Apropela's National Ambassadors

Our National Ambassadors are high-profile individuals who keep Apropela's name and mission current in the public, using their platform and networks to promote Apropela, identify and introduce Connectors and to provide high-quality connections themselves.

Our National Ambassadors

Ana Marinkovic
Group Executive Personal Bank at NAB; Chair of the Board Medfin

Ana Marinkovic is a senior executive whose career spans over 20 years in financial services. She is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.

Bobbi Mahlab AM
Founder & Chair of Mahlab Media; Co-founder of Mentor Walks

As founder of B2B communications house Mahlab, Bobbi successfully transformed Mahlab from a print publisher to a globally operating digital content agency.

Carol Schwartz AO
Non-Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of Australia, EQT Holdings Limited, Trawalla Group, Qualitas Property Partners and Skalata Ventures. Co-Founder of Scale Investors, Founding Chair of Our Community and Women’s Leadership Institute Australia; former Apropela Strategy Council Member

Carol has a passion for entrepreneurship and is one of Australia’s leading business identities recognised as an esteemed commentator on governance, social enterprise, gender equality, women’s leadership, business and finance issues.

Colette Grgic
Head of Startup Ecosystem in Australia & New Zealand for Amazon Web Services; Entrepreneur; Startup Advisor; B. Comm (UofC); Former Apropela Board Member

Colette is a passionate participant and supporter of the startup and innovation ecosystem. She has had hands-on experience in startups, corporate innovation, research commercialisation and customer experience roles in North America, South Africa, Australia and the UK.

Colin McNeil
Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions at EY; former Apropela Board Member

Colin is a Mergers & Acquisitions specialist with a track record for supporting entrepreneurs. He is particularly passionate about assisting early stage founders.

Craig Tiley
CEO of Tennis Australia

Craig is a a huge advocate for equality, inclusion and diversity - both on and off the court.

Dan Cotton
Partner, Friday Capital

David Thodey AO
Chair Tyro, Xero and Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Non-Executive Director Ramsay Health ; Chancellor University of Sydney; former Apropela Strategy Council Member

David Thodey is a business leader focused on innovation and technology, with more than 30 years’ experience creating brand and shareholder value. He is active in public policy, innovation and corporate governance.

Ghazaleh Lyari
Co-Head of Investments at the Australian Business Growth Fund; NED; former Apropela Portfolio CEO

As co-head of ABGF Ghazaleh oversees a public-private partnership between the Federal Government and 6 banks that provides long-term, patient growth capital for SMEs.

Helen Lea
Non Executive Director at ReadyTech and Bolton Clarke

Helen Waldron
Head of National Member Relations and Head of NSW, Australian Industry Group

Helen has considerable experience in the successful development of commercial operations, and in her role at Australian Industry Group is a champion for helping members to ultimately grow their businesses in sustainable ways.

Ian Gardiner
Partner at Jelix Ventures and co-founder at Innovation Bay 

James Stewart
CEO at Always Carbon, and Venture Partner at Loyal VC

Janet Menzies
Director, Category Leader at Amazon; Co-Founder of Apropela; Chair of Champions of Change Coalition

A senior executive and consulting veteran with 20+ years experience in the Medical Device, FMCG, Retail, and Technology industries, Janet is also a co-founder of Apropela.

Karen Enthoven
Medical Doctor; MBA; Chief Principal Officer of CIRCA at The Garvan Institute

A leader in medical research, Karen contributes to the strategic and regulatory direction of research into the genomic causes of inherited immune diseases.

Leigh O'Neill
COO & Director of McKinnon

In her capacity at McKinnon, Leigh is a champion for real change; committed to facilitating the development of political leadership and accelerating policy innovation.

Lynn Kraus AM
CEO at Australian Payments Plus; Member of CEW; former Apropela Strategy Council Member

Lynn is a talent in financial services, an experienced executive and an advocate for Diversity & Inclusion. She is a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

Malia Forner
EY Partner; Government & Investment Incentives specialist; R&D Tax Agent; EY Oceania Entrepreneurship Program Leader; Former Apropela Board Member

Malia is a Partner in EY’s Government Incentives practice, the EY Private Oceania Start-up & Entrepreneurship Leader and proud Mum of two active boys.

Marla Heller
Global Client Partner at EY; Former Apropela Board Member

A senior banking executive with substantial international experience, Mala is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW) and is an Angel Investor with Scale Investors.

Matthew Hagen
Managing Partner at Omera Partners

A co-founder of Omera Partners, Matt has 20 years experience in connecting clients with people of excellence.

Naomi Simson
Founder of RedBalloon; NEDat Big Red Group and University of Melbourne; independent director at Australian Payments Plus & Colonial First State Holding Co; Governor of Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation; former Apropela Strategy Council member

An entrepreneur herself and former Shark on Australian Shark Tank, Naomi loves to be continually challenged to learn and grow in business, and to share her learnings and experience with others.

Nicola Swift
Non-Executive Director, CFA, GAICDl; former CEO of Apropela

Nicola is a highly experienced NED, with a background in international investment management in Sydney, London and Boston.

Renece Brewster
Co-founder of Her Tech Circle and Fractional COO ; Former Apropela Portfolio CEO

Renece is the Co-Founder of Her Tech Circle, a newly established independent organisation dedicated to empowering women in technology in Australia. Previously, she served as the Co-Managing Director of Girls in Tech Australia, a volunteer-led, global non-profit organization.

Rianne Van Veldhuizen
Vice President & Managing Director Australia-New Zealand at Amazon Web Services

With over two decades in the technology ecosystem, Rianne has worked with diverse teams, customers and partners through Europe and the Asia-Pacific; and is committed to making a positive impact in the region.

Richard Enthoven
Founder and former CEO of The Hollard Insurance Company; former director of the Insurance Council Australia.

Noticing a gap for customer-focused insurance solutions, Richard founded Hollard Insurance in 1999. He is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, emphasising that a diverse workplace is crucial for long-term success.

Robert Kelly AM
CEO and Managing Director at Steadfast Group Limited

An entrepreneur and pioneer in the insurance industry, Rob founded Steadfast Insurance in 1996 - Australasia's largest general insurance broker networker and group of underwriters.

Rosanna Iacono
Managing Partner & Advisor at The Growth Activists

Rosanna is an experienced advisor,NED and C-Suite executive, and a leader of ESG Transformation and Innovation practice at the Growth Activists. She is a regular member of Apropela's Screening Committee for new Portfolio members.

Sara Lucas
Executive Wealth Manager - UK Pensions, Retirement & Investment Specialist; Co-Founder of Apropela

As a wealth advisor specialising in UK Pensions and Australian Superannuation, Sara makes retirement planning simple. She is a co-founder of Apropela.

"Heads Over Heels expanded our reach, network and our profile. We got clients, partners and opportunities to do some PR.
 
One of our investors said she met someone who told her she’d seen me pitch at Heads Over Heels - that shows the extent of the reach and that the profile building continues well beyond that short time frame of post the actual pitch. "

Lisa Vincent
HowToo

Meet Our Board

Our Board represent an incredible depth of expertise from the entrepreneurial, start-up and venture ecosystem. They ensure that Apropela's operations remain impactful and relevant.