Governance
Homes for Homes is a not-for profit-company, limited by guarantee and endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient. Robustly governed, Homes for Homes benefits from the knowledge, expertise and networks of industry leaders.
Board of directors
- Wendy Fromhold, Executive Lead - People & Culture, Cohealth
Wendy has over 20 years of experience in not-for-profit organisations, with the majority of these organisations being focused on providing health and community support services for people and communities who are marginalised. Wendy has spent the past 10 years in senior management roles in regional and national organisations with roles covering: management of services, developing models of care, managing restructures and business and strategic management.With a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Business (Organisational Change and Consulting), Wendy is passionate about supporting strong leadership and good governance of not-for-profit organisations. She commenced her career as a health professional working in mental health and homelessness services and has since been passionate about building capabilities within organisations to maximise the value they deliver to communities. - Steven Münchenberg, Managing Partner & CEO, Blackhall & Pearl
With over 25 years of professional experience, Steven has held several significant roles in his career. He has served as the former Chief Executive of the Australian Bankers’ Association and as Deputy Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in overseeing government relations for a major bank during the global financial crisis, led a small not-for-profit organisation in the resources sector, and dedicated a decade to policy roles within the Federal Government.In terms of his academic qualifications, Steven holds a Bachelor of Law (Hons) from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of Adelaide. Currently, he holds the position of Managing Partner and CEO at a leading consultancy firm, where he continues to contribute his wealth of experience and expertise. - Sonya Clancy AM (Chairman), Chief Corporate Services Officer, Bank Australia
Sonya possesses a wealth of experience in managing people and currently holds senior executive responsibility as Chief Corporate Services Officer at Bank Australia. Previously, she served as the Executive General Manager, overseeing Human Resources, Marketing, and Communications at Equity Trustees. Before that, she held the role of General Manager of Human Resources at ANZ, where she also simultaneously served as the General Manager of Marketing and Group General Manager of Culture. Notably, Sonya has been the Chairman of the Board for The Big Issue since 2004 and Homes for Homes since 2015 and chaired the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup, which was hosted by The Big Issue.Her contributions were recently acknowledged in the Queen’s Birthday honour roll, where she was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her significant service to social enterprise and the financial services sector. - Carolyn Viney, Chief Executive Officer, Assemble
With over 25 years of experience in construction, property development, and real estate investment, Carolyn Viney has a seasoned background. Prior to her current role, she served as the Chief Development Officer at Vicinity Centres and prior to that held various senior positions at Grocon over a 13-year span, including CEO, Deputy CEO, Head of Development after having commenced her career as a property lawyer at law firm Minter Ellison. In addition to her corporate roles, Carolyn is an active contributor to various organisations. She serves as a Division Councillor at the Property Council of Australia’s Victoria Division, an Advisory Board Member to Women’s Property Initiatives, a not-for-profit provider of housing for women and children at risk of homelessness. She is also a non-executive director of the Walter + Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. - Vanessa Beggs, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Australian Banking Association
Responsible for working with member banks and supporting the Chief Executive Officer in providing leadership, governance, and operational management. Driving the performance of the organisation and the achievement of the industry’s strategic objectives.Vanessa brings over 25 years’ experience across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. Vanessa previously held the position of the CEO for the YWCA NSW – leading the organisation from a federated model to a united national organisation, and has also held executive roles in strategy, change management, cultural transformation, and organisational development predominantly with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. - Paul Kearney, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Kearney Group/Oi Software
Paul Kearney is the founder and CEO of Kearney Group, a pioneer in integrated financial advice since 1986. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is a Certified Financial Planner®, Certified Practicing Accountant, and a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia.Under his leadership, Kearney Group has grown into a team of 50+ professionals known for innovation. They’ve introduced ESG-rated investments to the market and received national recognition, including the Association of Financial Advisers’ Australian Practice of the Year and BT Financials’ National Practice of the Year awards.Furthermore, Paul provided seed funding for the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab at Deakin University’s NIKERI Institute in 2020 and serves as Director and Chair of AIME while collaborating with Hi Neighbor.
