CARE Australia’s ability to deliver life-saving assistance and bring lasting change to poor communities is largely due to our talented, passionate and committed team.

In Australia and overseas we have 846 staff, of whom ninety-six per cent are nationals of the countries in which we operate, dedicated to our mission to work around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

We have a corporate governance system which ensures that management is fulfilling our mission and complying legal and ethical requirements. This is detailed in CARE Australia Governance. The Executive Team and Board of CARE Australia are listed below.

Executive Team

Peter Walton, Chief Executive Officer

Peter Walton is the Chief Executive Office of CARE Australia, joining in January 2020. He has over twenty eight years of international experience seeking better outcomes in both international development and humanitarian activities. During his career he has undertaken assignments in over 50 countries, including being based for seven years in Vietnam where he was the Regional Representative for operations across the Mekong region for ChildFund Australia. During this time he was awarded the Vietnam Government’s Medal for Peace and Friendship, the highest award offered to foreigners for services towards social development and poverty alleviation.

Peter has held a number of senior roles in the humanitarian / development sector including international director with Save the Children Australia and Chief Executive of Infoxchange, an enterprise that uses technology in support of social impact and social justice. Immediately prior to joining CARE Australia, Peter was the International Director with Australian Red Cross and led a transformation of its approach to better equip the organisation to maximise its impact and evolve in a rapidly changing environment.

Peter has a strong interest in appropriate innovation and new forms of partnership and humanitarian financing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (International Development and Politics), a Master of Science (MSc) in Development Economics and an MBA. He has also completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Program as the Said Business School at the University of Oxford.

Louise Gray, Chief Operating Officer

Louise joined CARE Australia in January 2016. She is the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary for CARE Australia and holds responsibility for human resources, business support, finance and information communication technology.

Over the course of her career, Louise has held senior positions in the federal government and not for profit sectors including as Chief Financial Officer of a major government department and Deputy CEO of a community organisation in Canberra.  She also ran a successful consulting business for many years.

Louise has a BA Hons from the Australian National University, was a finalist in the 2000 Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year Awards and winner of an Australian Graduate School of Management scholarship.

David Sims, Director of International Programs and Operations

David joined CARE Australia in August 2020. David’s experience spans a range of humanitarian and development contexts across the globe — including the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. He has led large local and international teams to develop innovative solutions in both fast-onset and drawn-out humanitarian crises, and community-led development projects that address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

David has held a range of senior leadership roles both internationally and in Australia and has strong operational background with experience in a range of thematic and technical areas. Prior to joining Care Australia David was Oxfam Australia’s Head of Program Development and Effectiveness. In this role he was responsible for the development and delivery of Oxfam Australia’s program strategy and ensuring the quality, effectiveness and resourcing of Oxfam’s programs.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership.

Cath Hoban, Director of Fundraising and Marketing

Cath joined Care Australia in November 2019 bringing over 20 years of senior fundraising and marketing experience most recently serving as Director of Fundraising & Marketing at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre where she built a multi award winning program recognised for excellence in fundraising by the FIA in 2018.

Her two years at ASRC followed a 7 year period as National Director of Fundraising and Membership at The Wilderness Society where she raised over $100 million dollars for environment protection. While at the Wilderness Society she also served as acting COO for 2 years and joint CEO for 5 years and a member of the National Campaigns Team where she worked to achieve significant campaign wins to Save The Kimberly from gas exploration and stop oil exploration of the Great Australian Bight. She is an experienced strategist and advocate for the environment and for humanitarian and human rights causes.

Cath started her career in corporate communications before heading to the Cancer Council of Victoria as the Events and Community Fundraising Manager. For over 10 years Cath spearheaded the development and launch of innovative fundraising programs including the first pilot of Relay for Life, which was subsequently rolled out nationally and has since become an example of best practice event management for the fundraising sector. She was also a founding collaborator for the charity sector’s Include a Charity campaign.

Her experience and knowledge of fundraising sector was acknowledged by Fundraising and Philanthropy Magazine Australia and New Zealand in 2009 when she was awarded recipient of the inaugural Fundraiser of the Year Award.

We also have a range of experts who are available to discuss our work, in areas such as emergencies, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, climate change, food, education, health and human rights. Visit our media section for more information.

Board

The Board of Directors is responsible for directing CARE Australia’s activities towards the achievement of our vision and fulfilment of our mission, while living our core values.

It is responsible for approving strategic direction, monitoring implementation and fulfilling stakeholders’ expectations, along with overall performance, compliance with relevant laws, codes of conduct and ethical standards and for the oversight of risk management.

Chairman

Marcus Laithwaite – Director since 2017

Partner, PwC Australia; Board member and Treasurer, European Australian Business Council (EABC); Director, PwC Foundation.

