I would be honoured to serve our community as Council Member of the Graduate Union.  Since commencing study at Melbourne University in 1980, I have had a lifelong commitment to fostering equity, opportunity and wellbeing for all humanity. I have decades of experience across dozens of for-purpose Boards, and connections across business, government, academia and community. Humanity will best thrive when we nurture equity in gender, culture, pride, ability, geography and environmental sustainability.

I look forward to constructively bringing my adaptive leadership expertise, growth focus and core ethical frameworks to this role. I’ve been a CEO and Senior Executive for my adult life. I have a passionate commitment to education in the most philosophical and impactful sense. I look forward to working collaboratively with  Councillors, members, residents and other key stakeholders in supporting the Graduate Union to continue to sustainably thrive and to positively impact countless lives and communities.

Current Council Status: Seeking to Join Council

Length of Continuous Membership of The Graduate Union: 7 Years

Explain how your key areas of expertise will contribute to Council.

Utilising my decades of experience across dozens of for-purpose Boards, and my broad networks across business, government, academia and community, I believe I bring a unique depth and diversity of perspective. My lifelong commitment to gender, culture, pride, ability and geographic equity inform all my key perspectives.

I’ve exercised leadership to support organisations to grow in size and impact very strongly, while holding to key values and purpose. I’ve been a CEO and Senior Executive for most of my adult life, and I have a passionate commitment to education in the most philosophical and impactful sense. I have extensive networks, a global viewpoint, a focus on peer support, mental health, cultural synergies and valuing all humans.

Outline your view on the development and growth potential of The Graduate Union in the next three years.

The Graduate Union is uniquely positioned to evolve even further as a community for people of wide range of perspectives and heritages. The Union has enormous potential to scale up residential services (as planned), and to do so in a way which emphasises the importance of human connection, positive social impact, nurturing student and academic community, positively shaping the forthcoming impacts of Artificial Intelligence, and nourishing intergenerational communication, belonging and wellbeing.

Outline your current involvement with The Graduate Union.

I am an active ongoing mentor in the Mentoring Program, a relatively regular attendee at lunches and dinners, a regular donor, and a former informal mentor of the previous Graduate Union CEO, and an enthusiastic supporter in other ways.

State your TWO greatest achievements of relevance to governance (e.g. as a member of a company board or The Graduate Union Council, as a contributor to your community).

I Chaired National Disability Services Victoria as we led a national coalition of organisations to help influence Australian communities and decision makers in order to bring about the National Disability Insurance Scheme.  This required balancing a wide range of interests to order to hold to shared purpose for the benefit of at least 500,000 people.

As Executive Director/CEO of Leadership Victoria, I led a process of upscaling and diversifying our Board Leadership programs to support hundreds of for-purpose organisations across a wide range of purposes. I personally interacted with many dozens of entities to support progress through major governance challenges.

List relevant industry and community-based experience.

Board Positions:

• Foundation Nova Diem 2025-
• Australian Suicide Prevention Foundation 2024-
• Forever Friends Animal Rescue, 2022-2025 (Chair)
• Monash University Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute 2019 –
• Fellow, Hilda’s College, University of Melbourne 2019-
• Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) 2013 – (inc Deputy Chair)
• TradesWomen Australia 2019- (inc Deputy Chair)
• Victorian Government States of Change Advisory Board 2017-18
• The international Leadership Network 2012-2022 (formerly Community Leadership Australia) (inc Chair; Deputy Chair; Treasurer)
• Leadership Victoria 2012-2019 (Executive Director)
• Acclaim Opera Awards 2012-2015
• Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet National Disability Insurance Scheme Implementation Taskforce 2011-2014
• Deakin University Health Sciences Advisory Board 2011-2014 (Chair)
• National Disability Services 2008-12 (inc Chair, Governance Committee)
• National Disability Services Victoria 2006-12 (inc Chair)
• i-Gain Quality Learning 2008-2011
• Gippsland Community Leadership Program 2008-2011
• Disability Professionals Victoria (DPV) 2004-2012 (inc Chair)
• Council of Intellectual Disability Agencies (CIDA) 2001-2006
• Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) 2001-2004
• UnitingCare Connections 2000-2004 (inc Treasurer)
• Copelen Child & Family Services 1998-2000 (now part of UnitingCare)
• Community Services & Health Industry Training Board 1998-2000
• Kilmany Family Care 1994-6 (now part of UnitingCare)

CEO & Executive Positions

• CEO Leadership Victoria 2012-2019
• CEO Leading Progress Initiative 2019-
• CEO E W Tipping Foundation (now Aruma) 2000-2012
• Deputy CEO Victorian Council of Social Service 1998-2000
• Deputy CEO Kilmany Family Care (now Uniting Care) 1993-1998

Academic qualifications

• Graduate Certificate Human Rights 2011 – Curtin University

• Company Directors’ Diploma, 2010 – Australian Institute of Company Directors

• Graduate Diploma Organisation Dynamics, 2008-2010 – RMIT University

• Master of Social Science (Welfare and Social Policy), 1997-2000 – Charles Sturt University

• Master of Business Administration, 1997-1999 – Charles Sturt University

• Graduate Diploma Business (Management), 1994-1995 – Monash University

• Bachelor of Arts, 1980-1984 (inc) – Melbourne University

 Plus Awards & Scholarships:

• Medal, Order of Australia – For service to people with a disability 2014
• African Communities Leadership Award 2013
• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International 2012-
• Fellow, National Disability Services 2012
• Inaugural Fellow, Disability Professionals Victoria 2012
• Fellow, Australian Institute of Company Directors 2011-
• Leadership Victoria Chairman’s Commendation 2008
• Harvard Club of Australia – Victoria Scholarship 2007
• Disability Professional of the Year 2007
• Myer Foundation International Residency Scholarship 1999

Plus Executive Education:

• Leading for Wellbeing, 2025, Harvard Medical School
• National Leadership Summit, 2025, Australian National University and Australian Rural Leaders Foundation
• Ethics and Artificial Intelligence, 2024, London School of Economics
• Leadership & Artificial Intelligence, 2024, Tasmanian Leaders
• National Leadership Summit, 2024, Tasmanian Leaders & University of Tasmania
• Business Writing and Storytelling, 2023, The Economist Education
• Governing for Social Impact, 2022, Australian Graduate School of Management
• Harthill Leadership Development Profile Accreditation, 2020, Harthill UK
• Executive Coaching Certificate, 2019-2020, Swinburne University
• Governing for Nonprofit Excellence, 2017, Harvard Business School
• Art and Practice of Leadership Development, 2012, Harvard Kennedy School
• Advanced Negotiation Program, 2011, Harvard Law School
• Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management, 2007, Harvard Business School
• Williamson Community Leadership Program, 2004, Leadership Victoria