Meet our Patrons
The work of the Hush Foundation would not be possible without the generosity of our Patrons. We acknowledge and thank them for their outstanding contribution to our organisation.
Patron-in-Chief: Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC
Professor Margaret Gardner was the 9th and first woman President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University from 1 September 2014 until 4 August 2023.
Prior to joining Monash, Professor Gardner was Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT from April 2005 until August 2014. She has extensive academic experience, having held various leadership positions in Australian universities throughout her career, including at the University of Queensland and Griffith University.
She attained a first-class honours degree in Economics and a PhD from the University of Sydney. In 1988, she was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow, spending time at MIT, Cornell and Berkley. In 2018, she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
Professor Gardner was Chair of the Group of Eight Universities in Australia from 2020 to 2023. She was also a Director of Infrastructure Victoria from 2015 to 2023, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) from 2015 to 2023 and Chair of CASE Asia-Pacific Regional Council from 2019 to 2023.
Professor Gardner was Chair of Universities Australia from 2017 to 2019 and Museum Victoria from
2008 to 2016 and chaired the Strategic Advisory Committee and the Expert Panel of the Office of
Learning and Teaching (Federal Government Department of Education and Training). She has also been
a member of various other boards and committees, including the Australian-American Fulbright
Commission, the ANZAC Centenary Advisory Board and the International Education Advisory
Committee, which led to the Chaney Report.
In 2007, Professor Gardner was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to
tertiary education, particularly in the areas of university governance and gender equity, and to
industrial relations in Queensland. Subsequently in January 2020, Professor Gardner was appointed a
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her eminent service to tertiary education through
leadership and innovation in teaching and learning, research and financial sustainability.
Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC was inaugurated as the 30th Governor
of Victoria on 9 August 2023.
For the Governor's full biography visit her website.
Barbara Yeoh AM
Hush Patron
Barbara AM BSc(Hons) FAICD has over 30 years experience as a director in both the public and private sectors across a wide range of industries.
Her current appointments include Chair, Monash Health, having previously served on the Eastern Health and Austin Health Boards, and she is also a Member of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Management Committee.
After graduating from Melbourne University where she studied mathematics and statistics, Barbara initially worked for the Bureau of Statistics undertaking applied statistical research in the medical field before pursing a career in the finance sector.
Barbara is passionate about the transformational power of arts in health, contributing to a culture where staff experience the joy of coming to work and as a way of engaging and supporting clinical staff in safe patient centred care.
