Board of Directors

Rachel Holthouse

Rachel Holthouse

Chair of the Board

Rachel Holthouse believes that access to learning is critical for individuals at all stages of life. Her career has focused on aligning education with the needs of communities and industries, both in Australia and internationally. She enjoys learning about different areas of expertise and fostering connections that bring mutual benefit and result in positive impact. She has a strong commitment to the needs of the learner and a compassionate approach to the challenges people face as they seek to change their lives for the better.

As Chair of Better Place Australia, Rachel brings that passion to the support of the BPA community.

She applies her experience of using technology to facilitate learning and teaching to support professional development across the BPA community and is an advocate for initiatives that enhance the organisational culture of BPA.

Rachel is currently working with SEEK investments as Senior Strategic Advisor to FutureLearn and Executive Director, Pathways for Online Education Services. Rachel’s career has included senior governance roles in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore. She is well respected across the higher education sector and her previous roles include Deputy Vice- Chancellor for Global Development at RMIT University.

Rachel’s achievements have enhanced the reputation of the organisations she served. She is known for having an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset that balances the values and objectives of stakeholders and enables organisations to flourish. She brings her talent
for vision and strategy to BPA and nurtures a collaborative relationship with the Board and BPA Executive.

Rachel joined Better Place in May 2017 and has been Chair of the Board since 2020

Rachel is a member of the People and Governance Committee and the Financial, Risk and Audit
Committee

Erika Owens

Erika Owens

Deputy Chair

Erika Owens channels her dedication to support victims of crime in Victoria into initiatives and collaborations with various government agencies and not-for-profits. Her empathy, resilience, and clear vision are reflected in every project she leads. And in each one, her mission is clear – prevent harm to others.

Erika is currently the Director of Victim Support within the Victim Services, Support & Reform (VSSR) unit at the Department of Justice and Community Safety. She was previously the CEO of Crime Stoppers Victoria.

Erika has also held executive positions as Senior Manager, Southern & Eastern Melbourne and later as General Manager, State Services at Relationships Australia. Prior to this, she worked in the Department of Justice overseeing the delivery of government reform and operations.

Erika joined the Board in 2018

Erika is a member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee

Delia McIver

Director

Delia McIver has significant experience at a senior executive level across the post-secondary education sector in the areas of People and Culture/Human Resources, safety, risk and corporate services and has worked across Australia and internationally in her career. Delia currently holds the position of Executive Director People, Culture and Safety at Chisholm Institute, having held similar positions as Executive Director People & Capability at Box Hill Institute and Director Human Resources at Victoria University.

Having a keen interest in the not-for-profit sector, Delia has been a member of the Fitzroy Learning Network Board, Oakleigh Centre Board and enjoys participating as a volunteer at Reclink.

Delia is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, Monash University and La Trobe University and a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Delia joined the Board in May 2017

Delia is Chair of the People and Governance Committee

David Speyer

David Speyer

Director and Treasurer

David is Executive General Manager Victoria at Aruma. His passion is to enable the delivery of excellence to customers and his passion to create the dynamic environment for change and growth to thrive. Today that means leading services to people living with Disabilities to live a great life, the life they choose. Throughout his career in senior executive and leadership he has applied his commercial and financial acumen to complex change and turnaround through roles in finance, mergers and acquisitions, business reorganisations in multinationals and for-purpose national organisations.

David joined the Board in October 2014

David is Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee

Anne Goldsbrough

Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough

Director

Anne Goldsbrough has been a leader in the area of Family Violence and Family Law since her appointment as a magistrate in 1996. She was the Part-Time Law Reform Commissioner for the Australian Law Reform Commission’s inquiry and
report into the interaction of laws and practice in Family Law, family violence, child protection, sexual assault, and criminal laws in 2010. She sits on the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity.

Anne is currently the Regional Coordinating Magistrate and Lead Family Violence Magistrate for the Hume region including Shepparton and 8 other regional courts. She has presided over notable projects as a magistrate, including the development and introduction of the Specialist Family Violence Court Division in 2005.

In June 2022, Anne was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the judiciary, and to the law and to legal education.

Anne regularly contributes to ongoing legal and judicial professional development and to a range of community information and education programs both locally and abroad.

Anne brings the same dedication to Better Place Australia where she has a natural interest in our services that are supportive of those at risk of family violence and our practitioners focus on risk assessment and safety planning.

Anne joined the Board in November 2018

Dr Bruce Bolam

Dr Bruce Bolam

Director

Dr Bruce Bolam is Director of the Loddon-Mallee Public Health Unit based at Bendigo Health. He has extensive experience in public health, research and policy, gained though senior roles in health and government sectors in Australia and the UK.

Passionate about improving health and wellbeing for all, Bruce believes that empowering people to build better relationships is foundational for happier and healthier individuals, families and communities.

Bruce is a Fellow of both the Public Health Association of Australia and the UK Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, and holds several related degrees.

Bruce joined in February 2020

Bruce is a member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee

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