SDN Children’s Services is a not for profit company limited by guarantee. The Board provides strategic leadership and stewardship to ensure we meet our mission and operate according to our values.

SDN Child and Family Services Pty Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary company, which is which is registered as a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) with the ACNC and has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. It is responsible for managing government program contracts and programs funded by donations. The SDN Children’s Services Board receives regular reports from the SDN Child and Family Services Board.

All Board members work for SDN and CFS in a voluntary capacity, and we thank them for their dedication and commitment.

You can download the the Board Charter for SDN Children's Services here and for SDN Child and Family Services here.

Read our annual Governance Statement here.

SDN CHILDREN'S SERVICES BOARD & SDN CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES BOARD

SDN's Boards of Directors

SDN's Boards and Directors
Helen Hamilton-James | President | SDN Children's Services Board
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LLB Hons (Aberdeen), Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand, Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors

Helen joined the SDN Board in July 2019, and has over 25 years of experience in providing assurance and advisory services to clients in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the UK. She has worked with several large not for profit organisations and has previous experience as a Director on two national NFP boards.   

Helen is currently the Managing Partner for Deloitte in Western Sydney and has held other leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer for Deloitte Private and Managing Partner for Deloitte in Papua New Guinea.   

Helen has been President since November 2022, and is also a member of the Board’s Governance and Remuneration Committee.

Barbara Wise | SDN Children's Services Board and Chair of SDN Child and Family Services Board
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Bachelor of Arts (Hons); Master of International Studies (Syd)

Barbara is an experienced public policy professional in education and transport. She has worked for state and federal ministers and in government agencies in policy, planning and operational roles. She has successfully developed and implemented world-leading reforms to transport markets and is currently the Executive Director, Transition at Transport for NSW.

Barbara is also the Chair of SDN Child and Family Services.

Kirsty Albert | SDN Children's Services Board
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Bachelor of Arts (Hons) (Syd) Bachelor of Laws (Syd) Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia

Kirsty joined the SDN Board in February 2010, and is a qualified lawyer and business executive with 20 years’ experience across both legal and human resources and organisational development. She has held senior roles in a range of industries in Australia and India including professional services, healthcare, transport and logistics working for both privately owned and global companies. 

Kirsty continues a long family association with SDN, being the fourth generation to work with the organisation. Kirsty is currently working as Executive Director – Legal, People and Culture with Alberts.

Kirsty is Chair of the Board’s Governance and Remuneration Committee.

Linda Cassidy | SDN Children's Services Board and SDN Child and Family Services Board
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Bachelor of Arts (Social Science) (Curtin); GradCertMktg (UTS)

Linda joined the SDN Board in November 2017 and brings over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services sector. She led the education, professional development businesses for two professional member organisations and a private education provider.

Linda has also worked in the not for profit sector, developing capacity building programs for Indigenous land councils across Australia involved in Native Title cases and land use agreements.

In 2017 she joined Philanthropy Australia, the peak body for the philanthropic sector in Australia as the National Manager for Membership and Programs. She currently works for a management consultancy focused on leadership development and change management.

Linda is a member of AICD. She is a member of SDN's Risk and Audit Committee and is on the Board of SDN Child and Family Services.

Angela Donohoe | SDN Children's Services Board
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Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting, Finance and Systems) (UNSW); Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA); Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD); Fellow of Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA)

Angela joined the SDN Board in June 2014, and is a Certified Practising Accountant and business executive who has worked in a variety of senior executive roles in financial services and government over her 30 year career. Roles have spanned accounting, technology, general management, risk management and strategy development in organisations including NSW Office of State Revenue, Cuscal and Societe General.

Angela is now Chief Information Officer, BPAY Group and has held a number of voluntary roles in childcare and early education.

Angela served as President of SDN from November 2016 to November 2019. She is currently a member of the Board’s Risk and Audit Committee and chairs the Property Committee.

Glenn Hughes | SDN Children's Services Board
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Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting/Finance) (UNSW); Bachelor of Law (UNSW) Masters of Law and Management (AGSM)

Glenn joined the SDN Board in August 2014, and is a Partner at Cornwalls. He has a commerce/law degree from the University of NSW and a Masters of Law and Management from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Glenn is a member of SDN's Governance and Remuneration Committee and the Property Committee.

Tam Johnston | SDN Children's Services Board
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Bachelor of Communication (Canberra); Graduate Certificate in Business (Curtin); Master of Business Administration (Canberra); Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors

Tam joined the SDN Board in November 2017, and is an experienced leader across not-for-profit, government and commercial sectors. Starting her career in public relations and communications, Tam has held senior leadership positions including National Program Director with the National Australia Day Council, Chief Executive Officer of the SMILE Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Variety – the Children’s Charity (NSW). Tam is currently Head of Philanthropy for the Australian Education Research Organisation.

Tam holds a Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate in Management and a Bachelor of Communication, and is a graduate of the Leadership for Senior Executives Course at the Harvard Business School and the Company Directors Course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is a member of Philanthropy Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tam was President of the SDN Board from November 2019 to November 2022. She is a member of the the Board’s Risk and Audit Committee and Property Committee.

Dr Darren Mitchell OAM | SDN Children's Services Board and SDN Child and Family Services Board
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Bachelor of Economics; Master of Economics (Syd); PhD (Syd)

Darren joined the SDN Board in November 1996, and has had a 30-year career in the NSW Public Service, including five years as the Director, Office for Veterans Affairs. Darren was awarded a 2010 Churchill Fellowship to investigate war memorials and sustaining community remembrance. Darren recently completed doctoral studies in the Department of History at the University of Sydney, and runs a commemorations and memorials advisory practice. He is a full International member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). For his contribution to Anzac Day commemoration and other remembrance occasions, Darren was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2023. 

Darren served as President of SDN from November 2005 to December 2008 and again from November 2014 to December 2016. Darren was also Chair of SDN Child and Family Services from 2016 to 2019, and continues as a director on that Board.

Tom Taylor | SDN Children's Services Board
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Bachelor of Business (CSU); Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA); Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors, Member of Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries (ACIS), Member of Governance Institute of Australia

Tom joined the SDN Board in July 2019, and has over 30 years experience in senior executive, non executive and consulting roles in financial services in mutual and listed organisations. His responsibilities have traversed finance, treasury and funding, risk, strategy and mergers and acquisitions. Tom holds a Bachelor of Business, is a certified practising accountant and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tom chairs the Board’s Risk and Audit Committee and is a member of the Property Committee.

 

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