Our People | Plan In Australia

A Global Network

Plan in Australia is part of a global network of people – 8000 staff and 60,000 volunteers – working to empower communities to overcome poverty in 50 countries. Sixty-two employees work for Plan in Australia from our national office in Melbourne, supported by a dedicated team of volunteers.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ian Wishart

Ian is one of Australia's most experienced development professionals.

For the past 22 years he has been involved in virtually every aspect of helping children, including responding to many emergencies and disasters as well as running long-term development programs in impoverished communities. His years of practical experience are the ideal foundation for leading a successful not-for-profit organisation such as Plan.

Since 2001, Ian has taken Plan in Australia from an $11 million operation to a highly respected and influential Australian development agency with revenue of more than $50 million (FY2012). He is also a leader in the sector as Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) – the peak council for Australian aid and development organisations.

Before joining Plan, Ian worked for World Vision for 11 years in positions including Country Director in Laos, Manager of Strategic Planning and Manager of Emergency Relief in Australia. He has also held key roles in leading Plan International at a global level, including as chairman of the Plan International National Directors Team (2007–08) and member of the global Plan International Management Team (2007–09).

Ian holds a Science Degree from the Australian National University, a Graduate Diploma in Education from Canberra University, and an MBA from Mount Eliza Business School. He is a graduate of the Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Asian Leadership Program and a graduate of the Company Director's course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

A father of three, Ian devotes much of his time away from work to his own children.

Follow @IanatPlan on Twitter.

Senior Management Team

	Ian Wishart CEO BSc, DipEd, MBA, GAICD Ian is one of Australia's most experienced development professionals. Since 2001, he has taken Plan in Australia from an $11 million operation to a highly respected and influential Australian development agency with revenue of more than $50 million (FY2012). Ian has extensive experience in international development, including responding to emergencies and long-term development work. He has completed assignments all over the world including in Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Rwanda, Mozambique, Laos, Cambodia and Somalia.
	Ben Holgate Director, Marketing and Communication BA (Hons) Ben joined Plan in 2011 from IDP Education Ltd. A graduate of London University, Ben worked in advertising in the United Kingdom and the Middle East before moving to Australia where he has held senior marketing positions for organisations including The Coca-Cola Company, Transport Accident Commission and AWB Landmark.
	Dave Husy Director, Child Centred Community Development BA (Sociology/Politics), BA (Hons), MA (Development Studies) Dave joined Plan in 2008 bringing nine years' experience as a program strategy and review consultant with international development agencies in South and East Africa. Prior to that, Dave worked for ten years as a senior NGO manager in southern Africa.
	Gerard Dell'Oste Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary BBus (Acc), FCPA Prior to joining Plan in 2001, Gerard held senior finance roles in the corporate and non-government sector including the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), BHP Co Ltd and the ANZ Banking Group. Gerard has a Bachelor of Business Degree in Accounting and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.

