COMMUNITY FIRST STEP

HELEN WILSON

BSpPath(Hons) MBA GAICD

CHAIR

Helen brings over 30 years’ experience within the health, aged care and community service sectors, including 20 years located in South West Sydney. Her experience includes senior executive roles within large, midsized and small organisations, across the not-for-profit, private and government sectors. She has also worked as a clinician and as a management consultant, guiding organisations through the challenges of changing policy, social, technological and competitive landscapes. Helen is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Life Care, and has skills in business development, service development, strategy, quality, compliance and risk management. Helen is also a non-executive Director of PACE Aged Care, and a former Director of Aged Care Services NSW/ACT.

EDWARD PARKER

BBUS MBA ACA

NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Edward's experience includes 30 years in finance and accounting roles across the spectrum of national and multinational organisations including KPMG and DXC (formally CSC).  Edward is currently CFO for Industrie&Co and is responsible for financial strategy & governance, IT services, legal and company secretarial functions.

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IAN ROSS

BBus MCom FAICD

NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ian has over 30 years’ experience in commercial operations management with a background in retail, fuel distribution, sports marketing and FMCG industries including petroleum, media, telco, and alcohol. He has widely diversified skills across industries and functions.

With 20 years’ of directorship experience in non-executive, executive and managing director roles serving on a number of Australian boards across a range of industries, including transport and distribution, convenience retailing and emergency response services

LAURA SAMPSON

LLB BA GDLP

COMPANY SECRETARY

Laura  graduated  from  Western  Sydney  University  in  2017  with  a  Bachelor  of Laws/Bachelor of Arts and commenced working as a lawyer in August 2018. Laura has experience  in  tort  claims,  and  has  spent  a  number  of  years  working  as  a Paralegal in the Parramatta and Liverpool areas. Laura is presently working in a large Plaintiff-focused personal injury law firm. Through personal circumstances and her work, Laura has gained experience and is committed to assisting the disabled community in Western Sydney.

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MARK WEBB

BSc Computing BEng electrical engineering, MBA

DEPUTY CHAIR

Mark’s  professional  background  includes  work  across  the  private  sector,  and more than 15 years experience in senior executive roles in the federal and state public sectors. His experience includes work in the technology industry, and public policy areas such as employment, the environment and heritage, planning and central government functions. He is currently the Chief Executive of the NSW Department of Parliamentary Services, a specialist service department working to support the operation of the NSW Parliament. Mark’s skills include policy, government, strategy, change management, business process and improvement and corporate governance. Mark is also Vice President of the Institute of Public Administration-NSW Division.

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mATTHEW DAY

BSc (Hons) FCMA CGMA GAICD

NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Matthew has more than 30 years of international executive and finance management experience predominantly working for global IT companies including CFO of DXC (formally CSC) and President, Asia Pacific of Ventyx.  He is Asia Pacific CFO for O&M Halyard Health. Matthew is a director of MJKA Pty Ltd and has been Director of CSC Australia Pty Ltd, Paxus Pty Ltd, Mynd Asia Pacific Pty Ltd and a number of subsidiary companies.

Tara
le Friedman

BSc, BEng (Chemical), MBA (Exec), MAICD

nON EXECUTIVE 

DIRECTOR

Tara has over 23 years of experience in the oil, energy, and financial services sectors. She has held numerous senior executive roles across strategy, transformation, and business operations. Her skills include strategy development and organisation design, productivity / cost optimisation, operational risk management, strategic investments, organisational change management, and vendor/partner management.  Tara’s expertise is in leading strategic development and delivery of large-scale business and technology transformation. Tara is currently the Transformation Director for QBE and is responsible for leading their digital transformation for AUSPAC. Tara is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and supporting new migrants build a better future.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

John was appointed in October 2019.

John’s diverse career has seen him work in private enterprise, politics, the NSW public sector, philanthropy and the NGO sector. Especially skilled at developing and articulating strategic vision around organisation change his excellent ability with people results in high levels of stakeholder engagement.  John has often been called upon to deliver ‘no-fuss’ resolutions to crises. 

From construction projects like the Walsh Bay redevelopment and the re-development of the Conservatorium of Music, to reform of the Community Service Order Scheme and the Intensive Corrections Orders John is very proud of the long list of successful projects he has been involved with. Most recently John has been working in the philanthropic and not-for profit sector establishing a new philanthropic foundation for a leading property development and investment company; guiding a unique drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity through a process of organisational change and restructure; and establishing a not-for- profit social enterprise agri-business on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

John deeply believes in empowering people and facilitating collaboration both internally and externally. Passionate about the need to resolve entrenched social disadvantage and inequality and how these limit a person achieving their potential, John is an advocate of pursuing best practice, outcome focus solutions with a ‘prevention is better than cure’ ideology.

Establishing consensus, allowing individuals to utilise their unique strengths and abilities is at the core of John’s approach.

EXECUTIVE MANAGER

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Usha has been appointed Executive Manager Community Services since November 2017.  

Prior to this Usha has spent the last 15 years working her way up through the organisation. Originally accessing CFS services as a new migrant and then volunteering, her experience in this sector has inspired her to work in community services – creating opportunities.

Usha take great pride in working with culturally diverse communities, is passionate about creating safe environments for children and families, and is a strong advocate of enhancing opportunities for newly arrived migrants and refugees through education and employment.

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Usha has her Masters in Human Resources Management.