EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Paul comes to Hagar with 20 years experience in the not-for-profit sector including 10 years in senior leadership within a highly respected INGO in Melbourne. At Tearfund Australia, Paul was responsible for all supporter engagement including fundraising, advocacy, education, communications and church and community engagement. Paul is the Founder of The Justice Conference in Australia and the Director of The Justice Conference Global. He has also sat on the board of a number of advocacy coalitions including Micah Australia. Paul is passionate about challenging people to move beyond charity to engage with the systems of oppression that perpetuate injustice. His broad experience across these various portfolios positions him well for the next season of Hagar’s growth and influence.

BOARD CHAIR

Connie Ridley has a background in banking, finance and securitization and has worked in Australia, the US and several Pacific Island nations. She is passionate about social justice and committed to bringing change to vulnerable people and communities in Australia and overseas. For the past 30 years Connie has used her experience in finance to serve not for profits organisations in roles such as Chair of Library for All, recently concluded 15 years as a Board member of Opportunity International and previously served for 22 years as a Board member of Emerge Women’s and Children’s Network including serving as Chair for 8 years. She has been awarded Honourary Life Governor of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

DIRECTOR (BOARD)

Marita has been a barrister for more than a decade, with areas of practice including victims of crime, family violence and matters in the Children’s Court. Prior to her appointment to the bar, Marita held legal roles in Cummins South Pacific, Matthew Shaw and Associates, Australia Post and the Department of Justice.

DIRECTOR (BOARD)

Catherine is the Founder and Director of Footprint Consulting, specialising in business diagnostics, vision setting, strategy development and business improvement. Prior to this, Catherine established and was the General Manager for Façade Solutions, a business for BlueScope Steel. Catherine has also worked as a Senior Management Consultant for the Renault-Nissan Group. In her early career, Catherine worked as a structural engineer across Europe and the Middle East.

DIRECTOR (BOARD) & CHAIR OF GOVERNANCE & PEOPLE COMMITTEE

Suzanne brings legal experience as a former Law Firm Partner and General Counsel for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; and more recent expertise in human resource and governance consulting gained at leading International Talent Advisory Firm, Korn Ferry. She has consulted to and served on the Boards of a number of International NGOs, educational institutions, sporting and church organisations, including South Head Anglican Parish where Suzanne is currently a churchwarden.

DIRECTOR (BOARD) & CHAIR OF FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Anne is a senior Marketing Executive with over 30 years marketing and strategy experience in corporate organisations including ANZ, Telstra, Australia Post, local and state government and NGOs. Her previous role as Marketing Director at World Vision Australia for 7 years provided the opportunity to serve communities in real need. She is currently Associate Director, Brand Marketing at the University of Melbourne.

DIRECTOR (BOARD)

Jules is the Civil Society Engagement Adviser at ACMC where she contributes to the advancement of national capabilities to prevent, prepare for and respond more effectively to humanitarian crises through enhancing civil-military-police engagement. An executive with over 25 years of international experience in humanitarian contexts, Jules arrived in Canberra in 2021 from Switzerland where she was based for nearly 10 years working with organizations including World Vision, Medair, and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Alliance.

DIRECTOR (BOARD) & CHAIR OF FINANCE, RISK & AUDIT COMMITTEE

Nyasha is an experienced finance executive with nearly 2 decades of experience working in the international development, retail, government, and consulting sectors across three continents.

She is currently the Head of Strategy Enablement and Performance at World Vision Australia. Her background includes financial reporting and management, audit and compliance, strategy and budgeting for large organisations including Deloitte, Victorian Government, Kmart, and Target.

Nyasha holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree, an MBA from Melbourne Business School and is a qualified Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.

COMPANY SECRETARY

Sarah is an experienced corporate counsel, currently working as Head of Corporate Planning, General Counsel and Company Secretary at Kyocera Document Solutions Aust & NZ. Prior to her life in corporate counsel, she spent a number of years working in litigation and review matters to assist asylum seekers obtain refugee status in Australia, travelling to various detention centre facilities around the country to help clients with their applications and representing them at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Commerce at Macquarie University and currently undergoing MBA studies at University of NSW, AGSM.