Our Board

Shannon Adams (Board Chair)

LL.B, FAICD

Shannon Adams joined our Board in 2005 and the World Vision International Board in 2013. He was appointed Chair of our Board with effect from 2018. Shannon is a lawyer who has advised financial institutions and other financial service providers since the early 1980s. He has been the managing partner of several legal firms and is now a partner at Piper Alderman. He specialises in financial services law and corporate governance, with a strong emphasis on the mutual banking sector.

Special responsibilities:  Board Chair

Darryl Gardiner

Darryl Gardiner joined our Board in 2016. He is a regular speaker and trainer in New Zealand and internationally. He joined the World Vision New Zealand Board in June 2010 and is Chair of its People and Culture Committee. He is an Anglican priest and has been involved in Youth and Community work for more than 35 years. He sits on a number of NFP Boards.

Special responsibilities: Audit and Risk Committee

Donna Shepherd

BA, MIIM, GAICD

Donna Shepherd joined our Board in 2008 and is currently the Chair of the World Vision International Board. Donna is a director of Creating Communities Australia, a community and economic development consultancy. She holds a Masters in International Management from the School for International Training in Vermont USA.

She has worked in the USA, Tunisia, Ecuador and Australia and has extensive experience in international development, social planning, shared value, strategic planning, communications, media and governance. Donna has also served on the boards of LandCorp, Urban Development Institute Envirodevelopment, the University of Western Australia Extension, Southern Arc, Ausdance WA, Chrissie Parrot Dance Collective and the Independent Filmmakers Association.

Special responsibilities: People, Culture and Nominations Committee

Wendy Simpson

OAM, B. Soc Sci, Grad. Dip. Ed., B. Litt, MBA, FRMIT, FAICD

Wendy Simpson joined our Board in 2013. Wendy is an experienced, versatile global business leader and entrepreneur. She was the Founding Chairman of Springboard Enterprises Australia, Australia’s only internationally focussed business accelerator for women entrepreneurs seeking investment capital.

Previously, Wendy was a Senior Vice President of Alcatel Asia Pacific and was responsible for a sales budget of 4.2 billion Euros. She implemented the sales of major mobile and broadband services to 17 countries and was on the team that negotiated with the Chinese Government to bring the internet to China. She has also held global leadership roles with QBE Insurance, Alcatel and TNT International. Wendy is on the organising committee of the annual Sydney Prayer Breakfast.

In February 2013, Wendy was honoured in the Australia Day 2013 Honours with an OAM for service to the community through a range of women's and youth organisations. On International Women’s Day 2013 she was inducted into the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame. Wendy was appointed to the Board of General Sir John Monash Foundation in January 2015.

Special responsibilities: People, Culture and Nominations Committee

Fiona Pearse

B.Ec, CPA, GAICD

Fiona Pearse joined our Board in 2011. She is an experienced professional non-executive director, with extensive financial, commercial and risk expertise. Her accounting and tax career spanned almost 2 decades at leading ASX-listed global companies, BHP Billiton and and BlueScope Steel. Her previous non-executive directorships include City West Water, a $2 billion water utility. She is currently a non-executive director of UCA Funds Management, one of Australia’s largest dedicated ethical Fund Managers, managing funds in excess of $1 billion; Scotch College, one of Australia’s leading independent schools; and is an Advisory Board member to a FinTech developing state-of-the-art Governance, Risk and Compliance software solutions for the financial services industry. She has a Senior Executive MBA; is a Fellow of CPA Australia and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Special responsibilities: Audit and Risk Committee

Claire Rogers

MBA, BA

Our CEO Claire Rogers joined WVA and was appointed to our Board in 2016. She is a social innovator with a proven track record of strategising and delivering major change initiatives, helping organisations adapt to the tech-disrupted economy, and aligning physical and digital execution to maximise opportunities.

In her previous role as head of ANZ Australia’s digital banking, Claire spearheaded the bank's digital channels transformation, and is recognised for her capacity to grow customer facing business across both physical and digital channels. Prior to this Claire held many executive positions in ANZ across Retail, Institutional Wealth and Corporate segments driving revenue growth. A highly networked influencer, Claire brings to different environments finely honed communication and negotiation skills, strength and compassion that creates strong community buy-in and support. Claire was the Chair of Ridley Theological College, Melbourne from 2008 to 2016. Claire is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Board. She has also volunteered as a mentor for Springboard Enterprises, supporting women entrepreneurs as they take concepts to market in the technology and digital sectors.

Jon Seeley

FCA, BEc, MBA, GAICD

Jon Seeley joined our Board in 2017. He is a Chartered Accountant with an Economics degree from the University of Adelaide and an MBA from Lancaster University, UK.

Jon is Group Managing Director of Seeley International, a manufacturer of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) products including Breezair and Braemar Evaporative Coolers and Ducted Gas Heaters, employing some 550 people with manufacturing plants in Adelaide, Albury and Denver.

Jon has previously worked for Deloitte and Goldman Sachs JBWere, in addition to spending 10 years overseas in the not-for-profit sector with relief and development organisations, including postings to Austria, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the UK. Jon lives in Adelaide with his wife and two school-aged children.

Special responsibilities: Audit and Risk Committee