Don Smarrelli OAM – Chairman

Don is the principal of Lawcorp Lawyers (which he founded in 1979). He is a former member of the Council for Multicultural Australia, an advisory body to the Federal Government for raising awareness and understanding of multiculturalism. He was also formerly on the board of the Australian Multicultural Foundation and on the board of the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY). He was a founding member and subsequent President of the Toccolan Club (1990), an Italian community organisation focused on fundraising for medical research. In 2007 Don was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to multiculturalism and the community.

Sauro Antonelli AM
Sauro has been involved with Assisi Aged Care since its inception in 1990 and was the inaugural Secretary of the organisation’s Committee of Management. He has been President of the Assisi Board over two periods, totalling seven years. In 2008, in recognition of over 40 years’ work in the Italian community, Sauro was awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia (AM). Sauro is Chair of the Patronato INAS in Australia and volunteers as a biographer with Eastern Palliative Care.

Don Pasquariello

Don is a Chartered Accountant FCA and has been a Senior Client Services Partner of Deloitte & KPMG, both global professional services firms. Don has more than 40 years of professional experience, including 28 years as a Partner.

Don has stellar credentials and a strong understanding of the Australian Corporations Act, public and private company reporting, risk management, corporate governance and due diligence. Throughout his career, Don has provided valued counsel to the Boards of Directors of the clients he has served.

Don is also a Board Director of Jesuit Education Australasia Limited and a Board Director of Co.As.It. and also a Member of the Audit & Finance Committee for St Vincents Institute of Medical Research Limited.

Ruth Richardson Clark

Ruth is a strategic finance executive with over 20 years’ experience in branded consumer businesses across education, cosmetics, technology and food. She has lived and worked in Australia and Belgium, with additional business experience in 6 European countries and New Zealand. Currently Ruth is the CFO for Campion Education (Aust) Pty Ltd.

Joe Gangi

Joe has over 35 years’ experience in business management and corporate governance in both private and public sectors. He is a director of a consulting firm providing technical and project governance advice to both private and Government clients and his corporate experience is focused on risk management, risk mitigation and business sustainability. Joe is also a long-standing member of the Industry Advisory Committee at RMIT University in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering faculty.

Viviana Lazzarini

Viviana has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the Victorian health and human services sector with extensive knowledge of health service performance, governance, risk management and resource allocation. Since February 2022 she has been Manager, Governance in the Department of Health. Viviana is an experienced business owner and joined the board of Assisi Aged Care in 2023.

Wendy Dunn

Wendy has over 40 years’ experience in nursing with 15 years in executive positions in aged and community care with Mercy Health and Mayflower. An accomplished and experienced Nurse Executive with specific skills in planning, models of care and change management, coupled with a passion for enabling a meaningful and positive life for older people, including those living with dementia.

Wendy has been on the Board of Caroline Chisholm Centre for Health Ethics, the ACSA Victorian Advisory Committee before joining the Board of Assisi Aged Care. Prior to joining the Assisi Board, Wendy was on the Clinical Governance Sub-committee of the Board.