Executive

Elaine Montegriffo

Chief Executive Officer

Elaine joined MRV in February 2021 bringing strategic leadership expertise and a passion for creating a better world for all. Elaine is thrilled to be part of MRV, and super excited to be able to contribute to its bold, inspiring ambition of finding a cure for BMFS.

For the past 16 years Elaine has worked across the for-purpose sector, leading organisations to develop and successfully deliver strategies to increase their impact by mobilising support and building capability. 

As CEO of food rescue organisation SecondBite, Elaine led a period of significant growth expanding the organisation’s operations and impact nationally across Australia to reach thousands more families in need of healthy, fresh food.  As Executive Director with Australian Red Cross she built the organisation’s leadership and innovation capability, and as Country Director in Laos with Oxfam, Elaine led a national team to build community resilience and deliver essential services such as health, education and sanitation.

As a volunteer herself, Elaine is committed to the value and importance of volunteers in enabling the ambitious and challenging goals organisations like MRV set themselves. Elaine worked as a volunteer for a small NFP in East Java for 18 months, and currently serves on two volunteer NFP boards.

Elaine has leveraged the commercial and business skills developed in her early career as a partner in global business consulting firms Andersen and Ernst & Young, where she advised major corporates on strategy development, capability and performance.

In 2015 Elaine was recognised as a Global Social Entrepreneur by the prestigious Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland – an incredible experience!

Elaine is currently a non-executive director on the boards of Women’s Health West, where she is also Deputy Chair, and of Environment Victoria. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Masters in International Development.

In her spare time Elaine enjoys walking, food (cooking, as well as eating), travel (when possible!) camping and cinema.

ceo@mrv.org.au

Maggie Lynch

Senior Executive Administrator 

Maggie joined the team in September 2018 as Senior Executive Administrator. She has extensive experience in the health sector after a career of 20 years.  Maggie has run her own business in bookkeeping as a BAS agent and recently worked for an entrepreneurial doctor who owns and runs a Skin Cancer Centre and Medical Cosmeceutical business on the Mornington Peninsula.  In the last five years Maggie has studied HR and managed the daily running of each business.  Maggie loves to travel and is passionate about her family and St Kilda.

admin@mrv.org.au

Ph 0477 003 940

Dr Simonne Neil

Director of Operations, Centre of Research Excellence in Bone Marrow Biology

Dr Simonne Neil obtained her medical degree from Monash University in 1993.  Simonne has spent the majority of her career applying and utilising her medical knowledge within haematological bio-banking facilities, in both the public and private sector. 

She worked at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service for 15 years as a Medical Officer within the Donor and Product Safety portfolio, a role that included blood and blood product based research projects.  In addition, she has worked with a private umbilical cord blood bank and, more recently, been responsible for overseeing a healthcare company assisting international paediatric patients.  In her spare time she is a consultant writer and editor for a book and film publishing company.

research@mrv.org.au

Mei Ling Yeh

Telehealth Nurse

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Paediatric Oncology

Mei Ling has been working as a paediatric oncology nurse for almost 20 years.  Her focus has been on integrating the delivery of best evidenced based nursing practice and patient-family centred care as part of her nursing care duties.  Mei Ling is passionate in working in paediatric oncology and palliative care; especially in the treatment and nursing management of haemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).  She believes that patient-family centred care can be enhanced by giving due consideration to variation in cultural dynamics that differentiate in sensitivity and understanding.  Sympathising with individuals to improve care should be made a vital part of our healthcare system.

Mei Ling promotes awareness of cultural diversity given her experience in working with patients and families from diverse multicultural backgrounds from around the globe and her own background as a Taiwanese-Australian.

Beside the time with Maddie Riewoldt's Vision, Mei Ling is currently working at the Children Cancer Centre in Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne.

telenurse@mrv.org.au

Ph 0477 884 955

Lou Johns

Projects Administrator - Centre of Research Excellence in Bone Marrow Biology 

After 30+ years working in the marketing and advertising sector, Lou brings a wide variety of experience and skills to Maddie’s Vision.  Her Business & Secretarial Diploma lead her into various admin and eventually senior executive roles managing a broad range of consumer advertising, marketing and PR campaigns and events for some of the country’s best known household brands.

About a decade ago, Lou decided her goals in life had shifted and wanted to work for an organisation that was close to her heart and making a difference in the world.  Her step-brother had recently been diagnosed with a blood cancer, multiple myeloma, and not knowing much about the disease Lou dedicated some time to finding out more.  Her research lead her to The Snowdome Foundation and (quite serendipitously) she was introduced to their CEO who subsequently appointed her to assist with the organisation’s various administrative needs. It was in this capacity that Lou was involved in helping the Riewoldt family launch Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision at a Snowdome fundraising event (in 2015).

Lou remained in close contact with Maddie’s Vision and in April 2019 joined the executive team to help organise the inaugural National Symposium on Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes and provide ongoing administrative support to the Centre of Research Excellence in Bone Marrow Biology.

Lou continues to support the Snowdome Foundation as a volunteer member of both their Development Committee and the Snowdome Foundation/Maddie’s Vision ‘Bloody Good Dinner’ organising committee.  She also volunteers her time to assist the Kingston Heath Golf Club create and construct the various communications to its members.  During her spare time, Lou loves to remain fit, play golf, travel (anywhere) and follow the AFL (while patiently waiting for Melbourne to win a premiership in her lifetime!).

lou@mrv.org.au