Board of Directors

Chairman – Helen Argiris, BCom (UNSW), FCA, MAICD

Appointed as Chairman in 2015. Helen is a Tax & Advisory Partner with BDO Australia. With a career spanning over 25 years in general tax advisory and accounting services, Helen works with private business, fast-growing start-ups and subsidiaries of multinationals. Clients seek her expertise in management, external reporting, financial analysis, and tax and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, Helen has held positions on numerous Boards, including a number of NFPs, as independent director or external advisor. Helen chairs the Strategy and Nominations & Remuneration Committees.

Deputy Chairman – Luise Elsing LLB, MAICD, AGIA

Appointed in 2014 and Deputy Chairman since 2017. Luise is a partner at specialist corporate advisory firm Andromeda Partners. She has been a solicitor since 1987, both in private practice and as general council/company secretary for listed companies in the mining sector, and she has 13 years’ experience in senior management in financial markets regulation. She has also been a member of the Governance Institute and Australian Institute of Company Directors for over 20 years. Her volunteer and community involvement includes working with youth and women at Lou’s Place and Point Xero, director on the ASX Thomson Reuters Charity Foundation and in 2017 was elected for a second term as a Residents First Councillor on Woollahra Municipal Council. Luise chairs the Audit & Risk Committee and is a member of the Nominations & Remuneration Committees.

Adam Crowe BCE (Syd), MBus&Fin (UTS), BCE (Syd) GAICD

Appointed in 2014, Adam is Healthcare Practice Lead at Portland Group, Australia’s leading advisory consultancy in procurement, supply chain and software solutions. Previously he worked for nearly 20 years in the shipping and publishing industries, primarily at P&O and PMP. Adam is a member of the Audit & Risk Committee.

Susan Jarnason BScN (SCU) RN

Appointed in 2012, Susan is a nurse therapist with diverse experience in family work, mental health and the drug and alcohol sector. She is committed to advocating for people who experience challenges in meeting their everyday life goals. Susan’s roles have included street outreach, emergency mental health, child and family support and community development. From 2008 to 2012 she was a Woollahra local government councillor and Chair of the Community and Environment and Youth Committees. Susan is a member of the Social Impact Committee.

Ben McAlpine BCom (LibStds) (Syd), ACA, M Peace & Conflict (Syd)

Appointed in 2015, Ben is a Principal at Social Ventures Australia where he consults with clients particularly in relation to strategic planning, measurement and evaluation of social impact. Previously he was a Senior Manager, Operational and Technology Risk, at PwC. Ben is passionate about using his skills to create and develop solutions to disadvantage and exclusion. Ben chairs the Social Impact Committee.

Karn Nelson BA (UCL) YMP (INSEAD)

Appointed in 2017, Karn is Executive GM, Strategic Policy and Research at aged care provider, the Whiddon Group. Karn has wide experience as a brand strategist working in Australia and internationally with strategic marketing and creative services agencies. She is passionate about arts and health and about enabling older people to stay connected to the things that matter to them and to continue to participate, contribute and be valued in society. She is a member of the Social Impact Committee.

Tess Protey BA Med (UNSW), GradDipMgmt (USQ)

Appointed in 2015, Tess has been working with people who have intellectual disabilities for about 23 years, including 8 years at Holdsworth in the 1990s. Prior to that she was a teacher in several high schools, both government and private, and also taught in the TAFE system. Tess returned to Holdsworth for a year after a 10 year stint as a Team Manager at Junction House when the two organisations merged in 2014. Tess is a member of the Social Impact Committee.

Andy Hobbs

Appointed in 2018. Andy is Director, Commercial Policy at NSW Treasury. Andy has more than twelve years of experience in the public sector – working for the UK national government in finance until 2016 and in the NSW Treasury since his move to Australia. Andy has considerable expertise in financial policy and strategy as well as a solid commitment to volunteering for grassroots community organisations, particularly in the mental health field.

Lyn Ainsworth

Appointed in 2018. Lyn has worked for more than 16 years in executive leadership roles in the not-for-profit disability sector focusing on building culture, leading change and innovation initiatives including nine years at House with No Steps as Head of Strategy, Excellence and Innovation. Lyn is a lawyer by trade and also has significant human resource management expertise.