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
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 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
BBus (Banking and Finance) David is the former General Manager, Broker Operations at NAB, and has extensive experience in the areas of credit and debt. He is currently CEO of Way Forward Debt Solutions Ltd, a not for profit established by the four major banks, ABA and Financial Counselling Australia with a focus on assisting people in hardship with debts across multiple organisations.
David Berry
Chair
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 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 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 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
Ciara is a leader who believes in the power of cross-sector collaboration to make real change for people experiencing vulnerability and exclusion. She is motivated by her passion for human rights and her belief that everyone deserves an equitable system, adequate living standards, and to live free from discrimination.
As Founding CEO for the Thriving Communities Partnership, she convenes over 200 organisations, together with people with lived experience, to forge deeper understanding of vulnerability and drive ecosystem change through social design innovation.
She has over 20 years’ experience collaborating across corporate, government and community sectors to address the root causes of hardship and inequality. Ciara spent over 10 years in leadership roles at Yarra Valley Water, including as Head of Community Inclusion and she was recognised as the Australian Water Professional of the Year in 2018. She pioneered approaches to supporting customers experiencing vulnerability, hardship and family violence, and led the water industry’s response to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence.