Karenza Louis-Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Tertiary qualified with a BA (Hons) in Youth and Community work, Karenza has over 25 years industry experience working in the UK and Australia. 16 of these have been as the CEO of leading, award winning for-purpose organisations. Her areas of expertise include designing and leading services that respond to mental illness, psychiatric disability, offending (including services for those at risk of entering the criminal justice system) as well as drug treatment and homelessness. Karenza’s unique perspective as a sector leader and innovator includes her own lived experience of mental ill health as a young person. Passionate about changing the world, Karenza has participated in intensive leadership development with the Global Leadership Foundation and Leadership Victoria and is a current Board Director at Mental Health Victoria.
Michael Bowers
Chief Finance and Information Officer
Michael has over 35 years’ experience as a Finance Professional working in large multi-national organisations and private businesses across a broad range of industries, including financial services, transport, catering, facilities management and disability services. A Certified Practising Accountant, Michael brings to ermha365 a range of skills including Financial Accounting, Business Partnering, Budgeting, Negotiation, Management and Business Planning. With personal lived experience of disability, Michael is also a supporter of the NDIS and the positive change it will bring to the sector.
Jackie Ashmore
Chief Operations Officer
Jackie joins the ermha365 team from Corrections Victoria where she has worked for the past 2 years, as the General Manager, Forensic Intervention Services leading all of the clinical programs for high-risk offenders. Previously Jackie was a nurse unit manager at Forensicare, which included leading services at the Marmak unit within the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Victoria.
A highly skilled, qualified Mental Health clinician and registered nurse with two clinical Masters one in Health Services Management and the other in Mental Health Nursing, Jackie brings deep clinical mental health expertise and practice wisdom to the ermha365 team – in particular in working with very complex and challenging client presentations. Her areas of expertise include forensic mental health, acute mental health, and community mental health.
Jackie is passionate about working with people as a role model, mentor, and clinical supervisor to enable a professional learning environment for all staff ensuring best practice and excellent clinical outcomes for the people we support.
Belinda Ellis
Chief Operating Officer – Quality, Safeguarding and Risk
A registered Psychologist and AHPRA board approved Supervisor, Belinda has over 15 years experience working within high risk and complex need service areas. Belinda has extensive experience working within the field of forensics, with roles spanning across clinical service delivery, clinical leadership, management and operations. Belinda holds tertiary qualifications within the area of Business, which has supported her role within various Government restructure and reform activity. Belinda holds a passion for progressive, clinically informed and evidence based service provision. Belinda strives for positive intervention outcomes for individuals and communities, with a strong commitment to clinical governance, integrity and human rights.
Leanne Wiebenga
Chief People and Culture Officer
Leanne is a highly experienced people leader who joins us from the City Of Monash where she was the Executive Manager People and Safety for the past five years. She has also worked in senior leadership roles in large, complex organisations including South East Water and Monash Health. Leanne has a particular passion for workplace health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion. During her time at the City of Monash – one of Melbourne’s largest metropolitan councils – she implemented a workforce Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan that emphasised supporting employees’ psychological safety and psycho-social health. Leanne is an authoritative voice on issues and practices around culture change and strategic workplace planning, particularly in alignment with government acts including the Gender Equality Act 2020. She has been a guest speaker and panellist for industry forums and events around these topics.