Executive team

Lisa was appointed Chief Executive Officer in April 2023, and previously held the position as Executive Director Stroke Services and Research.

She has more than 25 years experience in health, both clinically in general and emergency medicine and in anesthesia 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, Lisa held a number of roles at Kidney Health Australia including Interim CEO, leading the peak body for kidney disease.

Lisa is a member of the World Stroke Organization Board and is co-chair of the international Stroke Support Organization Committee. She is a member of the Australian Living Evidence Consortium Board and member of Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance.

She has published a number of articles on stroke, prevention of chronic conditions, chronic kidney disease and lived experience co-design.

Lisa is a passionate about prevention of chronic conditions, for equity in health, and for lived experience involvement and co-design.

John joined the Stroke Foundation in 2016 and has more than 25 years of senior management experience in both corporate and not-for-profit environments.

His early career commenced in membership management with a number of AFL Clubs, before joining Save the Children Australia where he led the marketing and fundraising team.

John was instrumental in helping position Save the Children Australia as one of the leading international development organisations in the country; and in turn, assisted the International Save the Children Alliance in setting-up or supporting fundraising programs in New Zealand, China, Japan, Germany, and Italy.

He then co-founded Redstone Marketing, a specialist fundraising consultancy, working with major NGOs and Charities including Greenpeace International, Cancer Council Victoria, Save the Children International, Amnesty International Australia, McGrath Foundation, Peter Mac, The Nature Conservancy, and Plan International Australia.

Before joining the Stroke Foundation, John was the Director of The Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation.

John is a current Board Member of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA), and former Chair of the PFRA (2021 to 2024). He is also a Professional Member of the Fundraising Institute Australia and holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from RMIT University.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for gender equality, creating a better world and fighting injustice.  For more than 20 years she has worked on successful advocacy and policy campaigns in both government and not-for-profit roles.   

Sarah headed up Global Citizen’s efforts in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, leading campaigns that secured more than $1 billion AUD in commitments to international health, education and development programs, and secured Public Benevolent Institution status for the charity in 2021. She has been involved with Global Citizen Festivals and worldwide broadcast shows in New York, Montreal, Johannesburg and London and was the Producer of Global Citizen Live Sydney in 2021 to raise important funds for the fight to end extreme poverty. 

Prior to this role Sarah spent 13 years advising some of Australia's federal and state government Cabinet Ministers on environment, mental health and health, community services and youth affairs policy. 

Sarah has completed a Master of International and Community Development, is a graduate of the Chief Executive Women’s Leadership Program and graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Dr Tope Adepoyibi joined Stroke Foundation in August 2023 as Executive Director Stroke Services and Research.

She has over 20 years of experience in health, starting out as a laboratory scientist before embarking on a career in international public health. Her leadership roles in communicable and non-communicable disease programs have spanned the Western Pacific, Asia, Africa and the Carribean, with NGOs including World Vision, PATH and the Burnet Institute. Domestically, Tope's health promotion roles have included working with Queensland Health. She joined the Stroke Foundation from Cancer Council Victoria, where she led the Healthy Places Achievement Program and Vic Kids Eat Well.

Tope holds a Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) and has authored publications on topics including physical activity and diabetes. She also holds a Masters of International Public Health (MIPH) and Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc).

Tope is passionate about all things sport, and is a Non-Executive Director with the AFL Masters Victorian Metro Football League. She also works with the AFL to increase participation in umpiring, after four seasons as a goal umpire with the AFLW and VFL development squad.

Jane joined Stroke Foundation in 2022, and is a highly experienced leader with a career spanning almost 30 years.

After having lived in the UK for five years early in her career, Jane returned to Australia to work initially in the private sector, followed by a number of roles mainly in State/Local Government most notably as CFO for Parks Victoria, the Victorian Auditor General’s Office and Baw Baw Shire Council.

As a member of the Executive Team and Chief Financial Officer for Stroke Foundation, Jane is responsible for the effective and efficient management and performance of the Stroke Foundation, and oversees the Finance, Business Operations, and People and Culture teams.

Jane is a CPA, and holds a Bachelor of Business (Acc)(Hons) from Monash University and a Masters of Business Administration from Deakin University. In her spare time, Jane is a soccer tragic.