ISS - Key Persons
Amelia has worked for ISS since2016, including roles with both IPCA and the Intercountry Adoption Family Support Service. Prior to coming to ISS, she spent five years working with people seeking asylum and refugees, an area of human rights she is very passionate about.
Amelia has a Master of Social Work (completed in 2011) and a Bachelor of Arts (History/Linguistics),completed in 2008, both from the University of Melbourne. She is committed to upholding rights, especially children's, and enjoys working with a broad variety of people.
Job Titles:
- Senior Social Worker
- Social Worker With Substantive
Anjali is an experienced social worker with substantive ISS and international experience. She is passionate about children's rights and their identity. Anjali graduated as a social worker in 1999 from the University of Sydney and has since worked in child protection and family-based care in various settings in NSW, England and Singapore before recently re-joining the ISS Australia's NSW Government Funded Services team as a Senior Intercountry Social Worker.
Ann qualified as a chartered accountant and has worked professionally both in Australia and overseas.
She has specialised in the service industry and has significant experience in Not for Profit organisations.
Ann has been at ISS Australia for over 10 years.
She is passionate about connecting children with families.
Charissa has extensive experience in the community legal sector, having worked in centres in New South Wales and Victoria. Her last role was Project Manager and Lawyer at Inner Melbourne Community Legal, managing the health justice partnerships between the legal service and various hospitals. Charissa holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.
Job Titles:
- Social Worker
- Deputy CEO, Manager NSW Services
Damon has worked for ISS Australia since February 2008 recently celebrating 15 years with us. Damon manages the NSW Government funded services, our international child protection caseload and previously managed ISS Australia's Intercountry Adoption Service.
Damon is a qualified social worker who graduated in 1998 and has a Vocational Graduate Certificate in Family Dispute Resolution Services.
Before working for ISS Australia, Damon worked in statutory child protection for 10 years in NSW, England and New Zealand. Damon is deeply committed to supporting and connecting vulnerable children, adults and families affected by cross border issues.
Job Titles:
- Social Worker
- Director ( Sydney )
Deborah is qualified Social Worker with extensive experience working with children and families. Most recently Deborah was a Senior Manager in the Family Court where she developed particular expertise in international child abduction and developed a close connection with ISS Australia.
Deborah has delivered papers and training internationally on this topic and is trained in mediation in cross cultural child abduction.
Job Titles:
- CEO at Fight MND
- Our President ( Melbourne )
Fiona is currently CEO at Fight MND. She is a partner (retired) at Deloitte, having worked in their Human Capital Consulting Practice, based in Melbourne. Previously, Fiona was a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry Hay Group and the Global Manager of The Boston Consulting Group's organization practice. Fiona specialises in supporting clients to address their people and organisational issues.
Fiona began her career at the Victorian Department of Education. She has worked in Donor Relations for the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Society in Geneva and for The Alannah & Madeline Foundation as the General Manager - Programs.
Fiona is a registered psychologist with a D.Psych (Industrial/Organisational) and B.A. (Hons) from the University of Melbourne.
Job Titles:
- International Family Mediation Coordinator, Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner & Child Consultant ( Senior Social Worker )
Emily holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Emily previously worked as a solicitor in the public law section of the Crown Solicitor's Office, where she acted for the South Australian government in a broad range of matters, including child protection and administrative reviews.
Emily has returned to ISS Australia after working as a paralegal within the legal service from 2017-2019. Emily is committed to helping clients during times of distress and has experience in both casework and court advocacy.
Eric has spent over 20 years working for not for profit organisations; supporting vulnerable persons in the community.
Eric has a Masters in Counselling, Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology, Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Graduate Diploma of Forensic Risk Assessment and Management.
Erika holds a Master of International Law from the University of Sydney, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
Since commencing legal practice in 2016, Erika initially worked within private defence firms where she acted for clients charged with serious State and Commonwealth offences.
Erika's experience also spans human rights law, including refugee matters, strategic litigation, class action casework and Mental Health Review Tribunal matters.
Erika's experience with clients who have been separated from family members through both the justice system and immigration detention, has informed her empathetic approach towards those who are impacted by international parental child abduction.
Janet is a mental health accredited social worker with extensive experience working in the not-for-profit sector. She has experience in post adoption search and reunion and previous experience at ISS Australia. She holds an BA Social Work (Honours) from the University of Witwatersrand and a Masters of Counselling in Social Work from the UNSW.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Managing Lawyer
Jessica is a highly experienced solicitor committed to human rights and social justice. She has extensive practice experience in the community legal sector working in the areas of tenancy, social security, domestic violence and family law. Prior to practising law in Australia, Jessica worked in human rights monitoring in south-east and central Asia, focusing on women's and children's rights. She believes all people deserve access to high quality legal assistance regardless of income or disadvantage.
