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Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre is an Incorporated Association governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for ensuring strategic direction, implementation of governance policies, adherence to regulatory obligations and oversight of performance and management activities undertaken by the CEO.
The Board of Directors bring extensive experience and diverse skills to support the CEO including specialisations in finance, marketing, communications, legal, government and community services, HR and IT.
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 headed the 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 management consulting experience. She is currently the Executive Manager, 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 area. 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 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’ 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’ experience. His early experience is grounded in the security sector with Victoria Police, and over the past decade he has expanded his experience peace building in South, Southeast, and Eastern Asia, Western and Eastern Africa, MENA and Oceania. His areas of specialty include process facilitation, leadership development, developing 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 master’s in leadership and organisational change, peace building and conflict prevention, and human rights. His experience in not-for-profit Directorship includes age and disability sectors, a global think tank and service clubs.
