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Our Board

Our Board

Relationship Matters is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee reporting to a Board comprised of six non-executive directors who generously volunteer their valuable time, expertise and skills.

We acknowledge and appreciate the contributions Board members make to the strategic direction, good governance and positive leadership of Relationship Matters together with Relationship Matters CEO.

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Board Members

James McCarthy OAM is the current CEO of a community organisation in regional Victoria. He has a background in social work and operates a private practice specialising in supervision and human service consulting. He was previously a Family Violence Case Investigator with the Coroners Court of Victoria.

James has extensive experience working across the human services sector, specifically with people with disabilities, disadvantaged young people, men using family violence, mental health, and in the homelessness sector. He has held a number of leadership roles with organisations including Anglicare Victoria and Melbourne City Mission.

James provides governance support to a number of other community organisations and groups and is the current Chairperson of No To Violence. In the past, he was a Director and Chairperson of CommUnity Plus, Chairperson of C-Collective – an organisation he founded – and President of Interchange Victoria.

James has a strong commitment to social justice, community development, and accountable governance in community organisations. In 2019, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his work supporting the community.

Annette is an experienced senior government lawyer practising in public and administrative law, focusing on projects, environment, planning, and heritage.

Annette has 20 years’ experience practising law in the government, commercial, and not-for-profit sectors, along with experience lecturing and tutoring at the Melbourne Law School.

Annette has a passion for social and environmental justice, and she has volunteered at various social and environmental NGOs during her career. She views volunteering on the RM Board as a way to give back to the community while also learning from the wide range of skills, experience, and perspectives across our diverse Board.

Annette is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and she chairs the Board’s Governance Sub-committee.

William Couche is an International Fellow in Board and Organisational Development with experience in juvenile justice, youth policy, homelessness, family welfare, and foster care. He has been involved in policy development and as an advisor to government in several policy areas. He has been the CEO of Odyssey House, the Anglican Mission to Streets and Lanes, and Anglican Health and Welfare in WA.

Dr Olga Holden is a senior corporate finance professional with extensive experience working with boards of both large and small organisations on strategic, financial, and risk matters.

With a background spanning venture capital, private equity, and assurance, she brings deep expertise in company evaluation, risk assessment, and the design of effective financial and governance systems.

She is passionate about translating research into real-world impact — empowering founders and shaping ecosystems where evidence-based ideas can thrive. Joining the Relationship Matters Board reflects her commitment to strengthening community-centred organisations that deliver meaningful social outcomes.

Olga also serves on the board of a residential aged care organisation. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Certificate in Governance Practice from the Governance Institute of Australia, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (ICAEW), and earned her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Originally from Estonia, she also completed an MSc in Environmental Science at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Tartu.

Moyi is an experienced senior public policy manager with over 15 years of experience – ranging from climate change and early childhood reforms to international relations, Brexit and Covid response. She currently leads the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Health Workforce policy team in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. This includes the oversight of the implementation of mental health reform from the Royal Commission.

In addition, Moyi is incredibly passionate about improving outcomes for disadvantaged children and has been an avid volunteer with extensive experience with organisations such as:

  • Artsbus – a mobile arts studio, theatre and music space, ringing quality arts practices to disadvantaged children in social housing
  • Save the Children – the Fitzroy Cubbies program
  • North Richmond Community Centre – the homework club for children from the North Richmond housing estate.
  • Literacy Pirates – a free, after-school program supporting disadvantaged children who are behind their peers in literacy.

Moyi holds a Masters of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne and Kings College London, and also completed the Board Observership Program with Relationship Matters in 2023.

Reverend Samantha Lo has worked in hospital and aged care chaplaincy for over a decade and is a priest at St Paul’s East Kew. Prior to her current role as Pastoral Care Coordinator at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne, she worked for Baptcare Karana as Spiritual Care Coordinator and as harpist on the Spiritual Care team at Epworth Eastern Hospital.

David is a participant in the 2025 Observership Program and has been matched with Relationship Matters.

David is a dual-qualified lawyer and social worker with a strong background in frontline service delivery, people and project management, policy development, and strategic planning. His professional experience spans statutory child protection, mental health, family law, and family violence services.

David is passionate about supporting not-for-profit organisations through research, strategic planning, and service design to help ensure the delivery of high-quality, accessible support for marginalised and underserved communities.

Monique was a participant in the 2024 Observership Program and was matched with Relationship Matters.

Since completing the program, Monique has joined the Governance sub-committee of the Board as a co-opted member. Monique is an educational and developmental psychologist with experience working in the primary, secondary, and tertiary education sectors. She has a passion for supporting individuals and families to access timely and low-cost mental health support, and to reduce barriers to education and participation.

Monique is also an advocate for building sustainable workplace practice within the mental health workforce and enjoys supervising trainee psychologists. She is an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer and facilitates social-emotional learning programs for children and parents.

Monique holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), a Bachelor of Science, and a Masters in Educational Psychology. Beyond her professional pursuits, Monique enjoys exploring the outdoors, practising yoga and dance, and immersing herself in theatre and the arts.