Peter Holdsworth 
Chairperson

As the father of an Alkira participant, Peter has a deep commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities are supported to live their lives in the community as valued and participating citizens.

Peter is a management consultant and the director of Pathways Australia, a company specialising in providing advice, support and consultancy services to not-for-profit organisations throughout Australia and internationally.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business, a Masters degree in Leadership and Management and a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance. Peter is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a Churchill Fellow.

Peter joined the board in 2021 and is a member of the Finance, Audit, Risk and Property Committee.

Lucinda Nolan
Deputy Chair

Mother of a current Alkira participant, Lucinda joined the board of Alkira in 2019. Lucinda is the CEO of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and has a wealth of knowledge and experience across the public sector and Not-For-Profit environments. Prior to joining the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, she was selected as the first female CEO of the Country Fire Authority, one of the world’s largest volunteer-based emergency services organizations. She also spent 32 years with Victoria Police, reaching the rank of Deputy Commissioner. Much of her role with the Victorian Police was dedicated to the reduction in crime rates, as well as the continual improvement of service delivery in the face of complex and competing crime, disorder and service demands. In 2009, Lucinda was awarded the Australian Police Medal.

Lucinda is also a director on the Boards at Hawthorn Football Club, BankVic, and the Penington Institute. She has a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Melbourne University and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

Brent Sheers
Treasurer

Brent Sheers joined the board in December 2021 and was appointed Treasurer in June 2022. He brings along his in-depth experience in the finance and accounting industry, working alongside the not-for-profit sector. He is passionate about working with, and ensuring that those with disabilities have the support they need to feel valued and have a successful life.

Brent is a Senior Manager within the Assurance & Advisory division at mid-tier accounting firm SW Australia, where he has worked in professional services for the last 7 years. Brent works with clients across all aspects of both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.

Brent has completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Accounting) from Swinburne University and a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting where he is currently a member of CAANZ.

Ramsay Gunasekera
Secretary

Ramsay has been employed in the Information Technology (IT) industry for over 30 years, as a Project Executive/Manager and has solid business acumen with proven experience in the IT field. He is a Senior Member of the Australian Computer Society and his core strength is to apply technology to help clients design, build and run businesses.

He has worked across industries such as Banking, Telecommunications, IT Managed Services, Retail, Government, Logistics and Not for Profit organisations. Further, he has been an active mentor for graduates at IBM and has mentored graduates at the Melbourne and Monash Business Schools. Ramsay has also worked with Deakin University Management in implementing the Willing and Able mentoring program for disabled people.

In his spare time, he is a biographer for Eastern Palliative Care. Ramsay is the father of Cory Gunasekera, an Alkira participant, who has been at the Box Hill campus since May 1997. Ramsay and his family have lived at Blackburn South for over 40 years.

Peter Harrison
Director

Peter has had a long involvement with Alkira, being the Treasurer for more than 30 years and then the Chairperson from 2015 – 2023.

Peter qualified as a Chartered Accountant after completing a Bachelor of Business at RMIT. His career includes 20 years as Managing Partner of second-tier accounting firm William Buck, two short term roles as CEO of legal firms Phillips Fox and Herbert Geer and Rundle, and 10 years with consulting engineering firm AECOM as their CFO for operations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East.

More recently he has been consulting to several leading legal and accounting firms in Melbourne. Peter is the Chair of the Wesley College Foundation and a former Chair of the Wesley College Council.

Dianne Bassett
Director

Dianne is the mother of one of Alkira’s participants, Rhys. She brings to her role a keen sense of the challenges faced by modern families with an adult child with an intellectual disability. Dianne is a member of the Community Supports Committee. Her career included Reception Manager & Patient Fees Manager at the aged care facility, St George’s Health Service, Kew. She joined the board in 2003. Dianne was made an Alkira Life Governor in 2017.

Kate De Josselin
Director

Kate is the mother of an Alkira participant. She has a long involvement with the disability and education sector. Kate has worked in Education for 35 years, both in the classroom and leadership roles. She is a highly qualified teacher with a Bachelor of Education with post-graduate qualifications in Special Education and Teaching English as a Second Language.

Kate previously has served on both Prader-Willi Syndrome Association Victoria Board and Prader-Willi Syndrome Australia Board.

She also is an experienced disability trainer who can call on her 46 years of personal experience supporting and caring for her son, who has Prader Willi Syndrome, to give a unique insight as to what it means to live with Prader-Willi Syndrome. She has delivered disability training for over 14 years for PWSA Vic and PWSA both state-wide and nationally.

Kate has written and co-written many publications and brochures dealing with many issues related to disability.

She has also been involved with disability advocacy across many local, state, and National organisations for over 30 years. As a member of the Whitehorse Disability Advisory Board for over 10 years, she has been representative on many consultative groups advocating for all ability access and opportunities in the local area.

Katie Bayley
Director

Katie brings 17 years of experience in management consulting and strategic analysis to her role on Alkira’s board. She has advised ASX-listed companies, governments, and not-for-profits, building and refining her skills in problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and project management. She is currently serving as Head of Insights and Analytics at City of Melbourne.

With a Master’s in Business (Property) from RMIT University and a Bachelor’s in Commerce and Arts from the University of Melbourne, Katie blends academic excellence with practical expertise. Her strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and commitment to social causes make her a valuable asset to Alkira. Katie’s expertise in finance, risk management, and not-for-profit operations significantly contribute to Alkira’s mission and strategic direction.

Joseph Connellan
Director

Joseph has worked across Victorian housing, homeless services and services to people with disability in non-profits, mutuals and within Government for over 35 years in leadership positions. His career has been focused on the intersection between housing and services to people with disability, with the last 15 years focused on providing consultancy and education.

When he was CEO of Supported Housing Ltd, housing almost 1,000 people with disability, he managed the housing of tenants supported by Alkira.  

Joseph has held board positions with the Australian Foundation for Disability (AFFORD), the Tipping Foundation, Doutta Galla Community Health (now part of Co-Health), and the Victorian Community Housing Federation of Victoria (now CHIA Vic). He has also served on the Victoria Disability Advisory Council (VDAC), the peak Government disability advisory committee in Victoria.

He has a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Social Sciences. He completed the Strategic Perspectives in Non-profit Management (SPNM) Course at the Harvard Business School as a Non-Profit Fellow. He has also completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors course.

In 2022, Joseph published his first novel, “Jimmy’s Run”, written in his studio at the Abbotsford Convent.

Joseph has an acquired hearing loss.

Julia Canty-Waldron
CEO

Julia is the Chief Executive Officer of Alkira. She has extensive leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, including disability. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has a Master of Management (Strategic Foresight) from Swinburne University, has participated in the Saїd Business School “Scenarios Program” at Oxford University, has a Graduate Certificate in Social Sciences from Swinburne University and a Bachelor of Sociology from La Trobe University.

Julia is an experienced human services executive with strong governance, risk and consultancy skills that are informed by service-delivery practice and social justice principles. She has worked in disability, homelessness, social housing, local government and state government.

Julia is passionate about social justice, inclusion, courageous action and getting the best out of individuals and groups.