The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of Tass Mousaferiadis (pictured above) as the new chair of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation board, and Monique Conheady (pictured below) as deputy chair.
Mousaferiadis, who joined the board in February 2017, will take over from outgoing chair Julie Ligeti, who has served in the role since 2016, championing the public health approach to gambling harm adopted by the Foundation.
Ligeti’s legacy is the strategic refocusing of Foundation priorities, including the significant emphasis placed on stakeholder engagement and partnerships. She also established the Lived Experience Advisory Committee, which will help guide the Foundation’s work.
Mousaferiadis has spent his 40-year career in public and community education. He has held leadership positions across a range of policy and program areas in the public and community sectors, including key roles at Beyond Blue and VicHealth.
He currently also chairs the boards of Eastern Health Service and Star Health, as well as being a Foodbank Victoria board director.
Stepping into the role of deputy chair is board member Monique Conheady, who has extensive experience in executive management. She is a member of the Environmental Protection Authority governing board and was a co-founder and chief executive officer of Flexicar, before becoming a general manager at Hertz.
Conheady’s appointment coincides with the resignation of Belinda Duarte, an indigenous woman Wotjobaluk and Dja Dja Wurrung descent. Duarte’s leadership of the foundation’s Aboriginal Gambling Harm Reference Group culminated in its first Reconciliation Action Plan.
Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Marlene Kairouz welcomed the new leadership appointments to the Foundation, while paying tribute to the efforts made the outgoing leadership team.
“I congratulate Mr Mousaferiadis and Ms Conheady on their appointments and look forward to their continued expertise and guidance within the Foundation.”
“Mr Mousaferiadis is passionate about the development and delivery of high-quality health policy, programs and services that are informed by the experiences of those affected and I have every confidence in his ability to lead the Foundation,” the Minister stated.
“I extend my thanks to Ms Ligeti and Ms Duarte, under whose leadership the Foundation has become a more strategic and inclusive organisation.”
Images credit – Paul Jeffers