Board and Governance
AMES Australia is a Victorian public entity, accountable to the Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.
The Board is established by the Constitution of the Adult Multicultural Education Services Order 2013 and comprises between nine and eleven members appointed by the Minister.
The Board members bring a broad range of experience and skills to AMES Australia in areas such as Management, Finance, Commerce, Law, Corporate Governance, Community, Education, Employment and Settlement and Asylum Seeker Programs, as well as an understanding of AMES Australia client communities.
Board members
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Dr Vanda Fortunato commenced as Chair of the Board of AMES Australia on 11 September 2023. For the past twenty plus years, Vanda Fortunato has had a career in executive and strategic leadership across both domestic and international landscapes. Her extensive expertise spans various sectors, including public and private health, primary care, non-profit organisations, medical education, academia, pharmaceuticals, health insurance, and consultancy. She has been CEO for two prominent non-profit entities. Furthermore, her professional journey encompasses pivotal senior executive positions within a Private Equity Firm, Medibank, a clinical research organisation, and Accenture. Vanda has also made impactful contributions during her tenure at esteemed institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Presently, Vanda Fortunato serves as the Chair of the Board for the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust and Early Childhood Management Services. She also holds the position of Deputy Chair at Integrated Living and is a board member on BreastScreen Victoria and Vasey RSL Care. |
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Catherine Scarth’s career has focussed on the design and implementation of innovative social programs and enterprises in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has achieved this through the creation of partnerships with government, employers and the community sector to deliver programs designed to increase the economic and social participation for newly arrived migrants and refugees. Ms Scarth is the Chief Executive Officer of AMES Australia, an organisation working with partners to provide a wide range of interconnected services in settlement, education, vocational training and employment in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Ms Scarth is a Board Member of Thrive Refugee Enterprises and Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust. |
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Catherina is co-founder of cybersecurity venture capital firm 5i Capital with an Asia-Pacific (ex-China) focus, ceasing operations in 2023. Since 2004 she has been running her own legal, regulatory and governance consultancy, advising major financial services organisations, private companies and government institutions in Australia and Asia on governance, compliance, risk management and strategy development. Throughout her career Catherina has held a number of senior executive positions across a variety of organisations in Australia and Asia including NatWest, National Australia Bank and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (China). She is an experienced company Director with Board and Committee experience in the not-for-profit, private and public sectors. She is also a Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Independence Australia and is the founding partner, and was the inaugural Chair of Social Venture Partners Melbourne, a venture philanthropy organisation. |
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Tracy is an experienced investment and finance professional with over 11 years of corporate finance and private equity experience following six years as a Chartered Accountant. She has spent the past three years working at Canaccord Genuity as a Director in the investment banking team with a particular focus on mid-market mergers and acquisitions. |
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Her experience has been gained in Australia and several emerging markets in a variety of sectors including professional and financial services and communications. Florence is passionate about community diversity and empowering marginalised groups and as a result, actively participates on various community boards. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Queen Victoria Women's Centre Trust and is a member of the Finance, Audit, Risk & Governance Committee. She also serves as Treasurer on the board of African Music and Cultural Festival (AMCF), the largest African festival in Australia. She is a past board member and Finance Committee Chair for Safe Futures Foundation, a specialist family violence organisation which is the largest Refuge Provider in Victoria. She is a qualified accountant (FCCA) and has served as a panel member representing Victoria and Tasmania on the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Australia and New Zealand. She is also a member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD) and has a Masters of Business Administration from Murdoch University, Western Australia. |
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Grace Liang is an experienced finance and strategy professional who has over 12 years of leading industry experience. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CAANZ), Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Marketing) from the University of Melbourne and has completed further studies in Agile Project Management (SCRUM). Grace currently works at Evolution Trustees as Director of Development & Operations. In her previous role, Grace was a Senior Manager (Performance and Reporting) at the Primary Health Network (a not-For-profit government initiative), where she established the Performance and Reporting team to drive strategic planning, value-add analysis and process improvement. She commenced her career at EY focusing on due diligence, corporate restructuring and real estate engagements across a broad range of sectors. Grace also has extensive experience in governance and stakeholder management and is also currently a board member of Haileybury College, a leading independent school in the Asia-Pacific (based in Melbourne) and board member of the Australian Dental Health Foundation. |
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Phillip is a lawyer with over 40 years experience both in private and public practice. He was a partner of an international law firm for 13 years. Since leaving the law firm, Phillip has been involved in the not-for-profit sector. Phillip has been involved in various professional and disciplinary tribunals across a range of professions over the last 20 years. He is currently Deputy Chair of the Conduct Commission for the Financial Advice Association of Australia. Phillip is also currently the National Ombudsman for the toll roads in Australia. He is also a board director on a number of commercial, international and Victorian State Government entities across various sectors. Philip is a board member of the Federal Government to the Tax Practitioners Board and was recently appointed as a Board member of AMES Australia in July 2024. |
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Bwe is a spirited advocate for multiculturalism in Australia, committed to improving leadership, education, and employment opportunities for diverse communities. With extensive experience in Victoria's multicultural sector, he has held key leadership roles and provided strategic guidance on several boards. His work focuses on empowering communities and influencing policies across sectors with all level of government to promote inclusion and unity. Known for his hands-on, practical approach, Bwe collaborates directly with individuals and communities to drive positive change. His tireless efforts to foster multicultural harmony have earned widespread recognition, making him a respected leader in advancing multiculturalism and building vibrant, inclusive societies across Australia. Bwe is also a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar, where he contributes to global discussions on peace and human rights. |
Vanda Fortunato
Catherine Scarth (Ex-Officio)
Catherina Toh 
Tracy Le
Florence Mauwa 
Grace Liang 
Philip Davies
Bwe Thay