Our Ambassadors

The Hon Julie Bishop

Former Foreign Minister of Australia

The Hon Julie Bishop served as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 until her resignation in 2018. She was the first female to hold the role as well as the first female Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, serving for 11 years.

As Foreign Minister, Ms Bishop was responsible for strengthening Australia’s key strategic and economic relationships with Ministerial responsibility for more than 5,000 departmental staff, 110 overseas missions as well as government agencies Australian Secret Intelligence Service and Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.

In 2014, she led the international response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, and was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Under her leadership, the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper was developed, providing a comprehensive policy framework for the next decade; and the New Colombo Plan was established, enabling Australian undergraduates to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region. Within five years more than 40,000 students have participated in the Plan.

In a political career spanning 20 years, Ms Bishop also served as Minister for Education, Science and Training, Women’s Issues and Ageing. With a life-long desire to advance causes affecting women, as well as a love of fashion, Ms Bishop was excited to merge these two passions and become a spokesperson for the 2019 White Shirt Campaign. As an OCRF Ambassador, Ms Bishop is looking forward to raising the profile of the cause because not much is known about the ovarian cancer and more funds are needed to be able to develop an early detection test to save lives.

Prior to entering politics, Ms Bishop was Managing Partner of the law firm Clayton Utz in Perth.

Ms Bishop is the incoming Chancellor of Australian National University, chair of Telethon Kid’s Institute, board member of The Prince’s Trust Australia, director of The Palladium Group, member of the international advisory boards of Afiniti and the Human Vaccines Project. 

She has also established a boutique advisory firm, Julie Bishop and Partners. 

Clint Stanaway

A self-confessed sports fanatic, Clint Stanaway is currently a sports journalist and presenter with Channel 9. Born in Melbourne, Clint’s journalism has taken him far and wide. He commenced his television career in Bendigo, and has lived in London where he worked for British Sky Broadcasting while also working for Channel 9 as a European Correspondent. Clint has covered such high-profile events as The Ashes, Wimbledon, the French Tennis Open, ICC Cricket World Cup, the London Olympic Games, British Open Golf and more recently the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Clint has long been a passionate supporter of the OCRF, having lost close family friend Mandy Herbert to the disease. Clint's contributions are many and varied, via his ongoing advocacy for the cause, as well as through his fundraising activities with Mand’s Mob and subsequent establishment of the Silver Lining Ride alongside Georgie Herbert in 2017. Clint continues to lend his talents as a presenter, hosting numerous OCRF events. The Foundation is privileged to have Clint as an energetic, engaged Ambassador.

Lauren Phillips

Lauren Phillips is a Melbourne-born media personality, known for her long-term television host and presenting roles on Postcards and Kids WB, and her emerging work on radio. Since her 2010 fashion debut as a MYER Ambassador, Lauren has combined her loves of fashion, lifestyle and travel to continue to build her personal brand.

When Lauren first heard the shocking survival statistics for advanced-stage ovarian cancer, she wanted to use her growing influence to spread the word, raise awareness and help the OCRF to maximise its fundraising efforts.

Professor Tom Jobling

As head of Gynaecological Oncology at Monash Medical Centre, Professor Jobling was instrumental in the establishment of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, in conjunction with Prince Henry’s Institute for Medical Research. He was driven by two things in his quest to create the OCRF: his fascination with the biology of the cancer, and his work as a surgeon, where he faces the relentless task of treating women with the disease.

He hopes that by bringing together research scientists and surgeons dealing with the disease, the work being done by the OCRF will result in a screening test for early detection, and for those with the disease, complete remission.

Alexandra Nea

Alexandra is a bespoke freelance illustrator specialising in fashion, botanicals, and childhood, each piece crafted with her signature whimsical, feminine flourish. Having worked as a Senior Fashion Designer both locally and abroad for Ted Baker, Collette Dinnigan and Little Joe Woman, Alexandra has since begun her own internationally stocked fashion label, Alexandra Nea.

Alexandra is a passionate advocate for the power of the sisterhood. As the backbone of the family, juggling busy lives, work, and motherhood, she is committed to placing Australian women’s health in the spotlight. Combining her life’s loves of fashion, illustration, and a dedication to improving the future of women, Alexandra is a proud Ambassador for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, and the artist behind the 2017/2018 Frocktober visual identity.

Justin Smith

Justin Smith is a Melbourne based journalist, broadcaster and writer. He’s the presenter of national radio program Macquarie Weekly across the Macquarie Network (2GB, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR), a columnist with The Herald Sun, and a weekly guest on Seven’s Sunrise program.

He was the executive producer for the Neil Mitchell program on 3AW for 11 years, before he hosted the drive program on 2UE Sydney for two years. He’s received numerous awards including a Walkley and Quill Awards from the Melbourne Press Club as part of the Mitchell program, and multiple awards from Commercial Radio Australia for his on air and off air work.

In 2013 he went to Afghanistan to host a series of national radio programs from the war zone, and was the host of the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing for the Macquarie Radio Network.

As a writer, his columns regularly appear in the Herald Sun and nationally through News Corp online. And his novel Babies of the Rose is set to be published mid 2019.

Justin is a board director for the Australian Childhood Foundation, and sits on the advisory board of TLC for Kids.

He’s married with two children.

Kelly O’Dwyer

Kelly O’Dwyer was an Australian MP, formerly the Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, and Minister for Women.

Kelly’s career has included a number of firsts—in April 2017, she became the first female Cabinet Minister to give birth whilst in office, and she was also the first woman to sit in Cabinet in a Treasury portfolio.

She lives locally in Higgins with her husband Jon and their two children, Olivia  and Edward, and was elected to represent Higgins in December 2009.

Kelly remains committed to improving the health and lives of women and felt compelled to support a cause such as the OCRF where finding an early detection test is so vital.

Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives (2015), The Things We Keep (2016), The Mother’s Promise (2017) and The Family next door (2018). Sally’s books have been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”. Sally’s novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into over 10 languages.

Sally is a proud Ambassador of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, a cause which is very close to her heart, having lost two grandmothers and an aunt to the disease.

Guy Grossi

Guy Grossi is a leading Australian chef, presenter and food and media personality. He is the owner and Head Chef of Grossi Restaurants, including esteemed international and Australian restaurants: Melbourne’s iconic Grossi Florentino; Merchant Osteria Veneta; Ombra Salumi Bar; Mirka Continental Bistro and Grossi Trattoria, Bangkok. His dedication to ‘la cucina Italiana’ has awarded Grossi many accolades, including an award from the Prime Minister of Italy and a Melbourne Award in recognition of his dedication to raise the profile of Melbourne throughout Australia and abroad.

Grossi is frequently sought to present his love of and expertise in Italian culture and hospitality, in corporate settings, hospitality industries and across many media platforms including both international and national television and radio. On television he appears on popular lifestyle programs including MKR and has also joined Maeve O’Meara as co-host of SBS’s Italian Food Safari.

Grossi has worked with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation for many years and we are humbled to have him as an Ambassador.