About Us
Our Board & Governance
Our Board
The Board appoints the Chief Executive Officer and delegates the operational management responsibility of RedR Australia to the CEO and Leadership Team.
Robert Care AM is Chair of RedR Australia and RedR International. He brings extensive leadership and governance experience in the fields of engineering, humanitarian practice and education. Robert currently holds positions as Chair of the Community of Practice for Humanitarian Engineering of Engineers Australia; Professor of Practice and lecturer in ethical humanitarian engineering at the University of New South Wales; Director of Care Collaborative; and Consultant Principal to engineering firm Arup Group following more than 38 years as Director/Principal across several regions. Robert previously served as RedR Australia’s Chair from 2008 to 2010 (and as a Board Member from 2006 to 2011) before spending time overseas. Upon return to Australia in 2018, Robert was reappointed to the Board and then as its Chair in May 2020. Robert’s achievements have seen him recognised as Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW in 2020; Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia in 2018; Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering UK in 2015; Australian Professional Engineer of the Year by Engineers Australia in 2014; and Member of the Order of Australia AM for services to engineering and humanitarian work in 2012. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcare/
James Smart is a senior lawyer and a partner at law firm Maddocks where he leads the Victorian state government team. He has more than 25 years of experience providing a broad range of contract, commercial and administrative law advice to government departments and statutory authorities. James has drafted and negotiated a large number of significant government contracts including complex funding and grant agreements. He has advised the Victorian Government on the establishment of a number of new government bodies including the Taxi Services Commission, Visit Victoria, LaunchVic, V/Line Corporation and the Portable Long Service Benefits Authority. He also regularly advises clients on statutory compliance and governance issues and on the powers and duties of board members. James holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Melbourne. https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-smart-bb92732/
Anna Burke AO currently serves as a Fulltime Member on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She is a Board Member of the Institute for Breathing and Sleep and conducts governance, parliamentary procedural and gendered equity training with national parliaments around the world. Anna was previously the elected representative for the seat of Chisholm in the Parliament of Australia from 1998 until 2016, she also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives during the 43rd Parliament. Prior to becoming Speaker, Anna served as Deputy Speaker in both the 42nd and 43rd Parliaments as well as on a number of Parliamentary Committees across economics, climate change, environment and the arts, petitions and privileges. Anna was recognised as Officer of the Order of Australia AO in 2019 for services to the Parliament of Australia. Prior to this, Anna worked in industrial relations for the Finance Sector Union, Victoria University and VicRoads. Anna holds a Master of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Monash University. Anna become a Fellow of Monash University in 2017. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-burke-ao-b54800169
Nicholas Evans is Director of Private Wealth Management at JBWere. He is a senior adviser with more than 30 years of experience in investment management in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, South Asia, Japan and the United Kingdom across a variety of senior banking roles including private banking, risk management, treasury management, debt and equity capital markets. Nicolas has expertise in portfolio construction, fixed income, international equities, alternative assets, investment governance and socially responsible investment. Nicholas holds a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University and is Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Nicholas was formerly Chair of a charity providing support to young people experiencing homelessness and is currently a Board Member of the JBWere Charitable Endowment Fund. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-john-evans/
Nigel Phair is Director, Enterprise at the University of New South Wales Institute for Cyber Security. He is an influential analyst on the intersection of technology, crime and society and has published four acclaimed books on the international impact of cybercrime. Nigel is a regular media commentator and provides executive and board advice on strategy, risk and governance regarding technology. He is a Board Member of several Australian company boards. In his previous 21-year career with the Australian Federal Police, Nigel achieved the rank of Detective Superintendent and was a team leader of investigations at the Australian High Tech Crime Centre for more than four years. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelphair/
Jill Hannaford is the Global Future Communities Leader at professional services firm GHD and a social scientist who is passionate about inclusion, diversity and social equity. Jill has extensive experience in community engagement and building community understanding of infrastructure provision. She cofounded the International Association for Public Participation in Australia and is a founding corporate partner of Indigenous internship program CareerTrackers. She has also worked closely with CareerSeeker, an organisation that provides internships for refugee and asylum seeker professionals. Jill is a Board Member of Bridge Housing and Member of the Henry Halloran Trust for Urban Research Advisory Board. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-hannaford-fiap2-a24a8242/
Natascha Hryckow is an Associate Fellow of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and an experienced leader in multilateral interventions in conflict and post-conflict environments. Natascha has extensive international experience including as Coordinator of the United Nations Panel of Experts on Somalia in 2020-2021; Regional Conflict Advisor (Middle East and Africa) to the World Health Organization in 2017-2018; and Political Director and Head of Country for Somalia and Kenya for the European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (formerly known as EUCAP Nestor) in 2012-2013. Natascha led negotiations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Afghanistan Enduring Partnership and supported development of Afghanistan’s defence and security policy. Natascha has also responded to crises in Syria in 2016-17, Guinea’s Ebola outbreak in 2013-14, Darfur in 2008, Timor-Leste in 2007, and Pakistan in 2006. Natascha currently serves as the inaugural Chair of the Conflict Analysis Network and Treasurer for the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection. She was awarded a Rotary Peacebuilding Fellowship to attend Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from La Trobe University. https://www.linkedin.com/in/natascha-hryckow-26240b6/
Leadership Team
As the CEO of RedR Australia, Dr Helen Durham applies her 30 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector and high-level expertise in international humanitarian law, policy and diplomacy in the direction and governance of the team. Helen has significant field experience in Asia and the Pacific, as well as engagement in the Middle East, Africa and diplomatic negotiations in NY, Brussels and Geneva. She is widely published, in particular in the area of women and armed conflict. In 2017 she was awarded the prestigious Officer of the Order of Australia. Helen was the first woman and first Australian to be the Director of International Law and Policy for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, a role that saw her actively involved in field missions as well as diplomatic negotiations in New York, Brussels and London. Helen has regularly addressed the Security Council on topics such as cyber warfare, counterterrorism and women and armed conflict, and has been the Director of International Law and Strategy at Australian Red Cross, Head of Office Australia ICRC, Legal Adviser to ICRC Pacific delegation and Director of Research at the Asia Pacific Centre of Military Law at Melbourne Law School. With a Law/Arts degree, a PhD in international law (Melbourne and New York University), as well as being admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor, she is well regarded and highly sought for her advice and opinion on pressing humanitarian topics. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-helen-durham-ao-59012728/
Will Brown is the Chief Financial Officer at RedR Australia. His role oversees the Finance and ICT, Risk, Safety and Security, and People and Capability Teams of RedR Australia. Will has extensive experience working for leading corporate restructuring, turnaround, insolvency and advisory specialist firms both in Australia and the UK. In addition to working in professional services, Will has worked for global organisations in their corporate risk and compliance, and data, analytics and reporting divisions. He is dedicated to leading the team, demonstrating this support with clear vision, purpose and performance targets for the organisation to deliver RedR’s vision and humanitarian objectives. Will has undertaken engagements across Australia, Asia, the US, the Middle East and Europe, spanning a range of sectors including international NGO, airline, wine, agriculture, banking, engineering and construction, retail, manufacturing and hospitality. Will is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a current serving officer in the Australian Army Reserve. https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamtbrown/
As Program Director of Australia Assists, Nic oversees the implementation of the Australian Government’s Australia Assists program. This oversight includes deployment operations; strategic communications; monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL); and the two regional offices in Suva, Fiji and Amman, Jordan. Nic was formerly Manager of Strategy and Risk at RedR Australia where he developed and implemented key strategies to mitigate risk and ensure operational continuity through critical incidents. Prior to his time at RedR, Nic was the Asia Pacific Head of Operations at World Challenge; a provider of student-led overseas expeditions. This role had a strong focus on product delivery, customer service, compliance, and safety. Before moving to Australia in 2012, Nic spent 10 years in the British Army based in both the UK and Germany with a number of overseas training and operational deployments. This time in the Army fostered Nic’s strengths in leadership and program management. Originally from Edinburgh in the UK, Nic now calls Melbourne home and is a volunteer fire fighter with CFA in his spare time. He is passionate about RedR’s ability to bring such diverse and highly trained people to support ongoing humanitarian efforts globally. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicsutherland/
Jenny brings over 20 years of expertise to her role as Director of Partnerships & Strategy at RedR. She has worked in the field of human rights, development and emergency humanitarian response contributing expertise in gender, civil military coordination, protection of civilians and Women, Peace and Security She has been part of the RedR team since 2011 in a range of of roles from deployee, to associate trainer and most recently as the Regional Manager for the Pacific Region based in Suva, Fiji. Jenny has worked for the United Nations, ASEAN, civil society organisations and the Australian Federal government contributing to key national and regional policy. She has represented Australia on key Women, Peace and Security forums such as the UNWomen Asia-Pacific Regional Symposium on National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security and contributed to key national consultation process for the second NAP 2021-2031 and the inaugural Australia- ASEAN Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security.
Karli Smith is the People and Capability Manager at RedR Australia where she coordinates the development and implementation of a diverse range of people-focused programs and frameworks to ensure RedR’s workforce capabilities and employer value proposition support the achievement of the organisation’s strategy. Karli has a strong background in People and Change Management and Continuous Improvement. She leverages this background into her day to day at RedR Australia where she strives to empower the team through open communication, engagement and business planning. Karli is well-versed in completing organisational restructure and leading teams through periods of change to improve workplace culture, increase staff retention, improved training and increased stakeholder engagement. Prior to Human Resources, Karli worked in leadership roles as a Production Manager, Operations Manager, and Business Improvement Manager, which cemented her belief in people being the key to success in any organisation. Karli is deeply passionate about nurturing people to thrive through different stages of their careers. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karli-s-b9288332/

