The Board

Dr George Owen

Executive Director and Co-Founder

George is Co-founder of StepAhead Australia with his wife Barbara. Dr Owen graduated in Medicine from Melbourne University in 1973. He completed his surgical Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Orthopaedic surgery in 1983. He was inducted into the Australian orthopaedic Association in 1986, worked overseas for two years before finally settling in to public and private practice in Gippsland. Previous appointments include appointment to the Board of the Latrobe Regional Hospital, Medical Advisory Committee of both LRH and Maryvale Private Hospital. Currently he is Chairman of the Latrobe Hospital Senior Medical Staff group, Chairman Department of Orthopaedic Surgery LRH, and Dean of the Medical School LRH.  Dr Owen also holds appointments at West Gippsland Hospital and Gippsland Southern Health Leongatha. With his wife, he is as passionate about promoting targeted research to cure spinal cord paralysis and doing what is necessary to support and fund these objectives.

Barbara Owen

Treasurer and Co-Founder

Barbara is joint Founder of StepAhead Australia. Barbara balances the full time care of her quadriplegic son, running a productive beef farm and providing much of the passion and inspiration for StepAhead.  After matriculating with Honours, Barbara completed her nursing training at the Austin Hospital. She gained her midwifery certificate before extensive travel around Europe. She worked as unit manager of the renal unit at Royal Perth Hospital, before a period of working as a nurse in remote Aboriginal communities in Queensland. Mother of three boys, she has given unflinching support to her husband’s busy orthopaedic practice. Her position with StepAhead as Director and Treasurer makes her the “glue” that keeps the organization run. Member of the Wellington-Latrobe Lions club and member of the Lions Spinal Cord Committee, she is instrumental in maintaining the strong financial support from the Lions Clubs of Australia.  

Tony Benbow

Chairman

Tony is a senior Banker of 34 years experience. Specialising in Administration, Operational Risk management and is a qualified Investigator. He has held a number of senior positions within Westpac Banking Corporation covering areas of retail administration, financial control, risk management and investigations. Recently, he has accepted a Senior Management position with the Bank of Western Australia Ltd – (BankWest)

Mr Benbow has been a member of Lions Clubs International for 24 years being a Past District Governor of District 201 V1 and Chairman of the Council of Governors for Lions Australia 2007/8.  He presently holds an international appointment as Leader of the Global Membership Team for Australia. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lions House Foundation Inc, and Victorian State Trustee for the Australian Lions Foundation.  He is also Vice Chairman of the Sydney 2010 Lions International Convention Host Committee.

He received the highest humanitarian acknowledgement of Lions Clubs International, and was awarded a Melvin Jones Fellowship.

Tony was the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Spinal Cord Society of Australia Inc. prior to joining StepAhead Australia.  

Prof. Stephen Livesey

Director

Stephen was co-founder and formerly, Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer of LifeCell Corporation, New Jersey USA.  Dr Livesey received his Bachelor of Medical Science in 1974, his medical degree (M.B.B.S) in 1977 and PhD (MacFarlane Burnet Fellow) in 1985 from the University of Melbourne.  In 1985, as a C.J. Martin Fellow, he became a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, and subsequently, Associate Director, Cryobiology Research Center at UTHSC.  In 1986, Professor Livesey co-founded LifeCell Corporation and served as a consultant to the company.  In 1988, Professor Livesey was a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.  In 1991 Dr Livesey became a full-time employee of LifeCell Corporation as Vice President of Scientific Development and in 1993 as Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer.  Professor Livesey is the inventor of the company’s tissue matrix and cell preservation technology. In April 2003, he came back to Australia to join the Australian Stem Cell Centre and became the Chief Scientific Officer in June 2003.  In July 2006 to August 2008, he was the Chief Executive Officer.  Professor Livesey maintains an active research interest in matrix biology, stem cell biology and spinal cord injury at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne.  

Brent Scott

Director

Brent is a New Zealander with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Latrobe University) and a Masters of Business Administration from the Swinburne Graduate School of Management.

He has 18 years experience in the Medical Device Industry including 9 years with United States Surgical Corporation and, more recently, 9 years with Stryker Corporation.

In 2002 he was appointed Managing Director, Stryker South Pacific, and in July 2006, was appointed Vice President Marketing and Business development Stryker Pacific.

He is also a Board Member of the Medical Industry Association of Australia.

Dean McDonald

Board Member

Dean McDonald is a plumber by trade and a businessman within the Plumbing Industry in Wangaratta.  In October 1998, Dean fell from a roof and became a T6 paraplegic.  Dean firmly believes, contrary to his doctor's advice, that there will be a cure.  Dean is a patient advocate, and has dedicated himself to working toward finding a cure for spinal cord injury.  His participation as a member of the Board of StepAhead Australia Ltd enables him to be proactive in this regard.  It was Dean's belief in a cure led him to George and Barbara Owen and to StepAhead Australia.  Their enthusiasm has helped Dean enormously.  Dean hopes that a cure will be found in his lifetime.

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Here’s where you come in.

We need your help
to speed things along.

We need your support to continue to connect the world’s leading researchers and clinicians with spinal cord patients and their families to remove the barriers and find a solution today and not tomorrow.

That’s the
StepAhead Australia
challenge to you.