Brainwave was founded in 1994 to provide practical support and care to children impacted by neurological conditions and their families.
Over the last 30 years, Paul has had the privilege of working in private and social sectors in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Initially qualifying with Arthur Andersen in the UK, Paul ran the KPMG practice for Gambia and francophone West Africa from 1990-1993, including running a national airline and selling a national bank, before establishing the emergency programme for the Lutheran World Federation in Bosnia and Croatia during the conflict in 1993-1994. Before returning to Australia in 1995, Paul spent eighteen months in northern Philippines on a European Union sponsored earthquake rehabilitation programme.
Over the last thirty years, Paul has been the CEO/GM/Director of The Body Shop, Very Special Kids, YSAS, Mission Australia Victoria and Australian Volunteers International; COO the Brotherhood of St Laurence; CFO of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service; Head of Program Resourcing for World Vision Australia.
In 2021, Paul authored a book PurposeFull. How businesses and not-for-profits do better as purpose-driven organisations and established Zero Together, before joining Brainwave Australia.
Paul Bird, CEO
Our Board
Mark Hawthorne (Chair)
Natasha Carr
Dr Fiona Russo
Paul Dimech
Rose Donohoe
Chemere Brown
Adam Willis
Josephine Nicholls AM, Founder
(Nic Cox, Patron)
In 1993, a little six-year-old boy named Nicholas was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was the eldest son of Josephine Nicholls. Jo’s mind was quickly filled with never-ending questions. What does this mean? Will he survive? Why him? How could this happen to her happy, seemingly healthy little boy? Her life became consumed with medical consultations, surgery, diagnoses, follow up appointments, and an overwhelming determination to make sure that Nicholas survived.
Finally, after many years, he received the ‘all clear,’ but that wasn’t before another tumour scare when he was nine and a further round of operations, appointments, pathology, hospital stays and a high state of anxiety – not least of all for Nicholas who by this stage was conscious of what was going on around him. Being the parent of a seriously ill child in the hospital is very humbling, and Jo became aware of the anguish that families go through, with outcomes that were not always as positive as hers.
The more time spent in waiting rooms, the more Jo could see how this experience impacted not only the child but their parents, siblings, grandparents – everyone. Jo was lucky. She had resources, friends, and family that supported her, but for many families, this was not the case. With a passion for making a difference in people’s lives, Jo founded Brainwave in support of young people and their families living with a neurological condition
Michael Klim is one of Australia’s greatest sportsman. He won six Olympic medals in his glittering swimming career, proving himself one of the most versatile and popular swimmers of his generation. A triple Olympian, Klim won medals at each of the three Olympics he participated in
Prior to heading to the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Michael became an ambassador for Brainwave.
Michael has founded Klim Swim, Klima and World Series Swim
In 2020, Michael was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and in 2023 established his Klim Foundation to support Australians with CIDP and their families.
Michael Klim OAM, Ambassador
Rae Anderson is an Australian Paralympian and Para Matilda. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Summer Paralympics in athletics and at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics in alpine skiing, becoming the seventh Australian Paralympic athlete and only second female to represent Australia at a Summer and Winter Paralympics. A month after Beijing, Rae followed this achievement by being selected in the Australian Para Matildas squad placing Runners Up at the Inaugural Female Football World Cup.
At age one she was diagnosed with Left Hemiplegic Dystonic and Spastic Cerebral Palsy, not being expected to walk unassisted. This was followed by ongoing physiotherapy, several multilevel surgeries and rehabilitation. "I competed for my primary school in able-bodied sports including soccer, hockey, oz tag, futsal and athletics; with the goal of one day competing for Australia in soccer - having cerebral palsy and learning about the Paralympics made that goal a possibility”.
In 2018 she took a year-long break from elite sport to focus on her studies. She moved to Indonesia for six months to pursue a degree in cultural studies at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, where all her units were in Indonesian.
She has worked as Co-Director at University Bridge Project, a cultural exchanges initiative between Australian and Indonesian university students. In January 2021, she began working part-time as Project Coordinator at Disability Sports Australia whilst also working for Cerebral Palsy Sporting and Recreation Association in a similar role since May 2017.
Rae Anderson, Ambassador
“My personal goal has and always will be to become the best person I can be regardless of my abilities and disabilities. ”
Melanie Dimmitt is a freelance journalist. Since launching her debut book, Special: antidotes to the obsessions that come with a child’s disability, Melanie has written, spoken, podcasted and advocated far and wide for parents travelling not-so-typical paths.
In 2021, Melanie created and launched The Blend magazine - an annual resource for people new to tube-feeding.
She currently heads up news and features at disability support organisation, Hireup, and hosts the NDIS Know-how podcast.
Melanie Dimmitt, Ambassador
Jelena Dokic is a much-loved Australian and tennis legend, appearing regularly on our screens commentating on tennis tournaments, currently with Channel Nine.
As a former tennis player, she became the number one junior in the world in 1998 and rose to reach no. 4 in the world by August 2002. A grand slam finalist
Jelena published her best-selling autobiography ‘Unbreakable’ in 2017, which details her challenges of being a refugee, dealing with poverty, racism, bullying, and discrimination.
Brainwave Australia has had the pleasure of Jelena being an Ambassador for a number of years and we love working together to help support Brainwave.
Jelena Dokic, Ambassador
Luke Breust is a five time leading club goalkicker, two-time All-Australian and three-time premiership player with the AFL Hawthorn Football Club.
Breust kicked his 500th career goal in Round 12, 2023 against Port Adelaide and finished seventh in the all-time Hawthorn goalkickers list when he retired at the end of the 2025 season.
In 2026, Luke stepped into a Development Coach role with the Richmond Football Club.
Luke Breust has been a proud ambassador for Brainwave Australia for over ten years and is frequently involved in family activites.
