Our Board

Liz Behjat’s first interaction with the Palliative Care sector was as a Member of Parliament from 2009-2017 when she joined the Parliamentary Friends of Palliative Care. During this time, she advocated for palliative care both within Parliament and to her constituents.

As the State Manager of Ageing Australia, Liz sits on the EOLPCAC (End of Life Palliative Care Advisory Committee) of WA Health and brings the perspective of the aged care provider both in residential and home care settings to the table.

As a daughter, she has first-hand experience of what is excellent palliative care in a residential aged care setting when her mother passed away in March 2020.

Liz has served on the Board for three years. She brings to the Board a well-developed network of both State and Federal Government contacts which have proven to be of great value in the policy and advocacy space. Liz acts as a conduit to a majority of the residential and home care providers in this State and she is able to use various forums and publications to promote the cause of Palliative Care WA.

Dr Simon Towler is the Chief Medical Officer with the WA Department of Health. He was an intensive care specialist for 35 years and therefore, not surprisingly, has a passionate interest in all aspects of end-of-life care. He was previously the End of Life Care Clinical Lead at the Department of Health, was a member of the Ministerial Expert Panel that advised on the introduction of Voluntary Assisted Dying in WA and has provided leadership in the introduction of the ‘Goals of Care’ program in WA and the option to include end-of-life documents in the My Health Record.

Dr Towler has a long-term interest in organ and tissue donation and was the WA State Medical Director at DonateLIfe WA for three years before taking up his position as the Chief Medical Officer.

He has served on the Board of Palliative Care WA for several years and remains committed to engaging and supporting West Australians to embrace planning for end of life so that their quality of life is preserved and their families can focus on providing care and support in a way that honours every person’s wishes.

Hiren is a dedicated and experienced finance professional who is passionate about developing the not-for-profit sector. He joined PCWA Board as a Treasurer in December 2017.

Hiren is an accomplished chartered accountant who holds a Master of Business Administration from Curtin University, Western Australia, and brings to the Board a wide variety of skills and experience in financial and commercial leadership, corporate governance and strategic thinking.

Hiren has worked in various industries that include audit and consultancy, manufacturing and not-for-profit during his career. His current position is Chief Financial Officer with Silver Chain Group, a ’for purpose’ organisation with the vision to provide the world’s best heath and aged care in the home so Australians can confidently live their lives as they choose.

At Silver Chain, Hiren has been involved in the growth and expansion of palliative care services in Western Australia and across Australia including setting up the world-first successful social impact investment bond.

He is passionate about giving back to the community, and palliative care is very close to his heart, as one of his family members received this service. That experience has made him realise how important palliative care is to patients, families and their carers. He strongly believes in the Vision and Mission of Palliative Care WA.

Secretary

Sam is an owner/director of Mawson Consulting, a global boutique management consultancy established in 2001. She has extensive knowledge and experience in organisation culture, structure, design, leadership development and change. Sam has spent a significant portion of her career assisting senior leaders and executives to develop organisations that support the achievement of their strategy and goals. She has done this across a range of industries in Australia and internationally.

While Sam has completed assignments individually, much of her work has been leading teams of consultants and working closely with clients. She has derived much satisfaction in being collaborative. Her reputation is one of delivering quality outcomes, which are both evidence based and pragmatic.

In addition to this organisation background, Sam spent several years in private practice as a clinical psychologist. Along with general practice, Sam specialised in psycho-oncology and had a specific interest in brain cancer patients and their families, as well as grief and loss.

Supporting people with significant health issues or facing end of life has been long held personal interests for Sam about which she has become passionate to make a contribution. Palliative Care WA is a key organisation in these fields. Sam is utilising her combined skills in helping PCWA continue to develop and impact how end of life is viewed and approached within the WA community.

In my role as General Manager Community for Brightwater Care Group I have oversight of all services for people with disability, including people with brain injury, Young Onset Dementia and Huntington’s disease. A long-standing staff member of Brightwater, I have had considerable experience across several services areas, including managing services for people ageing in the community. I continue to have high level involvement in the organisational direction regarding palliative care.