Board of Directors

	Gerry Hueston (Chair) BSc, BCom Elected: March 2012 Current term expires: November 2015 Responsibilities: Gerry Hueston recently retired as President of BP in Australasia after a 34-year career with BP in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Europe. He is a past board member of the Business Council of Australia, a past Chairman and board member of the Australian Institute of Petroleum and a former member of the Chairman's Panel of the Australian Great Barrier Reef Foundation. He is currently a Commissioner with the Australian Climate Commission.
	Julie Hamblin (Deputy Chair) BA, LL.B.(Hons), LL.M Elected: November 2010 Current term expires: November 2013 Responsibilities: Program Advisory Committee, Corporate Governance Committee Julie has worked for more than 20 years in health law, bioethics and public health. Her legal practice focuses on clinical risk, privacy, medical research, health ethics and public health policy. She also has extensive experience in international development, particularly in relation to HIV AIDS.
	Brian Babington BA (Honours), MA, Grad. Dip. Mgt., Grad. Dip. Comm. Counselling Elected: March 2010 Current term expires: November 2013 Responsibilities: Chair, Program Advisory Committee Brian is the Chief Executive Officer of Families Australia; Coordinator of the Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia's Children; a member of the Australian Government's National Children and Family Roundtable; and a member of the Implementation Working Group for the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children.
	Michael Corry MA (Economics), FCA, FCSA, FAIM Elected: March 2012 Current term expires: November 2015 Responsibilities: Chair, Finance and Audit Committee Michael is a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Secretary and finance professional with extensive experience across a range of enterprises in commercial and community arenas. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Palliative Care Victoria.
	Claire Hatton MBA, BSc (Business Administration & Marketing) Elected: July 2008 Current term expires: November 2014 Responsibilities: Chair, Marketing and Fundraising Committee Claire is Industry Director for Google Australia and New Zealand. She leads a team of industry experts to help government, education and travel businesses make the most of their presence online. She has extensive strategy, marketing and leadership experience in the travel, finance and media industries across the Asia-Pacific region.
	Julie Hood EMBA, BCom, DipArch Elected: March 2012 Current term expires: November 2015 Responsibilities: Julie Hood studied architecture and joined Deakin University in 1993 where she was promoted to Head of Projects. She relocated to the United Kingdom in 2001 were she joined City University as Head of Projects. She was a business support project manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers before becoming a director in the Operational Advisory Services Business at Ernst & Young in the United Kingdom. Julie is currently a partner with the Operational Transaction Services Team at Ernst & Young in Australia with expertise in acquisitions and critical change agendas.
	Philippa Quinn Elected: November 2010 Current term expires: November 2013 Responsibilities: Marketing and Fundraising Committee Philippa has almost 20 years' experience in news and current affairs journalism as well as public relations in Australia and internationally. She has worked for the past ten years at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on flagship programs including Australian Story and 7.30. She is currently working as National Network News Editor, ABC TV News.
	Neil Thompson BA (Hons), Graduate Studies, Beijing University, GAICD Elected: January 2007 Current term expires: November 2012 Responsibilities: Marketing and Fundraising Committee; Director, Plan International Hong Kong. Neil has extensive experience in business development in Asia. He is Chief Executive, Velocity Frequent Flyer, Virgin Australia. He is a former board director of the Australia China Business Council and Australian Direct Marketing Association, and previously Group General Manager Customer Relationship Marketing, Qantas Airways.
	Anne Trimmer BA, LLB Elected: March 2012 Current term expires: November 2015 Responsibilities: Anne Trimmer practised law in Canberra, Tasmania and Sydney before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Technology Association of Australia Limited in 2006. Anne holds a number of related board and advisory positions, including Research Australia Limited, and the Centre of Excellence in Vision Sciences at the Australian National University. Anne is deeply experienced in working with the Australian Government and has been appointed by the Government to chair working groups and make recommendations. Anne has held several leadership positions in professional and educational bodies, including a period as President of the Law Council of Australia, Deputy Chancellor of the University of Canberra and Chair of the Australian Government's Advisory Council on Intellectual Property.

Plan Ambassadors

Manu Feildel

It's not common to find a celebrity television chef in a part of the world where 18 million people don't have enough to eat but when reports came out in June 2012 that more than 1.5 million children under the age of five across West Africa were without food, celebrity chef and father Manu Feildel boarded a plane to Niger with Plan, to learn firsthand about the urgent food and nutrition crisis affecting the area and to find out what Australians could do to help.

"For a country with very little resources and limited food supplies, the children showed nothing but hope – and that is all thanks to the wonderful work of Plan in their community".

Jamie Durie

Jamie has been a Plan Ambassador since 2002 and currently sponsors two children through Plan – Samanthika, 15, from Sri Lanka and Aramazan, 16, from Uganda. Jamie has travelled to Sri Lanka and Uganda to meet his sponsored children and to experience our long-term development work firsthand.