Phil Hayes-Brown

CEO

Phil was appointed CEO in 2010 after 20 years experience in the areas of law, finance and sports marketing including 12 years in senior international roles with the National Basketball Association with assignments in Australia, Singapore, Paris, London and Hong Kong. From his experience as a parent of a child with a disability, Phil feels a responsibility to apply his commercial experience and skills to make a real difference to improving outcomes and driving social change for the people Wallara supports.

Jonny Lee

CFO

Joining Wallara as CFO in 2020, Jonny has over 20 years’ experience as a senior finance executive in the Not for Profit sector, and is a Chartered Accountant. Jonny’s role allows him to apply his financial and commercial expertise to help Wallara deliver on its mission and make a real contribution to people of all abilities.

Simon O’Brien

General Manager – Employment

With over 40 years’ experience in warehousing & logistics spanning sectors including magazine distribution, body care and third-party logistics, Simon brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. It is this knowledge that enables him to deliver outstanding customer service with operational excellence with a talented team of staff and people of all abilities.

Ellen Burns

People, Learning & Safety Manager

Ellen joined Wallara in 2008 with over 15 years’ experience in the corporate sector specialising in learning and development. Over the journey with Wallara, Ellen has gained experience as HR Generalist and Training Manager becoming a strong human resource professional with skills in career Development, ER, IR, Coaching, Mentoring, Training, Communication and Training Analysis.

Ellen is passionate about creating great workplaces and opportunities to deliver excellent outcomes for all.

Romaine Kakoullis

Senior Manager Learning & Lifestyle

Romaine has over 20 years of disability experience working across services with complex and high healthcare supports. She is passionate about communication and positive behaviour support. Most recently her work has been in the Quality and Safeguarding space; implementing systems and tools for staff as we moved to the NDIS.

Romaine is Chair of Wallara’s Quality Advisory Committee, leads the NDIS Client Experience, Support Coordination and Quality teams and monitors Human Rights as Wallara’s Authorised Program Officer. She enjoys engaging staff through L&D and conversation to bring about positive change in the disability sector.

Lisa Laing

Senior Manager Marketing, Communications & Partnerships

Lisa Laing joined Wallara in 2021 after nearly two decades in the AFL Industry, both in AFL headquarters and within a club environment. At St Kilda FC, Lisa lead the Saints Community team with a focus on inclusive football opportunities for young people and was instrumental in forming the community partnership with Wallara which has extended to Warehousing, Land Management Services and Community engagement.

Lisa is an alumni of the Leadership Victoria FOLIO Community Leadership Program (2017) and is passionate about social issues and their impacts on vulnerable communities.

Janine Burns

Senior Manager- NDIS Client Experience

Janine joined Wallara in 2008 as a Disability Support Worker with a background in Hospitality and Aged Care. After 8 years in support, she recognized the importance of family involvement in planning for adult children with disabilities. This led her to a role in Person-Centred Planning, where she helped people develop meaningful plans. Janine’s passion for maximising NDIS outcomes grew, and she now oversees the Support Coordination, NDIS, and Intake teams, ensuring clients and families receive the best results from their NDIS funding.

Pete Romaniw

Senior Manager – Sages

Pete joined Wallara in August 2024, bringing a wealth of diverse experience to the role. Before joining the team, Pete owned and operated three hospitality businesses on the Mornington Peninsula. His professional background also includes consulting, management, and operations roles across industries such as professional sport, media, corporate sector, government, and education.

Throughout his career, Pete has worked with and led teams from a variety of backgrounds, fostering collaboration and growth. Along with the team at Sages, Pete is dedicated to expanding and improving the farm, ensuring it remains a place where clients can thrive, staff are empowered, and visitors leave with a smile.

Julie Clarke

Senior Manager – Information Technology

Julie is an accomplished Information Technology Manager with over 30 years of experience in the IT sector, spanning both corporate and non-profit environments. She began her career in the corporate world, focusing on logistics, network setup, and maintenance, where she excelled at streamlining operations and enhancing network efficiency.

For the past 14 years, Julie has been a vital contributor at Wallara, leveraging her extensive IT expertise to address complex technology challenges. Her passion for innovative solutions and system improvements has made her an invaluable asset to her team and the organization. Julie’s dedication to making a difference aligns with Wallara’s mission, resulting in a deeply rewarding work experience.

David Fraser

Senior Manager ‑ Assets and Land Management

David joined Wallara in 2024, bringing over 40 years of experience in Open Space Management, including managing contracts for Local Government Authorities and State Government Water Authorities. With 12 years of experience in the disability sector, David is dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for all individuals at Wallara in mainstream commercial settings. His focus is on delivering high-quality services and adding value to Wallara’s customers.

Philip Buck

Senior Manager – Live

Philip joined Wallara in 2024, bringing over 13 years of experience in the Not-for-Profit sector, alongside 13 years of expertise in commercial management. His diverse background includes managing SIL homes and social enterprises, working with disengaged and disadvantaged youth, and supporting children, young people, and their families in navigating disability.

Philip is passionate about community engagement and regularly participates in activities that drive positive change. He is skilled in applying commercial practices that align with the values and priorities of the disability sector, ensuring that maximum value is delivered to the community. With extensive experience in leading organisations through change, Philip effectively balances mission-driven goals with the evolving needs of clients.

