
Prof. Talal Yassine OAM
Talal Yassine is an experienced business leader, entrepreneur and academic. In an executive capacity and for over two decades, Talal has straddled the worlds of business, finance and law.
Currently, Talal serves as Managing Director, Non-Executive Director, Media Diversity Australia and as a Member of the Western Sydney University Foundation Council Board. Talal also serves as Chairman of First Quay Capital and LandCorp Australia.
Previously, Talal has served on the Board of Australia Post, Sydney Ports, Macquarie University and the Western Sydney Area Health Service and is the Chairman of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Council of Australia Arab Relations.
Talal spent 10 years at PwC as a director and strategist and at investment firm Babcock & Brown in the Corporate Finance Group and later in the Technical Real Estate Division. Later Talal held leadership positions in Better Place Australia, Platinum Hearing and Star Transport Australia.
Talal holds a Master of Laws and a Master of Business Administration focused on international business strategy. In November 2012, Talal was appointed Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow within the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. In 2014 was appointed Adjunct Professor at the School of Business, Western Sydney University.
On Australia Day 2010, Talal was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for serving business and the community through various education, health and multicultural organisations.

Rima Darwiche
Rima Darwiche, CEO of Central Pharmacy Logistics, is a registered pharmacist, with 2 decades of experience across all phases (I-IV) of clinical research in both industry and investigator-driven trials. She’s been implementing clinical studies in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies from around the world since 2005.
Before working in pharmaceuticals, Rima was a medical researcher giving her the breadth and scope of medical experience to add a different perspective to the roll-out of clinical drug trials.
Rima is actively involved in several clinical trial advisory and steering committees both locally and globally and represents APAC for a Clinical Regulatory Group in the USA. Rima is also a voting member on DSMB (Data Safety Monitoring Board) for several clinical trials in Australia.

Dr Omar Baarini
Dr Baarini completed his general podiatry degree in 2004 at La Trobe University Melbourne. He then completed his Masters degree at the University of South Australia, and then finally undertaking his surgical fellowship through the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons.
In his time in training in foot and ankle surgery Dr Baarini has spent extensive periods training in the United Kingdom, and the United States; as well as having undertaken various courses internationally (including Germany, Hong Kong, and Jakarta).
Dr Baarini has a particular interest in trying to keep patients ambulatory post surgery where possible , and aims at providing the least traumatic surgical approaches to his patients to achieve this. Dr Baarini also has a deep interest in helping provide surgical training and performing charity surgical work in third world countries. He has been involved in charity surgical missions abroad, and aims to continue doing this work into the future.

Saara Sabbagh
Saara Sabbagh has served the Melbourne Muslim community across a broad range of services for over three decades. She has worked in the field of cross-cultural education, youth, family violence, health and wellbeing, faith based education and much more.
Her passion for creating a third space where conversations on identity, faith, spirituality and inclusion within an Australian context, inspired her to create Benevolence in 2008.
Saara is passionate about reviving the ancient wisdom of the Islamic tradition through teaching the virtues of the Prophetic Way, spiritual values, and promoting a life of God consciousness.