RedR Australia’s Board

The Board of Directors is responsible for setting our strategic direction and guiding our operations and operational direction. It approves our annual budget, ensures compliance with legislation and regulatory requirements and monitors our organisation’s performance and costs.

It is accountable for our overall performance, compliance with codes of conduct and for oversight of RedR Australia’s risk management.
 
The Board appoints the Chief Executive Officer and delegates the operational management responsibility of RedR Australia to the CEO.

 

Governance

RedR Australia is an Australian public company limited by guarantee. We are a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and the Australian Tax Office.
 
Under the provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 (the Act), RedR Australia has implemented a Constitution.

Board Structure and Nominations

Our Board can have up to 11 members but is currently comprised of nine non-executive directors and includes representatives nominated by our founding bodies: Engineers Australia; Consult Australia; the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia and Professionals Australia.
 
The directors may appoint up to seven additional persons as directors, including up to two directors nominated by the Members. Board members act in a voluntary capacity and do not receive any remuneration with the exception of reasonable travel expenses incurred in the course of their duties.
 

Board Nominations Committee

The nominations committee oversees the nomination of co-opted Board and Committee members.
 

Ethical Standards and Code of Conduct

RedR Australia is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards. All Board members, employees and deployees are expected to comply with relevant laws and to sign our Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy. Board members are required to declare any potential conflict of interest.
 
Risk Management Fraud and Corruption Control
The Board is responsible for oversight and all employees are required to abide by our anti-bribery and corruption policy.
 

Reserves Policy

Our reserves policy specifies that reserves need to be retained to safeguard RedR Australia’s operations.