Our team
At Diversity Council Australia, our senior consulting staff have strong business and legal backgrounds in the fields of diversity and EEO and extensive experience in human resources, training, investigations and policy development. We will work closely with you to understand your needs and develop programs to suit you. Our goal is to provide you with expert advice and service that is practical and anticipates your needs.
Collectively, consultants’ work history includes substantial experience in:
- All private sector industries, government, quasi-government, higher education, non-government school, trade union, employer association and non-government organisations sectors, and;
- Law, human resource management, workplace relations, organisation development, change management, adult learning, diversity management, policy and procedure development, and preventing and managing workplace discrimination and harassment.
Please see below for more information about each of our consultants:
Nareen Young, Chief Executive Officer
Frank Bassini, Principal Consultant
Jane O'Leary, Research Director
Catherine Petterson, Communications Manager
Moira Rayner, Senior Consultant
Sonja Terpstra, Senior Consultant
Susie Whillas, Senior Consultant
Nareen Young, Chief Executive Officer
Nareen Young was appointed CEO for Diversity Council Australia (DCA) in June 2007. This appointment is the most recent highlight in her notable career as a senior strategic employment relations practitioner and acknowledges her role as one of Australia's leading strategic diversity practitioners and thought leaders.
Prior to commencing as Senior Consultant for DCA in August 2005, Nareen was the Director of the NSW Working Women’s Centre, funded by Federal and NSW Governments, for seven years.
The national Working Women’s Centres were established to provide communities with access to information and choices about employment and provide a central avenue for women’s employment matters in each State. Nareen was delighted to be pointed to the prestigious position of Director of the NSW Centre in 1998.
In 2003 Nareen was nominated for a Human Rights Award and Medal for her leadership at the NSW Working Women’s Centre in “… developing and implementing innovative and sustained activities …” so that the Centre was an accessible and mainstream service.
Nareen has spoken and published widely around diversity employment issues and considers herself privileged to work in this area – she says that working with DCA and its members provides her with an opportunity to combine all of her skills, particularly her understanding of the theoretical with her capacity to focus on the practical.
Frank Bassini - Principal Consultant
Frank came to Diversity Council Australia in 2001 from a large Australian manufacturer where he worked in the positions of Equal Opportunity Officer and Diversity Coordinator. Frank also has extensive experience in the field of equal opportunity, working as a Senior Conciliator for the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria (EOCV).
Throughout Frank’s professional career he has been committed to diversity and equal opportunity and he has worked to promote the advantages of diversity in the school room (as a teacher and an Education Consultant), the workplace and wider society.
Frank holds a Bachelor of Education and has brought a wealth of experience to Diversity Council Australia. He consults to organisations across all sectors in Australia from sporting bodies (such as Cricket Australia, Football Victoria and the AFL) to mining, manufacturing, transport and utilities. He has also worked in New Zealand.
His clients speak very highly of the skills and expertise he provides, especially his training. He spent 12 years on the shop floor at a large manufacturer and thrives on changing behaviour in robust, male-dominated environments. He also provides investigation and mediation services and always offers practical solutions to workplace issues: his experience at EOCV gives him great insight into the complaints process from the other side of the fence.
Jane O'Leary - Research Director
Jane O'Leary has been with DCA since 2001, working closely with members to assist them foster organisational cultures which are inclusive of all personal differences. In 2005, Jane was awarded a federal government scholarship to conduct PhD research examining the diversity capability of Australian managers - specifically, what constitutes competence in managing diversity and how Australian managers can most effectively manage workplace diversity.
Jane is in the final stage of her PhD examining competence in managing workplace diversity at The University of Queensland Business School. Her research has been well received, with papers based on her research having been presented at international and national conferences.
Prior to joining DCA, Jane worked in the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) and the Queensland University of Technology, consulting to employers and staff on issues relating to diversity and inclusion and adult learning and development.
