Chief Executive Officer
Sue Mowbray
Sue joined the Mercy Foundation in 2009. She has managed the Mercy Foundation’s grants programs, has collaborated on projects to address homelessness and is experienced in working with communities to end homelessness through Registry Week campaigns. She has developed expertise in the issues and solutions to ending homelessness in Australia, and more recently, in addressing modern slavery.
Sue is currently a member of the steering committee for the Ageing on the Edge NSW group and has previously contributed to the National Older Women’s Housing and Homelessness Working Group.
Sue is the Company Secretary at the Mercy Foundation. She has a Bachelor of Commerce (UNSW) and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD). She is Mercy educated and has a keen interest in social justice. She volunteers with locally-based community groups working to address disadvantage at the grass roots.
Finance Manager
Lara Turner
Lara Turner is the Foundation’s Finance Manager. Lara Turner was born and educated in South Africa. She graduated from the University of KwaZulu Natal with an Honours degree in Accounting before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Anderson. Lara then moved to London and worked as a product accountant at BNP Paribas before becoming the Finance Manager and an Associate Director of IG Index (a FTSE 250 listed company). In 2003 Lara and her family moved to Australia.
Lara joined the Mercy Foundation in March 2004.
Projects and Communications Lead
Leesa Feilen
Leesa joined the Mercy Foundation team in 2019, to manage projects and grants programs, meet communication objectives, implement marketing initiatives, plan and manage events and assist in managing the Social Justice Small Grants program. Leesa also manages the Mercy Youth Awards and the Home in a Box project.
Industries that Leesa has previously held positions in, include Education, Information Technology, Public Relations, and Communications. Her project management experience across these industries have utilized her skills in public relations, communications, marketing, training, and event management.
Modern Slavery Lead
Helena Hassani
Helena Hassani is the Mercy Foundation’s first Modern Slavery Lead. Helena is a human rights advocate and leading expert on the prevention of child and forced marriage and family violence. Helena has much experience in working with victim-survivors of family violence, modern slavery especially child and forced marriage and forced labour.
Helena is the Director of Boland Parwaz PTY LTD which is working towards a future without child and forced marriage. Helena was selected as one of 44 global fellows of innovative social leadership by the US-based Echoing Green Foundation.
She is a multilingual female facilitator of Men’s Behaviour Change Program for Intouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence in Victoria. Helena is also a research assistant for the Anti-Slavery Australia at the University of Technology Sydney. Helena was awarded a silver medal at the Women Changing the World Award 2024 for the Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Impact category.
Helena has Master of Human Rights Law, Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Health Science from Monash University.
Her vision is for a future where no girl experiences child or forced marriage.
