Jorgen is currently CEO of MATES in Construction Australia. A plumber by trade with a lived experience of suicide and mental ill-health Jorgen was part of establishing the MATES program to reduce suicide and improve mental health across the construction industry. Jorgen has worked in executive roles over the past 25 years as a trade union leader and not-for-profit CEO.
Jorgen has extensive Board experience having served as Chair of the Queensland Work Health and Safety Board, Joint Industry Services Training organisation and the Services Trades Industry Fund. Jorgen has also served as Board member of the North Queensland Bulk Port Corporation, OnTrack Ltd (NZ), Queensland Mental Health and Drugs Advisory Council, National Mental Health Consumer Alliance, Building Employees Redundancy Fund, Queensland Long Service Leave Board and the Queensland Government Tripartite Procurement Advisory Panel.
Jorgen has a Masters degree in Suicidology, a Diploma in Social and Community Welfare and an Associate Diploma in Labour Studies. He is currently a PhD candidate a Deakin University researching help offering amongst men in suicide prevention. He is a 2017 Churchill Fellow investigating approaches to workplace suicide prevention and mental health globally. In 2018 Jorgen was awarded an SPA LIFE Award for sector leadership.
