Our People

Hass Dellal AO / Chair

Executive Director, Australian Multicultural Foundation

Dr Dellal has had extensive experience throughout Australia and internationally on multicultural affairs. He has spearheaded a number of initiatives for the benefit and development of the general community to including the Muslim youth summits for the Commonwealth Government. He serves on a number of committees including the Australian Multicultural Council, European Multicultural Foundation, NAATI and is Chairperson of SBS Australia.

Dr Dellal was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division for services to Multicultural Organisations, the Arts, and the Community on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 1997, and awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal in 2003. He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences by RMIT University on the 13 December 2006.

Jen Sharpe / Chair of Communications Sub-Committee

Founder and Managing Director – Think HQ

Jen is an experienced communications and social marketing strategist with a background spanning corporate, policy, not for profit and entrepreneurial industries.

Jen established Think HQ in 2010 and has experience overseeing high-profile national campaigns, including media strategy and media relations projects, ministerial launches and securing and managing media partnerships. Through Think HQ Jen has worked with Federal Government’s Organ and Tissue Authority, the National Australia Day Council, the Scanlon Foundation, the Australian Multicultural Foundation, Philanthropy Australia, the Centre for Social Innovation, Australians for Mental Health and Orygen Youth Mental Heath.

Jen has received awards for the delivery of high-profile social marketing campaigns and holds an Honours Degree in Politics from Monash and a Graduate Diploma in Business (Entrepreneurialism) from Swinburne.

Shelin David / Chair of Finance and Audit Sub-Committee

Shelin David joined CMY’s Board of Directors in December 2016.

Shelin is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and finance.

Shelin’ expertise in accountancy and financial strategic management makes her well-placed to contribute to the governance of CMY’s financial and risk frameworks. She has quickly availed herself to the administration of the financial and audit committee and she was appointed its Chairperson in August 2017.

Shelin’s volunteers her time to numerous organisations including, Habitat for Humanity and the annual Generation Hope Project in America.

Shelin likes exploring new cultures, cuisine and is also looking for her next adrenaline rush. She includes travel, golf and soccer in her list of enjoyments.

Craig Hodges / Board Member

Craig Hodges is currently Director, National Programs at Orygen The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and joined the CMY Board in May 2018.

Craig has worked extensively in executive leadership roles in Australia and internationally for over 20 years with a major focus on service reform and the development of new and emerging models of early intervention care for young people experiencing mental ill-health. Craig is particularly passionate about ensuring all young people can access the necessary support when they need it most. Craig played a significant role in the establishment of headspace as the Director of Service Development and Partnerships and went on to support the implementation of Jigsaw, the national youth mental health program in Ireland as their Director of Service Development.

Craig has a background in Social Work and a Master of Evaluation and Human Service Management. He has served on a number of Boards and is a founding member of the International Association of Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Executive.

Bao Hoang / Board Member

Bao Hoang is a founder and Group CEO of Rolld Australia Pty Ltd. A physiotherapist by profession, Bao pursued his love of food and business to build his self-funded hawker-style eatery into the multimillion dollar food franchise called Roll’d.

Bao also founded Revita, a leading nation wide provider of aged care physiotherapy and allied health services, where he remains as a consultant.

Bao describes himself as a forward-thinker and he likes to dream big. He is passionate about creating sustainable business models and giving back to his community through partnerships such as Roll’d and the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation: A charity helping rescue children from slavery and human trafficking in Vietnam.

Bao loves Sundays, meals with his family, and time visiting his friends.

Julia Symons / Board Member

Julia Symons joined CMY’s Board of Directors in March 2018.

Julia’s expertise in sports administration, community engagement, communications and corporate philanthropy has seen her work across the corporate, not-for-profit and sports sectors in Australia, Hong Kong and Fiji.

During her time as General Manager of Community Engagement at Netball Australia from 2012-2017, Julia was responsible for the strategic development and delivery of the award-winning national inclusion and diversity initiative, One Netball. This included the development of Netball Australia’s inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan.

Julia was a recipient of a 2017 Churchill Fellowship, travelling to New Zealand, USA and UK in early 2018 to investigate cultural diversity in elite women’s sport.

She has been selected to attend women’s sports leadership courses at the Women’s Sports Leadership Academy in England and with the Australian Sports Commission, and holds a Social Sciences degree from Macquarie University and a Graduate Diploma in Organisational Communications from Charles Sturt University.

Demetrio Zema / Deputy Chair & Board Member

Solicitor

Member of CMY Finance & Audit Sub-committee

Demetrio is the founder and director of Law Squared, a commercial and corporate law firm working with entrepreneurs and high growth businesses Australia wide. With offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Demetrio readily acts for businesses from the early stages through to ASX. Demetrio has worked in the multicultural space for many years and has a strong passion about championing equal participation for all and actively advocates for youth from migrant and refugee backgrounds and people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Demetrio also sits of the board of directors of VicDeaf and is the co-founder of an entrepreneurial youth foundation, If Not Now Then When Ltd.

Don Smarrelli OAM / Chair of Human Resource Sub-committee

Partner, LawCorp Lawyers

Member of CMY Finance & Audit Sub-committee

Don is the respected principal of Lawcorp Lawyers which he founded in 1979. In addition to his busy practice, he assists many community organizations including, the President of Assisi Aged Care and a Board member of the Toccolan Club, an Italian community organization focused on fundraising for medical research. In June 2005 Don was appointed a member of the Council for Multicultural Australia being an advisory body to the Federal Government for raising awareness and understanding of multiculturalism. Don was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007 for services to multiculturalism and the community, particularly through fundraising activities for medical research.

