OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jane Rowan
Board Chair
Jane Rowan GAICD is Chair of Upbeat Arts Australia, a director of Queensland mental health not-for-profit Accoras, and Executive Director of Eating Disorders Families Australia, the only national organisation supporting families and carers of people living with eating disorders.
Jane brings a background spanning journalism, corporate communications, governance and strategic leadership. Across her executive and board roles, she is known for values-driven leadership, strong stakeholder engagement and a deep commitment to lived-experience voices.
As Chair of Upbeat Arts Australia, Jane is passionate about the transformative power of creative arts in reducing social isolation and improving wellbeing for people experiencing disadvantage. She is committed to strengthening governance, sustainability and impact, ensuring the organisation continues to grow its reach while staying true to its mission.
Nationally, Jane has become a prominent advocate for families and young people, particularly in the areas of mental health and digital safety. She works closely with policymakers, researchers and community leaders to promote evidence-informed reform, and has been an active voice in Australia’s social-media reform movement.
Jane is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is recognised for her collaborative leadership style, strategic insight and unwavering focus on community impact.
Gheorja Haidley
Board Secretary
Gheorja is a Chartered Accountant with nine years’ experience working alongside private business owners and leadership teams to strengthen strategy, systems, and financial capability. She specialises in helping organisations build the structure and financial literacy needed to translate purpose into measurable impact.
Her connection to mental health and wellbeing is both professional and deeply personal. In recent years, close family members have experienced significant mental health challenges, giving her lived insight into the importance of stability, community, and supportive environments. This experience has strengthened her belief in the role creative connection can play in wellbeing and recovery.
Gheorja was drawn to Upbeat Arts because of its authentic and measurable impact across its community. She is motivated by opportunities to apply her skills in ways that support meaningful, values-aligned outcomes.
She enjoys collaborating with thoughtful, caring people who are committed to making a difference. Outside of board work, you’ll find her playing Taylor Swift loudly in the kitchen and having dance parties with her toddler.
Martin Stockley
Board Treasurer
Martin leads the financial side of Upbeat Arts and brings a wealth of experience to the role, with more than 35 years in accounting and finance across New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia. Over the course of his career he has worked across audit, management and financial accounting, held commercial officer roles, and served as Chief Financial Officer, giving him a deep and well rounded understanding of what it takes to keep an organisation financially strong and sustainable.
Martin has been part of the Upbeat Arts family since 2020, and his steady hand and generous commitment have been a quiet but important part of the organisation’s growth. As Finance Director, he works closely alongside the General Manager to ensure the finances run smoothly, that everything remains transparent and well managed, and that all finance related compliance requirements are met. His care and diligence help make sure Upbeat Arts can keep doing what it does best, creating welcoming, community based programs that support people living with mental illness to feel connected, confident and part of something.
Now recently retired, Martin continues to give his time and expertise generously through his work on the Upbeat Arts Board.
Away from the numbers, he enjoys travel, golf, squash and fishing, and treasures time spent with family in both New Zealand and Queensland.
Jillian Deem
Board Member
With more than 25 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, Jillian is a senior people and culture leader with deep expertise across the full spectrum of human resources and organisational change. Her career has focused on strengthening organisations through strategic workforce planning, culture and engagement initiatives, organisational design, employee relations, and large-scale transformation.
Jillian has held a number of senior leadership roles, partnering closely with executives to align people strategies with organisational priorities and deliver sustainable workforce outcomes. Known for her collaborative leadership style and strategic perspective, she brings a strong focus on building capable, engaged workforces and fostering cultures that enable individuals and organisations to thrive.
In her current role as Head of HR and Property for a medium-sized Commonwealth agency, Jillian leads the organisation’s people and workplace portfolios, overseeing HR strategy and services, workforce planning, culture and engagement, and property and workplace management. Her work ensures that organisational culture, workforce capability and the physical work environment are aligned to support long-term performance and organisational goals.
Outside her professional life, Jillian has a longstanding love of the arts and the important role creativity plays in wellbeing and connection. She is an active member of a community choir, where she enjoys the shared experience of making music together and values the strong sense of community, friendship and belonging that comes from singing as part of an ensemble.
Meg Gilchrist
Board Member
Meg brings a rich and varied background to Upbeat Arts, with experience that spans both movement and healthcare. A former youth gymnastics coach, she now works in healthcare with the Queensland Ambulance Service, where she sees firsthand the many ways health and wellbeing shape people’s lives. Meg has also studied public health and is deeply passionate about equity of healthcare access for all, believing strongly that everyone deserves the support they need to live well. She understands that mental and physical health are inherently intertwined, and that one sphere of wellness cannot truly exist without the other.
Meg has been involved with Upbeat Arts since 2023, and she is genuinely passionate about the change our programs make in the lives of our members.
Meg loves watching our choirs perform and hearing the wonderful work of our creative writers, and she is especially moved by the stories of how members grow, find their confidence and connect with others. For Meg, these moments are a powerful reminder of why this work matters and of the difference that belonging, creativity and community can make.
Corrie Dark
Board Member
Corrie brings over 20 years of experience in technology, having worked with organisations right across the globe. As CEO of Integrity AI, she helps businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence through practical automations and agents, all built and delivered right here in Australia. Known affectionately as the ‘Tech Translator’, Corrie has a real gift for making complex technology accessible to non technical audiences, ensuring that the solutions she creates are not only innovative, but genuinely fit for purpose and grounded in what people actually need.
Alongside her work at Integrity AI, Corrie serves as Brisbane Representative for the Federal Government’s Digital Advisor program, where she supports small businesses through Business Foundations. She is generous with her knowledge and her time, and is committed to helping others navigate the ever changing world of technology with confidence.
Above all, Corrie is a passionate advocate for women in technology. She lends her time and leadership as a mentor within communities including Women in AI Brisbane, championing the next generation of women in the field and helping to create a more inclusive and welcoming industry for all.