Our Team

Our Board

Meriel O’Sullivan Board Chair

Meriel O’Sullivan is an experienced leadership consultant and Director of Redd Consultancy that specialises in people, culture, change and the resolution of workplace conflict. Meriel has over 25 years’ experience in HR and employee relations, working across private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Meriel has a Masters of Dispute Resolution, is an Executive Coach and a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
Tali Bernard Deputy Board Chair

Tali Bernard is a lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience in personal injury litigation and family law. She has extensive experience as a Board Director, having been a Director of not-for-profit, educational and public sector Boards for more than 20 years. Particularly interested in organisational governance and culture, Tali is a Director of the TAFE, Melbourne Polytechnic.

Tali is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Nationally Accredited Mediator, and a professional member of the Resolution Institute. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, and has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia.
Helga Svendsen Board Member

Helga Svendsen is a consultant, coach and facilitator specialising in leadership, strategy and planning, governance and stakeholder engagement. Helga has extensive experience in leadership and Board roles in government, not-for-profit and membership organisations.

She is the Chair of the Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency, and a former board member of the Royal Women’s Hospital. Helga holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws from Monash University and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Williamson Community Leadership Program.
Professor John Howe Board Member

Professor John Howe is Director of the Melbourne Regulation & Design Network and a member of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include labour market policy and regulation, regulatory design and social procurement.

John has previously held leadership roles as Director of the Melbourne School of Government, Deputy Dean of the Melbourne Law School, Secretary of the Australian Labour Law Association, and Chair of the International Labour Law Research Network. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Paul Dulfer Board Member

Paul Dulfer has an extensive career as an IT and Business Executive, with 20 years' experience in the Victorian Public Sector, previously holding Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles at Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, State Revenue Office and Triple Zero Victoria.

With a background in software development, he has also worked as a consultant in London, following a previous career as a professional musician playing the cello in both London and Melbourne. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Sarah Anderson Board Member

Sarah is an accomplished Adjunct Associate Professor at La Trobe University's School of Allied Health, boasting over 17 years of tertiary experience.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics, a Master of Public Health, and a Doctor of Philosophy. Within her doctoral research, Sarah examined the use of systems thinking to address workplace injuries in Health. Sarah is a Graduate of the AICD, has received a Churchill Fellowship and completed the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Beyond academia, Sarah has established herself as a trusted consultant for various external groups, focusing on pivotal areas such as regulation, assistive technology, AI and healthcare workforce. Her expertise through board and other employment provides a systems perspective of the integration of technology including AI within complex systems, and how to simply and efficiently ensure these are used safely and effectively.

Vinay Mahajan Board Member

Vinay Mahajan is a Partner at PwC Australia and initially joined as an Observer to the Board in 2022 and was appointed as a Director in 2024.

Vinay has over 16 years of experience working in Australia and the United States, where he has been responsible for leading global audit teams on some of PwC's largest clients, bringing the best of the firm's people and expertise.

He has worked at a number of ASX100 and Fortune 500 companies to provide advice in the matters of risk, audit and financial governance. He has overseen a number of complex transformation programs. Vinay holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

Leadership

Alyssa Duffy Chief Executive Officer

Alyssa was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in January 2021 to lead the organisation during an exciting time of change and opportunity.

She commenced in 2010 as a Conciliation Officer and was promoted to Deputy Senior Conciliation Officer in 2018.

A nationally accredited mediator, conciliator and qualified lawyer, Alyssa has a long-standing interest in workers' compensation, alternative dispute resolution and supporting access to justice.

Alyssa commenced her career as a lawyer and has held positions at Slater & Gordon Solicitors as a personal injury lawyer and at WorkSafe Victoria as Legal Counsel before joining the Accident Compensation Act Review and working in legislative reform and implementation.
Nguyen To General Manager Registry

Nguyen joined us in 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in the personal injury industry. He previously worked in multiple senior roles in operational and strategic claims management with Gallagher Bassett, DXC and Suncorp.

Nguyen holds a Diploma in Personal Injury Management and has a passion for inspiring and empowering others to achieve excellence through effective operational business planning.
Kate Spillane General Manager Strategy and Experience

Kate joined us having held the role of Principal Registrar of the County Court of Victoria. She brings over 20 years of experience working in courts across multiple jurisdictions in the Victorian Justice System.

She holds a diploma in Government Court Services from Victoria University and is a Leadership Victoria alumnus, having graduated from the Folio Leadership Program.

A purpose-driven and values-based change leader, Kate has a deep commitment to customer-centric service delivery.
Dale Mitchell Chief Financial Officer / Board Secretary

Dale joined us in March 2019. He holds both public and private experience, having held executive management positions within a number of Victorian public sector agencies.

Dale is a Certified Practicing Accountant and has a strong understanding of the Victorian governance and financial management framework. Dale is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Christie Granger General Manager People and Culture

Christie joined WIC in 2020 and was appointed to the role of General Manager People and Culture in May 2024.

Christie brings over 15 years of industry and consulting experience in organisational development, learning and leadership, transformation, strategy and culture.

She has worked across a variety of sectors including government, health, retail, professional services, tertiary and not-for-profit.

Christie holds a Masters of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate of HR Management and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology).
Sasha Rudakov Principal Dispute Resolution

Sasha was appointed to the role of Principal Dispute Resolution in August 2024. She brings 20 years of experience in alternative dispute resolution, having worked at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, the Victorian Ombudsman, and most recently at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

She holds a deep commitment to the value and importance of providing fair, affordable, and efficient dispute resolution services.

Sasha has extensive leadership experience and is passionate about driving strategic change and working with people leaders to uplift work systems and organisational culture.

Sasha was admitted to Legal Practice in 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice as well as a Certificate IV in Government (Investigation) and a Diploma of Government (Investigation).