Mel has held senior leadership roles across international development and the Australian health sector. Her portfolio accountabilities have included research, policy and advocacy, international programs, corporate affairs, marketing, sales, strategy and governance.
She also worked and lived in Geneva, Switzerland, where she held various positions including Deputy Director for International Policy and Advocacy with World Vision International and President of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Over the years Mel has served as a Board member on several not for profit Boards, including Forum, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the Intrepid Foundation, Hagar Australia and B4D. She has also been on the Advisory Board of the Researchers for Asylum Seekers at the University of Melbourne and was Co-Chair of the United Nations Special Experts Panel on Violence against Children. Mel has a Master of Arts in International Development and a Master of Public and International Law.
Mel worked for many years with both World Vision Australia and World Vision International before starting a small consulting firm in 2017. Focusing on strategy, leadership and transformation in the ‘for purpose’ sector, she particularly enjoyed working with organisations experiencing considerable change and challenge.
In 2018 Mel joined St Vincent’s Health Australia as the Group General Manager for Corporate Affairs and in December 2020 joined Australian Volunteers International (AVI), taking up the role of CEO where she continues today