In 1996, Jane was awarded a Masters of Education, studying in the area of women in leadership. She has published papers on women and careers, women and leadership, qualitative research techniques, and learning and development. Her particular areas of specialisation include managerial diversity capability, diversity strategy development, implementation and evaluation, women in the workplace, and learning and development.
Catherine Petterson – Communications Manager
Catherine Petterson joined DCA as Communications Manager in May 2004. She is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to enhance DCA’s communications including Diversity Matters and Diversity Matters update, the web site and all client communications.
Catherine oversees the organisation of DCA’s marketing activities and events including the Annual Diversity Conference. In 2006 Catherine also took on the role of overseeing the operations of the Melbourne office.
Catherine has a background in corporate communications including a long stint at ANZ in a variety of senior communications roles. She also worked at public relations firm Hinton & Associates where she provided strategic financial and corporate communications advice to listed companies.
Catherine has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Arts in Communications from Monash University.
Moira Rayner - Senior Consultant
Moira Rayner is a senior and experienced lawyer, particularly in the area of managing workplace behaviours. She teaches in the postgraduate discrimination law course as a Senior Fellow at Melbourne University's Law School. Her postgraduate qualifications in public policy have been put to good use in several statutory offices.
Moira Rayner is best known in Victoria as its last Commissioner for Equal Opportunity. She has also been the Acting Deputy Director (Research) of the Australian Institute of Family Studies; a Hearings Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and a full-time consultant in the national law firm Dunhill Madden Butler (now Deacons) for more than six years, when she helped establish the firm's Discrimination Law Practice, and worked with major employers, universities and government departments. In 2000 she became the first Director of the Office of Children's Rights Commissioner for London, which modeled effective children's participation in government and is now an integral part of the Greater London Authority, London's new regional government. She has co-authored several books on governance, human rights, government policy and women and power.
Sonja Terpstra - Senior Consultant
Sonja Terpstra joins DCA with 15 years' experience in all aspects of workplace relations. This includes investigation and resolution of workplace disputes and as well as coaching to help people develop the necessary skills to resolve conflict.
She was previously with the NSW Working Women's Centre, she was a mediator on the AIRC Workplace Relations pilot, and a Contract Educator at the AMWU. She has extensive experience in investigation and advocacy of workplace disputes and was an industrial relations advocate for various employers.
A lawyer and mediator, she is currently completing a Masters of Conflict Resolution at Latrobe University.
Susie Whillas - Senior Consultant
Susie Whillas joined the Sydney office of DCA as Senior Consultant in 1995 after recently returning from the Kimberley where she worked for four years managing an Aboriginal Resource Centre – Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation. During this time she was instrumental in establishment of a radio station, community offices and the Miriwung Dawang Woolabgerring [Miriwung Language and Culture Centre.] Susie’s initial work with the Council was to develop the Special Employment Placement Opportunities [SEPO] project prior to taking maternity leave and managing her own consultancy business.
Susie has held positions as EEO Coordinator in the State Transit Authority and the NSW Public Works Department providing diversity strategic planning, reporting and measurement skills. As a passionate advocate for equity and respect and a fluent speaker of six languages Susie has worked in the private, community and local government sectors to consult and develop improved representation and delivery of services for diversity groups: in particular Indigenous, people from non-English speaking backgrounds and women.
A specialist in community and organizational culture development Susie rejoined the Council’s Sydney office in 2003 as a Senior Consultant and while a skilled facilitator, specializes in preventative strategies and has developed the Diversity Review which assists members to improve their workplace cultures. As a busy mother of four children she brings a wealth of experience and life skills to the workplace.
Susie is an Accredited Mediator with the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia, and is skilled in the facilitation of outcomes in workplace conflict. Susie has obtained a Bachelor of Arts [Honours] from the University of NSW, Teaching English Speakers Other Languages from the Institute of Languages UNSW and is currently undertaking a Masters of Social Change and Development from Newcastle University.