Our team

Comprised of a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team across a range of different speciality areas, we work with the best in their field. By building a workforce of passionate change makers, we can provide the highest quality service to people experiencing disadvantage, with a strong focus on respect, client centred care and harm prevention.

Board of Directors, our Mission Makers.

	Melanie Raymond OAM, Chair With a penchant for visionary direction and a proven track record, Melanie Raymond OAM stands as Chairperson of Youth Projects and an accomplished independent, non-executive director. Venturing beyond the ordinary, her illustrious career spans notable board and committee roles, encompassing pivotal government boards and advisory committees. Melanie was named one of Australia’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in 2012, awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017, and celebrated as Third Sector's 'Board Director of the Year' in 2022. Underpinned by a MA (Hons) and Executive Management studies from Harvard Business School, Melanie’s expertise spans across a spectrum of areas including governance, policy shaping, strategic visioning, government liaisons and media. Melanie is a vocal advocate for people living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, unemployment, family violence and marginalisation, and has been integral to the establishment of many of Youth Projects flagship programs – consistently leading with purpose and standing for meaningful social change. Connect on LinkedIn
	The Hon Monica Gould, Deputy Chair Elected as the first female President of the Legislative Council of Victoria, Monica held a number of positions during the union movement, served on the Board of VicForests and Director of the LUCRF Community Partnership Trust. She is currently on the Board of Western Health. She brings extensive experience as former Minister for Industrial Relations, Youth Affairs and Education Services and experience in aged care, coupled with personal interests in human rights and emergency housing. In 2018, Monica was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
	Mark van Miltenburg, Director A Senior Real Estate Investment and Development Executive with extensive experience in creating investor value in commercial real estate. Holding senior roles at leading funds management businesses including Charter Hall, Macquarie Bank, Mirvac and LendLease, Mark’s expertise includes real estate investment strategy, development management, transaction investment, partnerships and financial accountability.
	Srinath Susarla, Director Srinath is an experienced management consultant with a robust background in leading strategic transformations and IT implementations to drive organisational success, as well as establishing and working with several charities and not-for-profits throughout his career. Holding an MBA from Melbourne Business School, his expertise spans across strategic planning, product management, and large-scale procurement. Srinath has significantly contributed to the public and private sectors, including key roles at KPMG and various government departments. As an Independent Consultant at Stryde Advisory, he specialises in strategy development and implementation, ensuring organisations are well-positioned for long-term success.
	Tim Griffin, Director Tim’s passion for helping people develop and grow is at the centre of his career. For over 25 years, Tim has built international experience in business development, advising senior leaders in multinational professional services firms, listed corporate organisations and start-ups, including through his own consultancy. In his current role, he is responsible for driving the business strategy, key client acquisition and relationships, as well as marketing initiatives for the firm’s international operations.Tim holds a bachelor’s degree with Honours in Business and Commerce, has served on several boards and committees, and is involved in many local sporting clubs and community groups with his young family. His search for Melbourne’s best coffee is ongoing and he also enjoys travelling and developing skills in his newest endeavour, karate.

Executive Leadership Team, our Change Makers.

