OurGovernance

Our Strategy

Your Side is a secular, not-for-profit organisation that works collaboratively with the community and with government, public, private and other bodies to deliver the best possible outcomes for all our customers. We are a public company limited by guarantee, with a membership base and registered as a charity with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status (meaning any gifts and bequests are tax deductible).

Your Side is governed by a Board of non-executive Directors who review and approve our three yearly Strategic Plan to ensure the organisation is meeting it’s vision and purpose and has a sustainable and financially sound model to continue to achieve this into the future.

Our Constitution

Download PDF: Your Side Australia Limited

Corporate Governance

Sonja Walters

Board Chair

Joined December 2020

Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration
• Graduate Certificate in Management
• Bachelor of Social Work 
• Graduate, AICD Fellow Member of the Institute of Managers and Leaders ANZ

Sonja is Chair, Non Executive Director, Managing Director and Trainer with over 20 years of experience in the public, commercial and not for profit sectors with particular expertise in aged care, disability, property, education, insurance, occupational rehabilitation, and community services. Sonja’s depth and breadth of experience in these sectors has contributed to significant growth, diversification, mergers and improved governance and risk management.

Sonja’s key contributions include: improving board governance, C Suite and key role talent acquisition, restructures, mergers and acquisitions including due diligence and developing key relationships/partnerships with ministers, community agencies and support providers in the areas of aged care and disability. Strategic decision making is key to success and Sonja has facilitated many strategic planning sessions as a board Chair.

Sarah Lance

Deputy Chair

Joined April 2024

Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration (Exec), Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM)
• Bachelor of Education (Sydney University)
• Graduate AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors AICD)

Sarah is a highly experienced Non-Executive Director and Chair of Member based, Profit for Purpose and Commercial organisations and has significant experience as an Executive and CEO of large-scale customer focused service organisations across both Health and Education.

Most recently Sarah was the CEO of St John Ambulance Australia (NSW), building diverse services across health and safety from training and equipment to first aid, mental health and medical services at events, in the community and in support of our health system throughout COVID-19 and state emergencies.

Sarah’s strengths lie in strategy, innovation in product and service delivery, corporate and clinical governance, finance and risk management, stakeholder engagement and government relations.

Stuart Snell

Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee

Joined October 2016

Qualifications

• Graduate Certificate Business in Finance, UTS
• Bachelor of Social Science (Communications), UTS 
• Advanced Not For Profit Governance, AICD 

Stuart has over 30 years of experience in business strategy, reputation management, government and stakeholder relations, and media and communications. A former journalist, he worked professionally in a number of corporate affairs executive roles for large organisations, mainly in the financial services industry, and in recent years as an independent consultant dealing with a range of sectors, with a focus on creating recycling technology-based consortia raising significant levels of capital for multi-year programs.  

He is also an experienced non executive director, having played an instrumental role in the development of a governance framework and successful business transformation strategy for Road Sense Australia for three years to 2019, and currently since 2021 at the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation where, with a mostly new board, he has been instrumental in developing both a new governance framework and business growth strategy while also being a member of two of the three board committees.  

Stuart joined the Your Side Australia board in 2016, was board chair from 2019-2021, and is a member of three of the four board committees. In 2016 Your Side had a traditional block grant business model with 30 staff and $5.8m in revenue, and now it has over 100 employees delivering a diversified social services model with forecasted revenue of $30m. 

Stuart joined the Your Side Australia board in 2016, was board chair from 2019-2021, and has been a member of various board committees. In 2016 Your Side had a traditional block grant business model with 30 staff and $5.8m in revenue, and now it has over 100 employees delivering a diversified social services model with revenue of around $30m.

Linda Mallett

Chair to the Governance and Nominations Committee

Joined November 2017

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work (UNSW),
• Master Of Social Work (UNSW),
• Master of Business Administration (Macquarie Uni.),
• Grad. Dip. in Dispute Resolution (UWS).

Linda brings insight and experience from over 35 years of working in public sector organisations undergoing major reform.

Recent work has focused on: innovative ways of building the capacity of people with disability for exercising choice and control in their lives; key reform projects to expand and improve the range of services for people with a disability; strategic leadership of person centred services for people with complex support needs; stewardship of the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 and Boarding Houses Act 2012 with the NSW Disability Council; and culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal people with disability, their families and communities.

Leighton Howard

Director

Joined April 2024

Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration (Exec), AGSM
• Bachelor of Science (Chemistry), Loughborough University of Technology

Leighton has 25 years of experience leading businesses in the health and aged care sector, with a focus on technology, data and analytics.  He was the founder and CEO of a global SaaS business operating in the pharmaceutical industry and, more recently, was responsible for strategic engagement with governments, healthcare providers and health insurers across Australia and New Zealand on behalf of a large multinational health technology and data science corporation.

Having worked with the Australian Government on major initiatives including PBS reform and the Residents’ Experience Survey (part of the residential aged care Star Ratings initiative), Leighton brings an understanding of the intricate relationships between industry and government in health and aged care settings.  He also has experience in clinical governance and community care operations, derived from establishing an NSQHSS accredited hospital in the home service.  Leighton has been involved in the administration of and governance of member-based not-for-profit organisations for many years, holding numerous executive positions in community sporting clubs.

