Our People
Our Staff
David Brookes, Managing Director
David joined Social Traders as Managing Director in early 2009 following 15 years senior management experience with Rio Tinto, Toyota and Amcor involving responsibility for government, media and community relations. He led the establishment of strategic business-community partnership programs at all three companies and was a strong advocate for social and environmental responsibility at a corporate and industry level over this period.
David also has policy and economic development experience having worked with a major industry association and local council in NSW. He has held numerous Board positions including former Chair of the Buy Recycled Business Alliance.
David is a Director and Company Secretary of Social Traders.
david.brookes@socialtraders.com.au
Mark Daniels, Learning and Development
Mark was appointed Social Traders Manager Policy and Development in 2008. He has wide ranging experience in service delivery, advocacy and policy development.
Prior to Social Traders, Mark worked with the Brotherhood of St Laurence managing a number of social enterprises aimed at assisting people into mainstream employment as well as providing expertise to other agencies looking to establish social enterprise.
Mark has extensive experience developing policy and community development activities for public housing estates in inner city Melbourne. Mark is a Director on the Board of Yarra Community Housing.
mark.daniels@socialtraders.com.au
Libby Ward-Christie, Investment and Growth
Libby joined Social Traders in January 2010 as Investment and Growth Manager and is responsible for the design and development of The Crunch.
Libby has 10 years experience in senior business planning, community planning and project management roles in local government and the community sector. Prior to joining Social Traders, Libby was Business Development Manager at Anex, the Association for Prevention and Harm Reduction Programs, where she was involved in the development of a new social enterprise.
Libby has an MBA from Melbourne Business School and is particularly interested in the application of sound business management principles to achieve social and environmental outcomes.
libby.ward-christie@socialtraders.com.au
Mindy Leow, Learning and Development
Mindy joined the Social Traders team in June 2010 and led the development of The Social Enterprise Builder, Social Traders’ online business planning resource.
Mindy brings 8 years of marketing experience in the U.S., where she specialised in advertising and media. Mindy has an MBA from Melbourne Business School, where she led the Net Impact Club and won the 2011 Melbourne University Entrepreneurship Challenge with a social enterprise idea.
Godfrey Agius, Business Development
Godfrey was appointed to the role of Business Development Manager with Social Traders in July 2010. Godfrey’s role is responsible for delivering the Building Social Enterprise Trading Turnover (BSETT) project which involves supporting social enterprises with capability and scope to grow and increase their turnover.
Prior to Social Traders, Godfrey worked as the General Manager, Commercial Division for Outlook Vic Inc. During this time Godfrey was involved in planning, development and operation of Outlook’s Transfer Stations and Wholesale Nursery. Godfrey previously spent 15 years working for the Coles Myer Group. During this time Godfrey was responsible for developing concept sites, implementing new company initiatives and has a wide range of experience in retail management including the implementation of new policies.
Lisa Boothby, The Crunch
Lisa came to Social Traders in July 2011 with extensive experience in Management Consulting, most recently with a focus on not-for-profit organisations. She has worked with numerous boards and management teams on the development of strategic plans, national growth strategies and merger evaluation and implementation. Lisa has also had a governance role on not-for-profit boards. Lisa holds a B.Com. (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.
Lisa's focus at Social Traders is on building capacity of start-up social enterprises with the objective that they become investment ready and ultimately begin trading. To achieve this, Lisa is working intensively with emerging enterprises through The Crunch initiative. She also provides consulting and coaching support to a range of other start-up enterpises.
Katherine Kennedy, Investment and Growth
Katherine Kennedy joined Social Traders in February 2012 as a Senior Consultant. She has over 20 years experience in senior management, business analysis, business strategy and planning, coaching, workshop facilitation, technology commercialization and consulting across a broad range of industries. Katherine’s experience spans across many industries and roles including tertiary education planning (University of Melbourne), research training and technology commercialisation advice (Australian Institute of Commercialisation), research funds management and technology commercialisation (The Woolmark Company) and IT project management (Telstra, Coles Myer and Digital). Katherine has also led and managed the startup of a new specialist medical practice currently servicing the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Katherine was a non-executive director of an NGO for 7 years focusing on the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from Limerick University, Ireland and a Masters of Management Technology from Melbourne Business School and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Katherine has also been a business planning coach and examiner for masters students at the University of Melbourne.
Mahesh Kandasamy, Business Development
Mahesh joined Social Traders in August 2011 as a Business Development Advisor within the National Social Enterprise Sustainability Project (SES) team. The SES project aims to work with social enterprises across Australia to help them attain social and economic sustainability.
Mahesh has over 15 years experience within the Banking and Finance sector, in the management of large corporate and small to medium businesses. Mahesh has a BSC in Economics from the University of London and more recently a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from the Melbourne Business School.
Our Board
An independent Board of Directors is responsible for governance and the strategic direction of Social Traders.
The Board is comprised of Directors with a broad cross-section of expertise, skills and experience in the corporate, philanthropic, community and public sectors.
Michael James (Chair)
Mike has been a Board member of Social Traders since December 2008. He also chairs the finance committee.
Mike is a Chartered Accountant. He retired as a Partner from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007 after spending 30 years with the firm. Mike was a tax partner with responsibility for many of the firm’s major clients. He also held a number of senior leadership roles during his time with the firm.
Mike is also on the Board of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and chairs the finance committee of that organisation.
Peter Bramwell
Peter is a Partner with HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. He has over 30 years of legal experience. Peter's principal practice area is in the corporate and commercial field advising both private and public companies.
Peter has also practised extensively in the energy and resources sector. He has provided advice to several large corporations in relation to corporate social responsibility and community partnership issues. Peter holds degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Melbourne.
Helen Fenney
Helen has more than 15 years experience advising international corporations on strategic stakeholder engagement and corporate social responsibility. She also advises private trusts and foundations, encouraging strategic and proactive approaches to philanthropy.
Helen has been involved in planning, developing and implementing business/community partnerships with some of the world’s leading companies. She is an internationally accredited partnership broker, a mentor and a former Regional Director of the Partnership Brokers Accreditation Scheme, developed by the International Business Leaders Forum. She also has extensive experience in both the business and not for profit sectors.
Catherine Scarth
Cath has over 20 years experience in designing, implementing and evaluating a wide range of innovative community services and programs both in Australia and England.
She has been responsible for delivering a number of community services and developed a range of award winning partnerships with business and government. Cath continues to seek innovative ways to partner with employers to achieve positive employment and settlement outcomes for newly arrived migrants and refugees in her current role as General Manager Community & Policy, AMES (Adult Multicultural Education Services).
Patricia Toohey
Patricia has extensive experience in generating greater levels of corporate community investment. Through a career in public affairs, communications and marketing, Patricia has been involved in a range of dynamic business and community partnerships in response to some of the major social issues affecting our community.
As a director of her own consulting practice, Patricia now advises business on their corporate responsibility programs with a particular emphasis on community investment, stakeholder communications and staff engagement.
Simon Gillies
Simon Gillies is a Director with Booz & Company and has over twenty years of senior management and strategy consulting experience. Simon specializes in advising leading telecommunications, media and consumer goods organisations on growth strategy development, mergers and acquisitions and strategic pricing.
Simon has significant experience in providing strategic advice to Government and the Not For Profit sector. Simon holds a MBA from the Melbourne Business School and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne.
