Mark Pearce
Chief Executive Officer
Mark draws on his extensive experience in the social purpose and commercial sectors to lead Volunteering Australia to build a stronger, more connected, and resilient Australian community through volunteering.
Prior to joining Volunteering Australia, Mark was a senior executive at the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and held senior investment banking and institutional funds management roles with Goldman Sachs, JBWere, nab, and Macquarie Bank.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science (Politics and International Relations (Hons.)) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Graduate Diploma in Human Rights from the School of Advanced Studies at the University of London and is currently studying for a Master of Public Policy at the Australian National University.
Driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of compassion, Mark applies his skills and expertise as a Non-Executive Director of Community Council for Australia, a member of the Emergency Relief National Coordination Group, and sustainable food company, Growrs Ltd. In addition to a passion for human rights, Mark is active in fighting for animal rights and is Deputy Chair of Australia’s leading animal protection organisation, Animals Australia.
Dr Sue Regan
Deputy CEO, Policy Director
Sue is Volunteering Australia’s Deputy CEO and Policy Director as well as a Visiting Fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy, at the Australian National University. Sue is Vice President of the Australian Social Policy Association.
Formerly, Sue was Program Director at the Institute of Public Administration Australia and Program Lead (Social Policy) at the HC Coombs Policy Forum. Prior to her move to Australia in 2010, Sue undertook roles in the non-profit, thinktank and government sectors in the UK, specialising in social policy. This included as Chief Executive Officer of the Resolution Foundation, Associate Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research and Policy Director of Shelter. Sue has an MA in Economics and a PhD in Public Policy.
Emily Chan Sui Ko
Finance Manager
Emily is the finance manager and overlooks all aspects of the finance and accounting department. She has extensive experience in finance and accounting, working in various countries such as Mauritius and Singapore. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Southampton and is a member of ICAEW.
Zac Reimers
National Strategy Director
Zac is a life-long volunteer, first joining his local youth council at age eleven. He has worked professionally in volunteer leadership roles since 2011, engaging thousands of volunteers for large-scale cultural events. Zac has a strong interest in how policy and research can strengthen volunteering. He joins us from his state peak body, Volunteering Queensland, where he has worked as their Policy, Advocacy and Research Lead.
Sarah Wilson
National Strategy Advisor
Sarah is an expert in volunteer involvement and not-for-profit strategy and governance. She holds degrees in Arts, Psychology, and Law and is currently completing her Honours in Psychology at the University of Canberra. Before joining Volunteering Australia as National Strategy Director, Sarah served as Policy Manager for VolunteeringACT for nearly a decade.
Sarah is a passionate volunteer as a Board Director of Animals Australia, Telephone Crisis Supporter for Lifeline Canberra, and Research and Policy Volunteer for the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds. In her spare time, Sarah is a full-time carer to her rescue greyhound George, a tragic LA Lakers fan, and likes to dedicate her weekends to diving with sharks.
Cindy West
Policy and Sector Support Advisor
Cindy draws on 20 years Australian Government experience delivering complex national policy and programs both domestically and internationally. She has worked at executive levels across diverse organisations, from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to the Department of Human Services and the Family Court of Australia. Cindy also spent a year working for the Canadian Government’s Department of Veterans Affairs. Her policy work with Volunteering Australia focusses on aged care, the environment and climate change and leading the review of key national resources, such as the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement.
Cindy is passionate about civic duty and the power of individuals to create positive change by using their moral agency in their professional and daily life. She encourages community-mindedness and volunteering with her two school-age children as an unrivalled way to empower, inspire and ground young people. Cindy is a published creative writer and holds degrees from the University of Canberra and Deakin University.
Jack McDermott
Policy Officer & National Strategy Research Fellow
Jack is a Policy Officer at Volunteering Australia. In this role, he contributes to Volunteering Australia’s current policy and advocacy work on mental health, disability, emergency management, rural volunteering, and youth volunteering.
Jack graduated from the Australian National University in 2020 with a Bachelor of International Relations (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science.
Heba Al Adawy
Policy Officer
Heba is a Policy Officer (part-time) at Volunteering Australia. She is also a PhD candidate at the Coral Bell School of Asia & the Pacific at Australian National University. Her previous degrees are from Mount Holyoke College (USA) and the University of Oxford (UK) respectively.
Heba’s research and policy portfolio at Volunteering Australia includes volunteering in the aged care sector; informal volunteering within culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and indigenous forms of volunteering in Australia.
Maddison Tickner
HR and Operations Officer
Maddie is currently studying HR Management and is passionate about business operations; specifically ensuring that staff have the correct frameworks and support networks in place to be the most efficient, motivated, and to feel the safest that they possibly can.
Formerly, Maddie worked for VolunteeringACT and prior to working in volunteering peak body organisations, Maddie worked in retail finance and bank management. During adolescence, she was involved in volunteering at a zoo, prior to being employed there.
Valeria Lopez
Secretariat and Administrative Support Officer
Valeria has a passion for helping people and carries a dedication for fostering inclusivity. Throughout her career, Valeria has developed her customer service and advocacy skills, ensuring compassionate support for diverse communities.
Valeria has a broad set of experiences from managing patient registrations, coordinating organ, eye, and tissue donation to providing bilingual support services to facilitate clear communication. Valeria takes pride in her ability to connect with people from various backgrounds and her broad set of experiences facilitates clear communication.
Kylie Hughes
Communications Manager
As Communications Manager, Kylie leads Volunteering Australia’s communications team to advance volunteering in the Australian community.
Kylie has extensive experience working in communications and marketing roles in the for-purpose sector as well as local government. Throughout her career, she has developed a strong interest in policy, advocacy and research, and enjoys the challenge of presenting technical information in a concise, accurate and user-friendly manner. Kylie holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in journalism and public relations at Deakin University.
Anna Lee
Communications Officer
Anna has an extensive background in Digital Media Production and a passion for social media for social change and documentary making. Anna holds a Bachelor of Media Arts and Production from the University of Canberra and provides Volunteering Australia with media and marketing, video production, and creative expertise. Anna spends her spare time playing guitar with her partner, dancing, enjoying her garden and raising delightful teenagers and cats.
Volunteer Team
Currently, Volunteering Australia’s volunteer team consists of the following roles:
- Research and Policy Analyst
- Evidence Bank Curator
- Researchers
