The Board

Damian Burton

Chair

MBA; GAICD

Damian commenced his working career as an officer in the Australian Army where he served for 18 years. Following that, his roles have focussed on the logistics, ports and industrial sectors including being in senior roles Qantas, Patrick Stevedores, Cleanaway and Programmed. Damian is currently the MD of his own wholesale fruit and vegetable business, based in Perth but supporting clients in multiple sectors across WA.

Damian has previously been the Chairman of Lofte Pty Ltd in the marine logistics sector and the Chairman of Manna, a not for profit that runs school breakfasts programmes in over 50 schools across Perth. Damian is currently the Chairman of Back on Track, a not for profit providing educational support to children undergoing cancer treatment and also does volunteer work for Vinnies/St Vincent de Paul.

ANGUS HOLLINGTON

Vice Chair

Lived Experience

Angus Hollington brings lived experience as Deputy Chairperson on the board of Back on Track Foundation.

Angus was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, at 11 years of age. He experienced significant disruption to his final year of primary school and the transition to high school with 10 months of chemotherapy. What followed was a further 4 years of physiotherapy, surgeries, and hospital appointments before receiving a devastating second diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia at 16 years of age.

In year 11 and studying a pre apprenticeship Angus again had his life upended with an immediate above knee amputation, and over 100 nights in patient treatment in an isolation room, with a stem cell transplant performed in the height of worldwide COVID lockdowns.

Angus was unable to complete his preferred vocational studies in high school and was forced to make significant adjustments to his career goals. These experiences inform his advocacy and drive his passion in supporting other child cancer survivors.

Justin Bruce

Treasurer

B Bus (Accounting), CPA and Lived Experience

Justin Bruce is the Treasurer of Back on Track Foundation and has played a formative role in shaping the organisation’s purpose. A childhood leukaemia survivor, Justin was diagnosed at the age of four. His experience of returning to school after treatment, and the academic and social disruption that followed, directly informed the Foundation’s focus on school-based support. In early discussions about building a program to better support children affected by cancer, Justin was clear that meaningful change had to occur at education level, where long-term outcomes are most visibly shaped.

Justin also serves on the Board of the Child Cancer Research Foundation. Professionally, he is a Director and Chief Financial Officer of a large national wholesale company, bringing extensive experience in accounting, finance and corporate governance. He joined the Back on Track Board with a strong commitment to improving the transition from treatment to everyday life for childhood cancer survivors. His lived experience, combined with his financial leadership expertise, strengthens both the Foundation’s strategic direction and fiscal oversight as it grows.

Philippa Gardener

Secretary

MBA; Dip. Personnel Management, Lived experience, Governance Specialist

Philippa knows first hand the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on a child’s educational journey after her own son was diagnosed with t-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was six years old.

Relocating from regional WA to Perth while her son completed his chemotherapy treatment has also provided Philippa with a strong understanding of the unique challenges faced by those who may be far from family and social support networks for extended periods, and the difficulties in accessing needed educational support services both during treatment and once treatment is finished and families return home.

This lived experience, combined with her Master’s in Business Administration and human resource management qualifications, and professional background in corporate governance within the government and not for profit sectors, ensure she is well positioned to fulfil a regional parent representative role on the Back on Track Board.

Kylie Dalton

Director

CEO & Founder, MBA, FGIA, Certified Chair

Kylie Dalton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Back on Track Foundation, a Western Australian charity redefining how children recover educationally after cancer treatment. She established Back on Track in response to a systemic gap: while medical care focuses on survival, many children are left without structured support to rebuild learning confidence, cognitive capacity, and school engagement. Under her leadership, the organisation has developed a trauma-informed education advocacy model that integrates tutoring, family support, and specialist school collaboration, supported by rigorous governance and data protection standards.

Kylie brings more than two decades of experience across education, social impact, and digital transformation. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the Child Cancer Research Foundation, where she led organisational change and technology implementation to strengthen service delivery. She holds an MBA, is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, and is a Certified Chair and Board Advisor. She also serves as the inaugural Chair of the AI Governance Expert Advisory Panel convened by the Governance Institute of Australia.

At Back on Track, Kylie is leading the development of AI-enabled education systems designed specifically for medically vulnerable children, combining adaptive learning with strict ethical oversight. Her leadership is defined by disciplined strategy, responsible innovation, and a clear national ambition: that surviving cancer should never mean falling permanently behind in education or opportunity.

Claudia Schlesinger

Director

BA (Hons), Dip. Personnel Management, 26 Years NGO Experience, International Change Management Specialist

Claudia brings over 30 years of senior leadership experience in organisational change, HR transformation, and community development across Asia-Pacific. She draws on her commercial background to support strategic planning, programme design, and long-term sustainability across non-profit and community sectors ensuring organisations deliver meaningful impact while remaining deeply connected to those they serve. A passionate advocate for corporate social responsibility, Claudia has led NGO capacity-building, fundraising, and cross-sector collaboration throughout the region.

In 2000, Claudia co-founded and served as Director of Enlighten — Action for Epilepsy, a Hong Kong-based charity dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and supporting individuals and families living with epilepsy. Under her leadership, the charity developed impactful community programs, advocacy initiatives, and stakeholder partnerships that promoted inclusion, understanding, and equal opportunity across Hong Kong. In addition to her charity leadership, Claudia has worked extensively with industry bodies across Asia to elevate service standards and embed best practices in the customer service and contact centre sector. She continues to bring commercial insight and strategic focus to drive sustainable, community-led outcomes in both corporate and nonprofit environments.

ANDREA ALEXANDER

Director

CEO of Child Cancer Research Foundation

Andrea Alexander is a Board Member of the Back on Track Foundation and has worked in the not-for-profit sector for close to three decades. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Child Cancer Research Foundation (CCRF), where she has spent the majority of her professional life supporting children, adolescents and young people affected by cancer. Her career reflects long-term commitment and steady leadership within the child cancer community.

During her time as CEO, Andrea has overseen the CCRF’s ongoing operations, including fundraising, community engagement, and the distribution of research funding. She has guided the organisation through periods of change and growth, maintaining relationships with donors, researchers, and families. Her experience is grounded in long-standing, hands-on leadership and deep familiarity with the not-for-profit environment, developed through decades of operational oversight and sector engagement.

Andrea maintained strong oversight of the Back on Track Education Program during its time under the Child Cancer Research Foundation and supported its growth within that structure. She played an important role in endorsing and facilitating the program’s transition to an independent charity, recognising the opportunity for it to expand its focus and impact under its own governance framework.