Board of Directors

The Board is charged with setting the strategic direction of the VNI. The Board also considers recommendations for research funding from the Evaluation Committee and is responsible for approving VNI research funding.

Current members

Mr Geoff Hilton (Chair)

Nominee of the Transport Accident Commission (appointed May 2007)
Mr Geoff Hilton is a Director of the TAC and WorkSafe Victoria. He has worked as a Member of State Parliament and in the executive search industry. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Mr Bill Burdett



Independent Director (appointed November 2006)
Mr Bill Burdett has worked in oil exploration and was the founding Chairman and Chief Executive of Burdett, Buckeridge & Young, an institutional stockbroker. He is currently a Director of Neurosciences Victoria, the Australian International Health Institute, IRESS Market Technology Limited and Investment Technology Group Inc.

Dr Alex Collie (Executive Director)


Nominee of the Transport Accident Commission (appointed December 2006)
Dr Alex Collie is a clinical neuroscientist and was a founding scientist with Melbourne-based biotechnology company CogState. Having successfully established the company’s European office, he returned to Melbourne to take up the position of Executive Director with the VNI.

Dr Peter Harcourt

Nominee of the Victorian WorkCover Authority (appointed November 2006)
Dr Peter Harcourt has worked as a sports physician in elite sport at the Victorian Institute of Sport, AFL, Olympic and Commonwealth Games, basketball and Australian cricket. He is currently Clinical Convenor for the TAC/WorkSafe joint Health Services Group.

Professor Richard Smallwood

Nominee of the Transport Accident Commission (appointed February 2009)
Professor Richard Smallwood is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, and is Acting President of the Australian Medical Council. He has been the Chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council, President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Chair of the National Blood Authority and Chief Medical Officer for Australia. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1997 for services to medicine.