MEET OUR TEAM
Vicki Rasmussen, FFIA, CFRE
Chief Executive Officer
“I love working at the Foundation because I believe that the high quality of medical care we enjoy today is built upon years of effort by dedicated and talented people investigating the causes of and potential treatments for diseases. The tireless effort of these professionals has made many life-threatening diseases a memory and I am passionate about continuing to support this work.”
Vicki joined Charlies Foundation for Research as Executive Director in 2016.
With over 25 years’ fundraising experience, Vicki has worked for some of Australia’s most respected not-for-profits, including Cancer Council WA, Mission Australia, the Heart Foundation WA and the Salvation Army, raising millions of dollars for worthy causes along the way.
In recognition of her efforts, Vicki was awarded the prestigious Arthur Venn Fundraising of the Year award from the Fundraising Institute of Australia in 2018.
Outside work, Vicki loves spending time with her husband and two daughters and is passionate about community service. As Deputy President of Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club, Vicki dedicates her nights to supporting the club and her weekends to surf competitions and training sessions with her daughters.
Hannah Doherty
Foundation Business Manager
“My goal is to always be pushing the Foundation forward through continuous improvement, supporting our amazing fundraising team and our researchers to improve the lives of all West Australians.”
Hannah joined the Foundation in early 2022, coming from a customer service and administration management background. In her role as Foundation Services Coordinator, she orchestrates essential components of our operations, ensuring the seamless execution of initiatives that contribute in our mission to improve patient treatment outcomes.
With a passion for advancing medical research, Hannah's commitment is evident in her multifaceted role. She skilfully navigates the complexities of database management, ensuring the seamless organisation and accessibility of crucial information. In grant administration, Hannah plays a pivotal role in facilitating impactful research initiatives, overseeing the end-to-end process from application to execution.
In the realm of governance policy-making, Hannah is a key architect of the framework that governs the foundation's operations. Her role involves crafting and refining policies that uphold the highest standards of ethics, transparency, and compliance. Through her strategic insights, Hannah contributes to creating an environment conducive to impactful and ethical medical research.
Outside of work, Hannah enjoys spending time with her husband and her dog Twitch, hunting down the best cafes in Perth.
Sarah Kidgell
Fundraising Engagement Manager
"I am continually inspired by the amazing generosity from the WA community driven to make a difference and help make a positive impact. Working at the Foundation allows me to work closely with so many wonderful fundraisers, donors, researchers and hospital staff and witness the incredible impact being made through medical research.”
A people-focused professional who has enjoyed working across various non-for-profit organisations in the sports, events, and charity sectors, Sarah joined the Foundation in 2023 where she coordinates fundraising and community engagement activities.
Sarah’s passion is engaging and working closely with people to help drive value aligned and impactful activity to support health and well-being related outcomes.
Outside of work, Sarah is a committed player and life member at her netball club and enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Katrina Downes
Partnerships Coordinator
“I am motivated by the impact we make to the lives of patients in Western Australia. The generosity of people is truly inspiring. I am excited by the prospect that every dollar we raise supports medical research and projects ensuring that patients here in WA and hopefully around the country & world are impacted by the positive outcomes we achieve.”
With a background on corporate communications and investor relations Katrina joined the Foundation in 2022 after a career break raising her four children. Katrina feels it is a privilege to use her skills towards such an amazing cause.
Her role as Partnerships Coordinator has enabled her to translate her communications skills into successful relationships with the Foundation’s stakeholders, driving opportunities for growth in existing partnerships and identifying and developing new ones.
Annika Rasmussen
Foundation Administration Officer
"Working at the Foundation makes me so proud, what we are helping the researchers achieve. I've always loved helping other people, I've been doing so for as long as I can remember. I’m excited and happy to be able to continue doing so in this role, building my skills in a way that’s different to anything I've done before."
Annika first joined the Foundation in October 2021.
In her role as Fundraising Administration Officer, she is instrumental in the smooth running of the Foundation office, communicating with donors in a variety of ways and processing donations. Annika is our friendly voice on the other end of the phone!
Annika has been involved with Surf Life Saving for 13 years, loves to read and travel and spends most of her spare time at the beach.
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