Marg O'Donnell, AO

Chair, Breast Cancer Network Australia (BNCA) Board, BRISBANE

Marg O’Donnell is a qualified social worker who has spent much of her career with the Queensland and Commonwealth Public Service, including six years as Director-General of three Queensland State Government departments – Arts Queensland, Department of Equity and Fair Trading, and Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development. She also served as the Inaugural Legal Ombudsman in Victoria. Marg currently works as a mentor, consultant and writer based in Brisbane.

Marg has been a member of the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) Board since 2006 and its Chair since 2009. 

In 2013 Marg was honoured as an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration in Queensland, particularly in the arts sector, to the community through leadership roles in cultural, public health and social welfare organisations, and to legal education.

Marg was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and again in 2011, when she was diagnosed with a new primary breast cancer.

“BCNA is Australia’s premier charity supporting Australians affected by breast cancer with over 100,000 members. The funds raised by FBM through the sale of generic breast cancer pharmaceuticals will assist the work of BCNA in supporting Australians currently living with breast cancer. They will also support future generations through the medical research funding,” said Marg.

“The FBM initiative means that women who have been prescribed aromatase inhibitors have the opportunity to give back to other Australians affected by breast cancer through the simple act of purchasing their prescribed pharmaceuticals from FBM.”