SSI Board Directors
Voula Messimeri
AM MAICD Board Director (Chair)
Voula Messimeri brings an immense depth of knowledge about the community and multicultural sector to the Board with a long career in the community and multicultural services sector.
She has had roles as a non-executive Board Director, including as Chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), Deputy Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, inaugural Chair of Women’s Health in the North, and Chair of InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence.
She has held appointments on a wide range of ministerial state and federal advisory structures across diverse areas, including health, ageing, income support and media, and as a member of the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council.
Voula was recognised under the Order of Australia for her contribution to refugees, migrants and women. She is currently serving on the Board of PRONIA and is the Chair of the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Rola Hijwel
Rola Hijwel
Principal Solicitor, Hijwel Migration Lawyers, and Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law, NSW Law Society
Rola is admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia, with over 20 years of experience in immigration law. She is recognised as an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law by the New South Wales Law Society since 2012.
She is the Principal Solicitor and Director of Hijwel Migration Lawyers, who work with a range of clients from multinationals to individuals and displaced people. Previously working with global immigration law firm.
She has a passion for working with diverse communities’ and advocating for social impact and representation. Currently serving as Board Chair of Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre.
Rola brings extensive experience in law, governance and an understanding of the community sector and the needs of migrants.
Tharani Jegatheeswaran
Tharani Jegatheeswaran
Partner, Deloitte Australia and leads Deloitte’s Social Impact Consulting Practice
Tharani is the National Client Relationships Leader at Deloitte Australia. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing Deloitte’s professional development programs for Board, C-suite and Emerging leaders across the Australian market.
Tharani also leads Deloitte’s Social Impact Practice, a national practice that collaborates with leaders and organisations to drive large-scale social impact (the S of ESG). She is also the firm’s Race & Culture leader, responsible for activating Deloitte’s Race and Culture action plan to achieve it’s vision of “a leadership team and workforce that reflects diverse Australia.”
Beyond her Executive role, Tharani is a Non-Executive Director on several Boards, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF Australia) and previously, the Deloitte Foundation.
Tharani is an Ambassador for the ‘Billion Dollar Benefit’ campaign, a coalition committed to unlocking the full potential of skilled refugees and migrants so that they can meaningfully contribute to the Australian economy.
She is also a passionate speaker and strong advocate for social impact (S of ESG), profit with purpose, and diversity, equity and inclusion and was recognised as a ‘LinkedIn Top Voice’ for her leadership and influence on these agendas.
Janet Matton AM
Janet Matton AM
Chair, Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI) and Eastern Community Legal Centre
Janet brings a deep understanding of the IT industry and business management to the Board. She spent 34 years with IBM, including as Vice President of Operations, and 12 years holding key roles in Southeast Asia, the United States, Japan, China and Europe.
She is Chair of the Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI), on the board of the Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI), Non–Executive Director of Epworth Healthcare and pitt&sherry Engineering Consultants. She is Chair of Eastern Community Legal Centre, a member organisation of SSI.
In 2010 she was named the Victorian Telstra Business Woman of the Year and was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in January 2020. She is a member of Chief Executive Women.
Sujeet Rana
Chief Digital Officer, NAB
Sujeet Rana is the Chief Digital Officer at NAB responsible for driving digital transformation across the organisation with a clear focus on delivering for both customers and colleagues. With a digital career spanning two decades across a range of sectors including tech, retail, construction and financial services, Sujeet prides himself on being able to build strong teams that have a relentless focus on building amazing experiences.
Sujeet is a previous winner of AFR Boss Young Executive of the year, 40 under 40 Asian Leader and Founder of Cinnamon Connection – an organisation committed to improving D&I in corporate Australia.
Outside of work, Sujeet is kept busy with his three young children, loves his cricket and is a die-hard Melbourne Storm fan.
Dushy Thangiah OAM
CEO, Yumba-Meta Ltd
Dushy brings a deep knowledge of management accounting and housing policy to the Board.
She has worked in the community housing and community services sector for over 29 years and is a highly regarded advocate for First Nations Peoples and the CEO of Yumba Meta, a Townsville–based organisation, and SSI member organisation, providing access to housing and support services particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander People.
Dushy joined Yumba-Meta Ltd in 1995, following a senior career spanning corporate accounting roles in Sri Lanka and Australia. She migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka more than 35 years ago and has qualified as a Management Accountant from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (London), holds a Graduate Certificate in Housing Management and Policy from Swinburne University (Melbourne), and is an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate.
Dushy holds an Order of Australia Medal and in 2019 was awarded the Telstra Business Women’s National Award for Purpose and Social Enterprise.
Angela Tsoukatos
Chair, SydWest Multicultural Services
Angela brings considerable experience in Corporate Public Affairs, Customer Services, People Leadership and Culture, and Corporate Services to the Board.
Angela is an experienced Executive with a successful record in Australia’s largest water utility, local government, and the Not-for-Profit sector. Angela has held general management roles in Corporate Public Affairs & Company Secretary, Customer Services, People Leadership & Culture and Corporate Services. Most recently, Angela was the CEO of Participate Australia.
Angela is the Chair of SydWest Multicultural Services, a member organisation of SSI. Angela also chairs SSI Legal, which is fully owned by SSI. In October 2024, Angela was appointed to the Board of the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman as a community director.
Angela is passionate about ethical and inclusive leadership and creating constructive cultures where people live the values, put clients first and together work towards a fairer society for all.
Peter van Vliet
CEO, Migration Institute of Australia
Peter brings a deep understanding of social policy and law to the Board. He is the CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, the nation’s leading association for migration professionals specialising in migration advice and employment outcomes for employers seeking skilled overseas workers.
Previously Peter was the CEO of ISS Australia, a not-for-profit specialising in legal, mediation and social work services for children and families across borders.
He has a background as a senior executive in the Commonwealth and Victorian governments and has also led several other not–for–profits in the community sector, including FECCA and ECCV.
Peter is committed to building an inclusive and harmonious society and has a long career working in social services, social policy and assisting migrant and refugee communities. Peter has a Master of Arts from Monash University, a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia, and a Graduate Diploma in Migration Law from Victoria University.