Our Board

Dr Jennie Connaughton
(MBBS, DRANZCOG) – Co-Founder
Jennie is co-founder of CINI Australia and has been a general practitioner for 35 years. She currently lives in Fremantle and works in the Kimberley in WA. She has pursued her commitment to Indigenous health working in remote towns and communities in WA and NT.  

Previously she was a general practitioner in Perth and Sydney and at Perth’s Women’s Health Service. She has a longstanding commitment to women and children’s health and wellbeing, issues of gender equity and access to appropriate health care for all.

Her visit to CINI as a young student influenced her approach to her medical work and belief that education is the basis of sustainable change in health.

Annette Chivers
(B.Com, MCom) – Chairperson.
Annette has previously managed a youth mental health service and has experience in a variety of sectors including a refuge for women in crisis. She has coordinated volunteers, has facilitated national and international social justice projects, and has worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with postings to Thailand, Laos and Israel.

Annette has worked with many Boards, including chairing the Board of the Fremantle Women’s Health Centre and was previously selected for the Minister for Child Protection’s Women’s Advisory Council.

Her interest in CINI is founded on working with the Board to support women and children in India to determine their own life choices.

Lee Leonhardt
(BSc Comp Sci) – Co Founder.
Lee has been interested in women’s empowerment and health care issues for many years, both in her native city of Chicago and in Western Australia. She has been involved directly in Australia through the Multicultural Women’s vHealth Care Centre (now Fremantle Women’s Health Centre) as a Board member; subsequently holding the office of Treasurer. She is currently focused in the area of early child development in emerging economies such as India.

Jaswinder Singh Walia (Jas)
(Cert 4 Accounting & Bookkeeping) – Secretary.
Jas and his family came to Australia in 2014 from Kenya where he worked for 40 years in Accountancy and Financial Audit. He has enjoyed working for not-for-profit organisations for a great part of his life in both Africa and Australia. He joined the Board of CINI Australia in May 2021 and has been the Secretary since November 2021.

Currently, he enjoys a semi-retired life, working on a part time basis as an Assessor for Traffic Wardens with the Children Crossing Unit of Western Australia.

Anne-Maree Pezzullo
(BSc, MApp Sci) – Treasurer.
Anne-Maree has been a project manager specialising in research and drug development services within the pharmaceutical industry for over ten years. Living in the beachside suburb of Cronulla, Anne-Maree is passionate about nutrition and fitness and regularly competes in triathlons.

Anne-Maree has a strong background in volunteer work for charitable foundations including fundraising and event planning. Her expertise in management and her corporate experience underpins a stable framework for CINI Australia ensuring a sustainable future for the organisation.

Ravneet Kaur
Ravneet Kaur is a purpose-driven governance, technology and cybersecurity leader who is passionate about using her professional skills to support meaningful social impact.

She brings extensive experience in governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement and complex program delivery across government, banking, energy, telecommunications and cloud environments. Alongside her professional career, she is committed to contributing to not-for-profit organisations that improve lives, strengthen communities and create long-term opportunities for people experiencing disadvantage.

As a Director of CINI Australia, Ravneet is proud to support an organisation dedicated to improving the health, education, safety, and wellbeing of women, children, and families in India. She is particularly drawn to CINI’s focus on sustainable, community-led change and its work to break cycles of intergenerational poverty.

Ravneet brings a thoughtful, practical, and values-led approach to her board contribution, with a focus on good governance, accountability, collaboration, and helping CINI Australia grow its impact for the communities it serves.

Dr Jacqueline Davis 
(BSc (Hons), PGradDipHlthProm, PhD)

Dr Jacqueline Davis is Co-Director of ORIGINS, a $30 million longitudinal birth cohort at the Kids Research Institute Australia, tracking the health and development of 10,000 children and their parents from pregnancy into childhood. She leads a multidisciplinary team across two sites, managing a large-scale data platform and one of the southern hemisphere’s largest early-life biobanks. She has extensive experience managing major initiatives in both healthcare and the not-for-profit sector.

Her research focuses on mental health and wellbeing in the perinatal period and early childhood. Jacqueline has led stakeholder consultations on the determinants of early childhood flourishing and developed a nationally funded digital ‘Flourishing Intervention’ for children aged 0–5 years. Her PhD at the University of Western Australia’s School of Medicine (Paediatrics) explored engagement in digital wellbeing programs during pregnancy. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for disadvantaged populations and advancing evidence-based strategies to support thriving children from the earliest stages of life.

Dr Ute Hauck
(MD, PhD, PCC, FASLM, MAICD)

Ute Hauck brings more than 25 years’ experience across medicine, medical education and coaching.

She is drawn to CINI Australia’s practical, community-based approach and wants to contribute to work that makes a real difference in women’s and children’s lives – supporting them to build confidence, strengthen their independence, and have greater control over their futures.