Our Team

Philip Curtis

Chief Executive Officer

Phil commenced his role as CEO, which involves strategic leadership of the Habitat for Humanity Victoria team, in 2010. 
 

Philip is passionate about issues of justice.  He believes that it is possible to break the cycle of poverty and provide families with real hope for the future through initiatives such as the Habitat for Humanity Home Building program, which creates opportunities for home ownership for lower income households. 
 

Philip worked as a lawyer in private practice between 1982 and 2009. He was Principal with Moores in Box Hill for 17 years, a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited specialist in Commercial Litigation for 14 years and an accredited Mediator.
 

Philip serves as Chair of Leadership at Croydon Hills Baptist Church and has a strong history of involvement in local community activities. He is also a past Director and Board Chair of Baptcare Ltd and Baptcare Affordable Housing Ltd and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a past President and Director of the Jaguar Car Club of Victoria. 

Philip is a current member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the Law Institute of Victoria.

Jenny Curtis

Family Services Coordinator & Assistant to Executive Director

Jenny has been with Habitat since September 2016. Her previous work experience has been in Administration and as a Residential Liaison Officer with a not for profit organisation overseeing over 400 Independent Living units for people over 55. She has had various roles volunteering within her local community and Church over 25 years. Jenny is currently involved in Women’s Ministry and contributes to the events team at her church.

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"Part of my role I really enjoy is assisting our Partner families as they join our home ownership program and the impact it has on changing their lives".

Phillip Wright

ReStore Manager

Phil Wright, with Chemistry and Management degrees, worked in sales and management roles within the Chemical Industry, most recently with Dow Chemical. His areas of focus are on developing our volunteering program, growing our corporates partnerships, communications and assisting Habitat for Humanity to develop strategies for growth.

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Phil connects most with the Habitat cause because of the very significant contribution we make to families under significant stress due to the current housing affordability crisis. Making a difference is important and in particular he's “passionate about the opportunity presented to the children of our partner families, for generational change, to see dramatic change in the likely outcome for their lives”.

Peter Copp

Fundraising Manager

"I believe in a world where everyone has equal opportunity and equal access, and I’m passionate about helping the for-purpose sector make this a reality."

Peter has spent the last decade building a career in management, relations, philanthropy, operations, marketing and communications. He's worked in various roles within the disability sector before transitioning into an INGO leading the Australia and Regional team at The Fred Hollows Foundation. Moving back to Victoria he joined the executive team of one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organisations as General Manager at Mercy Health Foundation, taking the team through a period of development and philanthropic growth.

Peter holds a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate-Cert in Business from Griffith University. Peter is the Vice President for JCI Eastern, he sits on several industry committees and enjoys supporting industry through a variety of voluntary initiatives. 

Andrew Paice

Finance Manager

Andrew  leads Habitat for Humanity Victoria's  finance and administration function,  ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, budgeting and cash flow management and adherence to  statutory requirements.

With a life long passion for assisting others, particularly in the area of community social welfare, Andrew  enjoys collaborating with colleagues and building solid relationships with stakeholders, donors/partners, Board members and volunteers. 

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and is a CPA with many years’ experience both in Australia and internationally  in a wide variety of organisational settings. 

Richard Irving

Partnerships and Engagement Manager

Richard manages Habitat for Humanity Victoria's existing external partner relationships and works on identifying and collaborating with  new partners  to help deliver on our organisational objectives.
 

Having spent the last decade working for an ethical bank has provided Richard with insight into the ever-widening gap that exists for many Australians to have access to safe shelter. He feels  privileged to be able to contribute to addressing this challenge.

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Richard has more than 30 years' experience in business development and management of strategic partnerships within the financial services sector. This includes, most recently, his role as Head of Retail Banking at Bank Australia, an ethical community owned bank.

Susan Northway

Communications Manager

Susan leads Habitat for Humanity Victoria's communications and marketing function, developing strategic communications to drive brand awareness and enhance supporter engagement. 

With a desire to provide a voice for those in need through storytelling and make a positive impact through her work, Susan is passionate about supporting our organisation's mission to make a tangible difference in the lives of low income and disaster impacted families.
 

Susan holds a Bachelor of Communications and has more than 16 years’ experience in communications and marketing roles across a wide range of sectors including not-for-profit, education, property development and real estate. 

Brad Thexton

Volunteer Program Supervisor

Brad leads Habitat for Humanity Victoria's volunteer program.
 

Driven by a passion for assisting those in need and effecting positive change through volunteer management, Brad has a strong interest in supporting the homeless population via Habitat's affiliated shelters. With his background in workplace safety, Brad ensures the implementation of robust safety measures, fostering a secure environment for all volunteers.
 

With two decades of experience in the construction sector, a decade in retail, and two years dedicated to volunteer coordination within the rail industry, Brad brings a wealth of diverse expertise to his role.

Kristie Cutler

Volunteer Engagement Coordinator

Kristie is responsible for recruiting and inducting volunteers to our ReStore Kilsyth South team  and  assists with volunteer management, retention and appreciation focused activities.  Kristie also assists  with  the administration of our Build Days and Brush with Kindness volunteer projects.

Having worked in the social welfare sector and with experience in volunteer coordination, Kristie has a long held a passion for serving others, particularly vulnerable  members of our community.  
 

 Through her social work roles Kristie has worked to support numerous clients with housing issues. 

Robert Hutchison

ReStore Warehouse & Logistics Coordinator

Robert coordinates warehousing and logistics at Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s Kilsyth South ReStore and provides analytics support to our broader operations.

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With experience in assisting homeless and unstable housing communities, Robert values the opportunity to support Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s partner families in developing sustainable and long-term housing security.

Robert’s professional background includes management, business analytics, logistics, and operation of a personal business.

Heather Brock

ReStore Online Sales Coordinator

Heather plays a key role in managing online sales for Habitat for Humanity Victoria's ReStore social enterprise.

Heather has a love of meeting new people and passion for the work the organisation does in helping families find their forever home. 
 

Having been a supervisor in manufacturing of white goods and heating products for over 20 years, Heather is experienced in production planning, setting sales targets as well as maintaining quality standards.