OUR MANAGEMENT

Stephanie
Stephanie started her career in public law at a large firm, and for over a decade since, has worked in the community legal and consumer sectors, focusing on systemic and integrated service responses to family violence, mortgage stress and vulnerability. Steph sits on a broad range of industry and government advisory committees and boards.

Stephanie Tonkin

Chief Executive Officer

Samantha Watson COO
Sam joined Consumer Action as the Chief Operating Officer in June 2024. Prior to joining, Sam worked at Victoria Legal Aid, first implementing reform commitments resulting from VLA's review of family law legal aid services in 2015 and, more recently, she was responsible for the funding administration to Victorian Community Legal Centres (CLC), ensuring quality, accountability, and compliance with contractual and legislative requirements. In this role, Sam was responsible for supporting the CLC sector, including through project management, advocating for funding and supporting evidence-based collaborative planning. Before joining VLA, Sam was the Operations Manager at Women’s Legal Service Victoria.

Samantha Watson

Chief Operating Officer

Stephen
Stephen joined Consumer Action in 2021. He has extensive experience as a senior leader across a range of sectors and organisations including the Office of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, the Department of Education and Training, and the Commonwealth and Victorian Ombudsman. Stephen played an integral role in several investigations and strategic reports advocating and obtaining change in these sectors. As a lawyer Stephen has worked in private practice and the community sector in Perth, Chicago, Vanuatu and Melbourne. Alongside his career Stephen has maintained a strong commitment to volunteer and community work.

Stephen Nowicki

Director Legal Practice

Katia
Katia joined Consumer Action as a Litigation Solicitor in 2011. For three years, she worked in the role of Manager Legal Advice Services and worked a further three years in the role of Manager Impact Monitoring & Evaluation, conducting major service evaluations, supporting impact-led service design and delivery, and helping engender a culture of honest inquiry and learning. Trained as a lawyer and social worker, Katia has a passion for advancing fairness and inclusion and is honoured to lead our Financial Counselling Practice.

Katia Sanderson

Director Financial Counselling

Tania
Tania joined Consumer Action in 2022 after decades of experience advocating and driving social change and an extensive track record in delivering impact relating to industrial relations and employment law, human rights and discrimination law, family law and family violence legal and justice systems. Tania’s background is in legal, advocacy and dispute resolution. She has worked in a diverse range of organisations including NGOs, federal and state governments, trade unions and universities throughout Australia and the UK. Tania is a sensitive listener to her team and those around her. She has a strong history of using ‘positive disruption’ to successfully resolve complex, politically sensitive disputes and problems that exhibit volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

Tania Clarke

Director Policy & Campaigns

Su
Su Joined CALC in 2020, when she was appointed to the role of Training Services Lead. She brings extensive experience as a community legal centre lawyer, university law lecturer and community radio broadcaster. She has undertaken post-graduate research in legal education and gender. Su has researched, published and presented on a variety of issues associated with law and disadvantage, clinical legal education, feminism and the legal system. These are her passions.

Su Robertson

Director Engagement & Learning

Nila
Nila Martin joined Consumer Action Law Centre in April 2011 as Finance Manager and looks after all finance, accounting, and payroll functions for the organisation. Nila (CGMA, ACMA) is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant. She is an associate member of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) Nila has over 25 years’ experience in finance and accounting and has worked overseas as well.

Nila Martin

Finance Manager