Families displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region find shelter in an IDP site called Five Angels in Shire where UNHCR has set up shelter to provide a roof to displaced families.
Peter Shergold_board member

Professor Peter Shergold

Chair

Peter joined the Board of Australia for UNHCR in 2020 before stepping into the role of Chair in January 2023. He serves as NSW Coordinator-General for Settlement and Chair of the Centre for Social Impact, the AMP Foundation and the James Martin Institute for Public Policy.

Peter was the most senior public servant in Australia while serving as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under John Howard and Kevin Rudd. He also has extensive experience in academia and not-for-profit governance. He was previously Chancellor of Western Sydney University, where a $2 million scholarship program for refugees and asylum seekers was established in his name.

Peter has coordinated the successful long-term resettlement of refugees and collaborated with all levels of government and with the not-for-profit, community, education and corporate sectors. He is a strong advocate for recognising the strengths, skills and value of refugees, having witnessed the immense contribution refugees make when they get the support they need.

Lynn Dang Corporate Headshot

Lynn Dang

Lynn joined the Board in 2019 and is currently Director, People APAC at Snapchat. Prior to joining Snapchat, she was the Human Resource Leader for Microsoft. Lynn has also worked at IBM Australia/New Zealand as Recruitment Lead.

Lynn’s family fled Vietnam when she was a child, and they spent time in a UNHCR refugee camp in Malaysia where she experienced first-hand the impact of UNHCR’s humanitarian assistance. Lynn is a long-term supporter of Australia for UNHCR and has previously run in the Sydney Morning Herald Half-Marathon to fundraise for the organisation. She has also worked and volunteered with organisations such as Settlement Services International, Tech Girl Superheroes and Fitted For Work. Lynn is a Founding 50 donor of our Leading Women Fund.

Karen Khadi

Karen Khadi

Karen Khadi is an Executive Director with Macquarie Group, leading stakeholder engagement for Commodities and Global Markets. She was previously the Group's head of investor relations as well as Chief Financial Officer of its Asset Management operating group. Karen has strong commercial acumen, excellent communication skills and deep relationships with capital market and industry participants and regulators. 

Karen mentors talented women as part of Macquarie Bank’s Women in Banking and Finance program. She has also worked with Women for Change to raise money for girls’ education in Kenya. Karen has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University. She is also a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia.

Kate Dundas Corporate Headshot

Kate Dundas

Deputy Chair

Kate joined the Board in 2015. She was appointed Deputy Chair in 2018. Kate is a Non-Executive Director of the Sydney Festival and an Executive Mentor at McCarthy Mentoring. Kate’s previous roles include Head of ABC National Networks, Director of ABC Radio, and Director People and Learning for the ABC.

Kate instigated ABC Radio’s annual fundraising initiatives, partnering with Australia for UNHCR in 2014 to raise millions of dollars for Syrian refugees. She has visited our projects in Kampala, Nakivale and Kyaka II camps in Uganda supporting vocational and livelihood programs for refugee women and girls. Kate is also a Founding 50 donor of our Leading Women Fund, supporting Syrian and other refugee women and their families in Jordan.

Sayd Farook_Board Member

Sayd Farook

Dr Farook is currently the Chief Executive of Unity Grammar – an independent K-12 Islamic college. Previously, he was Head of Group Strategy at the Crescent Group, which comprises Crescent Wealth, Crescent Finance, Crescent Institute and Crescent Foundation. He also served as Strategy Advisor at The Executive Office of the Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for five years. Dr Farook undertook a PhD at the intersection of behavioural economics and ethical banking, and holds degrees in business and law.

Dr Farook came to Australia as a refugee from Bangladesh. He has been a key supporter of Australia for UNHCR's Islamic Philanthropy program and was instrumental in setting up the Zakat Fund for UNHCR globally.

Rick Millen_board member

Rick Millen

Rick is a qualified chartered accountant and a former partner with PwC. He joined the Board of Australia for UNHCR in 2012. At PwC, he was responsible for the firm's corporate responsibility agenda both in Australia and globally and he headed up the PwC Global Foundation. In this role, Rick helped drive PwC’s 10th Anniversary gift of $6m to UNHCR, one of UNHCR’s largest corporate gifts, which helped build schools and refugee camps in Chad.

Rick is a Director at A2B Australia Limited and Director at Palmera Projects. He is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tinke Wesseling

Tinke Wesseling

Tinke joined the Board of Australia for UNHCR in 2023. She is a Managing Director at Accenture responsible for Strategy and Consulting in the area of supply chain and operations, and has an active role in Accenture’s Corporate Citizenship program. Tinke has been based in Sydney for the past six years. Prior to that, she spent 11 years with Accenture in the Netherlands.  

In 2015, Tinke co-founded the Refugee Talent Hub, a digital platform bringing employers and job seekers with a refugee background together. The initiative is employer-led and has a Not for Profit status. The goal of the Hub is to help refugees integrate into (Dutch) society and become economically independent. It has helped more than 2,000 refugees find employment to date. Tinke has also spent time as a volunteer in a refugee camp in Greece and is actively involved in refugee talent employment in Australia.