meet the team

Phil began his career in the finance sector, having worked at Macquarie Bank and Goldman Sachs, before joining the NSW Treasury in 2015 where he served as Deputy Secretary, Commercial and Procurement Group. Phil also supports those living with Type 1 Diabetes as a member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Board in Australia. He and his wife, Kirsty, have three young adult children and are based in Sydney. Read more

Rebecca is a sustainability and CSR leader who loves helping business drive meaningful sustainable change. Within her role, she helps to scale ABCN’s reach and impact, through nurturing and securing new members and strategic grants for ABCN as well as strengthening and evolving partnerships with our members. Read more

Jessica, a qualified US & UK lawyer, has dedicated over two decades to leadership, business development, legal experience and spearheading transformative social change. With a background in social justice, she holds a Master in Human Rights Law. Jessica's passion lies in uplifting students, especially those from communities that have faced systemic economic barriers. She also serves on the board of Antenna. Read more

Carrie spent five years working in corporate finance, and during that time, she volunteered with ABCN as a mentor and company champion. Growing up in rural NSW, she is keen to improve work opportunities for young people. Read more

Nicki comes to ABCN with a background spanning senior marketing and communications roles within the film and broadcasting industries and most recently at an environmental charity. She is determined to use her powers for good, working to level the playing field for students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Read more

Gerry works behind the scenes to ensure ABCN runs smoothly and efficiently (and is also our unofficial go-to for anything slightly technical).  He has a background in science and worked in the industry for 12 years before moving to the non-profit sector. He is passionate about increasing student engagement in STEM, particularly those from low socio-economic areas.  Read more

Bran is passionate about working with others to create meaningful change, and left a corporate career to join the ABCN team. He has a background across multiple areas including journalism, law, and tax, bringing a breadth of experience to both his program management and data management roles.

Maree is originally from New Zealand and also lived in Scotland for many years where she gained extensive experience working in corporate social responsibility. She loves that her role at ABCN combines several passions at once – facilitating programs, witnessing the connections between students and mentors and adding value to the education of young people. Read more

With a background in youth work, community welfare and personal coaching, Vanessa has extensive experience collaborating and working with our younger generation. In her role she works behind the scenes with our member companies and schools, as well as being front of house facilitating programs – a fantastic dual aspect of the role. Read more

Erin has a passion for travel and has spent many years as a designer and facilitator of learning experiences while living and working in South America, the UK and various parts of Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Science, a Diploma of Education, and a Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. Erin feels privileged to work with ABCN and its member companies to support students from low-SES schools to imagine and explore exciting possibilities for their future. Read more

Daniella has a corporate background in technology delivery and business operations. She advocates for women in tech and mentors young women through various organisations. She's keen to reach more young people to show that they can do and be anything; the world is an open canvas on which to write, re-write and have fun along the way. She is up to date on digital trends, this is evident through her contributions to the ABCN community and her personal networks. Read more

Victoria has over 20 years’ management experience in both the for profit and for purpose sectors and is inspired by the innovation and impact that is possible when these two sectors collaborate. Away from ABCN, Victoria is a lover of the arts and a proud mum of two teenage girls. Read more

Kirsty is a dedicated, positive and results driven program manager with extensive experience in the education sector. In joining ABCN Kirsty is looking forward to contributing to meaningful change and improving the Accelerate Scholarship experience for all schools, scholars and mentors. Read more

Sam studied business law before moving to the UK for five years where she worked in financial services. Now back home, she is happily following her passion of supporting youth in the community and is inspired every day by the students we work with and their hidden potential. Read more

Kathy began her career as a primary school teacher, an experience that nurtured her love of working with students to foster their confidence and happiness. In joining ABCN, Kathy feels she has found an opportunity to continue working with her passion but on a wider scale. She enjoys being able to unite school and corporate communities. Read more

After more than 12 years of program delivery in the private sector and being a mentor and a company champion with ABCN, Einat has joined the team fulfilling her dream to work in a not-for-profit organisation that supports young people to reach their full potential. Einat loves the ability to use her program delivery skills to deliver programs that impact students. Read more

Pav is passionate about creating meaningful change in the community and has worked on several programs targeted at improving social outcomes for school-aged students. At ABCN, Pav is grateful for the chance to help young people access better educational and employment opportunities, so that they can thrive in the futures they learn to shape for themselves. Read more