Sonia Went

Senior Manager – Quality and Safeguarding

With a background in Psychology and Sociology, Sonia has been a vital member of Wallara since 2006. Throughout her tenure, she has contributed to a wide range of projects, including leading Wallara’s transition to co-located community sites to enhance inclusion, overseeing the transition of clients to the NDIS, and designing an innovative tool to measure client goal success.

As Senior Manager – Quality and Safeguarding, Sonia leverages her extensive experience to champion her areas of passion; human rights, supported decision-making, and trauma-informed care. As Wallara’s APO (Authorised Program Officer), Chair of the Quality Advisory Committee, and a member of the Human Rights and Safeguarding Committee, she plays a pivotal role in upholding the organization’s commitment to delivering safe, person-centred services.

David Knowles

Director

David Joined the Board in 2023 and brings over 40 years of executive and leadership experience. As a former partner of leading audit and accounting firm, Pitcher Partners, he is a trusted advisor and is highly regarded for his knowledge across finance, strategy, risk, audit, governance, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

David was the founding Partner-in-charge of Pitcher Partners second Victorian office in Southeast Melbourne and was also a founding Director and Executive Chair of the Pitcher Partners International Institute of Entrepreneurship. In 2014, he was recognised as the Thought Leader of the Year, at the Australian Accounting Awards.

David currently holds Board and committee roles at a number of organisations including: Health Education Australia Ltd, a 100-year-old NFP providing leadership through the Australian Institute of Clinical Governance, The Victorian Homeless Fund Ltd, and the Advisory Board to the Swinburne University – School of Business, Law & Entrepreneurship.

Special responsibilities: Chair of the Finance & Risk Committee.

Education: Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Applied Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Katie Symonds

Director

Katie joined the Board in April 2021. Katie is a qualified Occupational Therapist and is currently the Operations Manager of Village Glen Flexicare, a family run business that is an Approved Provider of community-based aged care services.

Flexicare supports older people to remain living independently at home. Katie was the inaugural Operations Manager with Flexicare which has grown to be a major provider of aged care services across Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.

Katie has worked in community-based aged care services for over 20 years, largely in the not-for-profit sector in both metropolitan and rural settings. She has held various positions across state-wide and regional committees with a view to bettering outcomes for clients and for those who care for them.

Mark Cowley

Director

An experienced Executive General Manager who has worked for major multinational companies such as BHP-Billiton, Bluescope Steel and Toll Holdings.

Mark has worked across multiple business functions including corporate strategy, business development, marketing, operations and supply chain. He has provided a distinctive ability to understand all facets of a business and focus on “whole of business” performance.

Speciality skills and knowledge in supply chain and logistics are complemented by senior management roles and assignments across Australia and Asia.

Mark has a Bachelor of Business (Majors in Economics and Business Management) and a Diploma of Metallurgy.

Philip Scorgie

Director

Philip Scorgie joined the Board in November 2016. With over 35 years experience working with information technology, Philip has been a senior technology executive for 25 years within professional services.

Holding a Masters’ Degree in Software Engineering and an interest in anthropology, he has been described as having the “confidence, courage and enthusiasm to drive business change”.

Special responsibilities: Audit and Risk Finance Committee

Education: Masters of Software Engineering

Michael Butler

Director

BA(AS)(Hons)/LLB Past President and Executive Committee Member, Industrial Relations Society of Australia, Past President & Life Member, Industrial Relations Society of Victoria, Chair Law Institute of Victoria Employment and Industrial Relations Committee, Founder HR+WorkLaw

Special responsibilities: Chair of Operational Risk Management Committee

Michelle Chan

Director

Michelle joined the Board in 2023 and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Hons), with over 10 years’ legal experience in both Hong Kong and Australia.

Michelle advises on cross-border and local transactions, corporate governance and general commercial matters. Specialising in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, she

provides technical expertise and business acumen to deliver legally sound commercial, timely and practical solutions. Currently, Michelle works for law firm MinterEllison, where she

acts for a range of clients based in Australia and Asia, in a variety of industries, such as consumer goods, manufacturing, retail and transport and logistics. Prior to joining the Board,

Michelle was a board member of Brunswick Industries Association, which is now a division of Wallara. Michelle is committed to, and believes in, providing individuals with the support

and means to reach their full potential both for the benefit of that individual and for the community as a whole.

Jane McLennan

Director

Jane joined the Board in September 2021 and brings extensive experience across the Education and Training sector having worked at both stand-alone TAFE Institutes and Dual Sector Universities.

Jane is currently the Chief of Student Success and Support at Chisholm Institute, where she focusses on providing the best possible experience for current, potential and past students. She initially joined Chisholm as the Chief of Staff where she was providing high-level strategic advice and advising on issues affecting the educational outcome of VE activities within the Institute.

Jane is also a member of the Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation which provides scholarships for students in financial difficulty to access education. Jane has studied a BAppSc, Graduate Certificates in Management, Educational Leadership and Tertiary Education and has a Master’s in Education (VET).

She is passionate about high quality education and the broad impact it can have on individuals and the wider community.