Our people

Chairman

Appointed in November 2019, Nicholas Moore is a former Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group Limited. He retired in 2018 after 32 years at Macquarie, including 10 years as CEO.

Nicholas has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW (UNSW). He was admitted as a solicitor and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. In 2017, Nicholas was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business from UNSW.

He is Chair of Screen Australia, The Centre for Independent Studies, The Smith Family, Willow Technology Corporation, the National Catholic Education Commission, a member (and former Chair) of the UNSW Business School Advisory Council, a non-executive director of QBiotics Group, a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, and part-time Chair to the Markets Taskforce Expert Advisory Panel, and the Financial Regulator Assessment Authority within the Department of the Treasury.

Nicholas was previously Chair of PCYC NSW from 2002 to 2015, and the Sydney Opera House Trust from 2015 to 2020.

Chief Executive Officer

Doug Taylor was appointed CEO of The Smith Family in August 2021. Doug has built a 25-year career in the social sector with national and international experience in leading innovative social impact initiatives in partnership with the not-for-profit, government, philanthropic and corporate sectors. 

Prior to joining The Smith Family, Doug was the Deputy Executive Director at Uniting NSW and ACT. He has considerable operational experience in managing large and complex organisations serving people experiencing disadvantage, including delivering disability, community care, early learning and education services.

Doug’s passion for the sector is evident through his Board appointments which include Director of the Australian Centre for Social Innovation, WorkVentures and Chair of Warakirri College – a school for disengaged young people in Western Sydney. Doug is also a member of the Centre for Social Impact Advisory Board and is a Community Fellow with Western Sydney University.

Doug has completed post graduate studies in management, attended the Stanford Executive Non-Profit Leadership Program and is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors.

Appointed to the Board in January 2013, Christine has had extensive experience in the education sector over more than four decades, including at schools in disadvantaged areas of Sydney. She has been the Principal of Rooty Hill High School since 1997 and is a Past President of the NSW Secondary Principals' Council and a past Non-Executive Director of the Australian Council of Educational Leaders.

Christine is a member of the Department of Education Project Management Board for the Online Formative Assessment Initiative, the Teachers Mutual Bank Educational Advisory Panel and a former Director on the GWS Giants Board.

She holds a Bachelor of Education and Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Western Sydney University.

Appointed to the Board in December 2016, Tony Davis is a Founding Director of Quantium, a global leader in applied data analytics and technology. He is a Non–Executive Director, advisor and investor in a range of tech ventures.

His specific expertise is in marketing, customer and market insight, and growth strategy, having held leadership roles with major brands in the UK and Australia. He has been at the forefront of using data to drive insight and marketing investment to optimise business growth. He is a former Chairman and Director of the marketing industry peak body ADMA, and is a frequent contributor to leadership thinking in data, marketing and media forums.

Tony currently leads the team which organises the annual Smith Family Challenge, the adventure race which has raised over $3M for the Learning for Life Program.

Appointed to the Board of The Smith Family in February 2019, Rosheen has extensive senior executive experience in the professional services sector, both locally and internationally.

She is Chair of the Board of Taxation, Deputy Chair of the Australian Council for the Arts, the Non-Executive Chair of Alexium International Group Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited and Resolution Life Australia.

She retired from KPMG in 2015 after a successful 29 year career with the firm. Between 2009 and 2015 she was a member of KPMG’s Australian Executive Leadership team and was the National Managing Partner of its Taxation division. She was also a Member of KPMG’s Global Tax Executive Leadership team. Prior to this, Rosheen was Global Chair of the International Executive Services Practice at KPMG, operating in 128 countries.

Rosheen holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Law from the Australian National University. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, a Chartered Tax Advisor and a Member of Chief Executive Women.

Appointed to the Board in January 2013, Jeff retired in December 2011 as Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, after six years in the role.

During a 33 year career in the Australian Public Service including 13 years as a CEO, he occupied a range of executive positions across a number of Commonwealth Departments and was Managing Director of the Health Insurance Commission (now Medicare) from 1998 to 2003.

In 2003 and 2004 Jeff was Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. Currently, Jeff is a Director of the John James Foundation, a Canberra based medical charity.

