Board and Team - First Step

First Step Leadership Team

First Step’s Leadership Team provides collaborative, cross departmental advice and insights into operating a unique organisation with a complex clientele.

Chloe Bradford, Manager ResetLife
Gayle Wood, Chief Operations Officer
Joe Fishburn RPN, Manager Mental Health Services
Kym Coupe, Team Leader Mental Health Services
Laura Brennan, Director of Legal Services
Mikey Daly, Government Relations Advisor
Nelly Katsnelson, Head of Fundraising and Engagement
Patrick Lawrence, CEO
Dr Peter Wright, Lead GP

First Step Board

First Step is governed by a Board of Directors – a diverse group of leaders who bring a variety of talents, experiences and expertise to the governance of First Step.

The Board works closely with our Leadership Team to guide their decision-making on strategic issues and hold them to account for their leadership of the organisation.

Rochna Banarjee

Rochna is a commercially astute executive with over 25 years of leadership experience across the non-profit and commercial sectors in Australia, India, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia. She has served as COO...

Catherine Easton, Chair

GAICD, MSF, BBus, DipTeach(Prim) Catherine has worked across both the commercial and for-purpose sectors in service delivery, transformation, and shared services, and brings over 15 years of board experience. She is a...

Paul Katz

Paul is a Psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience in clinical leadership and governance within Victoria’s public mental health sector. He most recently served as Executive Clinical Director at Eastern Health,...

Melanie Eagle

Melanie holds qualifications in Law, Social Work, International Development, and Arts, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was elected as Mayor and Councillor of St Kilda...

Marius Smith, Deputy Chair

Marius is currently the CEO of VACRO. He previously led the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Monash University, transforming it into a globally respected hub for human rights policy, education,...

Joe Corera, Treasurer

Joe brings extensive experience in finance and governance, having worked across banking, insurance, logistics, and more recently the for-purpose sector in financial and shared services roles. He is a strong believer in...

Patrick Lawrence, CEO

Patrick began his career as a classical pianist and vocal coach before transitioning to the social justice sector through volunteering. He joined First Step as a volunteer in 2005 and became CEO...