Our Team

Our Board

  • Meriel O’Sullivan Board Chair

    Meriel O’Sullivan is an experienced leadership consultant and Director of Redd Consultancy that specialises in people, culture, change and the resolution of workplace conflict. Meriel has over 25 years’ experience in HR and employee relations, working across private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

    Meriel has a Masters of Dispute Resolution, is an Executive Coach and a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
  • Tali Bernard Deputy Board Chair

    Tali Bernard has more than 20 years of experience in family law and personal injury litigation. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts and has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria and High Court of Australia.

    Tali is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has 18 years’ experience as a Board Member in the not-for-profit and public sectors. Tali is a director of Melbourne Polytechnic.

    Tali is a Nationally Accredited Mediator and a professional member of the Resolution Institute.
  • Helga Svendsen Board Member

    Helga Svendsen is a consultant, coach and facilitator specialising in leadership, strategy and planning, governance and stakeholder engagement. Helga has extensive experience in leadership and Board roles in government, not-for-profit and membership organisations.

    She currently sits on the Board of the Royal Women’s Hospital. Helga holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws from Monash University and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Williamson Community Leadership Program.
  • Professor John Howe Board Member

    Professor John Howe is Director of the Melbourne School of Government and the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include labour market policy and regulation, regulatory design and social procurement.

    John has previously held roles as Deputy Dean of the Melbourne Law School, Secretary of the Australian Labour Law Association, and Chair of the International Labour Law Research Network. He is currently an Editor of the Australian Journal of Labour Law.

Leadership

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    Alyssa Duffy Chief Executive Officer

    Alyssa was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer in January 2021, to lead us at an exciting time of change and opportunity.

    She commenced with the organisation in 2010 as a Conciliation Officer and was promoted to the role of Deputy Senior Conciliation Officer in 2018. A nationally accredited mediator, conciliator and qualified lawyer, Alyssa has a long-standing interest in workers compensation, alternative dispute resolution and supporting access to justice.

    Alyssa commenced her career as a lawyer and has held positions at Slater & Gordon Solicitors as a personal injury lawyer, and at WorkSafe Victoria as Legal Counsel, before joining the Accident Compensation Act Review and working in legislative reform and implementation.
  • John Brennan General Manager People and Culture

    John Brennan has been a Victorian Public Sector senior executive since 2005, including roles with the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority and State Trustees Limited. He joined us in 2020. John holds a Master of Business (Human Resources Management) from Swinburne University and a Graduate Diploma in the Psychology of Risk from the Australian Catholic University. John is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Marguerite Darmody Principal Conciliation Officer

    Marguerite Darmody joined us in 2010 as a Conciliation Officer and she was appointed to the Executive Leadership Team in 2020.

    She is a values-driven leader and is a strong advocate for fairness and ethical practice. Her previous work as a lawyer and with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and WorkSafe Victoria’s Panel firms has given Marguerite experience in Victoria’s statutory compensation schemes. Marguerite holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws and a Master in Counselling from Monash University. She also has an Australian National Mediator Standards Accreditation from the Resolution Institute.
  • Dale Mitchell Chief Financial Officer / Board Secretary

    Dale joined us in March 2019. He holds both public and private experience, having held executive management positions within a number of Victorian public sector agencies.

    Dale is a Certified Practicing Accountant and has a strong understanding of the Victorian governance and financial management framework. Dale is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  • Jack Nalpantidis Principal Arbitration Officer

    Jack was appointed the inaugural Principal Arbitration Officer for the Workplace Injury Commission 2022, having led the arbitration functional design team since 2020. He commenced with the organisation in 2007 working as a Conciliation Officer.

    Jack holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences, a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master in Business Administration. He is also an accredited mediator and has held positions as a tribunal member in Commonwealth and Victorian jurisdictions, including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, the Mental Health Tribunal, Forensic Leave Panel and Suitability Panel. Jack is a committee member of COAT (Victoria).
  • Kate Spillane General Manager Strategy and Experience

    Kate joined us having held the role of Principal Registrar of the County Court of Victoria, bringing with her over twenty years’ experience working in Courts across multiple jurisdictions in the Victorian Justice System. She holds a diploma in Government Court Services from Victoria University and is a Leadership Victoria alumnus, having recently graduated the Folio Leadership Program.

    A purpose driven and values-based change leader, Kate holds a deep commitment to customer centric service delivery.
  • Nguyen To General Manager Registry

    Nguyen joined WIC in 2022, bringing over 20 years’ experience in the personal injury industry. He previously worked in multiple senior roles in operational and strategic claims management with Gallagher Bassett, DXC and Suncorp.

    Nguyen holds a Diploma in Personal Injury Management and has a passion for inspiring and empowering others to achieve excellence through effective operational business planning.
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