Our Executive Team and Board
Meet some of the team
Our board and executive team are made up of dedicated, enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about a fairer world for children.
Our board is responsible for the guiding our strategic direction, and is accountable for our actions and the impact of our activities.
Photo: Girls in Guatemala now have a safe space where they can meet. © Plan International
Our Executive Team
Susanne Legena, CEO
BA, MA (Professional Communication)
Susanne joined Plan International Australia in 2011. Prior to this appointment, Susanne had extensive senior management experience across a wide range of public policy, public sector management and communications areas.
Her previous roles include the Chief of Staff for the Victorian Minister for Energy & Resources and the Arts.
Susanne is a keen gardener and keeps bees that produce delicious, locally-sourced honey.
Hayley Cull, Deputy CEO
Engagement
Hayley joined Plan International Australia in 2017.
She has led major national and global campaigns on child rights, international development and gender equality, working with UNICEF, Plan International and various other NGOs in Australia, the UK and internationally.
With a background in journalism, campaigning and communications strategy, she is passionate about working with young people to create change.
Mudasser Siddiqui, Deputy CEO
Impact
Mudasser has over 15 years of humanitarian and development experience across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Through his employment journey with Government and NGO’s he gained valuable experience in Monitoring and evaluation, emergency response, and policy research and advocacy related to humanitarian affairs.
In 2011 Mudasser joined Plan International’s Asia regional office as Disaster Risk Management Specialist. In this role Mudasser supported over 8 countries in Asia with emergency response, preparedness, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programming.
Mudasser joins Plan International Australia coming from Plan International Ethiopia where he was Country Director since January 2021.
Mudasser has a Master’s degree in Medical and Psychiatric Social work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India.
Ruth Kesterman, Chief Operating Officer
BEng (Hons) MA (Development Studies & Culture Change
Ruth joined Plan International Australia in 2021. Prior to joining she held leadership roles in the community care sector, as well as consulting in the not-for-profit, private and government sectors.
Ruth is passionate about building the resilience and sustainability of communities both in Australia and overseas.
In her spare time Ruth loves ocean swimming and walking in the bush.
Our Board of Directors
Patricia Faulkner, AO
Chair
Patricia was awarded an Order of Australia in 2008 for service to the community through the development and implementation of public policy relating to health, aged care, children’s services, disability services and housing.
Patricia has held a diverse range of senior leadership positions, including serving as a Deputy Commissioner to the 2016 Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, Director of Occupational Health and Safety, and Secretary of the Department of Human Services. She previously held senior health leadership roles at KPMG, and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Health Services Executives and a National Fellow of IPAA.
Patricia serves on Plan International’s Member’s Assembly.
Marsha Beck, BA (Hons), LL.B (Hons), M.AppFin, CIMA®, GAICD
Marsha is an accomplished executive leader, driven by passion, purpose and results.
Over 20 years, Marsha has held senior roles across the financial services sector, leading change and driving innovation across product, marketing, sales and services initiatives.
Jason Chuck, B.App Sci (Computer Engineering), MBA (Hons. List)
Jason is a seasoned executive leader having held senior roles in several technology and purpose led organisations.
Jason is currently the Australian Managing Director of Omaze, an entertainment company with a social purpose that has donated over $350m for its charity partners around the world. Jason was previously the Chief Commercial Officer at Hireup, an organisation focused on improving care in the disability sector and prior to that, was the Chief Consumer Office at Domain Holdings Group. Jason has also spent over 15 years growing and scaling international technology businesses in Australia, with a focus on strategy, sales and marketing at Houzz, Etsy, eHarmony and Google.
Tim Lo Surdo,
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
Tim is the Founder of Democracy in Colour – Australia’s first racial and economic justice organisation led by people of colour. Before starting Democracy in Colour, he worked with low-paid workers to set up Hospo Voice – a new union in hospitality. Previously, Tim was the Head of Campaigns at Oaktree, a senior adviser to two Senators, the Campaigns Director at Jhatkaa, the National Communications Director at UN Youth Australia, and co-founded Open Sky.
Tim is currently the Chairperson of No to Violence and the Jane Goodall Institute Australia and a Non-Executive Director of Plan International Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Environment Victoria, the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Inner Melbourne Community Legal, the Cultural Facilities Corporation, the Consumer Policy Research Centre, the Funders Initiative for Civil Society, and the Victorian Government’s Sustainability Fund.
For his work, Tim was named an Asia-Pacific Obama Leader, the 2021 Victorian Young Achiever of the Year, a Commonwealth Young Person of the Year finalist, one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians, and one of 17 UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Vanessa Ng,
B.Comm. CA
Vanessa Ng is an experienced finance professional who has worked in the banking and professional services industry with a focus on leadership, strategy and change management.
Vanessa is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) from the University of Melbourne. Vanessa is passionate about social impact, equality and education.
Belinda Howell,
BA (Hons), MBA, GAICD
Belinda Howell is an experienced director of not-for-profit boards with a deep interest in international development, mental health and education.
Belinda’s career as a senior executive has spanned higher education, financial and professional services, travel and government. She is adept at working across cultures and building successful multicultural teams.
She is a Deputy Chair of Dunmore Lang College (Macquarie University), a director of Bolong River Produce (horticulture business) and consults to education technology start-ups. Belinda is also an executive coach.
Natasha de Silva, Master of Global Law, BA (International Development), BComm (Economics)
Natasha is a human rights and gender equality professional with over 21 years’ experience in national and international policy development and law reform. Natasha specialises in the rights of women and girls and has led major policy projects such as the Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Natasha is presently the Principal of Intersection, a consulting firm that assists organisations to be safe, respectful and inclusive.
Natasha is on the Board of Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College.
Sally Moyle
Sally Moyle is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Australian National University (ANU), associated with the Gender Institute and the Vice President of the National Foundation for Australian Women. Sally has had extensive experience in international development policy and practice, and almost thirty years’ experience addressing gender issues both domestically and internationally.
Sally was the Chief Executive Officer at CARE Australia until 2019, and, between 2013 and 2016, was the Principal Gender Specialist and Assistant Secretary with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Sally has been in senior executive roles in the Australian Government since 2008. Prior to joining AusAID in 2006, Sally had senior roles at the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Law Reform Commission and practised as a lawyer.
Upenyu Mawande
Upenyu Mawande is passionate about improving the lives of the world’s poor and vulnerable and addressing system inequity. Using her combination of program, strategic and financial management skills, Upenyu has over 15 years’ experience in team leadership and program management in the international aid and development and not-for-profit sector.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Upenyu leverages her cross-cultural experience and has overseen the design, implementation and quality assurance of programs in over 46 African, Asian, Pacific and Latin American countries. These programs covered resilience and livelihoods, climate adaptation, gender, education, peace and protection, health, and WASH, ranging from small to large multi-country, multi-stakeholder programs across the emergency response to long-term development spectrum.
Upenyu has worked with and consulted for over 300 partner organisations, and sat on various committees of the international development peak bodies of Australia and New Zealand to strengthen the sector at large. She is presently the co-chair for the Australian International Development Network advisory committee and oversees partnership and program management at the Judith Neilson Foundation as the Director of Programs – Southern Africa.