Elissa Freeman
Chief Executive Officer
The bigger the challenge, the more likely you are to find Elissa at the table working to find a solution. She brings extensive experience in consumer policy and market regulation in the energy, water, telecommunications and financial services industries. Elissa knows how to meet stakeholder needs and design strategies that deliver on organisation purpose. 
Raymonda Dijkwel
Operations Manager
Raymonda is an enthusiastic and dedicated senior project and operational manager with a passion for wellbeing, social justice and human rights. She has a proven track record in effective business operations and delivery of projects, stakeholder relationships, governance and risk management. All with an innovative and creative mindset.
Liz Gearing
Grants and Impact Manager
With a passion for nonprofit work Liz specialises in managing grants and programs that make a real difference. She builds strong relationships with stakeholders and brings a strategic approach to funding, compliance, and program delivery, ensuring every grant creates the maximum possible impact.
Rebecca Payne
Communications Manager
Rebecca is a marketing and communications veteran who's held senior corporate roles - often with a digital focus - and has now moved into the nonprofit space. Holding both an LLB Hons and an MA in Journalism, she started her career as an award-winning journalist, writing for publications including the SMH, The Big Issue and Choice.
Peter Kell (Chair)
Peter has extensive leadership experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, with a particular focus on consumer policy and financial services.
Peter was Deputy Chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for seven years to 2019, and prior to this was Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. He was a Special Adviser to the Australian Treasury on the implementation of the Financial Services Royal Commission.
More recently, Peter was Australian Managing Director of Promontory Financial Group, a leading global financial services consultancy with expertise in regulation and governance.
Peter has held a range of roles in consumer organisations. He was the CEO of CHOICE, and he currently chairs the Consumer
Committees of the ACCC and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Ben Barnes
Ben has significant experience within the energy sector, with extensive knowledge of retail energy markets, regulatory frameworks, communications and stakeholder engagement.
He is currently the General Manager Corporate Affairs at the Australian Energy Council, a role he has held since August 2022.
Ben has been involved in the development of an industry funding model since 2019, having most recently sat on the Industry Steering Committee supporting the incorporation of the FCIF, and previously on the Sylvan Implementation Working Group.
Vanessa Beggs
Vanessa is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Banking Association. She is responsible for working with member banks and supporting the Chief Executive Officer in providing
leadership, governance and operational management, driving the performance of the organisation and the achievement of the industry’s strategic objectives.
Vanessa brings over 25 years’ experience across the corporate, government and not for profit sectors. Vanessa previously held the position of the CEO for the YWCA NSW – leading the organisation from a federated model to a united national organisation, and has also held executive roles in strategy, change management, cultural transformation and organisational development predominantly with
the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Vanessa serves as a non-executive director of FINSIA, the Financial Counselling Industry Fund and Driveabout World – an Edtech start up improving driver knowledge to achieve road safety.
Greg Tanzer
Greg is a consultant to financial services regulators and firms, working in Australia with Promontory, Australia and overseas with the International Monetary Fund amongst others.
From 2012 to 2016 he was a commissioner at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and from 2008 to 2012 he worked as secretary-general of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions.
Greg is a Director of the Financial Counselling Foundation Ltd. He has significant experience in regulation, governance and policy development.
Bev Jowle
Currently the CEO for Advocare in WA, Bev has worked in the community services sector for over 35 years including leadership roles in working with young people, child protection, women’s health, local and state government and was previously the CEO of the Financial Counselling Association of WA.
Bev has a strong passion for social justice and human rights and is well regarded for her role in providing advocacy to impact on social change.
.png "Our history (17)")