Executive team

Dr. Lisa Murphy is the Chief Executive Officer of Stroke Foundation Australia, having been appointed to the role in April 2023. She previously served as Executive Director of Stroke Services and Research, a position she held since 2020.

Dr. Murphy brings more than 25 years' experience in health, both clinically in general and emergency medicine and in anaesthesia and intensive care from the UK, and more recently in the non-profit health sector in senior management and executive roles. Prior to joining Stroke Foundation, she spent time at Kidney Health Australia in various leadership roles including Interim CEO.

Dr. Murphy serves as co-chair of the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) Stroke Support Organization Committee and was a previous WSO Board member. She is Chair of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance, Australian Stroke Alliance Board member, Australian Stroke Clinical Registry Advisory Board member and Co-chair of the Australian Stroke Coalition.

Dr Murphy has published articles on stroke, prevention of chronic conditions, chronic kidney disease, and lived experience co-design. She is passionate about prevention of chronic conditions, equity in health, and lived experience involvement and co-design.

Rachel Bailey is a Certified Fundraising Executive, with over 25 years of expertise in fundraising, strategic development, and organisational leadership. A passionate advocate for social impact, Rachel has led strategic initiatives across various sectors, including health, human rights and conservation.

Previously, Rachel served as the Executive Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications at Red Nose, where she led multimillion-dollar fundraising programs, and developed innovative strategies to engage donors, corporate partners, and stakeholders. She headed up the GRIEFis247 advocacy campaign that generated $6 million in funding and significantly expanded the charity's reach. She also held Director positions with The Nature Conservancy and Cancer Council NSW, where she delivered significant funding and drove digital revenue growth.

Rachel is a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia and a member of the Fundraising Institute Australia State Committee for Victoria.

Kelvin joined the Stroke Foundation in 2003 after several years working as a physiotherapist across metropolitan and regional Australian and in the UK. Over more than two decades working at the Foundation, Kelvin has overseen some the most significant projects to improve the services that are provided to people recovering from stroke. For example, Kelvin has overseen the National Stroke Guidelines since 2004 and led the transition to one of the worlds first ‘living’ guidelines. 

For more than a decade he was also involved in overseeing the National Stroke Audit which monitored evidence-based care delivered to people in acute and in-patient rehabilitation across Australia. Kelvin has also supported the development of the InformMe website dedicated to supporting health professionals by providing care recommendations, resources and online education and now leads the research program to support find the next major break throughs in stroke and support the development of the next wave of research leaders. He supports policy and advocacy efforts for stroke and remains actively involved in national and international efforts to improve guideline methods and their implementation.

Chris Hennessy is an experienced public policy and government relations professional with a proven track record of shaping strategy, securing outcomes, and building coalitions across government, industry, and the community. With a background spanning ministerial advisory roles, university executive leadership, and not-for-profit advocacy, Chris brings a deep understanding of the levers of influence in Australian public life.

Chris served as Chief of Staff to the Vice-Chancellor at Swinburne University of Technology and previously as Director of Government, Industry and Community Engagement, where he led major campaigns in teacher education, aviation, and higher education reform. building strategic alliances across government and industry. He has also advised ministers and senior bureaucrats across a number of education portfolios, supporting complex policy negotiations and stakeholder engagement initiatives with measurable impact.

Chris' career includes senior roles in government relations, multicultural engagement, and public affairs across the tertiary education, aviation, and community sectors. He is a trusted communicator and strategist with a strong focus on outcomes, reputation management, and inclusive policy design. Skilled in navigating political complexity, Chris is passionate about connecting institutions with the communities they serve to drive systemic, positive change.