Our Leadership

Currently the Group Chief Executive Officer of Haven Home Safe, Andrew Cairns works collaboratively with government, public and private partners to keep Victorians in safe, secure and affordable homes.

In his executive career, he has experience that spans many industries including banking, social finance, community engagement and mobilisation, community strengthening, affordable housing, philanthropy, telecommunications, information technology, software development, pay television, recruitment, electronic payments, engineering, manufacturing, thermoplastics, ventilation, water and waste management.

In his director career, he is currently a non-executive director of Melbourne Water, a Fellow of the Australian institute of company directors and has over 17 years of chair/director and governance experience with listed public companies, private companies, regulated government statutory authorities, joint ventures, not-for-profit organisations and independent advisory committees.

Andrew is a strong believer in the importance of corporate social responsibility. He passionately believes that you can be a good business and do good business at the same time.

Andy is a veterinary surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in executive management across the medical research and education sectors. With more than a decade as a Chief Executive Officer and 15 years serving on various boards, Andy’s leadership and expertise have had a profound impact.

He has held prominent roles, including Chairman of the Australian Centre for Health Innovation and Chairman of Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE. Andy also contributes to national health initiatives as a member of the Roadmap Implementation Governance Group for the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability.

Andy is a proud member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, reflecting his commitment to governance and strategic leadership.

Roger is an experienced CEO, Board Consultant, Non-Executive Director and Chair, with experience in the health, human services, law enforcement, education, transport, and environmental industries. He has sat on and Chaired numerous private company, public sector and not-for-profit boards and Audit and Risk Committees. Roger has also consulted to numerous Boards, published numerous articles and conducted webinars on corporate governance, risk and strategy. He brings strong governance experience, commercial acumen, risk management and strategy skills combined with a passion for innovation and business development. Roger is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and their Boardroom Master program, as well as a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. Roger joined our Board in November 2021.

Arvind (BSc MBuss GAICD) is currently a Group Strategy and Performance Lead at Telstra Enterprise bringing his expertise in emerging technologies, strategy and operations together to help accelerate Telstra’s T25 strategy execution in the enterprise market. Previous experience includes Philips Lighting where he led their emerging technologies and smart city/campus solutions as well as independent advisory roles focusing on digital transformation and smart city feasibility studies.

Shyam is a Certified Practicing Accountant with over 20 years of experience in both industry and public practice across various sectors including Education, Tourism, FMCG and Banking. Shyam currently leads the Corporate Finance division for La Trobe University, including managing its Treasury Function and Asset portfolio with significant experience in complex financial transactions and funds management. Shyam has been associated with Melba since 2018, when he first joined as a member of Audit and Risk Committee and has also served as a Director for the University’s recruitment franchise in Australia. In his spare time, Shyam loves spending time with his two boys and playing music.

Julianne is the co-owner and director of Proof of Character, a national provider of workplace psychology and advisory services, and founder of The Social Economy Group, a consultancy focused on strategy, governance and people for international NGOs and Australian charities.

As an executive at World Vision Australia, Julianne led the establishment and growth of the organisation’s government and multilateral segment into a $200 million division. Earlier in her career, she held roles in the volunteering sector, financial services, and economic consulting.

Julianne has extensive governance experience, having served as a director of Baptcare and a Founding Director of Baptcare Affordable Housing, with committee responsibilities spanning risk, clinical governance, people and workforce, and digital transformation. She is a trusted advisor to boards and advisory committees across disability, health, community service and international development sectors.

A graduate of the Company Directors Course, Julianne is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Governance Institute, the Australian HR Institute, and the Australian Psychological Society. She also holds qualifications in Economics, Finance, and Human Resources

Nicole is a finance expert dedicated to building financially sustainable operations for businesses, governments and communities. Whether serving on a Board, acting as an in-house executive, or providing interim external support, Nicole’s superpower lies in identifying the right qualitative and quantitative metrics to guide transparent decision-making and crafting narratives that connect with diverse stakeholders.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an active member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Nicole serves on Boards and Advisory Panels aligned with her passion for the Health and Education sectors.

Currently, Nicole is the Interim Chief Financial Officer for The Australian Ballet, where she champions inclusion and financial literacy. Her career includes serving as Chief Financial Officer for the National Disability Insurance Agency and holding senior executive roles over 24 years at ANZ Banking Group. At ANZ, she led large global teams across the Institutional, Australia, Europe and America divisions during times of significant uncertainty.

A Markets and Treasury specialist, Nicole is known for her ability to develop people and strengthen the businesses she supports.

