Meet our board
HANZA is governed by an experienced Board of Directors. Our Directors have backgrounds in finance and accounting, governance, strategic planning, and homeshare program delivery.
Our Director’s experience in the planning, management and delivery of community services, program research and evaluation, and policy and practice in the aged care, disability and homelessness sectors., supports HANZA to deliver on its strategic goals.
Several or our current and past Directors have been awarded Australian honours in recognition of their ground-breaking community work and the establishment of Homeshare programs in Australia.
Rosie Lawn
Chair of the Board
Dip Occupational Therapy (NZ); Grad.Dip Social Research & Evaluation (Murdoch, WA); Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Secretaries; Supervisory Board member and Chair of Citizen Network Cooperative; Former Chair of WA Individualised Services.
Director since May 2023
Rosie is committed to developing communities where all people have the opportunity to live full lives as active citizens in their own homes and communities. She has worked within services for people who need assistance due to disability, illness or aging for over 45 years undertaking a variety of professional and leadership roles. Most recently she was the CEO of Avivo: Live Life Inc, a service providing a range of home and community supports to Western Australians.
She has a long-standing interest in homesharing, having been involved in the early development of Homeshare and shared living arrangements within Avivo and Western Australia. She is excited to be part of HANZA and working together so homesharing can be offered to more people across Australia and New Zealand.
Tanya Wolkenberg
Deputy Chair
BA, Diploma of Project Management, MA (Communications), Williamson Community Leadership program (2023)
Director since 2022
Tanya has worked in state and local government for the past fifteen years, working across urban strategy, heritage and the arts. She currently works in a leadership role for the City of Melbourne and from mid-2020 to 2022 led the affordable housing workstream for Council and developed the Affordable Housing Strategy 2030. During this time Tanya developed a passion for affordable housing and alternative housing models. Tanya’s skills and experience span strategy development, design thinking and communications.
Tanya is thrilled to have been appointed Deputy Chair of the board of HANZA, allowing her to bring together her interests in social well-being and belonging, affordable housing, shared living and community connection.
Pia Bentick
Board Director
Director since 2023
Pia is a governance professional, in-house lawyer and non-executive director with experience in executive positions in public listed/unlisted, private and not-for profit organisations in the UK and in Australia. Pia is also a Barrister (np) with extensive experience in contemporary corporate governance, risk management, legal and regulatory compliance, strategic and operational planning and policy development.
Born in Finland, Pia studied and worked in London, becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute in 2000 and was called to the bar in 1997. Pia went on to hold senior company secretarial roles across the UK, and senior management roles in Australia.
Pia is also a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Phillip Smith
Treasurer of the Board
BA (Economics & Financial Studies), G Dip Marketing, , G Dip Company Secretarial Practice, MBA; M Acc, CPA
Director since 2023
Phillip has over 35 years experience in Treasury, finance and compliance roles gained through a diverse career with major corporations in Australia. He is currently the CFO for Medicolegal Assessments Group.
He has supported his local community through more than 10 years of volunteer activity across a range of organisations.
Kym Bailey
Board Director
Certified Practising Accountants (CPA), Chartered Tax Adviser(CTA), and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors(GAICD)
Director since 2023
Kym comes to HANZA with fifteen years of experience working in finance and accounting roles and a further fifteen years working in financial advice. Kym’s skills include: a sound working knowledge of governance principles; risk and financial management capability; as well as the ability to bring complexity into a relatable form.
Kym was drawn to HANZA due to a strong belief in the power of community engagement to manage, and even solve, some of Australia's most intractable social issues. HANZA's contribution helps address two of these - housing and loneliness - and in doing so, provides a model for the successful blending of practical solutions, as well as increasing the sense of connectedness that comes from companionship.
Wendy Francis
Board Director and Homeshare Development Officer
Diploma of Education, Graduate Diploma in Social Impact, Cert IV Training and Assessment
Director since 2019
Wendy has over 20 years of experience in frontline and management roles within Aged Care and Community Services. She is currently assisting HANZA as the Homeshare Development Officer, liaising on key projects, membership support and grant applications. Previously Wendy was Manager of Services for Older People at Holdsworth Community and helped to establish Holdsworth’s homeshare program.
While at Avivo (Perth Home Care Services), Wendy partnered with HANZA to establish Homeshare in Western Australia and held a Management role overseeing aged, disability and mental health programs. Wendy is passionate about co-creating innovative service options with older people that provide choice and opportunities for them to remain in their homes, connected to friends, family and communities.
Kate Healy
Board Director
Bachelor of Computer Science, Fellow of Australian Information Security Association (FAISA), Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
Director since 2023
Kate has set the strategy of some of the largest security transformation projects in Australia. She has held influential roles in Google, Telstra, IBM, Commonwealth Bank and Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. Today, she draws on the collective insights harnessed from these cross-industry organisations to provide invaluable, future-ready roadmaps to help organisations better manage their technology and cyber risk. Kate specialises in designing security strategies, identifying emerging trends and innovative controls to reduce risk. Kate is a respected speaker and passionate advocate.
Kate is excited to bring her technology and risk experience to HANZA where she believes she can contribute to what she believes is an extremely important and valuable mission.
Mary-Ellen Hempel
Board Director
B.A. Psychology (University of Qld); Master of Counselling (Qld University of Technology); Community Mediation Certificate (Qld Dept of Justice & Attorney-General).
Director since 2022.
Mary-Ellen has 35 years of experience in both the Disability and Higher Education sectors. In the former, she was involved in case management, rehabilitation counselling, and employment placement with clients with disabilities. As a Career Development Consultant and Careers Counsellor in tertiary education, she worked with students and graduates providing individual assistance, group training and in the design, development and implementation of a range of graduate employment programs. She has led a team of professional staff for many years and has a strong interest in process improvement, innovation and stakeholder engagement. She has a long-standing interest in social justice and became attracted to HANZA as a way to make a contribution to some key issues affecting our community.
Ashlee Pitcher
Board Director
BA Sociology and Anthropology (UWA), Postgraduate Diploma of Social Research (UWA), Parliamentary Research Program (UWA), Graduate of the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program, Board Treasurer Swan Friendship Club (2020-).
Director since 2023
Ashlee has worked in community services for over 12 years across the refugee and asylum seeker, homelessness, children and family, aged care, and disability sectors. Ashlee comes to HANZA with experience in an array of roles from direct support to people and operational leadership. In recent years Ashlee has focused on practice, quality, and safeguarding, working with the NDIA to assist people navigate the scheme’s Home and Living services. She has worked across Western Australia in regional and remote locations and is passionate about community led initiatives. Ashlee is committed to individualised supports, active citizenship, and community partnership. As a member of HANZA for the past four years, Ashlee is excited to start a new journey with HANZA as a Board Director.
Life Members
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