Our Board
The HSSO board members provide governance and oversight of the organisation. They bring skills and perspectives that includes representation from the human services sectors.
Russell Bricknell
Russell is Chief Executive Officer of Juniper, Western Australia’s largest not for profit aged care provider. Russell has an extensive background in the aged care and community services sector. He was previously the Chief Executive of Baptistcare WA serving metropolitan and regional Western Australian communities. Prior to this role, Russell was Chief Executive of an Aged Care education provider, overseeing operations in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand. Prior to this role, Russell held several senior executive and CEO roles in not-for-profit and faith-based aged, disability and community services organisations in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. Russell has worked in the aged and community services sector since 2001.
Russell holds degrees in education and science and an MBA and is a Graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kasy Chambers
Kasy has extensive national experience in the government and community sectors in both Britain and Australia, with hands-on experience in policy, advocacy, government relations, service provision, community development, corporate governance, and finance.
Kasy is currently the Executive Director of Anglicare Australia a large network offering services to one in every 19 Australians and has previously held positions with UnitingCare Australia, the Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the YWCA of Canberra.
Benjamin Keast
Benjamin Keast has been the CEO of ARC since April 2016. Prior to this he has held many roles at all levels within the organisation over his 20 years in the industry. Ben has always held a passion for the skills development within the Disability sector since his engagement on the Disability Sector Training Coalition (2008 -2012).
Ben was a member of the Far North Queensland’s Regional Disability Advisory Committee; and is currently a member within the Premiers Regional Forums. Ben has an MBA and has been on a number of not-for-profit boards within advocacy services; arts; and community housing organisations. Ben is currently the Chair of the Far North Queensland’s Disability Provider Network, as well as the Chair of the Disability Support Industry Reference Committee.
Liz Cohen
Liz is a skilled leader and strategist with a track record of transforming organisations to prosper. Liz is currently the CEO of Sunnyhaven a boutique disability service provider. Liz holds degrees in teaching and education and has more than 30 years’ experience in the disability, education and health sectors. She has a keen interest in the way technology can support increased independence for people with disability.
Liz was named the 2020 SA Telstra Businesswoman of the Year (for Purpose and Social Enterprise). She is also a director on the Board of NeckSafe.
Janet Muir
Janet is the CEO of RSL LifeCare and was previously Managing Director Australia and New Zealand for the global hearing health care provider Audika.
Janet has extensive senior executive experience with large-scale healthcare organisations, including as a Group General Manager Strategy at St Vincents Health Australia, Group Manager Strategic Development at St John of God Healthcare and Director of Finance at St John of God Pathology.
Janet is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Bachelor of Business & Administration (Accounting) from Curtin University of Technology and an MBA from the University of Melbourne Business School. She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Our Team
The HSSO employs a multidisciplinary team based around Australia to deliver outcomes against our strategic objectives.
Jodi Schmidt
Jodi brings an impressive track record of leading successful business transformation to her role as Chief Executive Officer. Her extensive experience in the vocational, education and training sector includes work within TAFE institutes and state government, and consulting to a range of sectors including human services.
She served as the Deputy Director-General, Training and Employment with the Queensland Government, and then as the inaugural chief executive officer of TAFE Queensland, leading the reform and amalgamation of Queensland’s TAFE institutes to create a consolidated commercial entity.
Jodi also served as the Chair of the National Education and Foundation Skills – Industry Reference Committee (IRC) and has been a member of several national review boards and expert panels.
Amanda Thomas
As the General Manager of Strategy, Policy and Research, Amanda leads our projects team, initiates, and guides our research, and works with the CEO and board to design and implement the strategy of the Human Services Skills Organisation (HSSO).
Amanda is an experienced executive with unparalleled knowledge of Australian and international VET systems across the entire skills pipeline. She led embedded teams at the Department of Health, providing advisory, technical and project management expertise across a range of programs including the COVID-19 Aged Care Taskforce, Aged Care Royal Commission Taskforce, and the Future Care at Home Reform program.
Amanda was instrumental in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Australian Government’s Skills Organisation pilots, supported the Department of Health’s Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce, and led the business transformation from Industry Skills Council to Skills Service Organisation for Transport and Logistics following Australian VET reform.
Jordan Tracey
Jordan is an experienced and qualified project and program manager with over a decade experience in delivering projects in both government and private sectors.
With experience that has primarily focused on the VET Sector he has led teams to deliver critical infrastructure projects to the sector. This experience has enabled him to gain a knowledge and understanding about VET policies, processes and legislation and work in partnership with key stakeholders such as state, territory and federal governments, regulators, training package developers and RTOs.
Jordan is responsible for driving the execution of HSSO’s work plan and acts as the conduit between project teams, working groups and other stakeholders to oversee the successful delivery of pilots and projects.
Sue-Ellen Evans
With over 10 years’ experience in the aged care and disability sectors Sue-Ellen specialises in workforce development, building foundation skills and designing and implementing training solutions.
As the HSSO’s skills subject matter expert Sue-Ellen is responsible for a variety of strategic projects including the Boosting the Local Care Workforce program and CILCA 360 Leadership program.
Sue-Ellen has qualifications and experience in adult education, workforce development and stakeholder engagement across various industries in the human services sector. She has worked across the Boosting the Local Care Workforce, SkillsIQ, Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), NDS, and Training Services NSW.
She has extensive experience in Aged Care and Disability Workforce Programs and Initiatives and is a Foundation Skills Specialist and an expert Trainer and Assessor.
Nataliia Poiarkova
Nataliia uses her impressive skills as a research analyst and data visualiser to connect complex datasets and create clear messages and resources to support decision-makers.
Nataliia’s domestic and international experience gives her unique insight into data application, and the ability to think globally. She is responsible for taking the highly complex and extensive data sets pertinent to the vocational education and training, and human services sectors and translating them into easily understood and useful communications. Nataliia’s expertise is invaluable to the sector. Her work with the HSSO sees her analysing market and workforce trends, modelling and advising on strategies and solutions.
Sara Comarmond
Sara has worked in various industries over the past 15 years across the private and public sectors, including the Department of Health and Ageing (Rural Health Services and Safety branch), in an executive assistant capacity with high-level management. Sara joined the HSSO in 2022 and works closely with the CEO, Jodi Schmidt and General Manager, Amanda Thomas as their Executive Assistant and provides administrative support to the HSSO team.
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We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work. We pay our respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders past, present and emerging.