Kay has worked for ISS Australia since February 2010. Kay's qualifications include a Graduate Diploma in Management in 2020, Vocational Graduate Certificate in Family Dispute Resolution Services in 2012 and a Bachelor of Social Work in 2007.
Before working at ISS Australia, Kay worked in statutory child protection services at the Department of Health and Human Services. Kay is committed to reducing the barriers associated with cross border social work and family mediation services.
Job Titles:
- Social Worker
- Senior Intercountry Social Worker / NSW Special Search Service Senior Social Worker
Lizzie has worked as a Social Worker for ISS Australia since 2016, initially for the Intercountry Adoption Tracing Service and more recently for the NSW Special Search Service. Lizzie graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2005. In 2009, she completed a Master of Couple and Family Therapy at the University of NSW. It was at this time that she began working in the post adoption support sector where she has mostly remained since, with a short time spent in the trauma counselling space for refugees and asylum seekers
Job Titles:
- Social Worker
- Director ( Armidale )
Mary is a Social Worker with extensive experience working with children, young people and their families. She worked in the NSW Department of Communities and Justice for 30 years with 25 of those years working in Adoption and Permanency Services (APS) and the other five as a regional child protection Director. While working in APS, Mary developed expertise in adoption and permanent care, particularly intercountry adoption and searching and also became familiar with ISS Australia. Mary now works as a private consultant providing a range of assessment services, complex case management, mentoring and training in the out of home care sector.
Mary has a Bachelor of Social Studies, Diploma in Social Admin and is a NSW Justice of the Peace.
Matt joined ISS Australia in late 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales and is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
Prior to joining ISS Australia, Matt worked in a voluntary capacity at the Marrickville Legal Centre as well as several other social justice oriented not-for-profit organisations.
He also currently teaches children to swim at a pool on Sydney's Northern Beaches and is keen to make a difference in the lives of children and families who are separated across borders.
Job Titles:
- Vice President ( Melbourne )
Peter van Vliet has been with ISS Australia since 2020. Prior to that, Peter had a background as a senior executive in the Commonwealth and Victorian state governments and has also led several not-for-profits in the community sector. Peter is committed to leading and supporting ISS Australia to provide high quality, ethical and inclusive social and legal services to clients of all backgrounds so that children and families are connected across borders. Peter has a Master of Arts (Monash), a Graduate Diploma of Corporate Governance (Chartered Secretaries Australia) and a Graduate Diploma in Migration Law (Victoria University).
Job Titles:
- Intercountry Social Worker
Phoebe has worked for ISS Australia since 2013. She first started with ISS Australia as an Office Administrator before progressing to Social Work Assistant and then Intercountry Case Worker. Phoebe became a fully qualified Social Worker in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Treasurer ( Melbourne )
Richard has been an ISS Australia Director since May 2018. Richard is an experienced senior commercial and finance executive who has been involved in some of Australia and Victoria's largest infrastructure projects including just over eight years with NBN and more recently with the Metro Trains projects division with responsibility across a range of different projects including the level crossings and metro tunnels programs.
Prior to this he had a long career with Programmed Maintenance (Skilled Group) leading a number of different corporate functions including internal audit, shared services, procurement, property and fleet management. Richard has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and is a Certified Practising Accountant.
Susan Wnukowska-Mtonga is a human rights lawyer. She currently works for the Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch program, which is focused on monitoring criminal trials of minority groups and advocating for victims of injustice. Previously, she was the Global Public Service Fellow at the Center for Reproductive Rights.
She commenced her legal career in commercial law, practicing as a solicitor at Gilbert + Tobin Lawyers before working as in-house counsel and pro bono coordinator at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Susan holds an LLM from Columbia Law School, where she graduated as a James Kent Scholar. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts fromthe Australian National University.
Zoe joined ISS Australia in late 2022. She is currently studying for her Juris Doctor at the University of Sydney. Having previously completed a PhD in viral evolution, her main interests are now in family law and environmental law, with particular interest in how climate disasters will affect human rights now and in the coming decades.
Prior to joining ISS Australia, Zoe completed an internship at the Australian Centre for Climate Law at the Sydney Law School and the Law Reform Support Program at the University of Sydney, supporting the Australian Discrimination Law Experts Group.
She is compassionate to those affected by separation from family and family violence and motivated by the positive outcomes that can be achieved for children.