Melinda Upton, former managing partner and former global co-chair of the IP&T team at DLA Piper in Sydney, has been named chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific at performance and well-being specialist The Positive Group. Upton’s appointment coincided with the Positive’s opening of its Sydney office.

Positive was founded in 2011 by father-son team Dr Brian Marien and Will Marien. The organization was set up following ground-breaking work by Brian Marien into burnout in GPs within the UK’s National Health Service, which highlighted the importance of psychological health and the power of “risk factors” and “protective factors”.

Since then, Positive has become established as an industry-leading learning provider, working with organizations around the world to optimize wellbeing and performance. Championing a proactive, leaders-first approach, the company’s mission is to empower individuals and teams with the psychological skills they need to adapt and thrive.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen first-hand the want and need for Positive in the Asia Pacific region,” says Brian Marien. “This development will allow us to better serve our existing clients and reach more organizations at a time when there are widespread challenges around upskilling and managing change.

With a career spanning over 25 years, the last 15 in senior leadership roles, Upton is no stranger to the pressures of a fast-paced corporate life. She has been at the forefront of intellectual property law in FMCG, technology and health sectors; led a team of over 500 lawyers across 25 countries; and been responsible for the bottom line of a sizeable division at DLA Piper.

Passionate on the topic of well-being, Upton moved from advocate to activator, establishing DLA Piper’s first bespoke mental health and wellbeing program, SPEAK, in collaboration with Dr Mina Candalepas. Soon after, she was appointed founding chair of the firm’s International Health & Wellbeing Steering Committee, providing a platform to raise awareness about mental ill health and help drive positive change across the legal industry and the corporate landscape.

“I have long been aware of the significant contribution that Positive has made to organizations and their leadership around the world,” said Upton. “Given the current global challenges, building the core psychological strengths of corporate leaders has never been more important. I am looking forward immensely to working with the Positive team to bring those learnings into the Asia Pacific region.”