Our Board

Charitable Recycling Australia is governed by a volunteer Board, composed of qualified executives in the charitable reuse, recycling and retail sector.

Our Directors are elected by members and elections are held each October during the Charitable Recycling Australia Annual General Meeting.

The Board comprises up to nine directors including the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and State Directors.

Charitable Recycling Australia has a strong national focus, while acknowledging that many issues affecting the sector are dictated by state legislation. Our national remit ensures that we can:

Share charitable reuse, recycling and retail best practice with all member enterprises
Meaningfully measure and scale the impact generated by the sector as a whole
Advocate for government and community investment in reuse, recycling innovation

Concurrently, Territory Directors and our accompanying member meetings ensure that we stay updated on state-specific challenges and opportunities.

Chair – Terry O’Neill

Chief Executive Officer, Link Vision

Terry is CEO of Link Vision Ltd, which provides accommodation and education services for people with low or no vision. In addition to his commitment to Charitable Recycling Australia, Terry is an active member of the VIA (Vision Impaired Association) and is President of the QWCC (Queensland White Cane Committee). He has extensive general management experience in the transport, materials handling, logistics and recycling sectors throughout Australia. Terry played a pivotal role in the introduction of kerbside recycling in South East Queensland, including Brisbane City’s first kerbside contract. He also successfully operated his own PR business for several years. Terry has previously been involved with Rotary International and Ronald McDonald Charities and in his spare time, he enjoys Jazz music and being a passionate AFL supporter.

Vice Chair – Jeff Antcliff

GM Retail, Vinnies

Jeff is the Executive General Manager of Commercial Services and the Victorian Charitable Recycling Australia State Director. Vinnies Commercial is best known for the much loved 112 shops with over 6,000 team members. The shops are supported by warehouses teams, a dedicated call centre, Retail Support Team and a fleet of trucks. The Commercial Team includes the Fundraising and Bequest team. The Commercial Teams deliver sustainable revenue and resources to enable our Members and Special Works teams to support people experiencing disadvantage, right across Victoria.

Jeff is an experienced executive with over 30 years’ experience. His roles have included general management, network development, operations, recruitment, product management, warehousing and distribution. Jeff’s extensive franchise management experience has allowed him to grow shops and work with his teams through influence, rather than direction. He has held senior roles with Woolworths, Specsavers and Sigma Healthcare.

NSW Director – Yolanda Saiz

CEO St Vincent de Paul Society NSW

Yolanda Saiz is the CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Yolanda is a versatile executive leader with over 25 years’ experience of making a difference for the community in the commercial, local government and non-profit sectors.

Her years of developing and delivering strategy, driving commercial growth and leading teams through cultural change have given Yolanda an authentic and relational leadership style.

Yolanda is a member of the CEO Institute of Australia, the Fundraising Institute of Australia and was previously a Company Director of the Animata Maternal Foundation. Yolanda holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism and Politics) and studied leadership at Harvard Business School.

SA Director – Martin Nordstrom

Sustainability Co-ordinator, Salvos Stores

Martin Nordstrom is a highly educated, divergent thinker. As a multidisciplinary, Martin has worked in charitable recycling, retail, volunteer management, consultancy and project management across a 15 year period. As Project Manager with Charitable Recycling Australia, Martin oversaw the completion of research which continues to inform dialogue on illegal dumping, community behaviour and the role of government. As Sustainability Coordinator at Salvos Stores, Martin is leading the conversation on what it means to be sustainable as a charitable reuse and recycling enterprise and is passionate about People, Planet and Not-for-Profit. Martin holds a Master of Sustainability, a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Design Studies (Architecture).

TAS Director – Peter Freak

General Manager Social Enterprise, City Mission

Peter is Launceston City Mission’s General Manager Social Enterprise and previously Vinnnies Northern Regional Manager. He has broad financial experience in the Banking and Finance industry for 29 years. This has included varied business and retail banking roles in South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. In his final banking role, he was responsible for Westpac’s Commercial and AgriBusiness banking network covering Tasmania. Peter has experience in several different types of boards, including NFP and church organisations and is now focusing his efforts in the Not-For-Profit sector. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, bush walking and spending time with his wife and two adult daughters.

VIC Director – Kate Saporta

CFO Family Life

Kate has spent a decade working with corporate and for-purpose organisations to improve capability, sustainability and impact, developing deep knowledge of social enterprise. As a Chartered Accountant Kate is passionate about enabling financial literacy amongst for purpose organisations. With expertise in financial modelling, business model innovation, strategic accounting, and social finance she guides social enterprise to set up and run impactful and sustainable enterprise. Kate currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer of Family Life, helping to guide the financial and social enterprise strategy for this organsiation.

WA Director – Kane Blackman

Chief Executive Officer, Good Sammy Enterprises

Kane leads Good Sammy, an iconic Western Australian charity that operates social enterprises in which over 300 people with a disability work and train.

His previous senior executive roles have been in the WA State Government, in private equity and in the resource sector.

Kane’s passion is working in commercial environments to drive improved outcomes for vulnerable people, which is informed by his experience as a father of a child with a rare disease.

Kane holds the following Board roles:
Chair, Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability; Non-Executive Director, Rare Voices Australia; Non-Executive Director, Therapy Focus; Member, Angelman Syndrome Association Australia; Member, Future Health Research and Innovation Advisory Council, and President, Leederville Sporting Club.

Omer Soker

CEO and Company Secretary (non Board role)

Omer joined Charitable Recycling Australia as CEO in March 2018, following his expertise as an association strategist and his passion for social, environmental and economic impact. He is the author of ‘The Future of Associations’; a 6-step roadmap for membership organisations and has led and consulted to a wide range of Not-For-Profit boards. Omer is a keynote speaker on strategy, innovation and engagement, as well as business ethics and organisational trust. Omer has held senior management roles in global corporations with $32 million in P&L responsibility and expertise in the retail, homewares, fashion and online sectors.