Board of Directors

Sue is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience working in management, policy and leadership roles in the public and private health care sectors. She has a Master of Public Policy and Management degree and is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Castlemaine Health.

Sue brings to Carinya experience in governance, strategic planning of services, program and policy development, project and operational management, redesigning and implementing new models of care and building capacity through collaboration and partnerships.

Sue has received national recognition for excellence in improving health and wellbeing outcomes for young people with disabilities. She is committed to improving livability for our community and striving for service integration across the health, disability and aged care sectors.

Stephen is an experienced Executive who has served the Victorian community for over 30 years across health, government and university sectors. Originally graduating in Melbourne as physiotherapist, Stephen’s career has incorporated public hospital clinical services, management and leadership positions, tertiary education, State Government policy development and serving on a number of not-for-profit Boards.

He is values driven, client focused, quality oriented and has a strong ability to establish, build and maintain successful relationships internally and with key external stakeholders. Stephen is a commercially astute and strategic leader with an inclusive people-focussed management style and strong sense of social justice for all.

Rebecca has been working in human resources for 15 years and is a leader in organisational development, strategy and workforce planning across the public sector. She has an honours degree in psychology and master’s degree in business. She is currently the Director People and Culture for Parks Victoria.

Rebecca is passionate about building safe and inclusive workplaces so that organisations that not only represent the communities that they serve, but are recognised for building an organisational culture that truly inspires people to bring their best selves to work.

Rebecca joined the Board of the Carinya Society, as they are an organisation that focuses on culture and are committed to supporting clients having great experiences.

Leigh Ashlin is a seasoned Non-Executive Director, risk management and governance specialist with over 20 years of experience leading strategic risk and digital transformation across the global financial services and NFP sectors. Leigh provides oversight in risk management, regulatory compliance, and organisational resilience.

In addition to his role at Carinya, Leigh’s board portfolio includes serving as a Board Member for various Fintech and DeepTech ventures, where he bridges the gap between disruptive technology and robust corporate frameworks. As the founder of Pro Governance, he has built a reputation for helping organisations navigate complex regulatory landscapes, a skill set honed during his tenure in senior leadership roles at Accenture, Macquarie Bank, Standard Chartered and BlackRock.

With a background that includes heading Blockchain initiatives at Accenture and holding over 100 patents, Leigh brings a unique ‘innovation meets integrity’ lens to the boardroom. He is committed to applying institutional governance to the community sector, ensuring that mission driven organisations operate with the highest standards of accountability and participant safety.

Andrew has extensive experience in the Financial Services Industry with a professional background at the Australian Taxation Office. His formal achievements include a Fellow of CPA (FCPA), as well as qualifications in property valuation, town planning, financial planning and wealth management. He is currently Wealth Manager and Branch Principal at Yellow Brick Road Coburg.

The diversity and strong sense of community in the Coburg area are a natural fit for Andrew – the ideal home for his welcoming office. He joined the Board of Carinya because he wanted to give back to the local community.

When he is not helping his valued clients build their own successful future, Andrew enjoys time away from the office cycling, playing tennis, indoor soccer and spending time with his wife and two children.

Angela is an educator and educational leader with experience across government, non-government and not-for-profit sectors. She brings knowledge of national school education initiatives, and experience in designing, delivering and evaluating educational programs.

Angela has a Bachelor of Science, post graduate diplomas in Secondary Education, and Educational Leadership and Management, and a Master’s Degree in Education.

Angela is Program Manager, Science by Doing, at the Australian Academy of Science. She believes that access to education is a democratic right; it supports and equips people, their communities and societies to thrive.

Angela cares deeply about the lives of people living with a disability. She advocates meaningful participation in life-long learning, work and community.

Angela’s son is a Carinya Society participant. She is grateful he is afforded a supportive and stable environment. Angela joined the Board to give back to the Carinya Society community.

Richard brings over 20 years experience in senior executive, board and committee roles across regulated industries including financial services and professional services, as well as community and not-for-profit sectors. He brings deep and practical experience in corporate governance, strategy development, finance, and stakeholder engagement.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and, as a Chartered Accountant, his values include respect, integrity and transparency.

As a parent, Richard understands the importance of everyone being provided the opportunity to gain experiences and skills, explore interests and be respected in order to reach their full potential. Richard joined the Board to apply his skillset and experience to contribute to Carinya’s mission, and make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Em is a Technology Leader with over 15 years of experience within Australia and globally. Em specialises in motivating IT teams to come out of the basement and add true value to their organisation. She has a passion for technology and wants to make an impact on the world while using it. Her current role at ANZx is focussed on leadership and staff retention, ensuring that all employees feel included, valued and happy in their roles.

Em was born and raised in Ballarat with a brief stint as an expat kid in Kuala Lumpur. She loves traveling, meeting people and learning about different cultures. This curiosity led her to be an adult expat in Abu Dhabi before settling her roots in the heart of Coburg.

Em's passion for people also extends to giving back to her community. When she was in high school, Em spent time volunteering for BRI and realised that more spotlight and support is required for those who are most vulnerable to feel equal within our society. She is dedicated to being a voice for People of Determination and ensuring accessibility is available for all Australians.

In her personal time, Em is a huge foodie and loves to host brunches and dinners. To wind down, she geeks out on her Nintendo Switch and remains one of the few optimistic Saints supporters out there.