Our People
Our Board
David Brine
Chair
David (he/him) is an independent consultant working on large business change programs, providing people-centred thinking to initiatives. David’s experience has spanned professional services and recently within financial services at CBA and ASX. David has been a Board member since 2019.
Frank Costigan
Board
Frank (he/him) is Managing Director of SafetyCulture Care, and formerly the CEO at QBE Insurance, based in Sydney. Prior to this, Frank held senior positions with Youi, Berkshire Hathaway and IAG Limited. Frank’s care started with Deloitte before moving into investment banking with UBS. Frank and his partner live in Paddington and have twin boys.
Sophia Frentz
Board
Dr Sophia Frentz (they/them) is originally from Tauranga New Zealand. They are currently a Senior Data Consultant at Eliiza, and a Councillor for the Royal Society of Victoria. They have a PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of Melbourne and have written for a range of publications. They are non-binary, bisexual, autistic, and disabled, and passionate about improving how we understand and describe gender, especially in a medical setting. They live and work on the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation. Sophia is really excited to build connections to the STEMM LGBTQIA+ community for OFA.
Rachel Mead
Board
Rachel (she/her) is People Lead Group Transformation Accelerators at Woolworths Group, working with brands such as Metro and Milkrun to develop and deliver on their people and culture strategies. Formerly Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Woolworths Group, Rachel’s contribution to progressing LGBTQ+ inclusion was recognised in 2020 when she was named one of the Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders by Deloitte. Rachel is passionate about creating a culture of inclusion and belonging, where people feel valued. She believes you can only unlock the value of diversity by fostering an environment where people are free to be themselves, have equitable access to opportunities and can contribute their best.
Harriet Cameron-Whyte
Board
Harriet (she/her) is an Executive Director with the NSW Government. Across several roles, she has worked with government agencies, political leaders and communities to improve the lives of all NSW residents. Harriet holds a Masters of Public Policy & Governance from UNSW and a Bachelor of International & Global Studies from the University of Sydney. She is also a board member of Women's Community Shelters, and cares deeply about contributing to a world where inclusion, dignity and safety in all its forms is secured for the vulnerable. Harriet lives in Newcastle, NSW with her wife and dog.
Maddison Harrington
Board
Maddison (she/her) is an accomplished employment lawyer at Gilchrist Connell in Melbourne, with a strong background in governance. Maddison has spent over four years as the Head of Legal and Governance for Out for Australia (OFA) prior to her appointment to the Board. Maddison brings extensive expertise in promoting workplace equality to OFA's Board.
Beyond her role with OFA, Maddison wears multiple hats in the legal and LGBTIQ+ communities. She proudly serves as the Vice President of the Melbourne Argonauts, Australia's pioneering LGBTIQ+ rowing club, and holds a key position as an Executive Committee Member of Victorian Women Lawyers, the leading organisation for women lawyers in Victoria.
David Young
Board
David (he/him) is currently the Director of ESG for Accor Pacific, the largest hotel group in the Pacific region. He has previously worked at Qantas in a number of roles including leading teams in Sustainability , Commercial/Loyalty and Inflight Services. A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, David is also a Chartered Accountant. He is currently a Director of YHA Australia and the Golden Stave Foundation and was the former Vice President and Treasurer of Bobby Goldsmith Foundation Australia’s oldest HIV charity. He and his Argentinian husband live between Sydney and the Hunter Valley where they are trying to perfect growing grapes on a community vineyard.
Ken Terado
Board
Ken (he/him) is a Senior Associate in the Disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills in Sydney. Prior to that, he was a lawyer at Clifford Chance in London and Clayton Utz in Sydney. Before relocating to London in 2019, he was involved with Out For Australia as the Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary, having been involved since its founding as ‘Out for Sydney’ in 2013. While Ken’s practice is primarily focused on commercial litigation, he also has experience advising charities on their corporate governance and charity law obligations (both in Australia and the United Kingdom).
Senior Leadership
Heather Preston
Interim CEO
Heather (she/her) is an experienced leader based in Boorloo (Perth). She blends expertise and creativity in her work focusing on stakeholder engagement, innovation, and leading through a change management lens. As a parent of three, she is also a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ young people and empowering the next generation with visible role models, creating safe spaces for authenticity in every aspect of life.