Formerly – Chair of ChildFund Australia; PwC Australia Executive Board member and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Marcus commenced as Treasurer in July 2017 and Chairman in March 2019.

Directors

David Feetham – Director since 2013

Deputy Chairman, Gresham Advisory Partners Limited.

Formerly – Macquarie Bank in Sydney; Baker & McKenzie.

David is a member of the International Program and Operations and Fundraising and Communications Committees.

Joseph Tesvic – Director since 2016

Joseph is a Partner in McKinsey’s Sydney office, which he joined in 2001. His work spans strategic, operational, and implementation topics across a variety of client sectors including banking, consumer/retail, industrials, mining, services, and telecommunications. He leads McKinsey’s Implementation Practice for Asia-Pacific, and McKinsey’s Operations Improvement Practice for Australia/New Zealand.

Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope – Director since 2018

Phoebe has 25 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector and has worked in complex humanitarian emergencies and conflict zones throughout Africa, the Middle East and Europe. This fieldwork included working in Iran, leading a humanitarian response to the Somali famine, and establishing programs in Bosnia Herzegovina, and responding to the Rwandan genocide.

Phoebe has a PhD in international law focussing on the role of the international community when confronting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. From 1996-2002 Phoebe was also the Commonwealth representative on the National Council for the Centenary of Federation including chairing the Committee of the Yeperenye Festival, the largest gathering of Aboriginal peoples since Federation.

Most recently, Phoebe was a founding Director of the Humanitarian Advisory Group and a Director of International Humanitarian Law and Movement Relations at Australian Red Cross.

Phoebe is a member of the CARE Australia International Program Committee and the People Committee.

Peter N Varghese AO – Director since 2019

Chancellor of The University of Queensland. Board Director, AMP Limited, AMP Capital Holdings, AMP Bank; Director, North Queensland Airports; Member, International Governing Board of the Rajaratnum School of International Studies in Singapore; Member, Governing Board of Nalanda University in India.

Formerly – Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; High Commissioner to India; High Commissioner to Malaysia; Director-General, Office of National Assessments; Senior Advisor (International) to the Prime Minister of Australia.

Diana Patricia Nicholson – Director since 2019

Diana Nicholson is a Senior Partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions practice in the Melbourne office of King & Wood Mallesons. She has a very broad commercial practice and regularly advises public and private institutions in relation to corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions (public and private), joint ventures, securities industry law, equity capital fundraisings (including hybrid issues, placements and employee executive share and option plans), as well as the more general aspects of commercial law.

Diana has held a range of management positions with King & Wood Mallesons, from Partner in Charge of the Melbourne Office to Board member. She is a member of the KWM Community Impact Board. Diana is a member of the Takeovers Panel and a Trustee of Melbourne & Olympic Parks.

Advisory Council

Membership of the Advisory Council is by invitation from the Board to individuals who have given exceptional service to CARE Australia. Its objectives are to support and endorse the organisation’s vision, mission and core values, and to assist and provide counsel to the Board and the executive through the experience, corporate knowledge and community influence of its members.

Colin Galbraith, AM
Sir William Deane, AC, KBE
Tony Eggleton, AO, CVO
Philip Flood, AO
The Hon Barry Jones, AO, AC
Harold Mitchell, AC
Jocelyn Mitchell
Robert Yallop

Founding Chair

Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser, AC CH

Board Subcommittees

The Board appoints Committees, which regularly report to the Board, to assist in the discharge of its obligations, consider issues referred and delegated by the Board, and make recommendations to the Board. The Executive Committee exercises all the powers of the Board between meetings of the Board. It is not empowered to take action in contravention of a Board decision and utilises all practical means of consulting the full membership of the Board on significant matters.

The Finance and Risk Committee assists the Board in discharging its responsibilities concerning the integrity of financial management, and reporting its compliance with regulations and principles of best practice to achieve operational, financial and compliance risk management. It also oversees the effectiveness of audit functions.

The Fundraising and Communications Committee reviews and assesses marketing and communications strategies and fundraising investment proposals, and oversees relevant budgets. It facilitates the engagement of stakeholders, and identifies and supports fundraising and profile-building opportunities.

The International Program and Operations Committee assesses the strategic direction, performance and risk monitoring of program strategies developed by CARE Australia; projects where CARE Australia is contractually responsible; and the status of Country Offices for which CARE Australia is designated as Lead or Coordinating Member of CARE International. It has a particular responsibility to monitor safety and security conditions for staff in the field.

Subject to the direction of the Board, the Governance and Nominations Committee oversees the selection of appointees to the Board to ensure the right mix of skills, experience and expertise.