GROUP EXECUTIVE TEAM
ALEX PONTELLO
Alex joined Southern Cross Housing (SCH) in 2016 and brought with him over 30 years of experience in the property, construction, and housing industry, and an extensive qualification portfolio. Prior to this, Alex held many senior executive and advisory positions within private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, that supplied him with a wealth of knowledge relating to Housing NSW, property portfolio planning, NRSCH, and Community Housing Provider (CHP) accreditation. Alex holds a master’s degree in Property Development, a graduate diploma in Urban Estate Management, Clerk of Works qualifications, and is a licensed Builder and a registered Certified Practicing (property) Valuer (CPV).
As CEO, Alex is responsible for the services we provide, the governance we practice, and the growth of the organisation. He is committed to achieve and maintain SCH’s overall vision, ensuring ‘A home for everyone as a foundation to a fulfilling life’, by providing strategic focus and support to all SCH staff, based on operational decisions made by our board of directors.
HANNAH MACRAE
Hannah our Group CFO brings over 13 years of experience in the social housing sector, and has an impressive qualification attainment summary. Hannah obtained CPA status whilst working in the sector, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, with a major in Accounting and a minor in Business Law.
Hannah’s extensive knowledge of the social housing sector, coupled with her detailed comprehension of the business (at a granular level), makes her an integral member of our Executive Team.
Hannah’s inspiring ability to think strategically and develop detailed financial modelings for future planning, allows Southern Cross Housing (SCH) to continually grow, thus creating more employment opportunities and increasing our service provisions to the Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla, and Snowy Monaro communities. Hannah has recently demonstrated her financial management expertise by successfully winning large tenders and implementing organisational mergers.
As the CFO, Hannah reports directly to the CEO and is required to provide clear and accurate assessments of SCH’s current and future financial situations to managers and the Board of Directors, to facilitate informed decision-making.
Hannah also serves as the SCH Company Secretary in all board meetings and has recently taken on the Humans Resource role to develop new and innovative protocols for people and culture management.
EMILY MCKENZIE
Emily Joined Southern Cross Housing (SCH) in 2023 she has over 12 years’ experience in the private and public sector working for organisations that include the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, NSW Land and Housing Corporation and Downer Group. Emily has extensive experience in managing complex contractual arrangements between public and private sector organisations utilising her strong background in project management, legal services, risk, governance, and compliance.
Emily is particularly passionate about organisational psychology and leadership and the potential for improving efficiency through process improvement and business strategy.
MEGAN WARD
Megan is the Group Chief Commercial Officer at Southern Cross Housing, and Licensee in Charge of C1 Property Group, a wholly owned subsidiary.
A Licensed Real Estate agent, Megan has obtained multiple qualifications along her social housing and business career. With her career within the social housing sector spanning more than 25years, Megan is a dynamic and strategic leader responsible for driving the growth and expansion of Southern Cross Housing. Primarily, Megans role is identifying new business opportunities, building and maintaining strong client relationships, and executing strategies to increase market share and revenue. Megan has a proven track record encouraging teams to deliver high levels of customer service that consistently improve social outcomes.
Joining in 2024, Megan compliments the executive team collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, overseeing marketing, client relationships, and identifying emerging trends and opportunities. In alignment with the strategic plan, Megan’s priority is to develop and implement business and growth strategies for projects that will enable both SCH and C1 Property Group to achieve its long-term objective to create more affordable home ownership and rental solutions.
Megan currently serves on the boards of the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) and Parentline ACT. An active industry and community member, Megan has volunteered in roles that work towards improving outcomes for young people and advocating for homelessness services.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
ERIC COULTER
Eric has worked in operational and management positions with Southern Cross Housing (SCH) for over a decade.
His experience includes working with clients from diverse backgrounds, specialising in social housing, crisis assistance, men and women’s refuges, domestic violence crisis, youth homelessness, indigenous housing, disability services and mental health services.
Eric has strong people management and communication skills, which is demonstrated by his rapport history with support within the Shoalhaven area, and he strongly believes better partnerships with external service providers leads to better outcomes.
Eric is passionate about ensuring our most vulnerable within our communities have a safe and secure house to live in, and that SCH continues to provide services to the local indigenous community.
AARON MOTT
Aaron has worked in the social housing sector for over 6 years, gaining knowledge and skills in project and property management that led to his current role within SCH of General Manager Property Services.
Aaron joined Southern Cross Housing in 2018 after working in facilities maintenance for over 10 years, and is a qualified and licenced electrician, with further qualifications in work health and safety.
LUKE GILLIGAN
Luke is our experienced corporate services General Manager, with a demonstrated history of working in the not-for-profit organisation management industry.
Skilled in business intelligence, systems and dashboard development, data solutions and workflow management, Luke brings strong information technology knowledge and professionalism with qualifications focused on cybersecurity, network support, business intelligence & compliance.
HOLLIE DYKES
Hollie joined Southern Cross Housing (SCH) in 2020 as a Payroll Officer, and soon after transitioned into the People and Culture team as the HR Coordinator.
Bringing with her over 5 years of experience as an Executive Assistant in the Real Estate industry, Hollie’s professional skill set encompasses not only her genuine enthusiasm for the community sector but also her expertise in administration, payroll processing, and HR-related matters.
