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Our people

Our team often say working at Good Sammy feels like being in a family.

Like a family, we consider our values, we enjoy being together and we support each other. Our work is important because we make a difference to the lives of so many people and their families.

More than 50% of our 700-strong workforce is made up of people with disability. Our focus is to create an engaging culture, brimming with opportunity to gain new skills, build confidence and achieve our individual and collective goals.

Part of what we do is to reflect on our achievements and find ways to create an even greater impact.


Our Patrons

 

Good Sammy is proud to have the joint Patronage of His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western Australia and Mrs Darrilyn Dawson.

His Excellency was sworn in as the 34th Governor of Western Australia on 15 July 2022.


Our Board

The Board of Good Sammy Enterprises combines a wealth of experience from the private, public and community service sectors. The Board’s primary role is to ensure ethical corporate governance whilst over-sighting implementation of the organisation’s core purpose, in accordance with sound business principles. The Board works through the Chief Executive Officer and his senior management team.

Fiona Payne

Fiona Payne

Chair and Non-Executive Director

Fiona Payne joined the Board in September 2023 as a Non-Executive Director and Chair Elect. Ms Payne brings decades of governance and operational leadership experience in the disability and health sector. She currently serves as Chair at Therapy Focus, one of the State’s leading providers of allied health services to people with disability, and as Director of the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation.

Ms Payne’s previous Board roles include Chair of 360 Health + Community, Chair of Kiind (previously Kalparrin), inaugural Board Member of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Director of Community First International and Foundation Co-Lead of the Disability Health Network.

Chris Walker

Deputy Chair

Joined the Good Sammy Board in 2016 and works as a Senior Electrical Engineer with Bechtel Australia. He has held a number of Chairperson roles within the Uniting Church in Australia and in local Service clubs. Chris is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and a Justice of the Peace for Western Australia and brings a wealth of strategic and safety knowledge to the Board.

Dom Del Borrello

Mr Del Borrello is an experienced CFO & Commercial Advisor with over 25 years’ experience in the natural resources and property sectors in senior executive roles, both in Australia and Europe.  He joined the Board in 2017 and is a member of the Audit & Risk Committee.

Ian Thubron

Ian graduated from Cambridge University in 1987.  After a stint in Corporate Finance at JP Morgan in New York he returned to London and embarked on a 25-year career in the Communications Industry.  He worked with some of the world’s largest Advertising Agencies and some of the world’s most admired brands, predominantly in Asia Pacific region.  Ian moved to Australia in 2015.  He is a modern Non-Executive Director, with expertise in Growth Strategies, Asia, Marketing and Digital Transformation as well as overall Governance.

Tasmin Eldridge

Wesfarmers Legal Counsel, Tamsin has extensive experience in corporate mergers and acquisitions specialising in energy, gas insurance, industry and safety. Tamsin is also a board member of the Araluen Botanic Park Foundation.

Mark Weller

Mark joined the Board in February 2022, bringing a wealth of experience with him. Mark is currently Group Chief Operating Officer of RAC WA, with responsibility for over 700 people within the Operations Division, comprising Group IT, Data & Analytics, Facilities & Commercial, Sales & Member Service, as well as the commercial Motoring & Home Services Division.

Mark is also a member of the Group’s Inclusion Council, responsible for leading the Diversity and Inclusion initiatives across the RAC and is Executive Sponsor for the DisAbility stream within RAC, which seeks to improve the employment of people with disability.

Anna Shave

Anna is a senior investment professional with a combined corporate and financial services background spanning over two decades. Between 2016 to 2023 Anna worked with Tanarra Capital, an Australasian alternatives manager, as a Principal with the Group and Head of the WA office. During her time at Tanarra she participated as a member of the Executive team and Investment Committee across the alternatives platform. Prior to Tanarra, Anna served in executive roles at Fortescue Ltd (ASX:FMG) as well as investment banking and capital markets roles at JPMorgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York. Anna currently sits on several private company boards as a Non-Executive Director; is a Non-Executive Director and Investment Committee member of the Foundation for the WA Museum; a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Investment Council; owns and operates several family businesses; and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University, Western Australia.

Photo of Amanda Gell smiling at camera.

Amanda Gell

 

Amanda has more than 15 years consulting experience with PwC, both in Australia and London. As current Partner with PwC – Government Incentives and Grants WA , Amanda’s expertise in identifying risk, Government funding and advising clients through investments within the sector is an invaluable addition to the Board. Amanda also brings strong commercial acumen across a variety of disciplines, including emerging technologies, IT, recycling and clean technology, engineering, manufacturing, mining and MedTech.

Amanda’s experience as the Perth Partner lead for Disability Engagement has deepened her understanding of the need to drive more diverse and inclusive organisations and communities.


