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Team

To drive innovation, uLaunch welcomes a Board of Directors assembled for their expertise and lived experience of disability.

More than 60% of uLaunch staff identify as living with a disability, chronic illness or injury, bringing an unparalleled level of insight, understanding and connection to the service we offer our participants.

Meet the Board

uLaunch - Photo of Peter Shergold
Chair of the Board

Peter Shergold

Prof. Peter Shergold was for 16 years an academic historian at UNSW. He then became a senior executive in the Australian Public Service for 20 years, including stints as Secretary of the Employment and Education Departments

Professor Peter Shergold AC  was for 16 years an academic historian at UNSW. He then became a senior executive in the Australian Public Service for 20 years, including stints as Secretary of the Employment and Education Departments. For 5 years he was Australia’s most senior public servant, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. After 12 years as Chancellor of Western Sydney University, he now serves as Chair of a number of private, public and not-for-profit organisations.

uLaunch - Photo of Duncan Angus
Board member

Duncan Angus

Duncan entered the hospitality industry in 1985, serving in a number of managerial capacities and later focusing on recruitment services to the industry.

(Also Founder and Executive Director AKG)

Duncan entered the hospitality industry in 1985, serving in a number of managerial capacities and later focusing on recruitment services to the industry.

In 1991, Peter Knight and Duncan founded Angus Knight as a training services company, which successfully expanded operations throughout Australia, delivering training programs in every State. In 1998, Duncan led Angus Knight in a successful bid for the Federal Government’s Employment Services Contract and most recently growth success in the UK CAEHRS tenders and the acquisition of large and successful training companies, Learning Sphere, and VFA.

As Executive Director, Duncan will focus his efforts on the Groups broader growth agenda. Duncan’s vision has always been to assist people and organisations in developing their full potential using the concept of ‘lifelong learning’.

uLaunch - Photo of Lisa Chaffey
Board member

Lisa Chaffey

Dr Lisa Chaffey (ClinScD) is an occupational therapist, executive coach, author and Paralympian, Lisa is an experienced leader across the fields of disability, community development, occupational therapy, and sport.

Dr Lisa Chaffey (ClinScD) is an occupational therapist, executive coach, author and Paralympian, Lisa is an experienced leader across the fields of disability, community development, occupational therapy, and sport.

As a lifelong changemaker, Lisa is passionate about improving the lives of people with a disability. She focuses on changing the bigger systems, whether through policy, standards, teaching or leading by example. Lisa has taken her experience as a wheelchair user and created learning opportunities for industry, health professional students and people with disabilities throughout the Australia Oceania region.

A Doctor of Clinical Science, she’s worked in academia as a lecturer, in course development and research, and has been on program advisory boards for three universities. She is a member of the World Health Organisation, Standards Development Group, Development of global WHO standards for wheelchair provision.

She has used her training as an occupational therapist to run peer training for wheelchair users in Fiji and a wheelchair basketball clinic in East Timor in her volunteer capacity.

As the Chief Classifier VFL Wheelchair, she developed and implemented the first-ever classifying standards for this sport based on her extensive experience as a Classifier in Wheelchair Basketball.
During her varied professional career, she’s made good use of her strong skills in stakeholder engagement, service design, curriculum and research design and operational delivery.

uLaunch - Photo of Paul Harpur
Board member

Paul Harpur

Prof. Paul Harpur was hit by an electric train at the age of 14 and lost his eyesight.  He is now a guide dog for the blind user, a duel Paralympian, lawyer and internationally acclaimed disability advocate and scholar.

Professor Paul Harpur was hit by an electric train at the age of 14 and lost his eyesight.  He is now a guide dog for the blind user, a duel Paralympian, lawyer and internationally acclaimed disability advocate and scholar.  He is a Professor in Law at the TC Beirne School of Law, where he has taught Corporate Law and work health and safety law for over a decade, and now leads a 4-year Australian Research Council Future Fellowship focusing on disability employment.  Internationally Professor Harpur is affiliated with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability and an International Distinguished Fellow with the Burton Blatt Institute, New York.

Mark Burns facing the camera.
CEO

Mark Burns

Mark Burns enjoys working with teams to help them grow and improve their businesses. He has worked across Australia and New Zealand with more than 20 years’ experience in managing large and diverse businesses and teams. As a results-driven and growth-focused leader, he enjoys the challenges of today’s current economic environment.

Mark Burns enjoys working with teams to help them grow and improve their businesses. He has worked across Australia and New Zealand with more than 20 years’ experience in managing large and diverse businesses and teams. As a results-driven and growth-focused leader, he enjoys the challenges of today’s current economic environment.

His career spans multiple industry sectors and geographies with large organisations such as Shell, Spotless, Skilled and Programmed.

Mark has worked across many  industry segments including Retail Facilities Services; Cleaning and Soft Services; Staffing and Recruitment and most recently in the Programmed business managed large scale RTO and GTO business units.

Whilst always commercially driven, he is most passionate about creating learning and career opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds, which lead to sustainable and scalable life pathways.

Mark is passionate about successfully creating training and employment opportunities for the long-term viability of individuals,  families,  communities  and business.

Chelsie Hyland smiling at the camera
Executive General Manager

Chelsie Hyland

Chelsie Hyland is an employment service professional focused on delivering high quality services for customers and Government. With more than 20 years’ experience in employment services in Australia and overseas.

Chelsie Hyland is an employment service professional focused on delivering high quality services for customers and Government. With more than 20 years’ experience in employment services in Australia and overseas, Chelsie has expertise in managing contractual obligations to achieve excellence in performance, reporting, and service delivery, fostering trust and long-term partnerships with customers.

Chelsie began her career in 2004 with The Salvation Army Plus, developing engagement and leadership skills over the next five years.

As Regional Manager in the employment industry, Chelsie worked across several regions throughout Victoria responsible for all facets of the business. 2012 brought an opportunity for Chelsie to live and work in Saudi Arabia in the team that set up six businesses and a corporate service to deliver employment and placement services to Saudi Nationals for 12 months. She then returned to Victoria as Regional Manager whilst also mentoring others from different states.

Chelsie joined Jobfind in 2019, focused on jobactive contract. Chelsie supports operations to achieve excellent performance scores with an average of 4.5 stars and consistent compliance confidence scores.