Our Team - Support Services Team
(Click on name to view bio)
 | Lynn Anderson, Director, Marketing and Communications | | Melissa Macpherson, Manager, Social Investment | | Alison Barry, Manager, Trusts and Corporate Partnerships
| | Rachael McLennan | | Sonya Beaven, Manager, Finance | | Genelle Nicholls, Chief Financial Office | | Lisa Cotton, Director, Social Investment | | Deirdre O’Flynn, Office Administrator | | Marie Clare Drummond, Manager Investor Services | | Ross Pulido, Manager, Investor Funds Support | | Catherine Feeney, Marketing & Communications | | Natalie Thyrd, Office Manager | | Claire Kearney, Manager, Projects | | Annalisa Turner, Manager, Marketing & Communications | | Rebekah Loring, Office Manager, Melbourne | | Marylou Verberne, Director, Victoria
|
|
Lynn Anderson
Director, Marketing and Communications
|
Lynn joined SVA in June 2009 and is responsible for overall Marketing and Communications activities across SVA, including supporting SVA's venture partners with their own marketing efforts.
Lynn has over 15 years experience in marketing and communications across a variety of industries. Most recently, she has worked in the financial services sector and for the past 10 years has held senior marketing roles at MLC, Colonial First State and Challenger.
In addition to an under graduate qualification in Social Sciences, Lynn holds a Masters of Management (Marketing) from Macquarie Graduate School of Management.
 Back to Top
Alison Barry
Manager, Trusts and Corporate Partnerships |
Alison joined SVA in July 2009 where her responsibilities include securing and managing strategic funder relationships.
Alison is a highly experienced public relations practitioner with 15 years marketing communications experience in CSR, education, issues management and NPD in a career that has spanned the UK, Australia and Singapore markets.
Prior to joining SVA, she headed up the Consumer Marketing Division of Burson-Marsteller’s Singapore office where her clients included those from government, technology, financial services, and consumer sectors.
Back to Top
Sonya Beaven
Manager, Finance |
Sonya is responsible for the day-to-day finance operations of Social Ventures Australia.
She has 15 years experience within the banking sector, most recently as Operations Manager for Lehman Brothers Australia where she was also involved in the establishment of a corporate philanthropic program.
Back to Top
Lisa Cotton
Director, Social Investment |
Lisa is responsible for building SVA’s network and managing a diverse portfolio of funders. Prior to joining SVA, Lisa was a Director of DDB Worldwide Communications and before that managed the Sydney operations of The Perth Mint’s Sydney 2000 Olympic licensing program. She has held a number of senior management positions with the WA government, is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders and serves on the board of School Aid Trust. Back to Top
Marie Clare Drummond
Manager Investor Services |
Marie Clare moved from Edinburgh to Sydney in 2009 in order to join SVA as Manager, Operations. In October 2009 Marie Clare moved to a new role in the Social Investment team.
Prior to joining SVA she worked as the Fundraising, Press and Marketing Manager for Columba 1400, a Scottish-based charity. Marie Clare previously headed up the property marketing department of solicitors Murray Beith Murray and helped launch a graphic design and marketing company in New Zealand.
Marie Clare has volunteered for and participated in many non-profit organisations in Scotland. She holds a Diploma in Divinity from Aberdeen University.
Back to Top
Catherine Feeney
Manager, Marketing & Communications |
Catherine joined SVA's Marketing and Communications team in April 2008.
She has over 12 years of marketing experience gained on both the client and agency side and most recently managed the Australian and New Zealand field marketing activities for a US-headquartered software firm.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from University College Dublin.
Back to Top Claire Kearney
Manager, Projects |
Claire joined SVA in November 2008, working out of the Melbourne office. Prior to SVA, Claire worked at Quiller Consultants, a strategic communications consultancy in London, advising clients on a range of issues including media relations, public affairs, communications strategy and reputation management. Claire worked on a variety of different clients including New Philanthropy Capital and Bridges Ventures. Prior to Quiller, Claire worked as a Research Associate for Ireland’s leading think-tank on European politics, The Institute of European Affairs. Claire holds an MSc in International and European Politics from The University of Edinburgh and an International Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in History and Politics from University College Dublin.  Back to Top
Rebekah Loring
Office Manager, Melbourne |
Rebekah joined SVA in March 2009 as Office Manager in Melbourne and Coordinator for Partnerships.
