Who we are

Meet our Trustees

Our board is made up of five trustees, each intimately connected to brain cancer through personal experiences with their immediate and/or extended families and friends.

Drawing from diverse professional backgrounds, we bring a wealth of understanding and compassion to the processing of support applications.

Respecting the need for confidentiality, we guarantee that all information is handled with care, respect, and efficiency.

Group Photo of White Matter Brain Cancer Trust trustees

Right to left: Stephen Boock, Johnny Coughlan, Philippa Worthington, Aedeen Boadita-Cormican, Stewart Stanley

  • Chairperson, Chartered Accountant

    Stewart was born in rural South Canterbury but spent his school years growing up in Christchurch.

    He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1980 at Canterbury University and became a member of the NZ Society of Accountants in 1984.

    With over 30 years of experience as a Chartered Accountant, Stewart now runs a specialised practice focused on assisting health professionals and rural clients. As part of his professional life, he holds a number of trusteeships and directorships.

    Stewart is married with four daughters.

  • Trustee

    Philippa, the wife of the late James Worthington, has lived and worked in Christchurch for over thirty years, with brief stints in Dunedin, the UK and Ireland. They raised five children together.

    Originally from Wellington, Philippa trained as a secondary school teacher. She worked as the business manager for James’ surgical practice in Christchurch for 15 years and was a company director on the Villa Maria College Proprietor board for 10 years, including four years as chairperson.

    Philippa is committed to supporting families affected by a disease that has claimed both her brother and her husband.

  • ONZM, Trustee

    Stephen is Managing Director of W & WL Boock Ltd. He and his wife Heather owned their supermarket businesses from 1991 until retiring in 2016. Stephen was a director of Foodstuffs S.I. Ltd for 20 years and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

    A former NZ representative cricketer, he was a director of NZ Cricket for 10 years and was President of NZ Cricket from 2012 – 2016. He is chairperson of the NZCT Southern Regional Advisory Committee and the Otago Special Olympics Trust. He was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community and sport in 2016.

    Stephen and Heather have 3 children and 6 grandchildren.

  • Medical Practitioner

    Johnny graduated from Otago Medical School in 1980 and after six years working as a doctor, he obtained a MBA from University of Otago and a MPH from Harvard University.

    He was the General Manager at Christchurch Hospital and then Wellington Hospital prior to returning to general practice in 2004.

    He currently is a General Practitioner working in Christchurch and has a particular interest in patients who are on palliative care. He is also a director of Pegasus Health which provides primary and community based health care to the residents of Canterbury.

    Johnny is married to Sally and has 3 sons.

  • Solicitor

    Originally from Ireland, Aedeen moved to New Zealand in 2008. A lawyer, who started her career as a barrister in London before working in-house for an oil major in Kuwait, Aedeen is now a senior lawyer in the public sector.

    Moved by the impact of brain cancer on friends and a close family member, Aedeen welcomed the opportunity to become directly involved in the work of the trust.

    Aedeen and her husband John have four daughters and live in Wellington.