Our Board

Chair of the Board and ex-officio member of the Board Audit Committee, Board Programs and Risk Committee, and Board Human Resources Committee

Larry Kamener, is a Senior Adviser and former Senior Partner in the Boston Consulting Group. During his time with BCG, Larry founded and was the inaugural leader of BCG’s Global Public Sector Practice. He  founded and is now the Chair of the Centre for Public Impact, a BCG Foundation based in London. Larry is also the Chair of Teach for Australia and the Strategic Advisory Council of the Bastow Institute of School Leadership is a Board Member with the Melbourne Theatre Company. Larry has been a director of Save the Children since September 2019.

Chair of the Human Resources Committee

Mary Sue Rogers is a Non-Executive Director of Women on Boards Australia and a board advisor for several organisations in Australia, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In addition to her board work, Mary Sue consults in the areas of business transformation, governance, organisation design, mergers and acquisitions. Mary Sue is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of leadership positions from CEO to Partner in global professional services organisations, including IBM, PwC and Talent2. Mary Sue has participated in Save the Children’s HR Committee since 2016, and has been a strong advocate and supporter of Save the Children for over 30 years. Mary Sue is a certified International Director through INSEAD’s International Directors Program, and is an active member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Chair of the Board Programs and Risk Committee

Karen Harmon has been involved in the health sector for 40 years and has wide-ranging experience in government, non-government and business sectors. Karen has also worked in humanitarian assistance with a special focus on the health of women and children. Much of Karen’s work has focused on Primary Health Care, both domestically and internationally. Most recently, she has concentrated on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and young people’s health and social and emotional wellbeing. Another important element of Karen’s work is advocacy in the areas of social justice and human rights – especially the rights of the child. Karen has been a director of Save the Children since September 2017.

Chair of the Board Audit Committee 

Michelle is a Managing Director & Partner in Boston Consulting Group’s Melbourne office and has a regional Asia Pacific role, spending considerable time across AP locations. Michelle has a background in finance, and extensive experience in HR and Operations. Michelle had several prior roles with BCG, including Finance Director for the Australia/New Zealand region, global functional leader for the group’s financial system implementation, Finance Director for Asia Pacific, Head of financial systems, head of HR for internal functions, Head of global Operations and Head of Global Finance Operations. Michelle previously worked for Arthur Andersen and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University. Michelle has been a director of Save the Children since September 2020.

Member of the Board Human Resources Committee

Gary has been on many boards in the past, including as Chair of the Aboriginal Legal Service, and has held senior government positions including with Aboriginal Affairs NSW and most recently with the Queensland Department of Communities. Currently he is General Manager, Indigenous Business Development, Pearls MiiHome, an innovative building and development company based in south-east Queensland and part of the Pearls Global organisation. Gary has been a director of Save the Children since May 2013.

Member of the Board Audit Committee and the Board Programs and Risk Committee

Harvey Collins is currently Chair of Insitor Partners Pte.Ltd, Singapore (an impact fund manager), and an Executive Coach with Foresight’s Global Coaching. He has extensive experience at executive and board levels in a range of industries. This includes Chief Financial Officer of Challenge Bank Limited, a Western Australian regional bank; Executive Director of listed-investment company, Chieftain Securities Limited; and Chairman of Navitas Limited, Bankwest Limited and HBF Inc. In September 2016, Harvey retired as Chair of Hagar International, the international NGO that works with women and children survivors of severe human rights abuses via operational bases in Cambodia, Vietnam and Afghanistan. Harvey has also held board roles in other industries including telecommunications, electricity and mining services. His earlier professional work was in treasury and financial markets. Prior to this, Harvey taught for three years in the tertiary education sector. Harvey has been a director of Save the Children since May 2017.

Member of the Board Programs and Risk Committee

Michael White has had over 30 years of experience in the fields of child development, child protection, youth justice and early childhood education as an academic, teacher and senior executive in both the government and non-government sectors. His senior executive roles have included Director of Schools for Victoria, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Executive Director Children, Youth and Family Services Bureau (ACT) and State Program Manager for Children Youth and Family Support in Tasmania. Since establishing his consultancy practice in 2008, Michael continues to provide strategic advice to Government and non-government agencies delivering services to children and their families.   Michael has been a director of Save the Children since September 2018.

Member of the Board Programs and Risk Committee

Michelle Scott was appointed the inaugural Director of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA in October 2015. The Centre is focused on building greater capacity in the community to understand, contribute and positively impact on social issues. Michelle has over 30 years’ experience leading and influencing government and community organisations to address and reduce contemporary, complex social challenges. She has also been an independent statutory officer, including as WA’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People (6 years), and Public Advocate for WA (5 years).  Ms Scott is also currently the Chair of the WA Government’s Supporting Communities Forum. Michelle has been a director of Save the Children since November 2019.

Member of the Board Programs and Risk Committee

Justin Hanney is the CEO of the City of Melbourne. As the former Head of the Employment, Investment and Trade Group in the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Justin’s portfolio encompassed economy-wide work to attract and facilitate international and domestic investment, grow employment and expand Victoria’s offshore trade. He was also responsible for oversight of key entities including Regional Development Victoria, Visit Victoria, Development Victoria, Agriculture Victoria, Trade and Investment Victoria, Small Business Victoria as well as the delivery of Victorian Government nominated major projects. He was previously CEO at the City of Yarra and the City of Wangaratta, the CEO of statutory body Regional Development Victoria and Deputy Secretary at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Justin has been a director of Save the Children since September 2020.

Ian Tarutia is the Chief Executive Officer of National Superannuation Fund (NASFUND), one of the largest private sector superannuation funds in Papua New Guinea.

Ian is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the PNG Institute of Directors and, has sat on numerous boards across the financial, aviation, software development, agriculture, property, manufacturing, environment  and sporting sectors in Papua New Guinea. He is the first Papua New Guinean to complete the executive Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program (AMP) in 2013. Ian holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Business Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea. He also holds a Diploma in Economic Policy Analysis from the Papua New Guinea Institute of National Research, a Diploma in Financial Markets from the Securities Institute of Australia and a graduate Diploma in Company Directorship from the Australian Institute of Company Directors(AICD). In 2002, he was awarded an MBE for services to the Superannuation Industry in PNG. In 2016, he was further recognised with an OBE for services to NASFUND and the 2015 Pacific Games, hosted in Papua New Guinea. Ian has been a director of Save the Children since July 2021.

Leonie Valentine is Managing Director, Google Melbourne, and was previously Managing Director, Sales & Operations of Google Hong Kong, having originally joined Google in 2014. She has 30 years’ experience in sales, marketing and operations. Prior to joining Google, Leonie held senior roles at CSL Limited and Telstra.

Leonie holds an Executive Certificate in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (Swinburne University), a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Science from Melbourne University.

Leonie is currently a board member for Pro-Pac Packaging Limited. She was previously a board member of Save The Children HK, the American Chamber of Commerce HK, the Interactive Advertising Bureau HK, and a board member for HandsOn Hong Kong. She has also supported The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong, serving on the Women on Boards Advisory Panel (30% Club) and the Girls Go Tech Advisory Committee. Leonie has been a director of Save the Children since July 2021.