Board and Governance

Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC is a proud sixth-generation South Australian – her mother, the Honourable Jennifer Cashmore AM, was a South Australian parliamentarian and her late father, Ian, was a manager at Hills Industries. Her late step‑father, Stewart Cockburn AM, was a distinguished Walkley award winning journalist.

Her Excellency studied economics at the University of Adelaide, while there becoming the first female captain of the rowing club in its 103 year history, and went on to join the Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs in 1985. She worked in Hong Kong during the early years of China’s reform and opening, eventually becoming Australia’s Ambassador to China from 2011-2015.

In 2016, Her Excellency was appointed head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, pursuing Australia’s interests as world powers shifted and the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. She also led the department through a period of cultural change, encouraging more women into senior ranks.

She has also been International Adviser to the Prime Minister and Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister and Defence Minister.

In June 2021 Her Excellency was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to public administration through the advancement of Australia’s diplomatic, trade and cultural interests, particularly with the People’s Republic of China and the Indo-Pacific region, to innovative foreign policy development and high level program delivery, and as the 36th Governor appointed in South Australia.

Her Excellency is married to Mr Rod Bunten, a former British diplomat and high school teacher. They have four adult children and a cavoodle, Alfie.

Alison Perrott is the Director, Investments and Portfolio Strategy at Ord Minnett. She works nationally with a specialist team of advisers to tailor investment solutions for wholesale clients.

Alison has worked in the financial markets for more than 25 years. Starting out as a money market dealer for Westpac, she then held senior positions with Fay, Richwhite Merchant Bank and was a founding Director of Grange Securities Limited, a specialist fixed interest advisory firm.

She is a member and graduate of the AICD, studied a Bachelor of Business at the University of Technology, Sydney with a Finance & Economics major and a Banking sub major, and is a Certified Financial Planner.

Alison is also the Chairperson and Non Executive Director at Community Bridging Services.

Professor Eileen Willis has a research interest in the area of Indigenous public health policy particularly access to health care and domestic water. She also has research expertise in the impact of health reform on working time. Research projects have included the impact of Excelcare on nurse’s caring time, and enterprise bargaining and working time for health professionals. She has conducted research on the gynecological cancer workforce, and the development of a community mental health professional’s working time tool.

Michael has had a long term affiliation and passion for volunteering his pharmacy services to THRF Group – Parkinson’s (formerly Parkinson’s SA), it’s clients and staff. In 2014 this endeavour awarded him recognition with the inaugural Pharmaceutical Society of Australia SA/NT Early Career Pharmacist Development award to recognise him as a future leader in the profession.

He has a passion for innovation in health care and practical driven solutions to patient health. Michael has recently been involved in the establishment of the pharmacy services within the tele rehab section of SA Pharmacy. The multi-disciplinary model delivers rehabilitation services such as speech pathology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy in their places of residences and out of hospital to the patient through video calls and app driven programs.

Michael is actively working towards research in pharmacy practice and Parkinson’s disease and hopes that his passions for tele-health and Parkinson’s Disease will lead to changes in the way we deliver information to patients of all locations.

John MacPhail is the Deputy Chair of The Hospital Research Foundation Group. John is also a partner of Lynch Meyer Lawyers, a leading Adelaide law firm providing a range of services for small-to-medium enterprises, large corporations and not-for-profit organisations. John has more than 30 years’ experience working in commercial law in firms in London, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide as an intellectual property and technology law specialist. He is a past President of the Copyright Society of Australia, and taught part-time as a postgraduate university law lecturer and professional examiner on intellectual property subjects. As a practising lawyer he advises clients working in a wide range of industries, particularly medical and healthcare, biotechnology, wine, retail, sports, education and research, marketing and sponsorship, and ITC.

Martyn commenced his career as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy for 11 years, experiencing many forms of management and developing his personal leadership skills.

Upon returning to SA in 2001, he took over a management position in the family vineyard dealing with the practical side of production, managing staff, suppliers and customers alike. The role evolved over 10 years with the construction of a winery and restaurant on the estate and became local leaders in the wine tourism field. Post the sale of the business, Martyn was awarded the role of General Managers by the new international owners, a position he held until leaving in September 2019 to start his own brand.

During this period, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s in 2012 and underwent DBS operation in Nov 2018. The recovery period afforded much time for reflection on how he could improve the lives of similar aged sufferers and assist those assisting them. Hence the creation of Silver Lining Wine which aims to direct some of the proceeds towards Parkinson’s research primarily in SA.

Kevin founded Weeks and Macklin real estate, Weeks Building Group and Supaloc and was Managing Director of the companies for over 30 years. He recently sold The Weeks Building Group to move into semi-retirement.

In December 2016, Kevin became one of the first people in the world to undergo experimental brain surgery involving the injection of neural stem cells, an unprecedented technology developed by ISCO scientists. The procedure, successfully administered by the team of the Royal Melbourne Hospital neurosurgeons, involved implanting 30 million neural stem cells into 14 different locations in the brain.

A keen cyclist, Kevin has raised hundreds of thousands in donations for both Parkinson’s research and client support.  His biggest feat from completing a ride of more than 2,400 kilometres from Adelaide to Rockhampton with his wife, Val, driving the campervan an acting as catering and support crew. Kevin and Val use the campervan for holidays but could probably be convinced to go on another ride if Val approves.