Leadership
ANNA VERMOOTEN
ANNA VERMOOTEN
ANNA VERMOOTEN
Founder
Strategy and Vision
Anna Vermooten is a creative leader and social impact advocate dedicated to restoring music to the centre of community life. Her work is grounded in the belief that active music participation strengthens wellbeing, learning, and social cohesion.
Drawing from her studies in Jazz and Contemporary Music in Paris, al
Founder
Strategy and Vision
Anna Vermooten is a creative leader and social impact advocate dedicated to restoring music to the centre of community life. Her work is grounded in the belief that active music participation strengthens wellbeing, learning, and social cohesion.
Drawing from her studies in Jazz and Contemporary Music in Paris, along with a Master of Science in Sustainability and Agronomy, Anna combines creative intuition with analytical, evidence-based thinking. Her scientific mindset drives a commitment to impact measurement and efficient strategy, ensuring that program design, systems, and partnerships directly support PBOB’s mission and align with its vision.
Anna launched the first Parents Battle of the Bands in 2018, with the support of a handful of friends and local schools. The initiative has since grown into a national movement, championing musicking (Christopher Small, 1978) as a core part of social life and revitalising community connection through live performance.
DAGMAR YEAMAN
ANNA VERMOOTEN
ANNA VERMOOTEN
Co-Founder
COO
Dagmar Yeaman is a seasoned Event Producer and Project Manager with more than three decades of experience across the entertainment and sports industries. Her operational excellence, financial acuity, and exceptional ability to connect with and unite diverse community groups ensure the seamless program delivery and continued
Co-Founder
COO
Dagmar Yeaman is a seasoned Event Producer and Project Manager with more than three decades of experience across the entertainment and sports industries. Her operational excellence, financial acuity, and exceptional ability to connect with and unite diverse community groups ensure the seamless program delivery and continued growth of Parents Battle of the Bands (PBOB). Dagmar’s strengths in stakeholder engagement and large-scale event coordination have been instrumental in transforming PBOB into the thriving, purpose-driven, multi-school movement it is today.
A lifelong music enthusiast, Dagmar lives and breathes the musicking ethos, recognising the importance of active music participation in everyday life. She keeps her own musical practice alive as a performing backing vocalist in Mama’s Brew and CocoChill. This lived experience keeps her deeply aligned with PBOB’s mission: championing early and equitable access to music programs, strengthening wellbeing through creative expression, building community connection, and revitalising the local live music scene.
board
HANNAH LAWSON
HANNAH LAWSON
HANNAH LAWSON
HR Consultant
Board Director - Chair
Hannah is a Strategic Account Director with a global consulting group. She has over 20 years’ experience within people and culture, agency and executive consulting across the public, private and not for profit sectors.
Hannah has held a number of Board, HR and Fundraising Committee positions within the
HR Consultant
Board Director - Chair
Hannah is a Strategic Account Director with a global consulting group. She has over 20 years’ experience within people and culture, agency and executive consulting across the public, private and not for profit sectors.
Hannah has held a number of Board, HR and Fundraising Committee positions within the not-for-profit and community sectors including the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Eildon Road Childrens Centre and was Vice President of the St Kilda Park Primary School Council.
Hannah is passionate about music education and community engagement and enthusiastically joined the PBOB board upon conception. She has also taken on the very fun role of "judges wrangler" at most of the PBOB events.
ANDREW IRWIN
HANNAH LAWSON
HANNAH LAWSON
Financial Advisor
Board Director - Treasurer
Andrew is a Chartered Accountant with 25+ years experience working in businesses involved in virtually every facet of the music industry; recorded music, publishing, artist management, merchandising, live events and music production. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at the Unified Music Gr
Financial Advisor
Board Director - Treasurer
Andrew is a Chartered Accountant with 25+ years experience working in businesses involved in virtually every facet of the music industry; recorded music, publishing, artist management, merchandising, live events and music production. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at the Unified Music Group, a globally renowned multi service music company, whose vision is to build an ecosystem for creative talent to thrive.
Andrew is also a musician who plays in a number of local bands and is passionate about supporting music education and the Australian arts and music community. He has previously served as Treasurer on the board of The Push, a youth music organisation and registered charity based in Melbourne, which has been operating over three decades and aims to give every young person the opportunity to participate and thrive in Australian music.
PETER HOLCOMBE HENLEY
PETER HOLCOMBE HENLEY
PETER HOLCOMBE HENLEY
Legal Advisor
Board Director - Secretary
Peter is a lawyer and the newest member to our board.
He is a Consultant at leading Australian law firm Clayton Utz, where he works in the Major Projects & Construction team on transport and energy projects for Government clients.
Peter's focus is on the infrastructure requirements of decarbonisation
Legal Advisor
Board Director - Secretary
Peter is a lawyer and the newest member to our board.
He is a Consultant at leading Australian law firm Clayton Utz, where he works in the Major Projects & Construction team on transport and energy projects for Government clients.
Peter's focus is on the infrastructure requirements of decarbonisation and the energy transition, in particular automation and operational technology.
His love of leading, coaching and building great teams, as well as his passion about improving community through innovation, engagement and creativity is a big asset to the PBOB Board.
Peter is also member of the Ripoffs, the band representing Ripponlea PS.
DAVID LEGGATT
PETER HOLCOMBE HENLEY
PETER HOLCOMBE HENLEY
Board Director
David is recognised as one of Australia’s leading insurance and dispute resolution lawyers. Following 29 years with a global law firm, David established his own law firm, Coterminous Legal which was based in St Kilda. David’s support and passion for the arts and music resulted in a property investment for his legal practice
Board Director
David is recognised as one of Australia’s leading insurance and dispute resolution lawyers. Following 29 years with a global law firm, David established his own law firm, Coterminous Legal which was based in St Kilda. David’s support and passion for the arts and music resulted in a property investment for his legal practice which includes a number of music studios made available to rent.
He is a musician and was long term member of one of the local parents bands. He has performed in PBOB four times since it began in 2018 and his band took out the win in his final battle in 2022.
David was PBOB's Chair and Legal Advisor for 5 years. He was instrumental in setting up the legal requirements for PBOB's charity and DGR status.