ABOUT UDC

A registered nurse turned social entrepreneur, Kirsty is passionate about showing people how to stay connected to our loved ones experiencing dementia by building supportive environments.

As the CEO and founder, she is responsible for fostering a strong, supportive culture throughout the organisation with an emphasis on empowering everyone to thrive in times of change, crisis and connection.

When she isn’t working, you’ll find Kirsty playing with her young daughters, picking the brains of co-innovators and walking her headstrong dog.

Jen has worked extensively across the private and public sector and brings with her a broad range of skills including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, quality improvement expertise, project management, and evaluation.

Jen is passionate about leading innovation and improvement across the health system and has a particular interest in dementia care and care for older people.

In her day job, Jen leads large scale improvement projects which aim to improve healthcare for Victorians. In her spare time Jen loves singing and playing guitar (averagely) as well as sitting down with a good knitting project.

Jan has over 30 years’ experience in community development and social planning, in both the local government and community sectors. Her roles have included management of strategic planning, social policy, research, infrastructure planning, advocacy, community grants programs and events.

One area of particular interest is the youth and community sectors, working with disadvantaged young people and families, older people, people with disabilities and those impacted by homelessness, unemployment, mental health issues and family violence. Jen also has a strong commitment to community and has served on a number of boards including housing and womens’ refugees.

Chris is Kirsty’s husband and a strong supporter of the Umbrella Dementia cafés initiative, having visited the Pabulum café in the UK together in 2016.  Chris has supported Kirsty in her UDC journey and joined the board as a Non-Executive Director when the charity was formed in 2018.

In his day job, Chris is an employee benefits consultant, specialising in superannuation, and is a qualified Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK.  Chris works with some of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, providing actuarial and strategic advice on a range of related matters.

Outside of work, Chris’s two daughters occupy much of his time, but he also enjoys travelling and alpine skiing in the winter months (in either hemisphere).

After experiencing the effects of dementia first hand with her grandmother, Rebecca is a true cheerleader for Umbrella, understanding the importance of community for people going through similar circumstances.

Rebecca has a Bachelor of Business Accounting and loves crunching numbers, cash flow analysis and spreadsheets. Being able to support Umbrella to achieve its goals brings her great joy.

When Rebecca can tear her eyes away from Excel, she’s raising her three children, hitting the basketball court and looking for ways to make a difference in the future.