Meet our people

Fiona Payne

B.App.Sc. (Physiotherapy), M.Sc. (Physiotherapy) ASDA, GAICD

Keith Rowe

B. App. Sci. (Physio) Grad.Dip. (Manip. Ther.) GAICD

Keith’s extensive business experience and boardroom knowledge includes 25 years Allied Health experience, holding Directorships of several not for profit organisations including Finding Sydney Foundation, Executive Directorship and Non Executive Directorship of an ASX listed company and Chairman of the External Advisory Committee during the establishment of School of Physiotherapy at University of Notre Dame. Keith has operated several physiotherapy practices across Western Australia in both regional and metropolitan areas including Kwinana, Fremantle, Claremont and Kalgoorlie.

He currently consults to the mining industry managing injury prevention programmes. Mr Rowe is also the Chairman of the Nomination and Governance Committee.

Julie Cox

B. Comm. (UWA) FCA MAICD

Julie Cox has expertise in finance, mergers and acquisitions and strategy and a passion for building sustainable business models that serve stakeholders and respond to market opportunities.

Julie is a non-executive director and consultant. She is currently on the boards of Westpork Pty Ltd (and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee), Western Australian Meat Industry Authority (Deputy Chair and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee) and Intergrain Limited (chair of the Audit and Risk Committee). She is also a member of the Quality, Audit and Risk Committee of Edith Cowan University. Julie has previously served on boards in the disability and arts sectors, including Activ Foundation Inc.

Julie’s executive career included over 30 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers specialising in mergers & acquisitions, business valuation, financial evaluation and strategy. She worked across a range of sectors including agriculture and food production, infrastructure, financial services and resources. In 2012 she joined Craig Mostyn Group (a major agribusiness company) as General Manager – Business Development and over a six year period completed a number of acquisitions that doubled the earning of the group.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Eddie Bartnik

BA. (Hons), M. Psych. (Clinical), M. Ed. Studies, GAICD, FAIM, FASID

Mr Eddie Bartnik was appointed as Strategic Adviser to the National Disability Insurance Agency between 2014 – 2019 and Chair of the Agency’s National Mental Health Sector Reference Group. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is regarded as the biggest social policy reform in Australia since Medicare and is projected to support at full Scheme in 2019/20 a total of 460,000 Australians with disabilities and their families and carers with an annual budget of $22bn. Mr Bartnik provided national level expert advice on mental health/psychosocial disability, Local Area Coordination and community capacity building and International leadership development.

Prior to this, Mr Bartnik was Western Australia’s first Mental Health Commissioner for the period 2010-14, the first position of its kind in Australia. He led mental health reform and oversaw the commissioning of public, private and community sector mental health services to over 46,000 people with a budget in excess of $652m. He joined the mental health sector from his previous position as Acting Director General of the Department for Communities in WA, following a long career and various director positions with the WA Disability Services Commission.

Mr Bartnik has worked extensively and published across Australia and overseas in areas of human services reform, Local Area Coordination and individualised funding and personalised support. He is Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a Fellow of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability and Chair of the Sponsoring Countries Leadership Group for the International Initiative for Disability Leadership. In 2018 he was a Salzburg Global Fellow. He currently works as an independent consultant in disability, mental health and community services.

Mr Bartnik holds Masters degrees in clinical psychology from the University of WA and educational studies from the University of Tasmania and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has been a governing Council member of Edith Cowan University since 2012 and is currently Deputy Chair of the Quality, Audit and Risk Committee. Mr Bartnik chairs the Clinical Governance Committee at 360 Health and Community.

John Knowles

John has over thirty years industry and management experience which includes twenty years as CEOs of Good Samaritan Industries (GSI) and the Cerebral Palsy Association and as a CFO for the Disability Services Commission and Princess Margaret Hospital. He has high level governance experience serving on many boards including GSI, Perth Zoo, Community Employers WA and the WA Council Social Services. John has a passion for social justice, individual rights, consumer empowerment and a world with a safe, healthy and clean future.

Gautam Gupta

Chief Executive Officer

Gautam started his career in Accounting with a chartered practice in India in 1997. Over the past 20 years he has worked in various industries including the Accounting and Banking industry, as well as the Pathological and Medical industry.

More recenlty, Gautam Gupta was the Executive Manager of Finance at Catholic Homes Incorporated (CHI). CHI is a not-for-profit aged care provider, providing services such as Residential Aged Care, Retirement Living, Home Care, Palliative Care and Day Centre services.

Gautam has extensive experience in Financial Management, Risk Governance and Compliance. His qualifications include being a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA Australia), Masters of Accounting (Macquarie University, NSW) and having a Masters of Business Administration (India). He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Deborah Roberts

Executive Manager Disability and Psychosocial Support Services