The DANII Foundation has sound governance structures and a highly experienced board

 

Donna Meads-Barlow (Chair, Co-Founder &  Director)

Donna Meads-Barlow was born in 1961 in Sydney, NSW. She is a Co-Founder, Director, and Chair of ehe DANII Foundation. Professionally, Donna is Managing Director of the Donna Barlow Travel Group (DBT) and Director of ‘I Love Cruising’.

Donna has more than forty years of experience as a Travel Consultant, the last 35+ at DBT since she founded the company. Donna has a sincere passion for her company, her team, her customers, and the travel industry as a whole. Donna is arguably a “pioneer engineer” in the Travel industry and is often called upon by her peers for mentoring.

In 2012 following the death of her daughter Daniella from Diabetes complications known today as Dead-In-Bed Syndrome, Donna co-founded the DANII Meads-Barlow Foundation with her husband, Brian. Today, as Chair, Donna drives and directs the DANII Foundation Team, supporting Australians who live with Type 1 Diabetes.

Donna sat on the Corporate Travel Board for Helloworld from 2009 till 2015 and is a representative on several steering committees for the Travel Industry. Donna and her companies have won many prestigious awards over the years including 2018 Best Travel Management Company Nationally and 2018 International Women’s Day Winner. She was also a Telstra Business Women’s Awards finalist, and has been nominated for Australian of the Year.

Brian Meads-Barlow (Co-Founder & Director)

Brian Meads-Barlow was born in London UK in 1957 and immigrated to Australia with his family in 1968 where he grew up and attended school. He became a Director of the Donna Barlow Travel Group (DBT) in 1994 and later of the DANII Meads-Barlow Foundation in 2012. In 2014 Brian and his wife Donna founded a Cruise Travel-dedicated franchise business known today as ‘I Love Cruising’ – Brian has a passion for everything cruising!

Brian’s tertiary studies include Business, Scheduling/Timetabling, Marketing, and Information Technology. His current employment relies heavily on these qualifications as well as his ability to demonstrate efficient publicising across Social Media platforms.

Brian is father to five children including Daniella, his daughter sadly lost due to complications surrounding her Type 1 Diabetes in 2011. He is an integral but often quiet member of the DANII Meads-Barlow Foundation Board of Directors.

Joshua Meads-Barlow (Director)

With over 8 years of experience in the construction industry in Project Management, Engineering, and Estimating roles, Daniella’s brother Josh brings a unique combination of skills to the DANII Foundation Board, blending hands-on expertise with strategic project leadership.

Since the conception of the DANII Foundation Josh has been an active contributor to the foundation in various capacities. His involvement has ranged from assisting the organisation in fundraising events to advocating for our cause in the community. This experience has not only deepened Josh’s understanding of the foundation’s operational needs and community impact but has also enhanced his skills in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and resource management.

Josh’s role as a Director reflects his commitment to making a positive impact in the community and supporting causes that are close to his heart. Josh aims to help steer the DANII Foundation towards greater success and an even more impactful future supporting Australians living with Diabetes.

Alen (John) Rogina (Director)

Alen holds over 20 years’ experience in Banking, the majority of which has been spent in the Small and Medium Enterprises segment and the Commercial Business segment, dealing with organisations that range from small and family businesses to large corporate groups. He has expertise in Marketing, Project Management, Relationship Management, Strategy, Credit and Risk Management, Sales, and Business Leadership.

Appointed to his current role of Senior Manager of Growth & Capability for Westpac Business Banking in April 2021, he has prime responsibilities for leadership and development of the Small Business Strategy and Sales distribution team as well as for growth in the Small Business segment market.

Alen is an experienced Finance professional and has completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Marketing and Public Relations. He has a passion to develop and lead people and has been involved in various mentoring programs within the industry.

Alen is actively engaged in the local community through volunteering and fundraising for multiple charities, including involvement in the Type 1 Diabetes community after his oldest daughter was diagnosed 3 years ago. He lives in Sydney with his wife, Belinda, and their two children, Bailey and Macey.