Mary is an experienced Non-Executive Director (GAICD, AICGG) and former senior university executive with a portfolio spanning public-sector, foundation, health and research governance. Her board contribution draws on more than 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, higher education, medical research and complex organisational environments.

During her 24 years at the University of Melbourne, where she became Professor of Physiology, Mary held senior executive roles with responsibility for strategy, governance, performance, quality and safety, compliance and accreditation across complex university and hospital-linked environments.

She brings extensive experience in evidence-informed decision-making, risk management, research and clinical governance, with particular strengths in organisational culture, quality and safety, workforce capability, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement. Mary has further strengthened her clinical governance expertise through completion of the Certificate in Clinical Governance (AICGG), encompassing organisational culture, consumer engagement, workforce wellbeing, quality and safety, and leadership for high-quality care.

Mary is internationally recognised for her leadership in translational medical research, connecting foundational biomedical science with clinical research and health outcomes, particularly in pregnancy, lactation, infant health and long-term disease risk. She has secured more than $12M in competitive research funding, published ~200 peer-reviewed papers and supervised 28 PhD students to completion.

Mary continues to contribute through Board appointments, advisory roles and national and international honorary appointments. Known for her collaborative and values-based leadership, sound judgement and active listening, she brings an evidence-informed, systems-thinking approach to connecting people, ideas and systems to enable better decisions and create meaningful impact.

Read Mary’s CV here.

GAICD, AICGG, PhD, MSc, BSc(Hons)

2026    Certificate in Clinical Governance (AICGG), Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance

2022    Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)

1991     Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

1986    Master of Science in Physiology, University of Western Ontario, Canada

1984    Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Physiology, Univ of Western Ontario, Canada

CURRENT

• Director, Wlodek Consulting

• Honorary Professorial Fellow, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia

RECENT

• Visiting Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

• Adjunct Investigator, Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences (SICS), A*STAR, Singapore

• Honorary Research Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia

• Adjunct Professor, School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Australia

• Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia (1996-2021)