Our People

Julia grew up in a family that loves good food. Inspired by her mother, who at 95 cooks for herself and advocates for better food for others who can no longer do so, she is a passionate supporter of the Foundation’s vision. Julia brings significant governance, advocacy and leadership experience to the Maggie Beer Foundation Board. She has previously chaired the Coaxial Foundation Board, the Catherine House Board and the Board of the Girl Academy in Cape York. She has been CEO of Flinders Medical Centre, WorkCover SA and Goodstart Early Learning. Julia has always had a strong interest in advocacy and public policy and has a Master’s Degree from the Harvard Kennedy School. In 2023, Julia was made a member of the Order of Australia for significant services to children, youth and community. She is currently a director of the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

Aditi Dhawan is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with over 15 years of experience in finance, technology, and business transformation. She has held C-Suite positions throughout her career.  Her visionary approach and leadership have driven significant growth and innovation across multiple industries. Aditi has leveraged her technical expertise and financial acumen to lead critical initiatives in technology and corporate finance, giving her the ability to navigate the intersection of technology and business with remarkable proficiency. Aditi holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B-Pharm), a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, and a Master of Business Accounting (MBus). She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a distinguished Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia (FGAI) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Her career is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, innovation, and the creation of solutions that have a lasting impact on organisations.

Maggie’s hope for every Australian to have a good food life leads her to work on many levels, with the hope of encouraging everyone (young, old and in between!) to enjoy quality, seasonal cooking every day.

"I have gathered around me a committed Board for the Foundation, all with skills I’m in awe of, and over the last several years I have found a group of committed passionate people in all areas of aged care, all of whom want to make a difference to the quality of life of residents and aged people needing care in the community. I feel it’s like a huge jigsaw with pieces that we can pull together over time to make a wonderful picture that we can be proud of." Maggie Beer AO

Petrina Baker of Baker & Frost is a brand and business development executive with extensive experience across retail, product development, licensing and media. Petrina's 25+ years' experience in developing and commercialising brands led her to establish Baker & Frost in 2014. Previous to establishing Baker & Frost, Petrina was responsible for the commercialisation of leading television brands (including MasterChef) and she also managed Donna Hay's business affairs from 2007 - 2011. Today Baker & Frost’s suite of clients include cultural institutions, developers, visitor attractions nationwide with planning, strategy and commercialisation of intellectual property, specifically related to the hospitality and luxury lifestyle sectors.

Alison is Professor in Human Nutrition and Dean of Research Programs in the Graduate Research School at Adelaide University. She is a member of the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity Research Centre whose research vision is "Healthy Lives for Healthy Living". Her research focusses on dietary strategies to improve cardiovascular and metabolic function and she is passionate about evidenced based knowledge informing dietary advice to help people live well. She is a Registered Nutritionist and served on the Nutrition Society of Australia Council from 2018-2023 as President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President and as an ex-officio member of the National Committee for Nutrition, Australian Academy of Science from 2020-2021.

Robyn is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years experience across various organisations, predominantly in the Australian media industry.  Robyn is an exceptional and respected leader, who initiates business growth and sustained profitability through operational efficiency and improvement, change management and strategy development. Not only does she have a wealth of experience leading finance teams and delivering finance transformation projects, she also brings a passion to the Foundation for improving food and nutrition in Aged Care through personal experience with her Mum.  This is Robyn’s first Board position and she will be focussed on finance and governance for the Foundation.

Susan is a specialist geriatrician practising at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital in northern Sydney and at Batemans Bay Hospital in southern New South Wales. She holds the Curran Chair in Health Care of Older People in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Her research and practice interests centre on dementia, frailty, elder abuse, successful ageing, and intergenerational programs, and her work focuses on translation of research into clinical practice. She has recently been awarded the 2022 Sidney Sax Medal for leadership in health services policy and delivery.

A businesswoman and community leader, Ms Mostyn is known for her exceptional service to the Australian community. She has a long history in executive and governance roles across diverse sectors, including business, sport, climate change, the arts, policy and not-for-profit.

Our Founder, Maggie Beer AO shares Her Excellency’s passion to elevate and honour care as “the quieter, better part of ourselves”, a sentiment expressed by the Governor General in her swearing in speech.

Read more on Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC.

Read the official media release for full details.

Jane Mussared joined the Maggie Beer Foundation as its Chief Executive Officer in July 2024 following working in an advisory role to the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care. She had previously been Chief Executive of COTA SA and an operations executive of a not for profit aged care provider. Jane is currently a member of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, the Social Workers Registration Board of SA and the SA Council of Social Service Board. Jane has a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan.

Joining the Foundation has allowed Lesley to leverage her life experiences and acquired skills to contribute to the leadership team, making a meaningful difference in the food and dining experience for older people.

Formative years were spent in a family business, and latterly gained over 30 years’ experience in senior roles of business administration in the not-for-profit sector; with proven skills and sound knowledge in leadership, finance, grant management, and innovation of processes for workflow.  

Lesley took the aged care journey with both of parents caring for them at home and then in residential aged care. She continues to be supportive to others navigating that same road and knows that her work at the Foundation will make a difference, helping to make change for the better through training and education.

As Project Lead for the Maggie Beer Foundation, Jemma brings a wealth of experience in strategic leadership, health advocacy, and partnership management. With a background as an accredited dietitian, Jemma has led numerous initiatives aimed at improving health literacy, consumer engagement, and community participation.

In her current role, she is dedicated to advancing the Foundation’s mission to elevate the quality of food and dining experiences in aged care. Jemma does this by leading the ‘Improving Food in Aged Care through Education and Training’ program, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Clare Fargher is a strategic project leader and qualified nutritionist with over 20 years’ experience across hospitality, health, community, and corporate sectors.  

Clare brings deep expertise in food literacy, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based program design. Clare has broad experience ranging from leading large-scale initiatives such as Victoria’s School Breakfast Clubs Program, to developing cooking modules that support healthy ageing for veterans – demonstrating her commitment to improving food access and wellbeing across diverse communities.  

Her collaborative, food first, outcomes-driven approach makes her a powerful advocate for older Australians’ nutritional needs and community-based solutions.

Elisha brings more than 15 years of marketing and communications experience to the Maggie Beer Foundation, spanning brand, digital, events and customer experience.

With experience across arts and culture, tourism, retail, education and small business, she combines strategic thinking with a practical approach to building brands, delivering campaigns and connecting with audiences.

At the Foundation, Elisha is particularly drawn to the opportunity to use storytelling and communications to support work that has a meaningful impact on older people and the wider community.