Appointed to the Board in January 2012, Mark is a Non–Executive Chairman and Director of The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia, Aurecon Group Pty Ltd and G8 Education Ltd. He is a Non-Executive Director, Goodman Limited and Goodman Funds Management Ltd.

He is a former member of the Board of Partners of Corrs Chambers and Westgarth, former Chief Executive Officer of PwC in Australia, a role he held from 2008 to 2012 and a former Non-Executive Director of Coca Cola Amatil Ltd.

He has a broad business-based and professional background, having filled senior roles at PwC for fifteen years, managing PwC's Consumer and Industrial Products team and Audit Technical, Risk and Quality groups. He was a member of PwC's Assurance Leadership Team and Client Service Council and a senior member of PwC's International Strategy Council. As Chairman of the PwC Foundation, Mark took an active role in leading corporate social responsibility initiatives at PwC.

Mark is a member of the University of NSW (UNSW) Council and the UNSW Business School Advisory Council, a founding member of the Australian Research Centre (ARC) Centre for Population Ageing Research at UNSW and a former member of the Business Council of Australia.

Appointed to the Board in in April 2016, Adrian has had an extensive career in senior management roles in a number of public and private companies in Australia and overseas in the sectors of agribusiness, manufacturing, distribution, retail, technology and transport. He is Chairman of Aquasure Holdings Pty Ltd and Hancock Victorian Plantations Holdings Pty Ltd. He is the Deputy President of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Adrian holds an M.Sc. (Business Studies), a B.Sc. (Hons – Forestry) and an Honorary Doctorate from Deakin University. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Appointed to the Board in January 2013, Jeremy has had a long commercial career in senior business roles in Australia and New Zealand. He is Chairman of the NSW Electricity Operations Group (Transgrid). He is a former Chairman and Non-Executive Director of AGL Energy Ltd, Arrium Ltd and Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, a former Non-Executive Director of Nuplex Ltd and a former Managing Director and CEO of CSR Ltd. He was the inaugural Chairman of Cement Australia Pty Ltd and previously held roles with Switzerland - based Holcim Ltd in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Jeremy is a former member of the UNSW Business School Advisory Council, and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He holds a B.Eng. (Mechanical Engineering) and has completed senior executive and finance management programs at Stanford University (USA).

Appointed to the Board in April 2019, Peter is Deputy Vice Chancellor People & Organisation at Victoria University. He is Aboriginal and remains deeply connected to the Aboriginal community.

He has extensive experience in senior management in Indigenous higher education, including in research, teaching, curriculum development, marketing, and policy formation and implementation. Previously he was the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, and Director of the Ngunnawal Centre at the University of Canberra, the inaugural Dean of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership and Strategy at the University of Canberra, the inaugural Dean of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Research, a Director of the Wollotuka Institute at the University of Newcastle, and a former Assistant Professor in Information Systems at the University of Canberra.

Peter has conducted research over many years on a range of matters of importance to the Aboriginal community, with a particular emphasis on ICT and STEM issues and the digital divide, with findings reported in a number of books and academic journals.

He holds a Ph.D. in Commerce (Information Systems) and a Master of Information Technology degree.

Chief Executive Officer

Doug Taylor was appointed CEO of The Smith Family in August 2021. Doug has built a 25-year career in the social sector with national and international experience in leading innovative social impact initiatives in partnership with the not-for-profit, government, philanthropic and corporate sectors. 

Prior to joining The Smith Family, Doug was the Deputy Executive Director at Uniting NSW and ACT. He has considerable operational experience in managing large and complex organisations serving people experiencing disadvantage, including delivering disability, community care, early learning and education services.

Doug’s passion for the sector is evident through his Board appointments which include Director of the Australian Centre for Social Innovation, WorkVentures and Chair of Warakirri College – a school for disengaged young people in Western Sydney. Doug is also a member of the Centre for Social Impact Advisory Board and is a Community Fellow with Western Sydney University.

Doug has completed post graduate studies in management, attended the Stanford Executive Non-Profit Leadership Program and is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors.

Head of Marketing

Lisa Allan first joined The Smith Family in 2006 and was appointed to the role of Head of Marketing in 2017.