Sonia is a Senior Partner in EY’s People Advisory Service, where she leads the Government and Public Sector team. With expertise in high-performance leadership, large-scale organisational change, cultural development, and workforce transformation, Sonia works across the education, human services and justice sectors.

Sonia brings more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive and Deputy Secretary, with a proven track record in delivering systemic changes that improve outcomes for people with disability. A long-term champion of human rights-led approaches to inclusion, she has led high-impact transformation and reform in large, complex organisations and systems with multiple stakeholders.

Sonia’s professional background spans psychology, academic research, service delivery, policy and reform, with sector expertise in education, human services, health, justice and youth services. Sonia also has eight years of business consulting experience, advising government departments and the Human Services Sector.

An experienced Board Director and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Sonia is committed to advancing systemic reform and promoting inclusion through innovative leadership and strategic governance.

Hayley is a dynamic and innovative leader with over 30 years of experience in the disability, aged care and community sectors. Hayley has been with Melba since 2017 and played a key role during the transition to the NDIS and the successful transfer of government services.

Hayley is passionate about putting power in the hands of the person with a disability to live the life they choose. Hayley possesses a wealth of knowledge in human rights service design, governance and compliance.

Under Hayley’s guidance Melba has transformed from a small, regional service to one of Victoria’s largest disability service providers.

Hayley currently serves on the Lilydale Revitalisation Board, is the Victorian State Chair and national Board member of National Disability Services (Disability peak body) and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Hayley has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Disability from Deakin University and completed Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management at Harvard Business School.

Mark has over 30 years of commercial experience working across a broad spectrum of industries, most recently in Health. His experience spans the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Mark holds a Bachelor of Business(Accounting), is a CPA, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance (AGIA-ACG). Mark has led many corporate teams over his career including Finance, Business Transformation, HR, IT and Company Secretariat. Mark is a current member of the Governance Institute Victorian Council and is a current serving director and Audit Chair of Gowrie Victoria. Mark also served as a Director of Crime Stoppers Victoria for nine years, fulfilling a number of roles, including a stint as Board Chair until his compulsory retirement.

Penny is a qualified lawyer with 15 years experience. Prior to joining Melba in 2020, Penny was the Principal Legal Officer at the Disability Services Commissioner for two years after working for six years as a Barrister at the Victorian Bar. Penny worked as a Solicitor and Judge’s Associate before that. Penny has broad experience in commercial, administrative, and regulatory law, as well as coronial and other inquiries including Royal Commissions.

Bridget (GAICD) is a strategic People, Safety and Culture executive with a passion for driving high-performance outcomes by way of cultural transformation. She brings a wealth of experience in the people field, gained across various industries including technology, utilities, construction and manufacturing. Her domain expertise includes strategy execution, inclusion and diversity, employee experience, industrial and employee relations, payroll, safety and wellbeing. Bridget is passionate about technology and is the co-founder of In The Game, a culture-building platform. An AICD qualified board member, Bridget is the Deputy Chair of Refuge Victoria and Board member at Muaythai Victoria Incorporated.

Mel is a proudly neurodivergent and forward-thinking executive with 20 years of experience within the community services and healthcare fields.

With expertise in service environments and leadership roles, Mel consistently delivers business, financial and stakeholder objectives to ensure greater quality, excellence, learning, innovation, and outcomes. Her ability to build capable and confident teams to improve service outcomes has underpinned Mel’s career to date.

Mel is committed to ethical leadership and embeds a culture of continuous improvement and better practice in her teams by fostering work environments centred around engagement and collaboration.

Mel has a solid history of success in implementing strategic plans and leading the delivery of innovative service models to exceed quality and best practice standards. Her in-depth knowledge of dynamic funding and service environments serves to improve practice across the lifespan of disability, aged care, nursing, and residential services.

Mel is a non-executive director of several non-for-profit organisations, including The Lab Network and Brainwave Australia and she is also the voluntary CEO for ADHD Australia.

With a passion for ‘making human rights a reality for all’, Mel tackles life and career management scenarios with meticulous strategies based on her areas of expertise.

Kerrie brings more than 25 years of experience across various human services sectors, including disability, mental health and government. Her extensive experience spans high-needs cohorts, including individuals facing abuse and trauma, family violence, sexual assault, substance abuse, homelessness, Aboriginal communities and asylum seekers. With a substantial history of working with individuals from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, Kerrie is deeply passionate about social justice, systems change and enhancing service responses.

A dedicated team builder, Kerrie has undertaken considerable training in clinical supervision, coaching and mentoring. She believes that good quality leadership supports people in realising their true potential.