Polly Parker
Chief Marketing Officer
Polly (she/her) is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity, and championing the rights of marginalised communities. Focusing on LGBTQIA+ recognition in the workplace, she’s influenced diversity initiatives and established support structures for neurodivergent individuals. Combining strategic marketing expertise with driving positive change, Polly brings a results-driven approach to Out For Australia, aiming to use her skills in brand building, communications, and event management to advance the organisation's marketing objectives.
Ruben Clark
Chief People Officer
Ruben (he/him) is a Melbourne-based lawyer who practices principally in employment and industrial law, regulatory crime, and administrative law. Across all aspects of his personal and professional life, Ruben works to support emerging professionals to find their feet.
Brandon Elmer
Chief Impact Officer
Brandon (he/him) works for Westpac Group in risk and compliance and has previous experience in change management and learning and development. He holds a Bachelor of Business from Griffith University, majoring in HR. Brandon is passionate about ensuring LGBTQIA+ youth are given opportunities to be their authentic selves and feel empowered by their identity.
John Willers
Chief Community Officer
John (he/him) is passionate about everything Out For Australia. Joining the ACT team in 2018, John is OFA's Chief Community Officer, supporting all states with their strategy and event planning. On not-so-busy days he enjoys cooking, the piano and hiking around Canberra.
Hank Paul
Chief Storytelling Officer
Hank (they/he) is a distinguished business owner, writer, and LGBTQ+ advocate. Hank works full-time as a wedding photographer, specialising in inclusive weddings. They are also the co-host of the Profit on the Margins podcast, author of the book Queer-Owned, and the creator of the ground-breaking documentary audio series First Look: How Marriage Equality is transforming the wedding industry. In 2018, Hank co-founded the mental health charity Listen Up Music, where they served as Chair for 3 years.
Jonathon Tseng
Head of Mentoring
Jonathan (he/him) works in customer growth and revenue initiatives at Neuron Mobility and has had over 8 years of experience working in leadership roles with a focus on achieving key customer outcomes and growth across a range of public and private sector companies. He is passionate about creating positive social change and impact in the community through strategy, transformation and analytics.
State Directors
Renaye Watchirs & Bryan Parsons
ACT
Kavita Kerwar
NSW
Vacant - Apply Here
NT
Renee Shike
QLD
Zachary Borthwick
SA
Vacant - Apply Here
TAS
Al Noor
VIC
Vacant - Apply Here
WA
National Directors
Daniel Wong
Mentoring Engagement
Jen Mai
Mentoring Growth
Leslie Peters
Research & Insights
Laura Letheby
University Outreach
30 Under 30
Mitchell Bulley
Business Development
Jarrod Glascott
Business Strategy
Darcy
Community Engagement
Katsu
Data
Gizem
Equity & Accessibility
Rosie Luscombe
Equity & Accessibility Deputy
Alice Manning
Events
Andre Link
Governance, Risk and Administration
Maddy
Learning & Development
Daniel Wiggins
Managing Editor and Communications
Sarah Mendoza
Mardi Gras
Glenn Hall
Mentoring
Josh Newton
Mentoring Thought Leadership
Elana Berton
Partnerships
Cameron Howlett
People Operations
Yonathan Boyle
Regional
Nic Steepe
Media
AJ Birchall
Coordinators and Support
Oriela Williams
Equity & Accessibility
Content Coordinator
Diego Esquivel Alvarez
Content Writer
Elisabeth Hansen
Data Analyst & Podcast Content
Eleanor Horn
Equity & Accessibility
Ebe Ganon
Events - ACT
Wylie Pang
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Caden Lee
Grants Coordinator
Gabriel Filer
Graphic Designer
Kenny Phan
Legal Support Officer
Marisha Fernando
Legal Support Officer
Brandon Le
Newsletter & EDMs
Jane Zouch
Outreach - VIC
Michael Tian
Partnerships
Andy Chiem
Partnerships
Lucas Peers-Catt
Partnerships
Lauren Wesbury
Podcast Host
Rhen Callinan
Podcast Producer
Callum McDonald
Recruitment
Lal Rai
General Volunteers
Juan Campos
Kerry Chu
Laura Falkner
Lucas Hourani-McEwan
Michele Franco Villacorta