Thelma was appointed in February 2019 to set up AVI Pacific People’s office in Suva, Fiji.

She is an experienced business executive with vast leadership experience in senior management positions.  Prior to her appointment as General Manager for Pacific People, Thelma served on senior leadership teams in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and as General Manager with BAT Samoa.

She has a proven track record for delivering business results, driving organizational change and has a great passion for developing and nurturing strong leaders and teams.

Thelma is a certified member of the Australian HR Institute (CAHRI) and Certified Professional of the Fiji HR Institute (CPFHRI). She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) and serves on a number of Boards in Fiji.

She holds a Masters in Business Administration (HRM) and a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics & Management).

Lusiana joined the Pacific People Team in January 2022.

She has over seven years of senior HR leadership experience having served as Manager Training & Development and as Head of Human Resources at Post Fiji Limited.

Prior to joining the private sector, she worked in the public and statutory sectors in the areas of learning and development, business process improvement and productivity, where she advanced her passion for developing people’s capacity to grow as individuals and be value adding at the workplace.

Lusiana holds a Master’s degree in HRM and Industrial Relations and has also worked in the not-for-profit space.

Kathy is Managing Director of Kathleen Townsend Executive Solutions, a national executive search firm, working with organisations in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors to appoint Board Directors, CEOs and their direct reports. Prior to establishing the firm, Kathy was a Partner with Australia’s largest search firm, Amrop International. Previously she spent a number of years as an Adviser to the Attorney General before being appointed as the head of the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra.

Having worked in international development in Malaysia and Pakistan, Kathy maintains an active personal and professional interest in the sector. An experienced company director, Kathy served on the Council of Swinburne University where she was Deputy Chancellor for six years. She is a member and occasional presenter for the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Kathy is the Chair of the AVI Board.

Julie Hamblin’s work has spanned health law, governance, disability and international development. A former partner of HWL Ebsworth, she has expertise in health regulation, clinical risk, privacy and bioethics. She also has a particular interest in global health and human rights having worked with the United Nations Development Programme and other organisations on projects relating to public health and HIV/AIDS in more than 20 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and Eastern Europe. Julie has served on numerous government and other advisory bodies, including the Australian Research Integrity Committee, the NSW Health Ethics Advisory Panel, and the Attorney-General’s International Pro Bono Advisory Group.

Julie is an experienced Non-Executive Director. Other roles have included Chair of Autism Spectrum Australia, Deputy Chair of Plan International Australia, and board member of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Michael’s career spans 30 years including as a volunteer, director, operational executive and engineer. Recently, he provided volunteer support to the Independent Research Institute of Mongolia through the Australian Volunteers Program managed by AVI. Previously, he was director and joint founder of Nimbus Advisory Pty Ltd, a boutique management consultancy providing services to the infrastructure sector. Michael also had positions of increasing responsibility with AECOM/Maunsell over 25 years culminating in leadership of the Australian and New Zealand Geography as Chief Executive and Chair of the Australian and New Zealand boards.

Jenny was Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers until her retirement in December 2017. Jenny’s 40 years’ experience include services she has provided in the areas of assurance, taxation and a wide range of advisory work in finance and human resources related areas. She has provided services to a diverse range of international, regional and local entities in various sectors of the economy. She has advised Company Boards, engaged in active dialogue with Regulators and has a proven track record of providing advice on public policy, regulatory issues, strategy and organizational structures.

Jenny’s vast human resources consulting experience includes executive search and selection, remuneration reviews, job evaluations, identification of key competencies, design of position descriptions, HR policies and practices and organizational reviews. Jenny is a fellow of the Fiji Human Resources Institute. She is currently the Chair of Fiji Mediation Centre (FMC) and has previously been involved in many national roles including Public Enterprise Reform Advisory Committee and Public Service Commission. She has also been a member of USP’s Council and the Board of Governors of the Fiji Institute of Technology.