Carmel Guerra OAM / Chief Executive Officer

For over 30 years, Carmel Guerra has been a strong advocate for young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds in Victoria.

In 1988, Carmel helped form the Ethnic Youth Issues Network and in 2000 established the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues (CMYI). These organisations seeded the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) in 2007, Victoria’s first independent organisation to work exclusively with young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Carmel’s journey to improve advocacy and support networks for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds has placed her at the forefront of service delivery and policy development. With a background in direct youth work, she has used her experience to collaborate in research partnerships and write or contribute to numerous publications, including ‘Ethnic Youth Gangs in Australia: Do they exist?’, and ‘Wealth of all Nations’; the first comprehensive study undertaken into the needs of refugee young people in Australia.

Carmel is recognized for her knowledge on multicultural youth issues and her commentary has been published in major newspapers and journals. She has served on numerous boards and committees and is currently a member of the Youth Parole Board of Victoria, the Victorian Children’s Council, the Migration Council of Australia and the Settlement Services Advisory Council.

Carmel is also the Chairperson of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN), the national peak body representing multicultural youth issues in Australia.

Carmel was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2016 for services to multicultural youth in Victoria, the Victorian Premier’s Award for Community Harmony in 2015 and the Centenary Medal for services to young people from migrant and refugee communities in 2005. She was also awarded a Not-for-Profit Fellowship at Harvard Business School in 2016.

Carmel remains a fearless advocate for multicultural young people.

Soo-Lin Quek / Executive Manager - Knowledge, Advocacy & Service Innovation

Soo-Lin has over 25 years’ experience in the community and government sectors. She has managed significant policy and program areas in the Victorian Government. Her previous experience in the community sector ranges from managing community based organisations to policy and community development work in the youth, multicultural, health, family violence, human rights and public housing sectors.

As part of her role, she oversees CMY policy, research and advocacy on emerging issues for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. It includes sharing of knowledge to help build a culturally competent workforce in the youth, multicultural and human services. Through a combined application of research knowledge and the synthesis of sector knowledge, she is also responsible for designing and developing new program responses to emerging youth issues.

Cindy Laurentia / Executive Manager - Finance

Cindy started her career as a consultant at KPMG Consulting Jakarta and has over 20 years’ accounting, finance and business experiences in diverse industries: management consulting, commercial airline, manufacturing, food & hospitality, training, and also community/ not for profit sector, both in Australia and overseas.

She has skills and deep expertise in financial analysis, modelling, budgeting/cost control and cash flow management to assist CMY makes informed financial decisions.

She is a current professional Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) and has an IT qualification, a Degree in Accounting and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Monash Mt. Eliza Business School.

Cindy is currently the Executive Manager - Finance for the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), overseeing the finance, accounting and payroll functions of the organisation.

Marissa Phillips / Executive Manager - People & Culture

Marissa is an experienced senior leader in Human Resources and Organisational Development with a passion for engaging and developing people and organisations to deliver high quality supports and services. Marissa has predominantly worked in the health sector in a range of leadership, client facing, project and human resources roles. Working with an organisation with strong and lived values aligned with her own personal values – addressing inequality, and continuous growth and learning – is of importance to Marissa. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Business/Human Resource Management and Bachelor of Arts/Psychology and is a current professional member of Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI).

Jemal Ahmet / Executive Manager - Programs and Services

Jemal comes with extensive senior management experience as CEO of both Whittlesea Community Connections and at Fitzroy Learning Network. With more than 30 years’ experience in the community and not-for-profit sector, Jemal has combined leadership and senior management experience, direct service delivery, policy and organisational development. Jemal is committed to community development principles and social justice and has experience and keen interest in developing and facilitating genuine and grass-roots community participation and engagement. Jemal’s experience and skills in planning, financial management, policy development, and change management are highly developed, proven and effective. Jemal has strong people and leadership skills to create an environment in which staff are enabled and supported to excel and achieve.

Bernadette Marantelli / Senior Manager, North West Region

Bernadette graduated from the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education in 1986 and has since worked predominantly with young people, particularly those that are vulnerable or at risk. Bernadette has overseen the delivery of a range of youth services programs across state government, local government and non-government organisations. She has experience working in the fields of residential care, foster care, child protection, therapeutic foster care, adolescent community placement and transitional housing.

Over the past ten years at CMY, Bernadette has coordinated and managed direct services across the north and western metropolitan regions of Melbourne for young people from newly arrived and refugee backgrounds. These youth support programs include Reconnect, group work, Young African Men’s Project, Refugee School Engagement, Sport and Recreation, Complex Case Support and the Refugee Youth Support Pilot.

Bernadette is currently the North West Regional Manager.

Minh Nguyen / Senior Manager, South East Region

Minh has worked in the legal, health and community sectors in a range of roles. In the social and community services sector, Minh’s roles range from direct service delivery in supporting women experiencing workplace problems, sector development to research and evaluation, and systemic advocacy. Minh has experience in service development and management, and brings to the role both strategic thinking and operational management with strong experience in change processes and stakeholder management. Minh also has experience in governance and strategic planning in the not-for-profit sector. In her work Minh, is committed to building capacity for individuals, families and communities to thrive and be the best versions of themselves. Minh holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, Masters of Social Work and Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management.

Board

Executive Leadership Team

Senior Management