Meet the talented, dedicated team who make sure we’re always working towards YWCA’s vision and strategic plan. Our Executive Team uses their shared knowledge to manage our day-to-day operations and support our CEO, Diana Sayed.
Click the below links to jump to individual profiles.
Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Laws (Human Rights), Diploma of Governance
Location: Wurundjeri Country, Kulin Nations (Naarm, Victoria)
Diana brings more than 15 years of executive leadership experience across human rights, gender equity, advocacy and systems change in the for-purpose sector. An experienced CEO and human rights lawyer, Diana has led organisations and campaigns spanning national and international advocacy, government engagement, organisational transformation, and service delivery for women experiencing complex disadvantage.
Prior to joining YWCA Australia, Diana served as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights, where she led a significant period of organisational growth and transformation. During her tenure, Diana strengthened governance and infrastructure, secured sustainable government funding, expanded culturally responsive and trauma-informed services, and increased the organisation’s national profile and impact.
Earlier in her career, Diana held senior roles with Amnesty International Australia, Human Rights First and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington DC, leading global human rights campaigns, crisis response initiatives, and high-level policy and strategic advocacy with governments and multilateral institutions. She began her career as a commercial lawyer before transitioning into values-driven public interest work.
Diana’s leadership is grounded in an intersectional feminist framework, with a strong focus on women’s safety, housing security, and building sustainable, inclusive and impact-driven organisations that create lasting social change.
Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op), MBA, CPA, GAICD
Location: Darkinjung Country (Central Coast, New South Wales)
Desmond has more than 15 years’ experience spanning investment banking, corporate strategy and major capital projects. He has led origination, negotiation and execution of transactions in capital intensive industries, namely the real estate, infrastructure and metals and mining industries.
His experience spans both the private and public sectors across the spectrum of scale-up to fully mature businesses. He is passionate about using his commercial skillset to deliver property development and housing outcomes to get more people in safe, affordable and secure homes.
Desmond holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from HEC Paris, is a CPA and a GAICD.
Bachelor Social Science, Member of AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute)
Location: Gadigal Land (Sydney, New South Wales)
With over 15 years of executive leadership experience, Joanna has a proven track record of driving organisational capability, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, and enabling business success through strategic people initiatives. Her expertise spans the manufacturing, retail, financial services, and not-for-profit sectors, where she has led high-performing teams and delivered transformational change.
She has particular expertise in developing and implementing programs and advising leaders in organisations on leadership, culture, change management, employment relations, remuneration strategy and WHS. Joanna is passionate about the support and development of people in an organisation and how people initiatives can contribute to an organisation’s strategic outcomes and success.
MBA, CA, ACCA, Grad Dip in Management, Grad Dip in Applied Corporate Governance, B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Accounting
Faisal brings extensive executive-level experience delivering on strategy, building relationships, building high-performing teams, and driving business growth, turnaround, and transformations.
He has previously worked for some iconic businesses within the not for profit, education, hospitality, private equity investee entities and professional services sectors including Marriott International Inc, University of London, Deloitte, RSM and Australian Institute of Management (a Scientia Education Group business owned by CHAMP Ventures).
Faisal is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Governance Institute of Australia, and Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. He is a Managing Director of C-Kandar Pty Ltd., a Non-executive Director and Chair of Finance Committee of the Australia Performing Arts Conservatory, a founding Trustee of Sedum School of Special Children and a former Director of Asian Association of Management Organisation Secretariat.
BA (International Studies), M. International Relations, G. Dip Applied Corporate Governance and Risk Management (in progress), GIA (Affiliated)
Location: Naarm (Melbourne, Victoria)
Hannah started with YWCA Australia in 2017, amassing a vast amount of historical knowledge about the YWCA movement and governance knowledge in that time. She is the proud owner of a Certificate in Governance Practice from the Governance Institute of Australia, a creative and effective communicator and lover of frameworks and processes to improve governance structures. Hannah is a firm believer that feminism without intersectionality is the patriarchy in a new hat and hopes to work towards a future when young women and gender diverse people lead change through governance.
Diploma of Management, Diploma of Community Services, Certified Change Practitioner (ProSci), Accredited Executive Coach, GAICD
Location: Gadigal Lands (Sydney, New South Wales)
Helen’s career in social services spans over 25 years, specialising in the areas of homelessness, housing and gender-based violence. Helen is an experienced executive leader whose work focuses on improving systemic responses, translating policy to practice and driving innovative service delivery to marginalised people, particularly women and children impacted by domestic and family violence and homelessness.
Appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for Housing as an independent expert member to the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (2021-current).
Helen is the proud mum of three young adults and lives on Gadigal (Inner West) and Gundungurra and Dharug (Blue Mountains) lands.
Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Master of International Studies
Location: Jagera and Turrbal Land (Brisbane, Queensland)
Legally qualified, with a background in advocacy and government relations, Kate brings a wide range of skills and experience in advocacy to government, policy development, and media relations.
Kate has worked with leading decision-makers across government, not for profits, corporates, and peak bodies, and has secured a variety of legislative and regulatory change through her advocacy work. Prior to joining YWCA Australia, Kate was a senior ministerial advisor in the Queensland Government.
With deep and practical understanding of the workings of government, Kate is focused on achieving outcomes through strategic advocacy, effective stakeholder engagement and building partnerships to drive change.
As a professional spokesperson, Kate has appeared before state and federal parliamentary committees and inquiries and featured across all major media platforms such as The Australian, Australian Financial Review, ABC, Sky News and Bloomberg. Kate’s upbringing in social housing has fostered an unwavering commitment to advocating for safe and secure housing for women and gender diverse people. For her, the personal is political, fuelling her passion to create inclusive and equitable housing solutions for those that need it most.