Throughout her career, and in her personal experiences as a gymnast representing the Australian National Team in her youth, Hollie has developed a deep understanding of the value of hard work and determination in setting and achieving goals. Her exceptional communication and organisational skills allow her to quickly establish rapport and build meaningful relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders
SHANE MEIJER
Shane joined Southern Cross Housing (SCH) in November 2022, following a 17-year period with the NSW Government in Social Housing. He has held numerous positions within NSW Public Housing, with the most recent being Manager of Housing Operations for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice in Southern NSW. Shane is a passionate housing professional with a wealth of knowledge in social housing operations, policies, and processes. He is also extremely committed to his community, which he demonstrated through his role in keeping the community safe during the 2019/2020 bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Northern Region Floods by participating in several local emergency management committees. Shane is dedicated to ensuring best practices and high levels of customer satisfaction.
PETER ANDREWS
Peter joined Southern Cross Housing (SCH) in 2023, bringing with him over two decades of experience in finance and three years in the Social & Affordable Housing Sector. Peter is a Chartered Accountant and most recently was employed as the Financial Controller in the building and construction space. He brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong commercial acumen developed through years of experience in the private and social sectors.
Peter is a skilled and confident General Manager of Finance, who works alongside our Group CFO to develop and oversee the Finance Team to deliver high-level results for our organisation and our tenants.
STEPHEN KING
Stephen has recently joined the Team at Southern Cross Housing as Executive Manager Development and Construction. He holds a Diploma in Project Management and has senior management experience over 20 years in asset management. He has extensive experience in planning and delivering construction and complex upgrading programs across a large metropolitan and regional portfolio with the NSW Land and Housing Corporation.
He has been extensively involved in portfolio planning and realignment to ensure that housing assets match the needs of a changing demographic and are renewed and maximised to deliver the best outcomes for diverse client groups. He has extensive experience in affordable housing design and program delivery with a focus on new housing being fit for purpose and representing best value for money.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
SARAH SPICER
Sarah joined Southern Cross Housing in 2016, starting as a housing trainee within the Access & Demand department. By the end of 2022, She transitioned into the position of Access & Demand Team Manager.
Throughout her tenure at Southern Cross Housing, She has advanced her career by taking on various roles. Prior to her current managerial position, She served as a Senior Housing Officer, specialising in the Rent Choice Start Safely program. This role involved providing support to clients who have experienced domestic violence, aiding them in accessing safe accommodation and transitioning away from abusive situations.
To support her professional growth, She has obtained a Cert IV in Social Housing and a Diploma in Community Services.
Her true passion lies in leading her team to achieve positive housing outcomes for individuals facing homelessness. She is also committed to offering assistance to those at risk of homelessness within the private rental market, ensuring the sustainability of their tenancies.
CATHY CAMPBELL
Cathy joined Southern Cross Housing in 2019 as our Communities Assist Manager, with over 20 years’ experience in the development, implementation and management of community development projects, community engagement projects and community service programs within our local government sector.
Cathy holds an Honours Degree in Environmental Science, a Diploma of Management and is currently studying a Post Graduate Certificate in Community Development.
Cathy values working with our most vulnerable sections of the community, in particular our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’, and knows how important it is to support each tenant holistically by reducing their barriers to living a more fulfilled life. Cathy and her dedicated team lead many internal projects by developing and implementing new community development initiative, focusing on tenant outcomes, tenant satisfaction and overall community well being.
JULIE HADLEY
Julie arrived at SCH with more than 15 years of valuable experience in Property Management, gained through her work in the esteemed Shoalhaven Real Estate Industry. Since 2017, she has been an integral part of the Southern Cross Housing (SCH), serving as a Housing Officer within the Tenancy Team. In her current role, Julie and her colleagues manage a sizable portfolio of properties throughout the Shoalhaven region, providing essential services to support tenants and ensure they are able to maintain their tenancies. Through this work, Julie and the SCH team play a vital role in providing safe and secure homes for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
BLAKE DE-VISSCHER
Blake joined Southern Cross Housing in 2019 and holds a Certificate IV in Community Services. Throughout his time at Southern Cross Housing, he has developed his skills and expertise by working in various positions within the tenancy team. One notable role was that of a Tenant Support Specialist, where he provided assistance and support to tenants facing challenging circumstances.
In early 2023, he relocated to Eurobodalla and assumed the position of Tenancy Team Manager. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing tenancy management across multiple local government areas, namely Batemans Bay, Bega Valley, and Snowy Monaro.
His passion lies in supporting his team to deliver effective tenancy management services, particularly in the realm of social and affordable housing. He is dedicated to employing early intervention strategies to sustain tenancies, ensuring that our tenants can maintain secure housing within their respective communities.
JONATHON VIDAMOUR
Jonathan started his professional career in the Project Home Sector until his commencement with Southern Cross Housing in 2016. He has since seen Southern Cross Housing grow significantly in size and scope, gaining significant experience working on the Social Housing Management Transfer of around 900 properties in the Shoalhaven from Land and Housing Corporation in 2018.
Jonathan holds a Certificate IV in Social Housing, and has gained a deep understanding of the Social & Affordable Housing Sector during his tenure. This, coupled with his personable ‘can-do’ attitude has equipped him to develop strong collaborative relationships with local Support Services and Clients across our portfolio, and meaningfully contribute towards the provision of safe and secure housing for the most vulnerable members of the Communities we service.