Chair Commissioner - Treasure Jennings
Treasure Jennings has over 20 years of experience in management and senior leadership roles, notably as the joint Mental Health Complaints Commissioner and Disability Services Commissioner. She is also a former Public Transport Ombudsman.
Treasure is passionate about improving Victoria’s mental health system and in particular elevating the rights of consumers, carers, families, supporters and kin. Her experiences as a supporter and carer have shaped and informed her commitment to systemic reform and building a more inclusive and compassionate mental health system.
Treasure has focused this year on listening and learning about the community’s views of the priorities of the Commission as well as providing expert advice on a range of initiatives aimed at supporting the reforms, particularly in the areas of safety and quality. Treasure is particularly focused on how the Commission will use its powers to drive the cultural shifts needed to ensure a safe system that delivers on the aspirations of the Royal Commission.
Commissioner - Kathleen Maggie Toko
Maggie Toko brings a powerful blend of lived experience and professional expertise to her role. With a background ranging from consumer consulting to not-for-profit leadership, Maggie has served as the CEO of the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and the Assistant Commissioner of the Mental Health Complaints Commission.
Her deep understanding of the consumer movement, combined with her work in homelessness, sexual assault, and youth advocacy, fuels her drive for system reform. She is passionate about reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health. As an indigenous person of Ngāpuhi – Ngāti Whātua descent and someone with lived experience of mental illness, Maggie is a passionate human rights advocate dedicated to amplifying the voices of those often unheard.
As Lived Experience, Consumer Commissioner, Maggie’s work in the Commission’s first year has been focused on engaging with consumer groups, service providers and community across the system as well as leading the development of guidance on the mental health and wellbeing principles from the Act so that everyone can understand and follow them. Maggie has taken a particular interest in education, and this year, she has focused on inducting lawyers working in the pro bono space to ensure they are aware of the Commission’s role and consumer rights.
Commissioner - Jacqueline Gibson
Jacqueline’s primary identity is that of a mental health carer and supporter. Her personal experiences in this role have not only shaped her understanding of the field but also allowed her to actively participate in governance and decision-making within the health sector on a national level.
Jacqueline’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of persons with mental illness is a cornerstone of her work. This commitment is evident in her past work at the Mental Health Tribunal as a community tribunal member. Her dedication to safeguarding individuals in the public mental health and wellbeing system is not just a job, but a driving force in her work today as a Lived Experience Commissioner.
This year, Jacqueline has made it a priority to listen and learn about the perspectives of families, carers, supporters, and communities.
Her inclusive approach and unwavering commitment to community engagement not only involves these communities but also make them feel valued and integral to these efforts.
Commissioner - Annabel Brebner
Annabel Brebner has extensive expertise as an executive, economist, and public policy consultant with over 17 years advising governments on social policy, including health and mental health. Annabel brings valuable insight from her roles as Director of Performance Audit at the Victorian Auditor General’s Office, consulting on the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce and evaluating initiatives related to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
Her personal experience as a consumer and carer of those facing mental ill health drives her passion for system reform and improving access to treatment and support. Annabel is dedicated to meaningful system oversight and creating a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Annabel’s focus in the Commission’s establishment year has been the design and development of the Commission’s reporting and monitoring framework and approach to systemic reviews.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Simon McKenzie
Simon McKenzie is an admitted lawyer with over 20 years of operational, senior management and executive-level experience in the private and not-for-profit sectors.
He also has experience in consumer rights, including at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and Public Transport Ombudsman. Simon’s work has contributed towards system and service improvement. Simon is driven by his work, engaging with consumer complaints, people with lived experience, and advocates of those who face barriers to accessing services, education, work and social connection. Simon has experience with the mental health system as a family member and supporter of someone experiencing mental illness.
General Manager, Lived Experience - Danilo Di Giacomo
Danilo Di Giacomo has been appointed as the Commission’s inaugural General Manager, Lived Experience and will start in the role from 22 November 2023.
As General Manager, Lived Experience, Danilo will be pivotal in helping the commission promote lived experience across the sector and engage the knowledge and wisdom of the consumer and carer communities in the strategic directions of the MHWC.
Danilo comes to the Commission from the Department of Health, where he worked as Director, Consumer, Lived Experience. This role provided strategic and operational advice across the Mental Health and Wellbeing Division as it implemented the recommendations from the Royal Commission and oversaw Victoria’s mental health services.
Prior to this, Danilo was manager of the Lived Experience Policy team of the former Mental Health Branch. Danilo also has previous experience in the criminal justice and sexual health sectors.
Danilo is committed to meaningfully including the voice of people with lived experience in both, their care, and in how the mental health system works.
Updated