Our leaders

Sue Woodward AM commenced as Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) on December 12, 2022. Previously she was Chief Adviser for Not-for-profit Law with the charity Justice Connect.

Sue was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021 for “significant service to the not-for-profit sector, fundraising and the law.”

Sue played an instrumental role in the formation of the ACNC, serving as the inaugural Director of Policy and Education during the early years of the Commission.

She has been involved with a number of leadership bodies including: the Victorian Government Volunteer Strategy Taskforce, the Victorian Government’s Social Services Regulator Taskforce and the National Strategy for Volunteering Council.

In pursuit of a stronger, more resilient sector, Sue also contributed to the governance of organisations in the sector, most recently sitting on the boards of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), the Human Rights Law Centre and the Australian Communities Foundation, and previously SANE Australia.

As an academic at Melbourne Law School, she made a seminal contribution to reform of the regulation for the charity and not-for-profit sector with her 2004 research report: 'A Better Framework: reforming the not-for-profit regulation'. Justice Connect’s Not-for-Profit Law service was established in 2008 based on her research recommendations.

Sue is also a staunch supporter of reducing unnecessary regulatory obligations on the sector. She has worked with an alliance of peak bodies and federal and state governments to make modernised and harmonised fundraising laws a priority.

To hear more from Sue, you can follow her on X @acncommissioner and on LinkedIn, and read her monthly Commissioner's Columns.

You can also listen to Sue talk about her career in the charity sector and her vision for the ACNC in our Charity Chat podcast.

Cate is an experienced executive leader, having worked in a variety of legal, commercial and corporate enablement roles across the public and not-for-profit sectors over the last 15 years.

Cate's work in the public sector started as a graduate rotating in the Victorian Departments of Health, Justice and Transport. She ultimately focused on commercial legal advice roles, and contract and service delivery management for key public infrastructure and new health service developments, as well as transport services.

Her experience in the not-for-profit sector includes working at Beyond Blue, and with the board of the Leukaemia Foundation on a pro bono basis. She served as the Global General Counsel and Company Secretary at Movember, which involved working with a large number of local and international regulators.

Cate is a qualified lawyer, who holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Business. She is an alum of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and has twice been named the Not-for-Profit Lawyer of the Year by the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia.

Nadine is an experienced senior executive, having led policy and program work in federal and state governments. Her work has also included a period within a ministerial office at Parliament House, Canberra.

She has held a number of volunteer positions with local governments.

She has worked with not-for-profit organisations across Australia and overseas, with a particular focus on education – from leading educational and training services for women in the Middle East, to tutoring and lecturing at universities.

Nadine is a qualified lawyer, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and Economics), Juris Doctor and Master of Legal Practice.

Jessica oversees the Registration team, which is responsible for assessing charity registration eligibility at the ACNC.

She has more than 15 years’ experience working in the public service in various roles including compliance, enforcement, and policy.

With a background in anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing, Jessica understands the importance for the sector in ensuring it has robust governance in place.

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws LLB from the University of Newcastle, NSW, and was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 2005.

A member of the ACNC management team since the establishment of the Commission, Rachel has worked in leadership roles in not-for-profit regulation for state and commonwealth agencies.

She guided the consumer protection services strategy for vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians. She has also served as the District Registrar of the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal which conducts independent merits review of decisions made by the Australian Government relating to migration and refugee visas and visa-related decisions.

Prior to her public service roles, Rachel worked in the not-for-profit sector for ten years at Australian Volunteers International, a registered charity committed to achieving economic and social development outcomes across Asia, the Pacific and the world through sharing skills, knowledge and experience. Rachel has also served on several not-for-profit boards.

Suhanya is an experienced lawyer, and has been working at the ACNC since 2016. She has led the development and review of Commissioner’s Interpretation Statements and managed litigation on behalf of the ACNC.

Before joining the ACNC, Suhanya was a senior lawyer in private practice, advising charities, not-for-profits, social enterprises and philanthropists about structuring, governance and regulatory obligations.

Suhanya holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons)/Commerce (majoring in accounting) from Monash University. She was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 2006.

Suhanya has volunteered extensively with charities in Australia and overseas, and has served on charity boards.

Michelle is a career public servant of 25 years, with experience working in a variety of different agencies.

She started her public service career as a national park ranger, before becoming a sworn police officer and running investigations in the Australian Federal Police’s major crime units.

Michelle has worked as a director overseeing investigations, and compliance and regulatory operations for the last 15 years. Her specialties include building and construction, workplace relations, counter terrorism, aviation and maritime security, and identity fraud.

Michelle holds a Master of Politics and Policy with Distinction from Deakin University, a Bachelors Degree of Applied Science (Environmental Science) and a Graduate Diploma of Business Management.

Tim’s team leads the collection of reporting from charities with a focus on reducing unnecessary regulatory obligations and ensures the ACNC has sound corporate governance arrangements.

Tim has been with the ACNC since its establishment, initially working as an analyst in the Registration area. He has worked across the public service for over 14 years.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Arts (majoring in Economics and Finance) and is an accredited Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute.

Prior to his work in the public service, Tim volunteered for a range of charities, with a focus on charities that assist asylum seekers and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Chris oversees the ACNC’s digital systems, ensuring they are secure, efficient, and innovative. Among other things, the team also manage data analytics, system architecture, and inter-agency data sharing.

Chris joined the ACNC in September 2025, bringing a wealth of executive experiences in leading strategic growth and driving transformation across organisations.

He began his career as an aircraft engineer before moving into aeronautical information services, where he represented the Australian Government internationally and worked with the United Nations agency, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Chris later led digital transformation and digital health strategy initiatives at the Royal Flying Doctor Service, strengthening systems that support clinical care for rural Australians.

He holds an MBA, aircraft engineering qualifications and postgraduate qualifications in digital health and informatics.