Who Are We

Dr George Margelis – Independent Chair

Dr George Margelis is a medical practitioner who has been deeply involved in technology for the last 30 years. Originally trained as an optometrist, he started tinkering with computers in 1981 when he bought his first PC, a Sinclair ZX80 before going back to medical school to complete his training at the University of Sydney.

He was Chief Information Officer (CIO) of a private hospital group as well as managing an innovative software development team that produced a personal health record for Australians 10 years before the PCEHR. He joined Intel in 2005, and then Intel-GE Innovations as they tried to radically transform healthcare and has some amusing stories he can share about that time.

In 2013 he was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney with the TeleHealth Research & Innovation Laboratory (THRIL) and is also currently a member of Ignition Labs a start-up incubator in the health space as well as a number of advisory roles. In 2014 he was appointed to the IT in Aged Care Hall of Fame for his work in the use of technology in aged care. He is a board member of Multicultural Care, an aged care provider in Sydney and also acts as their medical adviser.

Derek Dittrich- Board Member

Derek is ACSA’s State Manager for SA&NT as well as ACSA’s Senior Manager Strategic Policy with a national focus. Prior to joining ACSA, Derek was a General Manager for a medium sized provider in South Australia with responsibilities for residential care and retirement living services.

He has worked across both residential and community care from the mid 90’s and has seen significant reform, from the time of the first Accreditation round in 2000, the change from CAM/SAM through RCS to ACFI, and more recently the Productivity Commission report of 2011, the Government’s Living Longer Living Better response and over more recent years, multiple legislative and other reviews. Derek represents ACSA on a number of government and departmental reference, expert and advisory groups. Derek has a keen interest in the opportunities that technology will bring our sector as well as bringing his perspective to the current raft of challenges and opportunities our sector is currently facing.

Jennene Buckley- Board Member
Jennene Buckley has been involved in service innovation for over 30 years. Amongst other qualifications Jennene has an Honorary Doctorate from Southern Cross University, she was inducted into the IT in Aged Care Hall of Fame in 2016 for her contribution to innovation and technology in the sector.

George Andreola – Board Member
George has over 35 years’ experience as a chartered accountant holding senior leadership roles in professional service firms and private & public enterprises both in Australia & internationally. Specialising in audit & corporate advisory matters over this time, George has a record of managing enterprises and large teams in long term and project management environments, including integration of businesses and acting as CEO/CFO/COO. He has provided services in respect of Corporate Governance and Board Assessments to both listed and private entities. George has experience in the Professional, Health, Manufacturing, Retailing, IT, Hospitality, Primary Production, Government, Not for Profit, Aged Care services sectors in Australian and internationally, is currently the Company Secretary & General Manager – Corporate Services for Leading Age Services Australia and holds a number of directorships including in the aged care and charity sectors.

Anne Livingstone – Executive Lead

Anne Livingstone has over four decades of experience in the community care sector. Her extensive experience spans service delivery, research, and development, reflecting a steadfast commitment to a focus of person-centred care in delivering innovative, quality, and responsive community services. As the Director of Global Community Resourcing, Anne spearheads international and national projects, particularly in primary health and community care. Her leadership places paramount importance on quality, consumer engagement, co-design, service model redesign, and the cultivation of future workforces in aged care.

Anne’s career trajectory has been deeply rooted in community-based care. Initially involved in the management and development of services, she spent over ten years in an industry association before transitioning to research and projects focused on innovation, new service models, and workforce development. A trailblazer in the field, Anne is the Founding Chair of the Community Care Smart Assistive Technology Collaborative, established in 2015. This pioneering Community of Practice boasts over 2,000 members and has showcased several million dollars’ worth of research and deployment projects. This project has won national recognition including awards for National Community Achievement Award from Awards Australia, National Winner of Best Initiative as Voted by Consumers Award, and National Winner of ICT Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

On the international stage, for over a decade Anne has been an Australian Representative for the International Standards Organisation (ISO) in various capacities, including the (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 314 Ageing Societies. Currently sitting on 14 ISO committees and 5 Standards Australia committees, Anne plays a pivotal role in ISO work related to ageing workforces, smart cities, and dementia-inclusive communities’ approaches, and is currently the International Manager of ISO TC 314 Technical Group (TG) 2 Communications. Anne has represented Australia at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) and has a keen interest in the global economic potential of innovation in care delivery, which she promotes at a national level in her board roles at Regional Development Australia.

At the national level, Anne has been a driving force in shaping policy and innovation. She has been involved with the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC) since its inception, firstly as a member of the industry association, then as a volunteer Chair of the then National Home Care Group (now known as Service Model and Workforce Reform National Roundtable) from 2010 to 2017. In addition to this volunteer role, Anne led for ACIITC the first technology roadmap (with Mr Gavin Tomlins and Mr Rod Young). In 2017 Anne was awarded recognition for her 35+ years in the Community Care Sector and advocacy for innovation in care and support by being inducted into the ACIITC Hall of Fame. Since 2017, Anne has been Executive Lead and Company Secretary for ACIITC, leading a part-time office as well as over 20 major national projects with the Secretariat.

In addition to her national contributions, Anne holds several directorships in companies spanning primary health care, innovation, economic development, and biotechnology with interests internationally. Her state-level government appointments include being a Queensland Digital Champion and serving on the Board of Advice of The Forde Foundation. Anne also established and chairs the National Aged and Community Care Roundtable for Forgotten Australians.

Anne’s passion for high-quality, innovative, and personalised community care delivery is evident in her multifaceted roles. As Company Secretary of ACIITC and in her governance roles, she ensures the currency of governance practices, holding credentials as a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA), a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a Graduate of the Australasian Institute of Clinical Governance (AICGG), and is a Justice of the Peace (Qualified). She is a member of the Australian Institute of Community Directors (MICD) and is the recipient of the Institutes 2023 Health and Mental Health Scholarship. She also is a Graduate of Social Leadership Australia. Anne’s international certifications include holding a Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and International Directors Certification from INSEAD (Institut Europeen d’Administration des Affairs) International Business School.

Anne holds qualifications in the areas of psychology, business, economics, and business export, postgraduate degrees in social impact, project management and business excellence, and has completed studies in Digital Transformation at the Harvard Business School. A long-term mentor of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students, Anne is also currently completing studies at MIT.

Anne has published widely in journal articles on innovation in aged care, has contributed to a book chapter on the role standardisation will play in Ageing Societies, and is currently leading developments of two books, one related to the impact of Standardisation and the other on the incorporation of Emerging Technologies in Care.