Leadership Driving Change

Ingrid Williams – Chair

Ingrid Williams has 20 years experience as a director in the not-for-profit and private sectors and 30 years’ experience in the health and aged care sectors in senior roles, including CEO and Managing Director. She is a graduate of the AICD and INSEAD and has completed the Williamson Community Leadership Programme.

Ingrid originally trained as an intensive care and pediatric nurse and has a Bachelor of Educational Studies, a Master of Health Administration and a Diploma of Business.

Cristina Wolters – Deputy Chair

Cristina Wolters is an experienced finance professional specialising in M&A transactions and corporate taxation. She has consulting experience with a large accounting firm and has headed Transurban’s global tax team for over 15 years. She is a Chartered Accountant, has completed a Master of Taxation and holds a Senior Executive MBA from the Melbourne Business School. Cristina is a graduate of the AICD and a Board Member of commercial Australian companies.

Alexandra Wall – Board Member

Alexandra Wall is a product, marketing and communications professional. Alexandra holds an MBA and has previous governance experience with not-for-profits, including Global Ideas, Girl Guides Victoria and One Girl, where she was the Deputy Chair and Company Secretary.

Penelope Cottrill – Board Member

Penelope Cottrill is a strategy, people and organisational professional and applied behavioural scientist with more than 15 years of management consulting experience. She is currently the Executive Manager of Education and Research at the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), implementing respect@work recommendations and reform to accelerate workplace gender equality. Penelope has senior executive experience and governance experience with for-profits and not-for-profits.

Sharon McKinnon – Board Member

Sharon McKinnon joined Victoria Police in 1990 and has gained more than 30 years of experience in both the metro and rural areas. In her current role as a divisional and regional commander, Sharon’s leadership draws on her experience in regional operations, covert policing, investigations and specialist responses to sexual assault, child abuse and family violence.

Sharon has also worked in a corporate function, leading the Victoria Police Audit and Risk Division. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership (AIPM) and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Management (AIPM).

John Wardlaw – Board Member

John Wardlaw is a principal of Lewis Holdway Lawyers, a small Melbourne law firm, and has over 30 years of experience as a commercial lawyer, working in both the corporate and charities/not-for-profit fields. He also spent 10 years on the board of a national affordable housing charity. John trained initially as a biochemist and worked in medical research for five years before joining the legal profession.

Charles Allen – Board Member

Charles is a leadership and peacebuilding professional with over 40 years of experience. His early experience is grounded in the security sector with Victoria Police, and over the past decade, he has expanded his experience peacebuilding in South, Southeast, and Eastern Asia, Western and Eastern Africa, MENA and Oceania. His specialty areas include process facilitation, leadership development, personal and community resilience, and organisational and community systems change.

He currently leads and is the founder of Space Melbourne, a peace-building and process facilitation organisation. Formal studies include Masters in Leadership and Organisational Change, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, and human rights. His experience in not-for-profit directorship includes experience in the age and disability sectors, a global think tank, and service clubs.