Media Release April 8, 2025
HeartKids Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Rohan Geddes as its new Chair, following the decision of Elizabeth Foley to step down, having completed her term. Rohan brings a wealth of experience and a personal connection to HeartKids. He is a heart kid himself, having been born with Tetralogy of Fallot and having had two pulmonary valve replacements already over his life (the first one in 1974!). He appreciates the challenges that heart kids and the families of heart kids deal with, and is an advocate for the importance of lifelong support for heart kids as they transition to be heart teens and heart adults.
Rohan is our current Deputy Chair and has served on the HeartKids board for nine years. Outside of Heartkids, Rohan is a Partner at PwC with over 30 years of experience advising on workforce matters.
In accepting the position, Rohan said “I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that has been a support to me throughout my life, and I look forward to working with Marcus Sandmann, our CEO, plus the HeartKids team to help HeartKids thrive in its mission to make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by CoHD.”
HeartKids acknowledges the depth and impact of Elizabeth’s contributions to the organisation throughout her term. She has laid a strong foundation for its future growth and development, bringing her extensive experience in health research, patient support, and stakeholder engagement to the organisation.
Reflecting on her time with HeartKids, Elizabeth said, “It has been my privilege to serve as Chair of HeartKids over the past three years. We have achieved much to be proud of, including the launch of the National Standards in 2024, securing funding from the South Australian Government to build early childhood development programs and provide mental health support, and most recently, obtaining additional funding from the Federal Government to further develop our service offerings. I have greatly enjoyed working with the HeartKids board, team, volunteers, and supporters.”
HeartKids wishes Elizabeth the very best in her future endeavours, and thanks her for her dedication and guidance. The organisation looks forward to this next chapter under Rohan’s leadership, continuing its vital mission to support every child, teen, and adult affected by congenital and childhood-acquired heart disease, for life.
About HeartKids
HeartKids is the only Australian charity dedicated to providing lifelong support, resources, and advocacy for the 250,000 people impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD). HeartKids provides connection and care informed by lived-experience to ensure no one faces this journey alone.
For over 40 years, HeartKids has provided much-needed quality services, support and solutions to more than 250,000 Australian children, teenagers and adults impacted by CoHD.
For more information, please visit https://www.heartkids.org.au/
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For media enquiries on behalf of HeartKids, please contact CEO@heartkids.org.au