Anthony Cross
Chief Financial Officer
Anthony has been Chief Financial Officer of Cancer Council Queensland since October 2021.
Anthony holds qualifications from the University of Queensland, Bachelor of Commerce and has over 25 years’ experience in senior financial management roles with ASX, FTSE 50 companies both nationally and internationally.
Anthony spent more than 10 years working for Mirvac in Sydney. Anthony has previously worked as the Head of Finance, London for LandSecurities.
Anthony brings considerable commercial experience to his role as Chief Financial Officer, strongly positioning Cancer Council Queensland to maintain financial sustainability.
Balveen Ajimal
Chief Operations Officer
Balveen has oversight of CCQ’s cancer support operations, fundraising, marketing, national delivery and people teams.
Balveen is an experienced corporate lawyer and has worked in senior executive and non-executive positions in law, private equity, international businesses and large not for profits in education, the arts and health.
Prior to joining CCE, Balveen held senior positions at Brisbane Catholic Education, Queensland Ballet and the Brisbane Women’s Club and was a non-executive director at the RBWH Foundation, La Boite Theatre Company and is Queensland Ambassador for Endometriosis Australia.
Ashlen Naicker
Head of Digital and ICT
Ashlen Naicker joined Cancer Council Queensland in November 2022 as the Head of Digital and ICT, providing strategic oversight and management of organisation information technology activities and leading IT business units. He serves as the day-to-day lead for coordinating and managing the various functions within the ICT Digital Office, and coordinates with and provides strategic direction to the board and executive leadership regarding IT, information management, information assurance, IT governance and security.
He has held several executive leadership roles in information technology within ASX, private, not-for-profit and government environments. With nearly 20 years of experience in the planning, development, delivery, and monitoring of technical solutions that address the needs of organisations in support of their missions.
Ashlen completed his M.B.A. in 2016 from the Australian Institute of Business and holds a variety of technical and professional certifications, including the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certifications.
Ashlen was awarded the Microsoft “Most Innovative Professional in ICT, Australia” for the modern use of technology in the not-for-profit sector. Since, he has been a keynote speaker for Microsoft and Veeam for the development of enterprise solutions.
Gemma Lock
Head of Service Delivery
Cancer Support and Information
Gemma also holds the Chair of Cancer Council Australia’s Supportive Care Committee.
With over 10 years’ experience in nursing and patient care, Gemma understands the impact a cancer diagnosis has on an individual’s relationships, career and employment, finances, physical and mental wellbeing, and day-to-day life. This is why Gemma is passionate about raising awareness of Cancer Council’s support services, which are available to all Australians living with cancer. These services include Cancer Council‘s 13 11 20 Information and Support Line, information resources and practical and financial support.
Gemma’s national role includes guiding Cancer Council’s supportive care priorities to improve these services for Australians impacted by cancer. She is dedicated to fostering collaboration between Cancer Council’s supportive care staff working around the country.
Professor Joanne Aitken
Head of Research
Joanne is the General Manager of the Viertel Cancer Research Centre and Director of the Australian Childhood Cancer Registry at Cancer Council Queensland.
Joanne leads a collaborative program of research in cancer control. Her focus is on improving diagnosis and early detection of cancer, and reducing inequities in cancer outcomes through population cancer surveillance.
Joanne has worked in public health for 25 years and sits on national and international policy and advisory panels, including the Advisory Council of Cancer Australia. She chairs the Research Executive Committee of Cancer Council Australia and is president of the International Association of Cancer Registries.
Samantha Lennox
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Samantha has held the position of General Counsel, Cancer Council Queensland since 2011 and the additional role of Company Secretary since 2018. She has also held the role of Legal Counsel, Cancer Council Australia since 2018.
In her position as General Counsel, Samantha plays a lead role in establishing and maintaining policies and processes that identify, assess, monitor and manage organisation-wide risk and regulatory compliance. She provides professional advice and support in respect to legal, corporate governance and risk management issues, in order to facilitate enhanced organisational accountability, capacity and performance. As Company Secretary, Samantha is responsible for the provision of efficient administration services to the organisation’s Board and Committees, and maintaining rigorous standards of corporate governance.
Prior to joining Cancer Council Queensland, Samantha worked in private practice as a lawyer for 10 years in Sydney, Singapore and London, specialising in finance. During this period, she also provided pro-bono advice and assistance to a number of community legal centres and human rights law organisations. Her educational achievements include graduating from Griffith University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) and Bachelor of Arts (Modern Asian Studies – Japanese language major).
Samantha has been a member of the Queensland Law Society’s Not-for-profit Law Committee since its inception in 2012. She has also been a member of the Charity Law Association of Australia and New Zealand since 2012 and was a Director in 2014/2015. In 2011, she was the founder of the Queensland Bequest Interest Group (for bequest administrators of charities). Samantha was a finalist in 2015 for the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association, Corporate Lawyer of the Year Award.