Meet the team

Rebecca Kotow

Chief Executive Officer

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Chief Executive Officer

Bec Kotow is our Chief Executive Officer.

Bec was appointed to the CEO role in 2024, having joined the Community Hubs Australia team in 2020 as the Head of Operations.

As a senior leader with extensive experience in the leadership of highly effective teams across program and product design, corporate responsibility, operations and change management, and communications, Bec has gained this knowledge through organisations including NAB, Telstra, Australia Post, and MYOB.

Bec holds a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Human Resource Management from the University of Southern Queensland and is a Board Director, St Bede’s College.

Hiranthi Perera

Chief Operating Officer

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Chief Operating Officer

Hiranthi Perera is our Chief Operating Officer.

Hiranthi was appointed to Chief Operating Officer in 2026, having joined the team back in 2017 as Program Manager. As a senior leader with extensive experience leading programs across the not for profit and philanthropic sectors she brings a wealth of knowledge to our network having supported its growth from 39 to over 100 hubs nationally. Hiranthi holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Promotion) from Deakin University and a MBA from RMIT University.

Julianne Gardiner

Head of Program

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Head of Program

Julianne Gardiner is our Head of Program.

Jules (as she prefers to be called) joined the CHA team in 2023 as Program Manager, to support the network of community hubs across Australia.

Jules has worked in the not-for-profit sector for more than 18 years, and has a background in teaching English as a second language. Jules holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics from Macquarie University.

Maurice Syber

Systems and Impact Manager

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Systems and Impact Manager

Maurice Syber is our Systems and Impact Manager.

Maurice applies network insights and data to inform organisational direction and strategy, supporting the sustainability and growth of the Community Hubs network. He supports both the network and CHA by developing systems, tools and processes across IT and data that are fit for purpose and responsive to network needs.

Maurice’s background is in consulting, project management, data analytics and business intelligence tools. Maurice holds a Bachelor of General Mathematics and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Monash University.

Linda Perugini

Program Manager

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Program Manager

Linda joined the Community Hubs Australia team as Program Manager in 2025, supporting the national network of hubs and working closely with our support coordinators. She has worked in the for-purpose sector since 2013, where her most recent experience has been managing neighbourhood houses. Prior to this, Linda worked as a high school teacher. She holds a Master of International Development and a Diploma of Education.

Maia Nelson

Program and Operations Coordinator

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Program and Operations Coordinator

Maia Nelson is our Program and Operations Coordinator.

Maia joined the CHA team in 2022 and is responsible for supporting the delivery of our program, working directly with schools, their hubs and support agencies as part of this.
Maia has a background working in medical practice management and administration and holds a Bachelor of Public Health and a Bachelor of Global Studies from the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.

Vincent Ngo

Data and Support Analyst

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Data and Support Analyst

Vincent Ngo is our Data and Support Analyst.

Vincent joins us this year, helping to ensure high data quality, while also supporting the maintenance and enhancement of our data platforms and reporting.

Prior to joining our team, Vincent taught mathematics and physics before moving into data science. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Teaching from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Data Science from Monash University.