Our Executive Team

Kane Blackman CEO

Kane Blackman

Chief Executive Officer

Kane has 15 years’ experience as a senior executive in financial services, disability care, Government service delivery, and the resource sector. He commenced as CEO in mid-February 2022.

His prior role was with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia, where he had executive responsibility for strategy, customer engagement, public relations, governance and corporate services.

Kane’s passion is working in commercial environments to drive improved outcomes for vulnerable people, which is informed by his experience as a father of a child with a rare disease and intellectual disability.

Kane holds the following Board roles:

  • Chair, Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability
  • Non-Executive Director, Charitable Recycling Australia
  • Member, Future Health Research and Innovation Advisory Council
  • President, Leederville Sporting Club

He has a Bc Science, a Masters Business Administration, a Graduate Diploma of Corporate Governance. Kane is also a member of the Australia Institute of Company Directors, the Governance Institute of Australia, and is a chartered company secretary.

Marisa Kouts

Marisa Kouts

Chief People Officer

Marisa is responsible for attracting and developing a workforce that is aligned to our values, inspired by our purpose, competent and committed to delivering on our strategic objectives. She has direct responsibility of a multi-disciplinary team across a range of areas including volunteer management; people, culture and organisational development; learning and development; employee pathways, support and safeguarding.

Marisa joined us from her most recent period of parental leave, following a career spanning almost 20 years across Local and State Government (WA and VIC), and the private sector.

Marisa has a passion for the community sector and as a parent of a child with a disability, her lived experience makes her a valuable addition to our team.

Manraj Ludher

Manraj Ludher

Chief Financial Officer

Manraj Ludher was appointed as Chief Financial Officer at Good Sammy Enterprises in early 2024.

Manraj has 20 years’ financial and commercial management experience across a number of for-purpose and for-profit organisations, including the global laboratory group SGS, ASX-listed mining services company Calibre, German investment bank WestLB AG, and most recently WA Primary Health Alliance.

His experience spans the community sector, healthcare, mining services, diversified industries and investment banking in Australia and the UK. His experience in building and leading teams, system transformation, in acquisitions and growth focused organisations, change management and corporate governance is critical to the successful implementation of Good Sammy’s strategy.

Manraj is also a committee member and volunteer at his daughters’ local netball club.

Sam Berglin portrait

Samantha Berglin

Executive Manager - Quality & Safeguarding

Sam was appointed Executive Manager Quality and Safeguarding at Good Sammy Enterprises.

Sam is responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of organisation-wide quality and safeguarding frameworks, and processes that meet legal and best practice standards. A key element of her role is amplifying the voices of Good Sammy’s customers to the Executive and Board, to ensure the best outcomes for all customers so that they can thrive.

Sam has a clinical background as an Occupational Therapist and has also obtained her Masters Business Administration. She has led teams and services in the health, disability and community sectors for over 17 years. She has experience in working within the NDIS context since the scheme started in WA and extensive experience in working with systems, policies and processes that support sustainable and accessible services. She has a passion for working side by side and partnering with customers to deliver high quality services.

Outside of work Sam is a busy mum to two young children.

Aaron Harding smiling at camera.

Aaron Harding

Chief Operating Officer

Aaron was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Good Sammy Enterprises in late 2023.

Aaron is responsible for the strategy and performance of the Good Sammy’s social enterprises. He has direct accountability for the growth of our network of retail stores and the Good Sammy e-commerce platform, the Containers for Change aggregation depots, Good Sammy logistics and processing facility, Good Sammy property care (gardening services) and the Good Thanks café and catering business.

Aaron is currently the WA Director of Charitable Reuse Australia. He has extensive operations management experience gained over 20 years in WA with household name organisations, and has grown existing and new businesses from a business case to $25 million turnover employing over 100 people. He is also passionate about the creation of employment opportunities for people with disability, having run and grown training businesses in Perth metro and the regions.

In Aaron’s spare time he can be found exploring regional WA on his motorcycle and has recently entered the world of camping and off-road adventures.

Sonia Nolan smiling at camera in front of yellow background.

Sonia Nolan

Executive Manager - Marketing, Fundraising and Partnerships

Sonia was appointed Executive Manager – Marketing, Fundraising and Partnerships in May 2024.

Sonia brings more than 25 years’ experience in leadership, strategic communications, marketing, community investment and governance across the for-purpose, corporate and government sectors. Her career spans iconic organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alcoa, The University of Western Australia (Centre for Social Impact, and Energy and Minerals Initiative) and running her own communications and social change consultancy.

Sonia has served on national, state and community Boards and currently Chairs The Essentials Collective – a grassroots charity addressing hygiene poverty in WA.

Sonia holds qualifications in Business (Marketing), Social Impact, Arts (Politics/English) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sonia is passionate about community connection and in her spare time produces an independent podcast amplifying Western Australians making our communities better, and she enjoys precious family time with her husband and two adult children.