), and is the recent ex-Chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Professor Peter Smith is Dean of Medicine at the University of NSW. He specialised in paediatric clinical oncology and research following study in Australia, USA and Germany. Peter has held senior hospital management posts in Brisbane and Melbourne and senior academic appointments at the universities of Queensland, Melbourne and Auckland. He is a Group Captain, RAAFSR and Clinical Director, Health Administration and Education, Directorate of Health Reserves, Air Force and has served as a consultant to government, including as Chair of the Inquiry into Vietnam Veterans Cancer Incidence and Mortality. Peter is currently a director of St Vincent’s Health Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Neuroscience Research Australia and a number of other research centres and institutes.
Dr Bernadette Tobin is the Director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, and Reader in Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University. Dr Tobin is Honorary Ethicist at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, an honorary associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney, and a conjoint associate professor in the School of Medicine at the University of NSW. She served for three triennia on the Australian Health Ethics Committee, a principal committee of the NHMRC. She also chaired the drafting group, which prepared the first Code of Ethics for Catholic Health and Aged Care Services in Australia.
Ms Jane Allen is a partner in Egon Zehnder International's (EZI) Sydney office, where she focuses on chief executive officer and board appointments. Ms Allen has been at Egon Zehnder International for 12 years and has consulted with corporate boards and companies of all sizes. In addition to a number of speaking engagements, Ms Allen has had a number of articles published on CEO succession and diversity at the executive and board level. She currently leads a number of global strategy initiatives roles for one of the firm's core client practices. Previously she has been the managing partner of the Sydney office and co-leader of the Australian practice as well as head of the Consumer Products Practice Group for Asia Pacific. She is currently a member of Chief Executive Women, a small active network of Australia's top women leaders. Prior to joining Egon Zehnder International she worked at Procter & Gamble in both the US and Australia. Ms Allen has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College. Ms Allen joined the Foundation Board in 2007.
The Hon Bruce Baird has an impressive career spanning the Australian Trade Commission and the parliaments of NSW and the Commonwealth. Bruce currently serves on several national boards including as Chair of Tourism & Transport Forum and the Commonwealth's Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council. Among his positions with the NSW Parliament, he was a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly from 1984-95, serving as Shadow Minister for Finance, then for Transport and Aboriginal Affairs, as Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Minister for Sydney's Olympic Bid, and Minister for Tourism and Roads. He was the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in NSW from 1992-95. From 1995 he served as Managing Director of the Tourism Council Australia and as Chair of National Rail Corporation and a director of ABN AMRO Hoare Govett, Tourism Training Australia and Tourism Education Services. He served in Federal Parliament, House of Representatives, from October 1998 until his retirement at the 2007 election. Mr Baird joined the Foundation Board in 2010.
Ms Melinda Conrad is a consultant and company director for a range of business, health, and community organisations. In addition to the Garvan, she serves as a non-executive director for the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Ms Conrad has extensive experience in strategy, marketing and business development. In her previous executive career, she founded and ran the retail store chain, Conrads Warehouse, and held management roles at Harvard Business School and Colgate-Palmolive. Ms Conrad joined the Foundation Board in September 2003.
Mr Gabriel Farago is a company director and consultant advising corporations on litigation management. Prior to establishing his consultancy, he practised as a solicitor and barrister for over 30 years, specialising in commercial disputes both in Australia and overseas. Mr Farago has extensive business interests, and has been involved in property development for more than 20 years. A passion for philanthropic and charitable causes also reaches back many years, and in 1984 he was made a Member of the Knightly Order of Vitez. Mr Farago joined the Foundation Board in 2008. 
Ms Lyn Gearing was appointed to the Garvan Foundation Board as a representative of the Sisters of Charity. Ms Gearing is currently a director of Queensland Investment Corporation Limited, Hancock Natural Resource Group Australasia Pty Limited, IMB Limited, Global Mining Investments Limited, and one other not for profit organisation. Ms Gearing was the Chief Executive Officer of the NSW State Superannuation schemes from 1997-02, and has substantial experience in superannuation, funds management, corporate finance and management consulting. Ms Gearing joined the Foundation Board in 2005.
Mr Loftus Harris is a non-executive director on various boards in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, a National Chair of the Australian Institute of Export, and holds the appointment of Special Trade Representative to the Middle East and India for the Queensland Government. He previously held chief executive positions in the NSW and Queensland public sectors with responsibility for whole-of-Government activities including international trade, investment, innovation, business, and regional development. He also served extensively overseas as an Australian Trade Commissioner. Mr Harris joined the Foundation Board in 2008. 
Mr Wal King has worked in the construction industry for over 40 years and was the Chief Executive Officer of Leighton Holdings Limited, a company with substantial operations in Australia, Asia and the Middle East, from 1987 until his retirement on 31 December 2010. He remains as a consultant. Mr King is a director of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited, the University of NSW Foundation Limited and Kimberley Foundation Australia Limited, and a council member of the University of NSW. Mr King is an honorary fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia; a foundation fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Building and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Mr John Landerer is a solicitor specialising in corporate advisory work and is also a professional company director. He is currently Chair of Goldsearch Limited and other private companies. He has served as the Chair of the Home Purchase Assistance Authority and is on the board of Life Education Australia and the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children as well as on the boards of various charitable institutions. Mr Landerer holds an honorary doctorate from Macquarie University in business and commercial law. He is also a fellow of University of Sydney. Mr Landerer is a Member of the Order of Australia and a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He is also a Commander in the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity. He joined the Foundation Board in 2007.
Mr Simon Mordant is Co-Chief Executive of Greenhill Caliburn, a leading independent corporate advisory firm specialising in advising major corporates on their merger and acquisition and capital markets strategies. He is a chartered accountant and is Chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art, a director of the Sydney Theatre Company and Deputy Commissioner for Australia at the Venice Biennale. Mr Mordant joined the Foundation Board in 2009.
Following nurse training at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane, Sister Clare entered the Sisters of Charity. She has over 43 years experience in health and research services. Her ministry experience includes health, welfare, governance and administration, serving on boards within the Sisters of Charity Health Service and other Church bodies. Her present Ministry is one of hospitality. Hospitality to women who have loved ones in hospital within the St Vincent’s campus, to patients who come from the Solomon Islands for health care within the St Vincent’s campus, to women and men who suffer with mental health issues. Sister Clare joined the Foundation Board in 2010.
Mr Brad Rees is involved in a number of charitable, arts and educational interests and is a director of a private investment company. Until 2007, he was a managing director and equity partner of the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs JBWere. Mr Rees was with the firm for 23 years and worked in the Melbourne, Sydney and London offices providing financial and investment banking advice to corporations and governments in Australia and overseas. Mr Rees joined the Foundation Board in 2008. 