Our board

Shane is a Wakka Wakka, Bundjalung man from Northern NSW/South East Queensland and first joined the Board as a non-Executive Director in 2018. He has over 15 years’ experience at a Senior Executive level in the Government, Not for Profit and Private sectors. Most recently, Shane was a Director at PwC’s Indigenous Consulting (PIC) and CEO of Evolve FM.

Shane successfully led the transformation of the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office change and reform program for three years as the Chief Executive Officer. In that time he established a skills-based independent board, established a senior management team, stabilised the operations, implemented a change and reform program, introduced a client-focused approach, introduced a project and program management discipline to the organisation, and finalised and closed out old projects to regain community confidence and organisational reputation.

Before this Shane worked for 15 years in the prison service across three States, commencing as a prison officer at Borallon Correctional Centre in Qld and finishing as Assistant General Manager at Acacia Prison. Shane also serves as a Director of First Australians Capital Ltd.

With over 25 years in business and community organisations, Sue has held leadership positions in Strategy and Marketing at Andersens, Knight Frank and Deacons (now Norton Rose Fulbright).
She currently runs her own advisory firm, Blueprint Advisory, where she advises CEOs and their leadership teams on strategy, brand and marketing management and implementation. In many cases Sue is engaged as an Interim CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). Her clients operate in a range of industries.
As Chair, Sue has led the strategic planning process, the recruitment of a CEO, Board governance, cultural change, Board member recruitment, and Constitutional change including mandating Indigenous representation on the Board, and corporate messaging.

Martin has over 18 years’ experience as a legal practitioner with leading Australian and international law firm. Currently Corporate M&A Partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, he advises corporates, institutional and strategic investors, and domestic and international financial institutions.

Martin has over 18 years’ experience as a legal practitioner with leading Australian and international law firm. Currently Corporate M&A Partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, he advises corporates, institutional and strategic investors, and domestic and international financial institutions.

Simon is a consultant in the Sydney Office of Norton Rose Fulbright and is the Australian Head of its Financial Institutions Group.

Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Simon was a partner at Henry Davis York for over 20 years and was Chairman of Partners immediately before that firm combined with Norton Rose Fulbright on 1 December 2017.

Simon also has a keen interest in not for profit initiatives and has served in a voluntary capacity on several boards and held other executive committee positions with a number of charitable and sporting organisations.

Susan Helyar is committed to building a more just and inclusive community, where everyone lives with dignity. Her career has focused on making a difference – as a social worker, in policy roles in ACT and Commonwealth governments and as the leader of services development advocacy work for UnitingCare Australia.

Susan’s current role is the Director of the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS). She has reoriented both the advocacy agenda and capability development program to align with the opportunities and challenges of multiple concurrent reforms in social and economic policy. Her team has enhanced the campaigning voice of ACTCOSS and secured effective partnerships across numerous sectors. She has supported development of the social work profession as a field educator and delivers presentations on social issues and advocacy practice in schools, VET and tertiary education settings.

Susan’s direct practice included working in community health, mental health and disability employment. Her social policy work included service development and policy reform across the lifespan, with a focus on mental health, childcare, gambling, women’s and children’s health and social inclusion.

Susan has a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Policy and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Susan Helyar was delighted to join the SHINE for Kids board in May 2017.

Leisl has worked across a number of different portfolios as a senior government executive in NSW and Commonwealth agencies, with her most recent government role as Deputy Director-General of the NSW Department of Energy, Utilities & Sustainability. Leisl has also held senior positions within NSW Treasury, the NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet, and the Department of Environment & Climate Change. Leisl has also been a senior adviser and chief of staff to several ministers in the NSW Government, providing policy advice on portfolios including energy, fair trading, consumer and competition issues, health, mental health, justice, western Sydney, natural resources, regional issues.

Throughout her career Leisl has enjoyed focusing on the provision of essential services to low income households, remote and rural communities, and Aboriginal communities. Leisl has a strong commitment to providing essential services such as clean water, sewerage services and energy to all communities in a sustainable and reasonably priced manner.

Leisl has also been the Group General Manager, Corporate Affairs at Macquarie Generation, then the largest electricity generator in Australia. In this role, Leisl had a particular focus on working with local communities and climate change.

Leisl has a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), a Bachelor of Economics, a Masters in International Studies and is currently completing a Juris Doctor.