Our Team

Steve Waugh AO and Lynette Waugh OAM

On his retirement from international cricket in 2004, Steve and Lynette knew that they wanted to establish a charity that would support children in need, the ones who had battled against the odds and had shown courage and character in the face of adversity. Already committed and connected with philanthropic endeavours in India through their work and patronage of the Udayan children’s home in Kolkata, Steve and Lynette set about establishing a charity that would support seriously ill kids in Australia, the ones that 'fall between the cracks' of the Australian Health System. In 2004, the Steve Waugh Foundation was born.

In 2009, Steve and Lynette refined and narrowed their vision to support the children suffering from Rare Diseases, a group often referred to as the ‘orphans of the health system.’

In 2019, Lynette received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her 15 years of philanthropy work and services to the community through charitable initiatives, both in Australia and overseas.

Today, both Steve and Lynette remain intimately involved in the Foundation's overall operations, including the approval of Grant Applications, fundraising activities and events.

Our Patrons First Xl team and their partners enabled the vision of establishing the Steve Waugh Foundation to become a reality. Their contributions, whether one off or continuing, have underpinned the success of the work we have done to date and have enabled us to plan for the future. 

For this, we are truly grateful.

David Coe (Vale)

Russell Crowe

John Gerahty

Phil Green

Gary Johnston (Vale) and Kerry-Anne Johnston

Bob Mansfield AO

David Shein

Bill Moss AM

Peter O'Shea

Basil Sellers AM

The Wiggles

Listed in alphabetical order. 

Kevin Wright, SWF Chairman, is a senior Financial Services Executive with over 30 years experience in both Australia and Asia. He has held several CEO and Board positions with global financial organizations Prudential and Axa. Kevin represented Australia as a wicketkeeper, playing 10 tests between 1979/80 and 85 first class games for WA and SA.

Neil Honan is Founder and Managing Partner of Chartered Accounting firm Honan Partners, supporting clients in the retail, wholesale, medical and legal professions, sportspersons, hoteliers and high net worth individuals and investors. 

Harley Medcalf is the Managing Director of Duet Entertainment and Sports, a veteran in the entertainment industry with more than 50 years experience producing concerts, live theatre, major events and representing elite talent worldwide.

Nicholas Pappas AM serves as Chairman of the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Bank of Sydney. He is also a director of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Nicholas was appointed to the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2013 for services to the Arts, Sport and the Greek-Australian community.

Kimon Taliadoros has worked in start-up ventures for over 20 years. He has been the President of Football Federation Victoria and played for the Socceroos. He was the inaugural CEO and co-founder of the Professional Footballers Association. 

Our expert Medical Health Advisory Committee (MHAC) skilfully assist us to assess each individual grant application, make informed decisions, and verify that our support will make a genuine difference to the children and families who have requested our support. The MHAC is comprised of:

Professor Tracy Dudding-Byth BMed, FRACP, PhD, AM

Clinical Geneticist, Director of the NSW Genetics of Learning Disability (GOLD)

Professor Dudding-Byth is a clinical researcher and director of the NSW Genetics of Learning Disability Service. She leads two MRFF funded international research projects: the NF1 project and the FaceMatch project. Additionally, Tracy was a co-founder of Rare Voices Australia, an organization she established in 2012 with two other mothers, inspired by her own experience raising a child with a rare disease.

Dr Felicity Collins MBBS, FRACP, HGSA 

Clinical Geneticist, Clinical Genetics Unit, Medical Genomics Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Rd, Camperdown NSW

Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM, FAHMS, MD, MPhil, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPCH, FRCP 

Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney; Consultant Paediatrician, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (Westmead); NHMRC Medical Research Future Fund Practitioner Fellow; Founder/Director, Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit; Co-Director NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; Co-Director Care and Intervention for Children and Adolescents with Drug and Alcohol Problems

Georgie Parker & Renee Eliades

Georgie and Renee speak from experience as Ambassadors of the Foundation, representing the work we do and our grant recipients with a passion that is driven by their own personal stories. 

Georgie Parker is one of Australia’s most celebrated actors. As a teenager she was forced to wear a brace because of the spinal condition scoliosis. What she wanted most was to be a ballet dancer but her back could not handle the strains of dancing professionally.

"I was in the hospital system from a young age and when you’re in that system it’s as if you are in a different group. You become the kid who needs to go to hospital and it was an alienating process to be in that world.’’

Georgie has been an ambassador of the Foundation since 2008.

Renee Eliades, or "Princess Shorty’ as she likes to be known, has a very rare disease called Geleophysic Dysplasia which affects less than 1 : 1,000,000 children. This condition affects the development of bones in the body; Renee is often mistaken for a 3 year old. Renee’s condition is chronic and will become life threatening, as her lungs and heart will deteriorate over time, requiring oxygen 24 hours a day.

She may be small in stature but Renee stands tall when speaking out for equality for people affected by a Rare Disease.

“I agreed to be Ambassador of the Foundation because I have a Rare Disease and can understand how other families with children that have rare diseases and disabilities feel. I know how much help and support we all need!"

Renee has been an ambassador for the Foundation since 2012. 

Catrina Unicomb, Operations Manager: Catrina is responsible for the office management, operations and logistics of the Foundation. Catrina has over 25 years experience working in healthcare and finance and is passionate about the role of charity in our community.

Emily Warwick, Marketing and Communications Manager: Emily is responsible for coordinating marketing approaches to maximise brand awareness, profile and publicity. Emily works to promote our mission and brand through developing and managing content creation and communications that align with the values of the Foundation.