Lisa leads a high performing team that is responsible for the end to end life-cycle and revenue stream from our individual supporters through mass market activity. Her team is split in to seven speciality areas, each covering a different aspect of the supporter journey, including; Appeals and Acquisitions, Child Sponsorship, Supporter Retention and Development, Gifts in Wills, Digital Marketing, Supporter Care and Product & Pricing Design.

She has held senior income generating positions in both corporate and not–for–profit organisations across the US and Australia, including Flexirent Capital Pty Ltd and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) locally.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing), is a graduate of the McKinsey Executive Leadership Program and a Director of Fundraising Institute of Australia. She brings over twenty years of extensive experience in the management of brands, products, customer activity and staff to The Smith Family.

Chief Financial Officer

Paul Johnston joined The Smith Family in July 2021 as Chief Financial Officer. Paul is a highly experienced finance executive and has held senior roles in finance, treasury and corporate development both in Australia and internationally.

Paul has worked in multiple sectors including major FMCG multinationals, professional services, financial services, renewable energy investment and the higher education sector. Paul’s expertise encompasses corporate restructuring, finance transformation, strategy development, mergers and acquisitions and integration.

Paul holds a Bachelor in Accounting and Finance. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and is a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers (UK).

Head of Policy and Programs

Wendy has more than 20 years’ experience in management, administration and leadership across a range of environments, including the community sector, policy and advocacy organisations and public service sectors at State and Commonwealth Government levels.

Wendy initially trained as a social worker and spent several years working with homeless people, primarily young people and chronically homeless women; later in her career she gained a second degree in Social Sciences.

Prior to joining The Smith Family she held a number of leadership roles across a wide variety of policy and program areas in the Australian Government Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).

Head of State and Territory Operations

Leonie has a long history of leadership and management roles in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors across a wide range of areas including children, young people and families; social enterprise development; employment and training; and homelessness and housing.

Prior to commencing at The Smith Family, Leonie spent six years as the NSW/ACT State Director for Mission Australia. From 2012 to 2013 she was a member of the NSW Premier's Advisory Council for Homelessness.

In addition to her role at Mission Australia, Leonie has also held leadership roles at Work Directions Australia and Work Ventures. As a result she has had significant experience developing and managing complex and multi-year partnerships, including with government.

Head of Research and Advocacy

Anne Hampshire (B Sc Dip Ed, MA (Australian Studies) has a background in education, research, social policy, service innovation and advocacy. She has over 25 years' experience working across the community and government sectors, including at national, state, regional and local levels.

Anne has researched and written in a range of areas, including young people, children and families, mental health, unemployment, social capital and rural and regional communities. She has contributed to the development of a range of initiatives aimed at addressing disadvantage including for young people and families, homeless people and for communities experiencing long term disadvantage.

Head of Communications

Rhys Kelly joined The Smith Family in 2007 as Head of Communications. Rhys is responsible for leading the public positioning of the organisation, supporting the CEO and senior leaders on communication strategy and execution.

Previously Rhys had a 20 year career in sales and marketing, predominately in the film and television industry. 

At the New Zealand Film Commission and as Head of Film Sales at Endemol Australia, she collaborated with producers, directors and writers to market Australian and New Zealand feature films globally.

A stint overseas saw her establish the London office of an Australian film marketing company and on her return to Australia she spent six years at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)  marketing its content, consumer products and services, and the last three years were as Head of Marketing for the ABC's commercial division ABC Commercial.

Rhys has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Linguistics and has completed the General Manager Program, an AGSM executive program at the University of NSW Business School.

Company Secretary

Ben Watkinson (BA, CPA, FGIA, FCIS) has held the position of Company Secretary of The Smith Family since 1995. He joined The Smith Family in 1976 and since then has held a number of senior management positions in the organisation, including those of Chief Financial Officer (2010 to 2011), General Manager Shared Services (1998 to 2002) including overall responsibility for Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology, General Manager Finance and Administration (1989 to 1998), and General Manager Branch Operations (1981 to 1989), overseeing the organisation’s expansion into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

He served as a director and trustee of The Smith Family Staff Superannuation Fund from May 1995 until it was wound up in 1999. He is also Company Secretary of Generosity Plus Ltd, and was Company Secretary of Smith Family Industries Pty Ltd from 1996 to 2003.