Our team
- Steven Persson, Chief Executive Officer
- Jon Whitehead, Chief Financial Officer
- Simone Busija, Chief Marketing Officer
- Tracy Longo, Chief Operating Officer
- Donnette Rushworth, Partnerships Manager
- Adrian Talbot, Partnerships Manager
- Sally Curtis, Partnership Manager
- Nami Das Brinta, Project Development & Grant Manager
Legal advisers
- Clayton Utz
- Corrs Chambers Westgarth
- Herbert Smith Freehills
- MinterEllison
- King & Wood Mallesons
Investment advisory group
- The Hon Anna Bligh AC, CEO, Australian Banking Association
- Terry Campbell AO, Senior Chairman, Goldman Sachs
- Sonya Clancy AM, Chief Corporate Services Officer, Bank Australia
- Sally Herman, Non-Executive Director
- Glenn King, CEO, PEXA
- Simon McKeon AO, Chancellor, Monash University
- Peggy O’Neal AO, Chancellor, RMIT
- Andrew Penn, former CEO, Telstra
- Ian Smith AM, Managing Partner, Bespoke Approach
Housing advisory groups
Victorian housing advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Rob Leslie, former CEO, Yarra Housing
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes and The Big Issue
- Meredith Sussex AM, Chair, Fishermans Bend Development Board
- David Waldren, National Head of Design, Vicinity Centres
- Roz Hansen, Director, Roz Hansen Consulting
- Laura Murray, City Planning Lead Victoria, Arup
New South Wales housing advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Adam Bennett, CEO, NSW Land Registry Services
- Jorge Chapa, Head of Market Transformation, Green Building Council of Australia
- Dr Chris Martin, Senior Lecturer & Research Fellow, UNSW
- Katherine McKernan, CEO, Redfern Legal Centre
- Toni Milis, Chair, National BTR Roundtable, Property Council of Australia
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes and The Big Issue
- Jo Waldon, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, PEXA
Australian Capital Territory housing advisory group
- Mike Allen, former CEO, Housing NSW (Chair)
- Gabbie Foster, Managing Director, Capital Estate Developments
- James Bennett, Executive Branch Manager, Building Reform, Housing and Design Services
- Diane Kargas Bray AM, Director Philanthropy Matters & Non-Executive Director, HOME in Queanbeyan & Directions Health Services
- Sandra Lambert AM, Chair, ACT Remuneration Tribunal
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes
Northern Territory advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Patrick Bellot, Head of Business Development, NT Property
- Susan Burns, Territory Manager NT, National Disability Services
- John Coleman, Chairman, NT Land Corporation
- Christine Fitzgerald, former Executive Director Strategy, Policy and Performance, NT Department of Local Government
- Dr Michael Fotheringham, Managing Director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
- Donna Hunter, Executive Officer, Aboriginal Housing NT
- Peter McMillan, Executive Officer, NT Shelter
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes and The Big Issue
- Jo Waldon, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, PEXA
Queensland advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Fiona Caniglia, CEO, Q Shelter
- David Cant, Director, NHFIC / PowerHousing Australia
- Bruce Harper, GM QLD, Avid Property Group
- Professor Cameron Parsell, Researcher, The University of Queensland
- Donna Maree O’Connor, former CEO, Access Community Housing Company
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes and The Big Issue
- Jo Waldon, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, PEXA
West Australian advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Dr Amity James, Associate Professor, Curtin University
- Frank Marra, Non-Executive Director, My Home Australasia Limited, Bethanie Housing Limited & Board Chair, TRCB
- Michelle McKenzie, Principal, Mira-Consulting
- Tom Oosterhof, Executive Director, Hunt Architects
- Chris Paull, Partner, PwC
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes
- Lee Rossetto, Partner, MinterEllison
- Jo Waldon, Principal & Founder Veritic Advisory
South Australian advisory group
- Mike Allen (Chair), former CEO, Housing NSW
- Professor Emma Baker, Director, Australian Centre for Housing Research & Deputy Director, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Healthy Housing
- Matt Clemow, Director Social Policy Solutions
- Philip Fagan-Schmidt, Board Director, Chair, People and Culture Committee, St George Community Housing & Advisor, Housing Australia
- Liam Golding, Chief Executive, Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA)
- Daniel Harris, Director, Otello
- Steven Persson, CEO, Homes for Homes and The Big Issue
- Brenton Pike, Chief Executive, Land Services SA
- Carol Shard, Executive Manager Services, KWY Aboriginal Corporation
Members come from social services, property, finance, government and community housing sectors. Additional advisory groups will be progressively formed as sufficient funds are raised in each state or territory.