John Atkins AO Chairman
John joined the Anglicare WA Board recently after returning to Perth from London, where he had been appointed Western Australia’s Agent General to the UK and Europe.
With an extensive career in law and commerce, spanning 40 years, John is well-respected and highly regarded across the political and corporate divide. He has significant experience as a non-executive director of public, listed, and unlisted organisations including a five-year tenure as Chair of Lotterywest, ten years on the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA Board, and nine years as Deputy Chair of the Committee for Perth.
In addition to a Bachelor of Laws (UWA) and Masters of Law (University of London), John is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Simon Axworthy
Simon brings to the Anglicare WA Board a high level focus on strategy and analytics. He currently oversees PACE Consulting in WA - the internal consulting group at Rio Tinto. Previously, Simon has been a Partner at Azure Consulting and a Senior Manager at Bain & Company in their Californian office.
Simon has a wealth of experience advising established philanthropists and major foundations on their operating models to maximise their investment impact – including Atlantic Philanthropies, The Poses Family Foundation, and Social Ventures Australia.
He has an MBA from INSEAD (Dean’s List) and a Bachelor of Economics (1st Class Honours) from UWA, graduating summa cum laude.
Nicole Casley
Nicole is a Nyoongar and Ngadju woman with extensive family links throughout Southern WA. She completed a Bachelor of Laws at UWA and is currently engaged as a lawyer and policy Advisor at ASIC. Over the past 20 years, Nicole has worked in a variety of roles across State and Federal Government, in a commercial legal practice and as a claim lawyer for Australia's largest native title representative body.
Her professional experience has had a strong focus on advocacy and social justice, and she has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Nicole is a graduate of the Yorga Djenna Bidi Aboriginal Women's leadership program and was a founding member and convenor of the Law Society of Western Australia's Aboriginal Lawyer's Committee.
She also maintains memberships of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, the Aboriginal Family Law Services, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance.
Rt Revd Dr Ian Coutts
Rt Revd Dr Ian Coutts, spent 23 years as a social worker, mostly in the UK. Primarily working in child protection, diversion from youth custody and domestic violence in Residential Care. He has worked with Kinship Care, CAMHS, the Church of England Children’s Society, and Wandsworth Social Services Dept. He was Principal Social Worker in Birmingham Education Department for one year, and later a Guardian Ad litem and occasional national trainer on recognising the signs and significance of domestic violence.
In Australia, he has served as General Manager half-time with Anglicare ACT and NSW South & West for five years and also a half-time adjunct lecturer in theology at Charles Sturt Uni and trainer of Anglican clergy at St. Mark’s National Theological Centre. He holds a Sociology and Education Bachelor degree, a Masters’ degree in Social Policy and Administration from Jesus College, Oxford, and a doctorate in theology.
Ian has been an ordained Anglican clergyperson for 32 years and Bishop of Bunbury since late 2018.
Janine Freeman
Janine holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and a Certificate IV in Financial Services (Superannuation) and is a graduate from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ms Freeman served the Mirrabooka (& Nollamara) constituency as their State Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2021.
This was a continuation of a career representing working people and their families. Janine was the Assistant State Secretary of UnionsWA; a Senior Industrial Officer with the LHMU, now known as United Workers Union; a Member of the WA WorkCover Board, and Deputy Chair of the industry superannuation fund, HESTA.
Her passion for community has seen Janine volunteer for many not-for-profit organisations, assisting in establishing and holding senior board positions in various community legal centres. Ms Freeman is currently the Independent Chair of the State Emergency Relief Committee and Fair Food WA (hosted by WACOSS).
Andrew Friars
Andrew is a part of the leadership of EY’s Asia Pacific Advisory Business and has worked around the world as a Management Consultant for almost 30 years.
Andrew has led many Strategy Implementations and the resulting transformations in critical areas such as Operations, Customer Service, Contact Centres, Risk, Finance, HR, Sourcing, Procurement and IT.
Jane Harries
Jane is an experienced executive and brings to the Board more than 25 years' experience as a human resources business professional. She has worked in corporate and consulting capacities, both in Australia and internationally.
Prior to joining the BGC Australia executive leadership team, Jane established a human resources advisory practice, plus held a number of executive leadership and executive director roles across a variety of organisations and sectors, including Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilizers.
Jane has extensive strategic human resources experience particularly in the areas of talent, organisational development and succession.
Rob Kirkby
Rob is a current audit partner with Ernst and Young. During his time with the firm he has led the firm’s audit practice in Perth and is a current member of the firms Regional Partner group.
Rob has worked as a partner for the last 25 years in both Australia and Hong Kong and currently works extensively with the government and not-for-profit sectors including providing advice on governance.
In addition to a Bachelor of Commerce (UWA), Rob is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand.
Sue Robertson
Sue brings over 40 years’ experience working in the disability sector to the Board of Anglicare. From 1984 to July 2014, she was the Managing Director and co-founder of EDGE Employment Solutions, an employment agency for job seekers with disabilities. During this period, EDGE secured more 5500 award wage jobs for over 2300 workers with disabilities.
In 1987, Sue was co-winner of the Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability’s National Research Prize for her research in employment of people with disabilities. In 2005 she was awarded the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western Region. In 2008 she won the List Inspire Woman of Influence Award which acknowledged her as an inspiring woman in a key leadership role in the Western Australian community. She entered the Disability Employment Australia Hall of Fame in 2011.
Sue has served on national Boards and advisory councils in the disability sector and as a Board Member of the Disability Services Commission. She also served as a Director in the aged care sector.
Sue has presented at numerous international conferences related to employment and disability and has published in international journals on this topic.