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Financial Counselling Australia Announces New Board

Financial Counselling Australia is delighted to announce the membership of its inaugural Board under its new constitution.

The Board comprises four financial counselling directors and three appointed, external directors.

The four financial counselling directors are: Carmel Franklin (Chair), Kay Dilger, John Harte and Rosalyn Williams. The three appointed directors are: Jocelyn Furlan, Tony Robinson and Greg Tanzer.

The new Board will bring a range of skills and expertise to FCA that will serve the organisation well for the future. Board members have formal qualifications and experience in a range of areas: legal affairs, accounting, government relations, governance, policy and research, advocacy and financial counselling.

FCA’s new constitution is the result of 18 months of consultation with State and Territory financial counselling associations. FCA now has a two tier governance structure, with a skills-based Board and a Representative Council. There is a one-page overview of the new structure here.

Biographies of each Board member, in alphabetical order, are below.

Kay Dilger
Kay came to financial counselling in 2003 after a career in retail banking. She is currently Manager of the Financial Resilience Program at South East Community Links in Springvale, Victoria. Kay has been on the Board of Financial Counselling Australia since 2013, and has been Secretary of Financial & Consumer Rights Council since 2012.

Dip. Com Services (Welfare), Dip. Comm Services (Financial Counselling), Cert IV Training and Assessment

Carmel Franklin (Chair)
Carmel has been involved with consumer issues for many years. She is the Director of Care Financial Counselling Services and the Consumer Law Centre of the ACT (Care) and has worked with the organisation since 1992. Carmel has been the Chairperson of Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) since 2009.

Carmel is also a consumer director on the board of the Financial Ombudsman Service and is also on the board of Canberra Community Law. In addition to these positions, she is a former member of the ATO Individual Tax Liaison Group, ASIC’s Consumer Advisory Panel and the FOS Consumer Liaison Group.

B.Ed., Dip. Comm Services (Financial Counselling), Cert IV Training and Assessment

Jocelyn Furlan
Jocelyn Furlan is a lawyer and an accountant, with more than 25 years’ experience in the superannuation industry. She is a director of First State Super and Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chair of Superlife, a charitable community of interest for the superannuation industry. Previous roles include the Chair of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal, Executive Manager Corporate of the Victorian Superannuation Board and its predecessor the State Superannuation Board and Company Secretary of VicSuper.

LL.B, B.Com. Dip Fin Planning (Fdn) MAICD

John Harte
John has worked in the community sector in Western Australia for over 25 years, including roles with services assisting migrants, people caring for dementia sufferers and in child protection. He has been a financial counsellor since 1994, including 10 years coordinating a financial counselling service.

He was the chair of community childcare centre for two years and on the committee of the Financial Counselling Resource Project for 12 years. He is currently on the board of the Financial Counsellors Association of WA.

B.A. (Social Sciences)

Tony Robinson
Tony is currently the Senior Manager Financial Inclusion for the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Before this he served as a Victorian MP for 13 years, including four years in Cabinet, as Minister for Consumer Affairs. Tony is also on the board of the Migrant Information Centre.

B.A. (Hon), M.A. (Australian Studies)

Greg Tanzer
Greg was most recently a Commissioner at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Prior to this role he worked as Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions. He has significant experience in regulation, governance and policy development.

B.Ec, LL.B (Hon)                                       

Rosalyn Williams
Rosalyn is currently the Service Manager, Financial Health Services, UnitingCare Wesley Bowden. Previous roles have included policy development, community development, financial counselling and family support.

She is also on the board of the South Australian Financial Counsellors Association and is a member of the Essential Services Policy Advisory Group for the South Australian Council of Social Service and is FCA’s representative on ASIC’s Consumer Advisory Panel.

B. Social Science (Social Welfare), Dip. Management, Dip. Community Services (Financial Counselling), Advanced Cert. Community Services (Community Development)

Contact for further information:
Fiona Guthrie, CEO, Financial Counselling Australia – 0402 426 835
[email protected]

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