Dawn is the former CEO of Lifeline and beyondblue and in 2009 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the community and to Mental Health. Dawn has sat on both Not for Profit, community and public sector advisory boards for over 20 years where she has contributed to social and health policy, senate inquiries and think tanks. She continues to provide strategic advice to organisations such as the National Mental Health Commission, RUOK? Day Foundation, Black Dog Institute, Suicide Prevention Australia and the Mental Health Council of Australia.

Dawn’s early professional experiences were in the business world, which has given her a focus on ensuring good return on investment that she has applied in response to social challenges. With a passion for ongoing learning and a genuine curiosity about life she is always looking for new ways to think about complex problems and how to contribute to innovative thinking or public understanding. It has been this curiosity that has led her to move from taking leadership roles in organisations to exploring how we can best as a society organise ourselves to increase our return on investment in our social spending and efforts.