Leighton’s strengths include strategic planning, innovation, application of technology, strategic partnerships, contract negotiations and mergers and acquisitions. He is a current member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Adj Prof John G Kelly AM

Chair of Quality, Care and Clinical Governance Committee

Joined April 2024

Qualifications

RN BA(Hons) LLB Grad Dip Leg Prac FIML FACN (DLF) GAICD MAPS

John has worked in the health sector for the past 40 years in a variety of roles at a national level that has enabled a broad exposure to public and private healthcare delivery – in remote, regional and urban settings; community based care delivery and disability and aged care.

He has been active internationally as a Council Member of the International Council of Nurses and a Director of the World Heart Federation.

Additionally, John has served on a number of Boards of charities including as Chair of the Smith Family and Unitingcare Ageing (NSW & ACT).

More recently, John has focussed on workforce issues (shortages, recruitment & retention strategies), training requirements, standard setting and the accreditation of programmes in RTO, TAFE and university settings.

John’s board work includes a particular focus on governance and risk.

Donald Mills

Director

Joined August 2022

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Economics (Sydney Uni)
• Qualified as a Chartered Accountant
• Qualified as a Certified Practicing Accountant
• Diploma Artificial Intelligence – Strategy Implications (MIT Boston) 

Don’s career started with 6 years with Price Waterhouse including 2 years in PW’s London office followed by over 30 years of experience as a senior executive; 25 of them as CEO of a large diverse private business involved in hospitality, manufacturing, retail and last mile delivery taking the business from a relatively small organisation to a highly successful rapidly growing business with over 1,200 workers today.

Our Executive Team

Danielle Ballantine

Chief Executive Officer

Qualifications

• Graduate Certificate Commerce (Not for Profit)
• Governance Institute of Australia, Not for Profit Officers, Directors and the Board
• Bachelor Arts, Sociology, Aboriginal Studies & Australian History

Danielle has held a variety of senior positions in human/health services across not for profit and corporate sectors. Danielle has led the development of client services spanning aged, disability, employment, vocational training, indigenous and mental health. Under Danielle’s stewardship, a small not for profit expanded significantly from 2,000 clients in Sydney to over 26,000 nationally, demonstrating strong skills in executing strategy and change management.

Danielle is passionate about customer service and quality. Her dream is that the current systems that provide care and support to vulnerable Australians have simplified and accessible entry and exit points. Her goal is that the Your Side team works alongside our clients, empowering them to make choices, that creates independence and positive life change.

Danielle has low vision (legally blind) and uses her lived experience of impairment to promote accessibility.

Kevin Bone

Director, Corporate Services

Qualifications

• Member, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• Member, Chartered Global Management Accountants

Kevin has had extensive experience in CFO and COO roles in the corporate and for-purpose sectors both in the UK and Australia.  He is passionate about optimising the scope and sustainability of the services offered to the community through creating operational efficiency and establishing robust financial management.

Kevin has been in the for-purpose sector for 8 years, with a focus on health, youth development and rural Australia.  Through a pragmatic approach to both problem-solving and change management, he has helped organisations grow their service footprint, gain accreditation and maximise access to government and other funding.

Simon McNamara

Director, Customer Care

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science (Mol. Genetics)

Joining Your Side in 2016,  Simon brought extensive experience in primary health, allied health and community care services from over the past 14 years and has held management positions in both Australian and international businesses.

His experience managing local medical centres, emergency radiology companies and multidisciplinary allied health teams has given Simon a holistic approach to supporting Your Side customers to reach their goals and live their best lives.  He has had extensive experience in working with mental health services, aged care and in the disability sector.

Colette Robinson

Clinical Care and Governance Manager

Qualifications

• Masters of Mental Health Nursing, University of Newcastle
• Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery, University of Technology, Sydney
• Bachelor of Nursing, University of Technology, Sydney
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Sydney Institute of TAFE
• Certificate IV Small Business Management, Sydney Institute of TAFE
• Certificate III in Pathology Collection
• Diploma of Medical Secretarial Studies, Ireland

Colette is a motivated and experienced Registered Nurse with strong leadership, education and influencing capacity.  She believes that every individual has the right to receive quality health care.  Therefore, setting the goal of optimal health outcomes for the clients or patients she is working with.  Previous experience as a Clinical Nurse Educator, and Nurse Quality Manager has honed her organisational and time management skills.  Colette’s experience also includes working in day surgery, maternity, aged care, education, research, and management.  Committed to maintaining safety and quality for all, through implementation of policies, education and open communication driven always by best practice guidelines.

Integrity

If you need to inform Your Side about serious corruption, fraud, or criminal activity you are protected by law as a whistle-blower.

You can email the Chair or the CEO directly on:

CEO: danielleb@yourside.org.au
CHAIR: sonjaw@yourside.org.au

Whilst a discloser can choose to remain anonymous while making a disclosure, we encourage all individuals to disclose their identity when raising a concern. This will assist us to gather further information on your report. In accordance with our Whistleblower policy, Your Side will do all it can to always maintain confidentiality before, during and after an investigation into the matter reported.

You can download Your Side’s Whistleblower Policy by CLICKING HERE.