	Ben Vasiliou, Chief Executive Officer Ben Vasiliou is a dynamic leader, having lead Youth Projects as CEO with pride and passion for the past 6 years. Beyond his official title, Ben shines as a Social Entrepreneur, an advocate for social justice and a driving force behind positive change. After discovering his passion for elevating aspirations and amplifying the voices of those with lived experiences as a Youth Worker, Ben’s journey has led him to being recognised as ‘Innovator of the Year’ and among the ‘Top 25 most influential and inspiring figures in the social economy’ by Pro Bono Australia. He was named one of the Top 5 CEOs of 2021 by Third Sector and honed his skills on the global stage completing the Executive Education in Social Entrepreneurship Program at Stanford University in the USA. Ben's commitment to making a difference extends even further, serving on the Board at Jobs Australia, as Deputy Chair at LiverWELL, as an Ambassador for the Australian Scholarships Foundation, and as a Victorian Justice of the Peace. Ben isn't just a CEO, he is a force for positive change, and a driving force for positive change and a better world. Connect on LinkedIn
	Angela Gaylard, Chief People Officer Angela is an experienced People & Culture executive with postgraduate qualifications in Workforce Transformation and Business Psychology, and is also a certified neuroscience coach. Currently serving as the Chief People Officer at Youth Projects, she leads the organisation's people, culture & safety strategy with a focus on workforce development, innovative leadership, employee engagement and is particularly passionate about growing the lived experience workforce. Angela has been recognised in 2023 by ASF as the Winner of ‘Outstanding Leadership in Talent Growth’ and guided Youth Projects in winning ‘Outstanding Leadership in Wellbeing Governance’ in the same year. Angela has spearheaded Pride in the workplace and secured the win at Globe Victoria’s Workplace Inclusion awards also in 2023. Angela is experienced in developing and delivering reconciliation action plans and diversity & inclusion strategies. She uses her 15 years of experience across private enterprise, non-profits, social enterprise, and educational institutions to guide executives and teams to stimulate personal and group excellence and create psychologically safe work environments in a continuously changing world. Connect on LinkedIn
	Natascha Tjendana, Chief Financial Officer *BAppFin, MCom, CPA* Natascha is an adept executive leader, heading up Corporate Services at Youth Projects. Having navigated the non-profit sphere, the Disability and Aged Care sectors, and the commercial landscape for the past 15 years, Natascha brings a unique set of skills and cross-sector understanding of business operations that has enabled financial transformation, operational growth, and systems modernisation at Youth Projects. In 2023, Natascha was also awarded Weel's 'Australian CFO of the Year (SME)'. Whilst carefully navigating the resource-constrained non-profit environment, she has cultivated cross-sectional insights to propel financial advancement and operational innovation. With CPA qualification, a Bachelor’s in Applied Finance, and a Master’s in Commerce, Natascha brings extensive knowledge and experience across financial performance management and modelling, risk management and compliance, continuous systems improvement, cross-function team management, planning and IT. Connect on LinkedIn
	Trent Miller, Executive Manager - Employment, Training & Social Enterprise Trent brings a wealth of expertise across social impact and inclusive leadership to steer his team towards meaningful social and economic outcomes as Executive Manager of Employment, Training & Social Enterprise at Youth Projects. Prior to Youth Projects, Trent served as Senior Project Manager at Social Ventures Australia and held pivotal roles at Uniting Vic/Tas, SkillsPlus & BRACE. Transitioning from Head of Major Projects & Transformation at Youth Projects to Executive Manager in 2022, Trent led Youth Projects’ largest ever scale-up. Underpinned by a Master of Business Administration (Dean’s Commendation) from Monash Business School, and a Bachelor of Commerce (Business Analytics), Trent’s achievements in organisation growth and leadership were recognised by the Australian Scholarship Foundation awarding him as the Outstanding Emerging Leader in 2023. As a passionate advocate for social impact, with an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion, Trent champions a consultative approach that emphasises adaptive leadership, acknowledging the complexity of social challenges, and the importance of strong relationships with clients, staff and partner organisations. Trent's collaborative mindset fosters co-designed solutions to break down barriers faced by disadvantaged individuals. Connect on LinkedIn
	Richie Goonan, Executive Manager - Community Health Richie brings 30 years’ experience in the community welfare sector working at the intersection of policy and service delivery across homelessness, residential care, drug and alcohol, harm reduction, primary health, family violence and mental health. From humble beginnings as a Youth Worker in residential care, youth justice and youth homelessness, Richie has gone on to lead a wide range of crisis and developmental programs for youth, adults and families in the sector and serves on the City of Melbourne's Homelessness Advisory Committee and serves on the Board of Directors at VAADA. As Executive Manager, Community Health at Youth Projects, Richie proudly leads teams of passionate social justice warriors to achieve lasting change in the lives of the people who access health, harm reduction and youth-focussed programs. With an unwavering commitment to amplifying the voices of people with a lived experience, Richie drives service design responses that create positive change in peoples’ lives, whilst challenging the systems and attitudes that lead to inequality and disadvantage. Connect on LinkedIn

Underpinning our Executive Leadership Team is a workforce of strong and talented senior leaders who enable and guide our frontline warriors (workforce) to achieve positive outcomes for the people we exist to support.

Do you find yourself wondering how you can use your skills and expertise to create social good? Have you ever wanted to be part of a real dream team? Then you may just be the next Change Maker or frontline warrior we are looking for.

Check out our Careers page for opportunities.