International Women’s Day Gala Dinner 2021

Nicole Bartholomeusz has been the Chief Executive of cohealth since 2019, having served in a range of senior leadership roles in community health since 2006.

cohealth is a leading Victorian community health service providing healthcare to vulnerable communities including those from refugee backgrounds, people experiencing homelessness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians and people impacted by intergenerational poverty and trauma.

Nicole is deeply committed to providing high-quality healthcare to people who may otherwise miss out and is also passionate about addressing the social determinants of poor health such as poverty, housing and education.

Nicole’s background as a clinician, combined with a Masters in Business Administration and experience delivering public health services, puts her in a unique position to provide leadership within the community health services sector.

Nicole has served as a non-Executive Board Director for Macedon Ranges North Western Metropolitan Medicare Local, Western Health and Dental Health Services Victoria. Nicole is also Chair of the Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network and a Council member with the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association.

Nicole has a strong interest in health policy and health system redesign, together being a trusted and collaborative partner to deliver high quality, outcome based, population health models.

Kate Matson is the Deputy Secretary, Engagement & Delivery in the COVID-19 Public Health Team at the Department of Health. In this role, Kate leads Victoria’s COVID-19 testing and pathology system, community engagement, public and major events and compliance and enforcement activities. Kate joined the COVID response in July 2020 from the Department of Transport.

Prior to joining the Victorian public service, Kate spent over a decade in the private sector, including 7 years in New York as a financial consultant.

For over 25 years Viv Nguyen has worked as a business executive and a community leader in corporate, community and government settings agencies applying her business knowledge, leadership and technical expertise to help organisations with funding, governance, risk management, stakeholder relationships and to advance their social objectives. Viv has held roles at the AustChoice Financial Services, AMP Asset Management and ANZ Banking Group where she led the global organisation’s diversity strategy. Viv’s contribution was recognised and as a result she was recorded on the Victorian Honour Roll in 2002 for advocating for women in leadership and work with Vietnamese young people. In 2003 she was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal.

Two-time winner of the prestigious Walkley Award, and one of Australia’s best-known journalists, will host the panel. Virginia has a formidable reputation as a television anchor, radio presenter, writer and commentator. She currently anchors Mornings on ABC Radio Melbourne.