National Certification Council

Made up of representatives from industry and academia, the National Certification Council (NCC) oversees the HR standards, administration and decision making that result in the credentialling of eligible candidates seeking HR certification.

On successful completion of the four units of the AHRI Practising Certification Program (APC), candidates are eligible, at the discretion of the NCC, to be awarded HR certification and to use the CPHR and/or FCPHR post-nominal. The NCC also reviews applications for HR certification via the Senior Leaders Pathway, Academic Pathway and Reciprocal Memberships.

MATT CONNELL FCPHR

Chair, National Certification Council | State President, Victoria | Non-Executive Director, AHRI | Executive Workplace Consultant

After completing a degree in Management (majoring in HR), Matt has worked in Community Services/Not for Profits, Local Government, Travel, and Hospitality in various head of HR roles. During this time, he has started HR/OD and People & Culture functions in medium to large organisations leading highly engaged teams to manage complex IR/ER issues in challenging industries and environments. He is currently the General Manger, People & Culture for a newly merged organisation, Multicultural Community Services Geelong.

An experienced speaker and presenter, Matt is passionate about developing constructive leadership capabilities in others so they may better empower, engage and enhance performance in their own team members.

Matt has been a Councillor of AHRI in Victoria since 2015 and was nominated by his peers as Victorian State President role since the start of 2019. As a certified HR practitioner Matt is a passionate advocate for the industry in this volunteer role.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-connell-fcphr-49800636/

DR JOHN MOLINEUX FCPHR

Member, Advisory Research Panel | Senior Lecturer, Human Resource Management, Deakin University

Dr John Molineux currently teaches in the MBA and Master of Leadership programs at Deakin University, where he mentors and supervises PhD students. His research focuses on in human performance and wellbeing, as well as strategic HRM, organisation change and action.

Prior to 2010, Molineux had over 30 years’ experience as an HR director, manager, practitioner, trainer and strategist in several organisations. His PhD in Strategic HRM and Cultural Change was undertaken when he was HR strategist at the Australian Taxation Office.

As a volunteer with AHRI, John has been a Victorian State Council, including establishing the Diversity and work-life balance network, and has been involved in a wide range of AHRI activities, including mentoring HR professionals. John is also an academic member of ANZAM (Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management), and a member of the Society for HRM (USA).

At the 2015 AHRI Convention, he presented the findings of a joint research project with AHRI and Dr Adam Fraser on HR roles and psychological resilience.

linkedin.com/in/john-molineux-97624429

NOEL PEARSE FAHRI

Director, Cleverspace Pty Ltd.

Noel is a Fellow of AHRI and has been both past NSW State President and Board Member of AHRI.

Noel has lead HR functions Australia, Asia and Europe within a diverse range of industries including stevedoring and logistics, hospitality, property, construction, advertising and communications and FMCG.

He has lead significant HR initiatives across the portfolio of HR responsibilities and has a passion for the development of HR capability and contribution to the business.

Noel was awarded the Australian Human Resource Institute medal for contribution to the Human Resources function.

linkedin.com/in/noel-pearse-fahri-a3660b4

SAM SHEPPARD FAHRI

Chief People Officer, Blackwoods

Sam has over 25 years of HR leadership experience driving people strategies to drive business growth, cultural change and high performing teams. Sam has worked in manufacturing, industrial and financial services sectors and has experience of working in the UK, US, Europe, Asia and Australia & New Zealand. She has held Executive roles at Deloitte Australia, Will Gallagher, Wesfarmers Insurance, Commonwealth Bank, General Electric and Eastman Chemical Company.

Sam’s areas of specialist focus include leadership development, strategic talent management/executive assessment and business turnarounds. 

linkedin.com/in/sam-sheppard-65b2325

TANYA HAMMOND FCPHR

Chair, AHRI Advisory Research Panel | Member, National Accreditation Committee | CEO & Chief Collaborator, Tailored HR Solutions

Tanya Hammond is a highly experienced researcher and management consultant in the area of people, people capabilities and structures. She has achieved this over the past 20 years working as an HR practitioner, management consultant, lecturer and facilitator.

Hammond is very passionate about the HR profession and the value capable HR practitioners can add and contribute to both the success of an organisation and in creating the right environment where people are engaged and effective.

She is currently undertaking research at UNSW, Canberra, in the area of whether ‘just anyone’ can do HR and is committed to drawing on this research to contribute to her role on the National Certification Council.

linkedin.com/in/tanya-hammond-fcphr-2a291211

Dr Maresa Seabrook CPHR Chartered MCIPD

Councillor, AHRI Victoria State Council| Head of People – Workforce Strategy at RMIT

Dr Maresa Seabrook currently leads the ‘Academic and Educator of the Future’ Workforce Strategy project at RMIT, which plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the academic workforce aligns with RMIT’s strategy and remains competitive in the coming decade.