Sian is a passionate educator, motivated by creating positive change for youth and protecting the environment. Her career as a secondary school biology teacher in London confirmed her drive for building student wellbeing, confidence and aspirations. With a particular interest in STEM subjects, Sian is excited to continue this important work at ABCN by facilitating impactful experiences for students and advocating for equity of education. Read more

Guy joins ABCN with extensive experience in learning and development, program management at a national level, corporate and community partnerships, and working with young people experiencing disadvantage. Guy understands the importance of education to life outcomes, and is passionate about equity of access. Read more

Claire has a background in market research and has been managing projects and facilitating for years. Her drive to make a difference started years ago and she moved into social research before joining the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about supporting young people to reach their full potential. She joined ABCN as a facilitator in late 2019 and has recently joined the NSW team as a Program Manager. Read more

With a background in Social Science, Claire has spent the last ten years dedicated to helping others in the Not-For-Profit sector. She’s passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young people and is committed to empowering and enabling them to reach their full potential.Read more

Catherine worked in hospitality, human resources, facilitating and training before starting her dream job at ABCN. She loves that her role opens a whole new world of possibilities to students who have no access to it any other way. After several years as a Program Manager, she is excited to further develop her leadership skills in her role as State Manager. Read more

Ulrike left her global corporate career to spend more time with her family and is now using her business acumen and passion for education. Originally from Germany, her experience living and working in several different countries and cultures has equipped her with a unique viewpoint not just for business but also for the cultural diversity among its people.

Susan started her career in Scotland as a Chartered Accountant and spent over 20 years in large corporates, in a range of Finance and Program delivery roles. She has worked in the UK, US, France, Luxembourg, Spain and now Australia and has also done a lot of coaching and mentoring over the years. She is passionate about helping young people to reach their potential, and this role allows her to draw on all her experiences and make a real difference in the lives of young people. Read more

With three decades of experience in the education sector, spanning diverse roles from teaching kindergarten students to guiding young adults through VCAL in non-school environments, Kate is deeply believes that young people must witness possibilities to dream and realise their potential. Her alignment with ABCN represents a career synergy, driven by her fervent dedication to empowering youth to reach their fullest capabilities. Kate firmly believes that with the appropriate support systems in place, everyone can not only meet but exceed their aspirations.

Mayali has worked in the advertising, humanitarian aid and education sectors. She has had the opportunity to travel and work in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and India focusing mainly on gender equity and the economic empowerment of women. Before joining ABCN, she was an Education Support Officer, mainly working with primary students who were diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. Read more

Heather combines a corporate background with her strong desire to make a difference to youth through mentoring experiences. She loves the variety her role offers in working with school and corporate partners, strengthening relationships, and facilitating workshops (Interview 2 Impress is her favourite), where she can directly impact program outcomes and delivery. Read more

Rebecca is an experienced facilitator who has worked in theatre, project management, education and marketing. She is inspired by ABCN mentors and students who bring a willingness to learn and share in each program and particularly enjoys programs that develop creativity and confidence. Read more

Sarah combines past experience and knowledge in social work with a passion for empowering others in her program management role. She loves facilitating and working with young people and is particularly excited about programs that enable young people to upskill, think outside the box and gain new skills. Read more

After 15 years in the travel industry and a career break to look after three children, Tiffany jumped at the opportunity to join the ABCN team more than 10 years ago. She enjoys connecting the two very different worlds of the corporate and education sectors, and loves making and building relationships with such a broad range of people. Read more

In her past life, Anneliese spent many years in theme park management and enjoyed an expat life in the Middle East. She loves the journey that ABCN provides – fine-tuning her facilitation skills and meeting inspiring students and energetic mentors – and is proud to be working for an organisation that makes such a difference. Read more

Jane spent 17 years in the UK aviation industry before moving with her family to sunny Perth. She has worked with other not-for-profit organisations in youth and community engagement and education. She is passionate about working with young minds and seeing the growth that mentoring brings. Read more

Cathy is a passionate advocate for inspiring young minds and aligning education and corporate sectors. With over 20 years of experience in management and education, she is committed to connecting students with real-world opportunities. Purpose driven and with a strong commitment to social justice she is encouraged to create meaningful pathways for young people. Read more

Jacqui has extensive experience in program delivery, consultancy and project management. Her most recent role was working for the Commissioner for Children and Young People where she managed the co-ordination of school programs in South Australia. Jacqui is passionate about providing opportunities for young people and identifying pathways for positive change. Read more