Our Senior Leadership Team
Jennifer Beveridge, CEO
Jennifer has been CEO of Tenants Victoria since June 2019. A collaborative not-for-profit leader, her experience spanning management and service delivery roles in housing, health, youth and community development over 25 years has been centred on the needs and aspirations of people in the community receiving those services. Driven by social justice values, Jennifer’s operational skills are complemented by a grasp of public policy detail and what’s required for stakeholder engagement and successful advocacy. Many of her most satisfying work outcomes, Jennifer says, have been achieved at times when public policy and funding constraints required bold decision-making
Before she joined Tenants Victoria, Jennifer was CEO for seven years at Eating Disorders Victoria. She has also worked at Jesuit Social Services and Merri Health and lectured at La Trobe University. Jennifer’s initial training was as a clinical speech pathologist. She also has two Master’s degrees – a Master of Strategic Foresight and an MBA, both from Swinburne University. In 2016, Jennifer was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and undertook a study program at Harvard University on how innovation and collaboration can improve service outcomes.
Kylie Betts, People and Culture Manager
A human resources leader who has worked in Australia and overseas, Kylie’s professional experience spans the corporate, disability and broader not-for-profit sectors She has worked in HR for the Energy Savings Trust in the UK, and in Melbourne for Kraft and the welfare agency Good Shepherd. Kylie places a high priority on a partnership approach within Tenants Victoria to develop staff and internal culture and shape organisational capability.
Farah Farouque, Director of Community Engagement
Farah leads the Community Engagement Team and her portfolio spans advocacy, policy and research, media and communications and training. Farah was previously Principal Advisor, Public Affairs and Policy, at the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Before joining the community sector she was an Age journalist with roles including Law and Justice Editor, Social Affairs Editor and reporter from Federal Parliament’s Press Gallery and the Victorian Parliament Press Gallery. Farah is also the Board Chair of The Social Studio, a social enterprise working with young people from refugee backgrounds. Her professional awards include selection for the International Visitor Leadership Program in the United States and has been a recipient of the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence.
Agata Wierzbowski, Director of Client Services
Agata leads our interdisciplinary Client Services Team comprised of lawyers, outreach workers and intake workers. Her passion for building high-performing legal service teams has been shaped by over 10 years’ practice experience in the community legal sector and beyond. She has worked in roles including as a solicitor at the Consumer Action Law Centre, policy manager at the Women’s Legal Service Victoria, and most recently as Executive Officer and Principal Lawyer at the St Kilda Legal Service. Agata has served on community boards including at Social Security Rights Victoria. In 2015, she was awarded the Victorian Law Foundation Community Legal Centre Fellowship.
Phil Connell, Corporate Services Manager
Phil’s responsibilities at Tenants Victoria include technology, business contracts and technical and management services. Following 10 years as a comedy TV producer for HBO, and 20 years as a business manager at Citigroup in New York and London, Phil moved to Melbourne and has spent the last 8 years in management roles in the not-for-profit space. Before joining Tenants Victoria, he was general manager of the Australian American Education Leadership Foundation, and corporate services manager at Crime Stoppers Victoria. He is active on the school council at Glen Iris Primary School, and treasurer of the Aberfeldie Cricket Club.