Prior to SVA, Rebekah worked as a Student Finance Adviser and an ESL tutor in the UK. She has also spent time in South Africa as a volunteer working for local community projects.
Rebekah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism and Business. Back to Top
Melissa Macpherson
Manager, Social Investment |
Melissa joined SVA in March 2010 to focus on identifying opportunities to more fully leverage the SVA network and deepen our engagement with the philanthropic sector.
After launching her career in accounting at KPMG, Melissa moved into investment banking, where she spent 11 years working for Macquarie Bank, Allco Finance Group and Deutsche Bank in Sydney, London, Tokyo and New York, specialising in risk management and investor relations. Melissa transitioned into the non-profit sector in 2008, working at The Australian Charities Fund managing corporate and charity partnerships.
Melissa has a Bachelor of Commerce (UNSW, Co-op Scholar), and most recently in 2009 was awarded and completed a fellowship with the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
Back to Top
Rachael has joined SVA to work on a project exploring ways in which SVA can better support philanthropists who are looking to take a more structured and strategic approach to their giving.
Rachael has over ten years experience in a number of roles across both the commercial and non-profit sectors. Rachael’s predominant experience is in event management, having spent four years managing fundraising events for a national charity in the UK – Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. In this role Rachael helped raise almost $1,000,000 through fundraising events enabling the organisation to provide support for families who had a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.
Upon her return to Australia, Rachael initially joined SVA in a role focused on event management, but after taking an extended break from the workforce to concentrate on family commitments, Rachael has re-joined the SVA team with a new focus.
Back to Top
Genelle Nicholls
Chief Financial Officer |
Genelle brings 10 years of financial services industry experience and a background in Chartered Accounting to SVA. Genelle was involved in the establishment and ongoing management of a corporate philanthropic program and has performed volunteer work in Peru. She is a Chartered Accountant with a Masters in Law (Taxation) and Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Finance).  Back to Top
Deirdre O’Flynn
Office Administrator |
Deirdre joined SVA in September 2009 and works part time in the area of Office Administration.
Prior to SVA, Deirdre worked as a consultant in the IT industry and has extensive experience in logistics and business analysis.
Deirdre has volunteered for non-profit organisations such as The Simon Community in Dublin and Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.
Back to Top
Ross Pulido
Manager, Investor Funds Support |
Ross' responsibilities include the management of the SVA Capital Fund and Third Link Growth Fund.
Ross has eight years of experience in the finance industry encompassing trust administration, information technology and client relationship management.
Ross has also volunteered for many non-profit organisations including Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse and Sydney PEN Centre. He is a Sydney committee member of goodcompany, a volunteering organisation.
Back to Top
Natalie Thyrd
Office Manager |
Natalie joined SVA in October 2009 as Office Manager in the Sydney office.
Prior to working at SVA, Natalie worked as an Administrator to an on-site Building Management team in Sydney's CBD. Natalie has also worked in and studied Hospitality Management.
Natalie holds an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management.
Back to Top
Annalisa Turner
Manager, Marketing & Communications |
Annalisa joined SVA’s Marketing and Communications team in October 2009.
She has over 15 years marketing experience gained across a diverse range of clients and agencies, working most recently with a boutique Sydney graphic design agency with a multinational client base.
After having studied Arts/Law at Sydney University, Annalisa changed tack to qualify as a Homeopath and ran a private practice in Sydney for several years, before returning to marketing in 2001. She continues to be passionate about the transformative power of natural medicine on individuals and communities.
Back to Top
Marylou Verberne
Director, Victoria |
Marylou is the Director of SVA in Victoria.
She is a lawyer with over ten years of legal experience in banking and finance law and commercial litigation. Her early legal career was with Blake Dawson Waldron in Melbourne, before she relocated to Hong Kong to work on the new airport and harbour redevelopment. She spent time in Asia touring and producing theatre before returning to Melbourne in 2002 to work for a federal politician and then the Victorian Minister for Education in a think tank focusing on innovative reform in education. Marylou was the Executive Director of the Zoos Victoria Foundation prior to joining SVA.
Marylou has served on the boards of the Immigration Museum, Red Stitch Actors Theatre and Urban Seed. She speaks business level Japanese.
Back to Top
|
Click on links to view staff by section 
