Our Board Members

Peter Harrison
President

Peter has had a long involvement with Alkira, being the Treasurer for more than 30 years. He was appointed President in 2015 following the retirement of June Charlesworth.

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
Senior Vice President

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.

Lucinda Nolan

Lucinda Nolan
Vice President

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

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.

Christopher Miller
Board Member

Brother of a former Alkira resident, Maree, Chris grew up in a dedicated Alkira family. A businessman, hairdresser and event organiser, he joined the board in 2003 and brought to it a strong business network and keen promotional skills. He has a special commitment to the wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities as they age and contend with issues such as dementia. Chris has been an active member of many business groups including the sub-committees on local councils, chambers of commerce and traders associations and service clubs such as Rotary. In 2014, Chris was made an Alkira Life Governor. Chris also holds a Certificate IV in Disability.

Ron Walker
Board Member

Ron’s daughter, Ruth, started at Alkira aged 4½ in 1970 and Ron has been actively involved with the organisation since 1978. He served on the board between 1982 and 1988 and rejoined the board in 1997. During both periods he has held the position of Senior Vice-President, and he was President from 2007 – 2012. He is the owner of a kitchen manufacturing and retailing company and a former President of the Kitchen and Bathroom Industry of Australia. Ron is also a past member of Furniture Industry Training Council. In the early 1980s, he was the Founding President of the Box Hill Special Development Centre. In the past, Ron has also been a Member and President of the former Alkira Fathers’ Auxiliary. He brings to the board-wide skills in business and governance.

Peter Holdsworth 
Board Member

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.

Headshot image of Alkira CEO Julia Canty-Waldron on white background

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.

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