Trained originally as an Occupational Therapist, my attitude to client care is underpinned with a belief in the right of the individual to drive care and services towards outcomes that are important to them. These outcomes should be supported by a collaborative approach inclusive of all involved in the individual’s circle of supports.

This belief has influenced my approach to palliative care across Brightwater’s services, including for our clients with Huntington’s Disease who are supported to make crucial decisions regarding their long-term care and support throughout their journey with us.

My interest in palliative care has led me to be been involved in not only the direction of palliative care within my organisation but to have had broader influence, including representing Brightwater at the Joint Select Committee on End-of-Life Choices; as a member of the Expert Panel on Advance Health Directives; participating in the WA Health Department consultation on Advance Care Planning; and, more recently, as a Board member of Palliative Care WA.

I feel I can continue to make a strong contribution to the vision and direction of Palliative Care WA as a Board member.

Maria has held a number of executive roles in both the aged and disability sectors. She brings strong leadership and a breadth of experience, working with teams to exceed client expectations through bringing together an engaged workforce, with strong commercial acumen.

In her role as CEO of Melville Cares, Maria leads the delivery of high-quality services, expanding the geographical footprint with the commissioning of new offices and achieving significant revenue growth. Melville Cares is committed to a community focus, responding with innovation and strong partnerships. Melville Cares has been nominated for a number of awards, including Business News Not For Profit Innovation, Emerging Leaders in Governance Diversity Award and Ageing Australia You are ACE Awards. One strategic priority is to better support clients of Melville Cares to die where they choose. Melville Cares works collaboratively with a range of organisations to achieve this, including its research partners at Edith Cowan University.

Maria is a registered psychologist, graduate of INSEAD Business School, a graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors and has held a number of board positions. Maria is currently Board Chair of Directions Disability Support Services and a Member of the Ageing Australia WA Council. Maria is also a current Board member of Palliative Care WA bringing forward a particular focus of end-of-life care for older people when living at home, as well as their carers.

Member

Zoe is a senior social worker in the specialist palliative care team at Fiona Stanley Hospital. She has worked in palliative care for more than 13 years, with one of her biggest achievements being in 2015 when she was recognised as Palliative Care Australia’s inaugural Emerging Leader.

She has been a previous Board Member of PCWA and is currently the Co-convener for the WA Palliative Care Social Work group. She has been a representative on numerous working groups and committees, including the Department of Health End of Life and Palliative Care strategy Advisory Group and the expert reference group for developing the national Palliative and End of Life Care Social Work Standards.

Zoe is passionate about education and has led several quality improvement projects, presented at various conferences, including the Oceanic Palliative Care conference, and has taught advanced communication skills to clinicians as a facilitator for the Cancer Council WA’s communication skills training.

As a social worker, she has good knowledge and understanding of various sectors, including aged care and disability, and also brings many personal experiences of palliative and end-of-life care to her work. In her spare time she is kept busy with her four-year-old twin boys.

Libby is an accomplished and highly respected operational and strategic leader with more than 30 years’ experience across the aged care, community services, disability, mental health, and broader health care sectors in Western Australia.

Trained as a Registered Nurse, Libby brings a deep understanding of complex care environments and a longstanding commitment to person-centred service delivery – values that strongly align with Palliative Care WA’s mission to ensure quality, compassionate end-of-life care for all Western Australians.

Throughout her career, Libby has held senior executive roles overseeing large and diverse service portfolios, including operations supporting more than 800 residents, 1,000 staff, and 300 volunteers. In her current role as Executive Director Care Services at Hall & Prior, she is recognised for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to guide teams and organisations through significant transformation, always with a focus on dignity, respect, and improved client outcomes.

Libby has extensive experience engaging with government, regulatory bodies, and community partners, offering valuable insight into the policy and advocacy settings that shape palliative care delivery across the state. Her strong financial acumen and strategic planning capability further enhance Palliative Care WA’s governance and long-term sustainability.

Passionate about ensuring people receive compassionate, individualised support at every stage of life – including at end-of-life – Libby is deeply committed to improving care experiences for individuals, families, and communities.