Our Board

After a career in the education sector, Megan founded Dress for Success Sydney in 2009. After stepping down as Chair, Megan collaborated on the establishment of the Miranda Project, a diversionary program for women affected by the criminal justice system. She also became a member of the Keeping Women out of Prison Coalition, a fund of the Sydney Community Foundation. In 2018 Megan collaborated with DFSS to build the Success Works model as a program of the charity. Having steered the growth of the program, Megan was instrumental, along with other supportive individuals, in incorporating Success Works Partners as an Association and is Chair of the Board.

Gabrielle has over 25 years consulting experience in Human Resources Management for Australian and US organisations and has worked across a broad range of industries including government, professional services, health, banking and finance. She is a specialist in program design, leadership development, career development, coaching and mentoring which has given her a deep understanding of the people challenges from both management and employee perspectives. Since 2017 Gabrielle has volunteered for Dress for Success Sydney working with employment providers, community-based organisations, refugee and education agencies to build awareness of how DFSS services can help disadvantaged women become economically independent. As a Success Works Board Member Gabrielle’s mission is to help provide resources to help women affected by the criminal justice system gain meaningful employment.

Angela has been a trainer / facilitator for three decades with a particular focus on developing youth. Through her passion for creating, she developed and delivered mentoring programs for Trainees, Millennials and Women in Automotive Sales. She has worked closely with Dress for Success Sydney delivering Career Support programs and was one of the facilitators involved in the Success Works pilot program. Angela offers her expertise to support the further development of the Success Works Mentoring Program. 

Prudence is a Research Associate in the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney and the School of Humanities, University of Adelaide. Along with Associate Professor Di van den Broek she has worked on a long-term research project with the charity Dress for Success, Sydney and more recently Success Works Partners. The research undertaken with Success Works Partners has included interviews with candidates to understand their use of the service as well as any disadvantages they face as they seek employment. Her role on the Success Works Partners board is in the area of marketing and research. 

After creating a successful Recruitment business providing temporary and permanent Business Support Personnel across various industry sectors in 1994, Winsome sold the company in 2019.  She now works as a leadership and executive coach, growth adviser and mentor. Winsome served on the Board of Dress for Success for nine years, from 2011-2019.  She is currently Deputy Chair at WomenCan Australia, a charity that helps women who have disengaged from the workforce back into work through facilitated work experience. As a Board member for Success Works Partners, Winsome is committed to enrolling employers into the possibility of providing a woman with a criminal history a chance to apply for a position on the basis of their skills, experience and attitude. 

Diane is an Honorary Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. Along with Dr Prudence Black, she has worked with the charity Dress for Success, Sydney and Success Works Partners to understand the employment barriers facing vulnerable and marginalised women. Ongoing research collaborations with Success Works Partners has led to evaluation of the Success Works Pilot Program and underscored the establishment of Success Works Partners. As a Board member of Success Works Partners, Diane is committed to using evidence-based research into the lived experiences of women impacted by the criminal justice system, to improve their labour market opportunities free of discrimination and bias.

Nicola is an experienced fundraising and marketing professional with a strong track record in delivering revenue growth and leading high performing teams for many well-known organisations including Amnesty International, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and more recently, The Shepherd Centre, where she is Director of Fundraising and Marketing. Nicola has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector and is passionate about social justice, women’s rights, children’s rights and disability rights. Nicola has participated in various mentoring programs over many years and was delighted to join the Success Works Board in 2022, enabling her to make a meaningful contribution to women impacted by the criminal justice system.  

Anastasia has extensive experience in the realm of social enterprises. Her journey commenced with the establishment of founding and operating a thriving retail social enterprise. This paved the way for her role in expanding the Ted Noffs Foundation’s op shop network and doubling the revenue. She currently manages the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s nationwide social enterprise, focused on Heart Health Checks. Anastasia’s engagement in women’s rights is evidenced by her board tenure at WeftShop, working with refugee women from Burma to create and sell ethical fashion, and currently volunteering for the International Women’s rights organisation ActionAid.   

Jennifer knows both the adult correctional and youth justice systems in NSW having led the NSW Ombudsman’s custody team for 20 years from 2002. Providing a pressure value for people in those systems, and allowing them to express concerns or have their issues reviewed by an independent body is important, and allowed her to hear from those with lived experience about what they most need to help them successfully return to their families and communities. She has spoken directly to hundreds of people who returned to custody largely because they could not get a job – especially women who were primary carers. Jennifer has joined the Board of Success Works to contribute her knowledge and skills gained over a 40-year public sector career to advancing the Success Works program helping individual women gain employment, and to more widely educate the community that people are more than their record. 

With a profound journey through the criminal justice system, Marisa has emerged as a resilient advocate for change. Her personal experiences have shaped her passion for creating a better future for those impacted by similar circumstances. Through Marisa’s unique perspective, she contributes as a valuable member of the marketing subcommittee. Her goal is to not only share stories of triumph over adversity but also to champion the importance of second chances and the potential of each person to rewrite their narrative. Marisa was motivated to join the Success Works board because she is deeply passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of women impacted by the criminal justice system and contributing to meaningful change in our community. Marisa is using her lived-experience to give back, which aligns perfectly with her personal values and aspirations, and she is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of individuals wanting another chance.

Rob also completed his MBM at UTS and had a long and successful career in various management positions with the Australian Guarantee Corporation (AGC) and Boral. A father of two boys, Ron was involved in all their sporting teams as Coach and Manager. At his time at AGC, he headed a Greenfields call centre, with the objective of changing the work culture: this included a special project to employ staff with disabilities, which was successfully introduced. At Boral as the National Credit Manager, Ron headed a project to centralise collections, set budgets and negotiated all major disputes.