Meet our New Board Observers Karen Giuliani & Leeanne Gray
Karen and Leeanne and will be attending Head Start Homes’ Board meetings for the coming year as part of a Westpac Foundation’s Board Observership Program.
Leeanne Gray and Karen Giuliani our 2021 Board Observers in partnership with the Westpac Foundation.
The program harnesses the strong desire from senior professionals to utilise their skills, develop social leadership and build networks whilst sharing Westpac Foundation’s vision of helping create a more inclusive Australia.
Leeanne Gray and Karen Giuliani have 27 years of experience between them at Westpac. The women were chosen to attend HSH’s board meetings after a selection process that matched their skills, capabilities and interests with the most suitable organisation.
Leeanne is Head of Core Payments and has a strong interest in the not-for-profit sector.
“I wanted to give back to the community and help others with the skills I have, and HSH was identified as a great fit for me,” she said.
“Being able to learn from other board members is wonderful, and I’m hoping to get a level of personal satisfaction from it, where I can contribute to the success of HSH to help them meet their goals and targets.”
Leeanne said the Head Start Homes Board had been very welcoming and generous of its time.
“Vanessa Chan (HSH Chair), Stephen Woodlands (HSH Founder) and the rest of the Board have made us feel so comfortable and encouraged us in making contributions and speaking up. I think I will get as much out of the experience as they will.”
Karen Giuliani, who has extensive experience in the financial services sector, has presented to boards but never participated on one.
“I’ve always had an interest in how the other side of the corporate coin works and was curious about how boards operate,” she said.
“I was also interested in helping causes that support homelessness and social justice.
“I feel so privileged to be working for Westpac which offered this development opportunity as well as being able to be part of a not-for-profit and give back to the community at the same time.”
Karen described the program as an amazing opportunity to be part of a beautiful initiative.
“At the end of the day, I hope I’ve taken away a much richer and deeper understanding of how much you can do to create positive change - anything on top that I learn from a governance point of view will be a bonus,” she said.
Sally McGeoch, Senior Advisor, Westpac Foundation, said strong leadership and succession planning for a not-for-profit board is critical to its long-term success and sustainability.
“We also know that good governance is essential to ensure boards and committees are leading effectively whilst meeting legal and compliance responsibilities,” she said.
“This program helps to strengthen the governance and management of the organisations the Foundation supports, but also provide opportunities for our people to develop their social leadership capabilities.
Stephen Woodlands, HSH Founder and Managing Director, said:
We extend a warm welcome to Karen and Leeanne as they join our heart filled community for change. Karen and Leeanne are passionate advocates of our mission and their exceptional talents and expertise will be put to good use at our Board meetings and beyond.