Board and Governance

Vanda Fortunato

Dr Vanda Fortunato commenced as Chair of the Board of AMES Australia on 11 September 2023.

For the past twenty plus years, Vanda Fortunato has had a career in executive and strategic leadership across both domestic and international landscapes. Her extensive expertise spans various sectors, including public and private health, primary care, non-profit organisations, medical education, academia, pharmaceuticals, health insurance, and consultancy.

She has been CEO for two prominent non-profit entities. Furthermore, her professional journey encompasses pivotal senior executive positions within a Private Equity Firm, Medibank, a clinical research organisation, and Accenture. Vanda has also made impactful contributions during her tenure at esteemed institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Presently, Vanda Fortunato serves as the Chair of the Board for the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust and Early Childhood Management Services. She also holds the position of Deputy Chair at Integrated Living and is a board member on BreastScreen Victoria and Vasey RSL Care.

Melinda Collinson (Ex-officio Board Member)

Appointed in August 2025, Melinda brings over two decades of senior leadership experience across the Victorian public sector, including her most recent role as Deputy Secretary at the Department of Transport and Planning. 

Her career spans executive roles in transport innovation, workplace safety, and regional operations, where she has led strategic reform and championed inclusive policy development. Melinda is widely recognised for her ability to lead complex organisations and navigate stakeholder-rich environments with integrity and vision. 

In 2023 Melinda was a finalist in the Australian Disability Network Changemaker of the Year Awards and in 2018, Melinda was honoured as one of Victoria’s Top 50 Public Sector Women, a recognition of her leadership excellence and commitment to public service. She is also an active member of the Victorian Public Sector Women of Colour Network, a collective dedicated to advancing equity, representation, and inclusive leadership across government. 

Initially trained as a scientist, Melinda holds a Graduate Diploma of Education from Monash University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is passionate about making data meaningful. Her leadership is grounded in values of equity, innovation, and community empowerment. 

At AMES Australia, Melinda is committed to advancing the organisation’s mission of “full participation for all in a cohesive and diverse society,” ensuring that migrants and refugees are supported to thrive and contribute meaningfully to Australian life.

Catherina Toh 

Catherina is co-founder of cybersecurity venture capital firm 5i Capital with an Asia-Pacific (ex-China) focus, ceasing operations in 2023. Since 2004 she has been running her own legal, regulatory and governance consultancy, advising major financial services organisations, private companies and government institutions in Australia and Asia on governance, compliance, risk management and strategy development.

Throughout her career Catherina has held a number of senior executive positions across a variety of organisations in Australia and Asia including NatWest, National Australia Bank and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (China). She is an experienced company Director with Board and Committee experience in the not-for-profit, private and public sectors. She is also a Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Independence Australia and is the founding partner, and was the inaugural Chair of Social Venture Partners Melbourne, a venture philanthropy organisation.

Tracy Le

Tracy is an experienced investment and finance professional with over 11 years of corporate finance and private equity experience following six years as a Chartered Accountant. She has spent the past three years working at Canaccord Genuity as a Director in the investment banking team with a particular focus on mid-market mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to Canaccord, Tracy spent six years working in principle investments with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group, covering the Asia-Pacific region, including PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji. IFC allowed Tracy to combine her passions for travel, investments and international development where all investments had commercial and development objectives.

Prior to IFC, Tracy lived in Vietnam for three years and worked for an international investment fund focusing on private equity investments in Vietnam. Tracy started her career as a chartered accountant, where she spent six years with Ernst & Young Melbourne.

Tracy is a chartered accountant, holds a Bachelor of Business from RMIT and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University in Sydney.

Florence Mauwa 

Florence is a human resources and finance leader with extensive professional and board experience.

Her experience has been gained in Australia and several emerging markets in a variety of sectors including professional and financial services and communications. Florence is passionate about community diversity and empowering marginalised groups and as a result, actively participates on various community boards. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Queen Victoria Women's Centre Trust and is a member of the Finance, Audit, Risk & Governance Committee. She also serves as Treasurer on the board of African Music and Cultural Festival (AMCF), the largest African festival in Australia. She is a past board member and Finance Committee Chair for Safe Futures Foundation, a specialist family violence organisation which is the largest Refuge Provider in Victoria.

She is a qualified accountant (FCCA) and has served as a panel member representing Victoria and Tasmania on the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Australia and New Zealand. She is also a member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD) and has a Masters of Business Administration from Murdoch University, Western Australia.

Philip Davies

Phillip is a lawyer with over 40 years experience both in private and public practice. He was a partner of an international law firm for 13 years. Since leaving the law firm, Phillip has been involved in the not-for-profit sector.

Phillip has been involved in various professional and disciplinary tribunals across a range of professions over the last 20 years. He is currently Deputy Chair of the Conduct Commission for the Financial Advice Association of Australia.

Phillip is also currently the National Ombudsman for the toll roads in Australia.

He is also a board director on a number of commercial, international and Victorian State Government entities across various sectors.

Philip is a board member of the Federal Government to the Tax Practitioners Board and was recently appointed as a Board member of AMES Australia in July 2024.

Bwe Thay

Bwe is a spirited advocate for multiculturalism in Australia, committed to improving leadership, education, and employment opportunities for diverse communities. With extensive experience in Victoria's multicultural sector, he has held key leadership roles and provided strategic guidance on several boards. His work focuses on empowering communities and influencing policies across sectors with all levels of government to promote inclusion and unity.

Known for his hands-on, practical approach, Bwe collaborates directly with individuals and communities to drive positive change. His tireless efforts to foster multicultural harmony have earned widespread recognition, making him a respected leader in advancing multiculturalism and building vibrant, inclusive societies across Australia.

Bwe is also a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar, where he contributes to global discussions on peace and human rights.

 

Nigel McCormick

Nigel is an experienced finance and executive leader in the public and non-for-profit sectors.

He is from Northern Ireland where he qualified as a chartered accountant.  He worked in a variety of departmental and agency portfolios in the Northern Ireland Civil Service as an Assistant Secretary.  Since emigrating to Melbourne he has held Chief Financial Officer roles in the public and not-for-profit sectors, notably as CFO of the Country Fire Authority and more recently specialising as an interim CFO in various charitable/public sector organisations. Nigel has a long-standing interest in board governance with a particular interest in finance and risk.  Building on his Northern Ireland experience, he has served as a board member of Bass Coast Health and is currently a board member of Wayss Ltd - a company supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and at risk of family violence.

Jason "Jase" King

Jason is a Ngarigo and Gunditjmara (Yigar) man dedicated to improving the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia, particularly in Victoria. With a strong background in leadership and advocacy, he has served on the boards of NACCHO, VACCHO, and other Aboriginal Community Controlled Service Organisations. 

As CEO of several Aboriginal organisations, Jase has managed large budgets, implemented strategic plans, and strengthened stakeholder relationships. His expertise spans policy development, program implementation, and community engagement, leading to advancements in healthcare, child welfare, and cultural preservation. Currently, he is the ESG Procurement Lead at the University of Melbourne.