CONCILIATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Alyssa was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer in January 2021, to lead us at an exciting time of change and opportunity.
She commenced with the organisation in 2010 as a Conciliation Officer and was promoted to the role of Deputy Senior Conciliation Officer in 2018. A nationally accredited mediator, conciliator and qualified lawyer, Alyssa has a long-standing interest in workers compensation, alternative dispute resolution and supporting access to justice.
Alyssa commenced her career as a lawyer and has held positions at Slater & Gordon Solicitors as a personal injury lawyer, and at WorkSafe Victoria as Legal Counsel, before joining the Accident Compensation Act Review and working in legislative reform and implementation.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Secretary of the Board
- Certified Practicing Accountant
Dale joined us in March 2019. He holds both public and private experience, having held executive management positions within a number of Victorian public sector agencies.
Dale is a Certified Practicing Accountant and has a strong understanding of the Victorian governance and financial management framework. Dale is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Consultant
- Member of the Board
Helga Svendsen is a consultant, coach and facilitator specialising in leadership, strategy and planning, governance and stakeholder engagement. Helga has extensive experience in leadership and Board roles in government, not-for-profit and membership organisations.
She is the Chair of the Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency, and a former board member of the Royal Women's Hospital. Helga holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws from Monash University and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Williamson Community Leadership Program.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Principal Arbitration Officer
Jack was appointed the inaugural Principal Arbitration Officer for the Workplace Injury Commission 2022, having led the arbitration functional design team since 2020. He commenced with the organisation in 2007 working as a Conciliation Officer.
Jack holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences, a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master in Business Administration. He is also an accredited mediator and has held positions as a tribunal member in Commonwealth and Victorian jurisdictions, including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Mental Health Tribunal, Forensic Leave Panel and Suitability Panel. Jack is a committee member of COAT (Victoria).
Job Titles:
- Director of the Melbourne School of Government
Professor John Howe is Director of the Melbourne School of Government and the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include labour market policy and regulation, regulatory design and social procurement.
John has previously held roles as Deputy Dean of the Melbourne Law School, Secretary of the Australian Labour Law Association, and Chair of the International Labour Law Research Network. He is currently an Editor of the Australian Journal of Labour Law.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- General Manager Strategy and Experience
Kate joined us having held the role of Principal Registrar of the County Court of Victoria, bringing with her over twenty years' experience working in Courts across multiple jurisdictions in the Victorian Justice System. She holds a diploma in Government Court Services from Victoria University and is a Leadership Victoria alumnus, having recently graduated the Folio Leadership Program.
A purpose driven and values-based change leader, Kate holds a deep commitment to customer centric service delivery.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Principal Conciliation Officer
Marguerite Darmody joined us in 2010 as a Conciliation Officer and she was appointed to the Executive Leadership Team in 2020.
She is a values-driven leader and is a strong advocate for fairness and ethical practice. Her previous work as a lawyer and with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and WorkSafe Victoria's Panel firms has given Marguerite experience in Victoria's statutory compensation schemes. Marguerite holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws and a Master in Counselling from Monash University. She also has an Australian National Mediator Standards Accreditation from the Resolution Institute.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Leadership Consultant and Director of Redd Consultancy
Meriel O'Sullivan is an experienced leadership consultant and Director of Redd Consultancy that specialises in people, culture, change and the resolution of workplace conflict. Meriel has over 25 years' experience in HR and employee relations, working across private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Meriel has a Masters of Dispute Resolution, is an Executive Coach and a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- General Manager Registry
Nguyen joined WIC in 2022, bringing over 20 years' experience in the personal injury industry. He previously worked in multiple senior roles in operational and strategic claims management with Gallagher Bassett, DXC and Suncorp.
Nguyen holds a Diploma in Personal Injury Management and has a passion for inspiring and empowering others to achieve excellence through effective operational business planning.
Paul Dulfer has an extensive career as an IT and Business Executive, with 20 years' experience in the Victorian Public Sector, previously holding Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles at Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, State Revenue Office and Triple Zero Victoria.
With a background in software development, he has also worked as a consultant in London, following a previous career as a professional musician playing the cello in both London and Melbourne. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Adjunct Associate Professor at La Trobe University 's School of Allied Health
Sarah is an accomplished Adjunct Associate Professor at La Trobe University's School of Allied Health, boasting over 17 years of tertiary experience.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics, a Master of Public Health, and a Doctor of Philosophy. Within her doctoral research, Sarah examined the use of systems thinking to address workplace injuries in Health. Sarah is a Graduate of the AICD, has received a Churchill Fellowship and completed the Williamson Community Leadership Program.
Beyond academia, Sarah has established herself as a trusted consultant for various external groups, focusing on pivotal areas such as regulation, assistive technology, AI and healthcare workforce. Her expertise through board and other employment provides a systems perspective of the integration of technology including AI within complex systems, and how to simply and efficiently ensure these are used safely and effectively.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Deputy Board Chair
- Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Tali Bernard is a lawyer with more than 20 years' experience in personal injury litigation and family law. She has extensive experience as a Board Director, having been a Director of not-for-profit, educational and public sector Boards for more than 20 years. Particularly interested in organisational governance and culture, Tali is a Director of the TAFE, Melbourne Polytechnic.
Tali is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a professional member of the Resolution Institute. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, and has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Director at PwC Australia
Vinay Mahajan is a Director at PwC Australia and initially joined as an Observer to the Board in 2022 and was appointed as a Director in 2024.
Vinay has over 16 years of experience working in Australia and the United States, where he has been responsible for leading global audit teams on some of PwC's largest clients, bringing the best of the firm's people and expertise.
He has worked at a number of ASX100 and Fortune 500 companies to provide advice in the matters of risk, audit and financial governance. He has overseen a number of complex transformation programs. Vinay holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia