Board of Directors

Mihajlo Starcevic

Chair

Mihajlo is a senior management consultant and executive with a strong record in delivering results, strategy, P&L and operations management. Experienced in coaching, motivating and coordinating complex teams when the times are tough, he enjoys applying a wide range of experiences in order to achieve outstanding results. He has extensive non-profit board experience. Mihajlo graduated from the Australian Graduate School of Management with an MBA in 2010 and works with the global management consulting firm, Partners in Performance.

Hayley Lee Allen

Vice Chair

Hayley Lee Allen is a governance manager with specific experience in delivering business initiatives focused on strategic and corporate planning, supporting efficient board processes and performance, policy framework renewal, procurement, and compliance. She has worked across premier arts institutions National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, and Bendigo Art Gallery delivering on corporate and education partnerships, fundraising, and major events and festivals across contemporary and classical music, visual arts and comedy. A former member of the This Life team, Hayley administered strategic partnerships to support program development while living in Siem Reap in 2015. Following this, Hayley managed the logistics for the Leader of the Australian Greens throughout the extended 2016 federal election and parliamentary sittings, working from both the Australian federal parliament in Canberra and the Leader’s Office in Melbourne. Hayley was appointed to the Board of This Life Cambodia in May 2019. Based in Melbourne, Australia, she currently fulfils the role of Board Secretary for the State Library of Victoria.

Navaka Arachchige

Treasurer

Navaka Arachchige is a finance, governance and corporate services professional and currently the Chief Financial Officer of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He has over 20 years’ experience in finance, management and corporate leadership in practice, private, public and not for profit organisations and has successfully led and managed multi-disciplinary teams and complex projects. Navaka has a keen interest in all aspects of organisational management and financial governance and has held positions or volunteered at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Austar Entertainment, Qantas, Sydney Water, the State Emergency Service of New South Wales, the Australian Graduate School of Management, Federal Court of Australia, the office of the Merit Protection Commissioner and several Federal government tribunals.

Anna Wark

Secretary

Anna Wark is a public health professional, with experience in the non-for-profit sector, in both direct practice and practice development roles within the specialist homelessness and specialist family violence sectors in Victoria. Passionate about gender and health equity, Anna brings expertise to the This Life Board in the areas of gender-based violence, consumer participation, LGBTIQ inclusive practice and evidence-based approaches to program design, delivery and evaluation. Based in Melbourne and employed as a Practice Advisor at Domestic Violence Victoria, the peak body for specialist family violence services working with victim-survivors, Anna facilitates a community of practice and delivers workshops with the aim to build the capacity of practitioners in the evolving family violence sector.

Oliver Toohey

General Member

Oliver Toohey is a policy analyst, focusing on climate justice, human rights and international law working with the Australian climate movement. Oliver has worked as a lawyer for the Australian Government, providing legal advice on matters of international law, including human rights, international trade law and climate change. Additionally, he worked as the lead negotiator and legal advisor in the Australian Government’s ongoing engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Oliver spent two years developing a Human Rights Programme for the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh, eventually leading the initiation phase of the project. Most recently Oliver was working in Dublin, Ireland, with the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice on bridging the divide between human rights and climate change discourse at the international level. A component of this work included bringing local communities expertise into international negotiations and demonstrating the importance of incorporating local community voices into high-level decision making.

Kell McGregor

General Member

Kell McGregor is a communications executive with experience developing and executing large-scale global and domestic communications, public relations, and brand management projects. Having led organisations through significant organisational and cultural change, Kell’s reputation management experience includes internal and external stakeholder engagement, media campaigns, corporate positioning, crisis management and strategic development. Kell has directed communications strategy in markets across Oceania, Asia, the UK, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East in organisations such as Fitness First and Danone. Having graduated from Deakin University with an MBA in 2017, Kell is currently Head of Brand and Communications with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a role that drives the broader organisational goals for the brand that flow on to donor support, fundraising, and relationships with government, funders, regulators and community.

Jon Blackwell

General Member

Jon Blackwell, has had a long-held a demonstrated commitment to addressing issues related to poverty and disadvantage which has continued throughout his career in terms of both his employment and volunteer activities. Jon has extensive senior management experience in health and community settings, having been the Chief Executive Officer of the Pilbara Health Region in Western Australia and the CEO of the Central Coast Area Health Service in New South Wales. As a former senior public servant, he has a well-developed understanding of government processes and relations and is experienced in provided strategic advice both to government Ministers and Boards. Jon was also the CEO of the international aid organisation – Habitat for Humanity Australia, where he developed a solid understanding of the NFP and philanthropic sectors, as well as government processes and initiatives in relation to social housing both in Australia and overseas.

Stephanie Stephens

General Member

Stephanie Stephens is a clinical psychotherapist with 10 years’ NFP and service delivery management experience. She has worked in education, mental health, youth, family and alcohol and other drug settings. Stephanie’s current Canberra-based role, as Directions Health Services’ Director of Service Delivery, focuses on clinical governance, service quality and performance, advocacy, and supporting front line staff to deliver equitable, empowering, life-changing services to vulnerable people. Stephanie completed her undergraduate at La Trobe University, Masters (clinical and research) at the Cairnmillar Institute, and MBA at Griffith University. Her post-graduate research considered service users’ experience of family violence support services. Stephanie has a passion for developing and implementing equitable, accessible and client-centred services, advocating for a ‘nothing about us without us’ ethos, building positive workplace culture and supporting staff to deliver empowering and respectful services.