General Manager, Victoria

Anton Leschen has been with The Smith Family since February 2003.

Prior to being appointed as General Manager, as The Smith Family’s Regional Programs Manager Anton led the planning, co-ordination and delivery of The Smith Family's programs to thousands of families and children in need across twelve Victorian communities. These included the delivery of innovative school-community partnerships, supporting schools to collaborate with a range of community partners to improve the educational outcomes of young people.

Anton has extensive experience in community development and youth services, working with organisations like the Sydney City Mission, Ballarat Children's and Family Services and with local government to plan and operate family, youth and children's services.

Anton holds qualifications in Outdoor Education and has a Masters of Business Administration.

General Manager, New South Wales and the ACT

Fiona Coluccio is a leader who brings 25 years experience across a wide range of areas including service design, implementation and using data to monitor and evaluate the success of service and operational implementation. Fiona has lead significant change in the disability sector including the introduction of, and transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. She has ably lead large dispersed teams through significant change and implemented many approaches including the use data to strategically manage and prioritise work load, balancing targets and quality, ensuring quality service delivery is maintained and managing risk, all of which are aligned to the journey of The Smith Family.

Over the past 4 years Fiona has held the position of General Manager Community Support Services with Disability Services Australia. Prior to this Fiona was an Operations Manager with Uniting Care Disability NSW/ACT. In both of these roles she was responsible for operational change management to meet industry shifts, quality service implementation and provision to individuals with highly complex needs.

General Manager, Western Australia

Anjie Brook is a leader who brings over 20 years’ experience in the education sector where she dedicated her career to supporting students who found school challenging.  

Prior to joining The Smith Family in 2021, Anjie transitioned from education to the for purpose sector being appointed as the General Manager of the EON Foundation leading a team working across remote Aboriginal communities in WA and the NT.  

In 2018, Anjie was appointed the inaugural CEO of the Western Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute, facilitating and supporting Aboriginal people to develop and apply their leadership skills and capacity. 

Anjie is a proud Board member of Awards WA and is a member of the YMCA Vocational School Advisory Committee.  

Anjie has formal qualifications in Education including a Masters of Education and is a qualified PRINT coach. 

General Manager, Queensland

Alan Le May commenced with The Smith Family in January 2014 and brings over 20 years’ experience in not for profit leadership including three years as a senior fund raising consultant.

Alan’s previous experience includes 17 years at Teen Challenge, initially as the Queensland Prevention and Outreach Coordinator, subsequently appointed to State Executive Director and culminating in a three year term as National Director.

Alan has formal qualifications in Youth Work, Work Place Training and Assessment, Alcohol and Other Drugs Work, a Graduate Certificate in Business and has recently completed a Masters in Business (Philanthropic & Not for Profit Studies) at QUT.

Alan has recently concluded a three year term as an Executive Member of the Fundraising Institute of Australia (EFIA) and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).

General Manager, South Australia and the Northern Territory

Graham Jaeschke joined The Smith Family in June 2008. Previously Graham was the State Director of the Liberal Party in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland and also worked as a Campaign Officer at the Federal Secretariat in the lead up to the 1996 Federal Election. He is a veteran of 6 Federal campaigns, 10 State elections, 9 State and Federal by-elections, and one Local Government election.

For two years, Graham was Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in South Australia and he is currently a member of the Steering Group. Previously he was a member of the Australian Early Development Index Coordinating Committee in South Australia.

Graham attended Flinders University and majored in politics and geography, receiving a BA (Honours) degree.

General Manager, Tasmania

Lesley Mackay commenced with The Smith Family in 2015. Prior to her appointment as General Manager for Tasmania, Lesley led the delivery of The Smith Family’s programs in Tasmania as Regional Program Manager.

Lesley has previously worked in senior management roles within the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services’ Disability; Child, Youth and Family Services; and a range of community sector organisations. She has also taught within the community services school at TasTAFE.

Lesley holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Habilitation) degree.