Before taking on this project, Maresa held a significant role within the RMIT People team managing large-scale transformation efforts to deliver on required commercial and business initiative outcomes and partnering with C-suite executives to enhance organisational leadership capability and talent succession planning.

In her senior appointments at Charles Darwin University Maresa’s key responsibility was to serve as a trusted adviser to executive leadership by providing recommendations on workforce impacts, budgeting, forecasting, and financial management. Through her collaborative stakeholder management approach, she had a significant impact on employee retention,  engagement and performance management.

Prior to joining the higher education sector, Maresa lead People and Culture functions for private sector organisations, where she ensured organisational legislative and governance compliance.

Maresa’s academic background significantly complements her HR executive expertise. She holds a PhD in Human Resources from the University of Sydney Business School and two Master’s degrees in HR/IR and International Management. This academic foundation, coupled with her professional associations and memberships, ensures a best practice approach to HR and industrial relations.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maresa-seabrook/

Jessica Kaaden FCPHR

Director of People and Strategic Delivery, Trust For Nature

Jess is a people-centric and engaging leader with a passion for guiding for-purpose organisations through periods of change, digital transformations, and growth.

Jessica is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors, a Certified HR Fellow, holds a Master of Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Public Relations. Jessica has close to 20 years experience on Boards and Advisory Groups, and four years in senior executive positions in the non-profit sector. In 2022, Jessica was a finalist for Leader of the Year, and is a recognised public speaker on inclusive leadership.

Jess has a structured and analytical approach to defining success and strategic goals and a relational approach to bringing others along and inspiring commitment to achieve it. She is also an avid reader, public speaker and disability advocate.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-kaaden/

Beth Hall CPHR

General Manager, HR Standards & Learning, AHRI

Beth is a commercially driven leader who balances the needs of the business with the needs of people, with over 15 years’ experience in people and culture. Beth has experience working with organisations across multiple sectors, most recently with high-performing, complex and dynamic organisations that have geographically dispersed teams. Beth is experienced in designing, delivering and embedding organisational strategy across all stages of the people lifecycle. Beth is passionate and accomplished in identifying emerging trends that affect people to then build strategies that enable wellness, development, performance and engagement.

Beth’s work at AHRI underscores her commitment to advancing the HR profession, ensuring it remains at the forefront of creating positive and productive work environments.

Beth has a Masters in Organisational Psychology from the University of London.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethhall/

Jacqui Curtis PSM FCPHR

Non-Executive Director

Jacqui is Chief Operating Officer of the Australian Taxation Office, leading the Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Operations (ESCO) group responsible for the ATO’s key corporate strategy and services functions; having joined the ATO in September 2013 as Deputy Commissioner, ATO People.

Prior to joining the ATO, Jacqui was General Manager of the People Capability Division at the Department of Human Services and has worked for the Australian Public Service Commission.

Jacqui holds an Executive Master in Public Administration from the Australian National University. She is an AHRI Fellow Certified HR Practitioner and was Adjunct Professor University of Canberra from 2018 – 2022.

In October 2019, Jacqui was appointed the inaugural Head of the APS HR Professional Stream.  In 2022, Jacqui received the ‘Award for Excellence in Public Service’ Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Jacqui is Chair of AHRIs Public Sector Advisory Panel, a member of AHRIs National Certification Council and joined the AHRI board as a non-executive director in 2024.

Alison Stott FCPHR

Deputy Commissioner, ATO People at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO),

Alison Stott is Deputy Commissioner, ATO People at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), leading several functions, all of which are crucial to developing initiatives to enhance the performance of the ATO. Alison is recognised for her HR transformation skills, which is essential for this role, as she is responsible for leading and implementing contemporary HR strategies, solutions, operations and corporate services that position and align the ATO into the future. This includes reshaping the workforce to better reflect the Australian community, complex people change, talent management, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, workforce planning, work health and safety, recruitment, payroll, compliance and enterprise bargaining.

As a committed HR Professional with over 10 years’ experience at the SES level across multiple agencies and ACT Government, Alison has extensive knowledge and connections throughout the Australian Public Service (APS). This ensures the ATO and its people function has a strategic and competitive approach in improving HR practices across the Commonwealth.

Alison is an advisory group member for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – an international platform with 38 member countries collaborating on challenges and best practices. She is focussed on elevating the HR profession and sharing her HR expertise for the greater good of the APS and broader HR communities.

Alison is a passionate HR Professional, with a collaborative approach and a keenness to continual professional development, whilst ensuring high standards are met in delivering on Government priorities.

Alison holds a Master of Arts Public Sector Management from Griffith University, is a Fellow of Australian Human Resource Institute and is a strong supporter of the APS HR Professional Stream.