Our Board

Tim Costello

Tim Costello is one of Australia’s most respected community leaders and a sought after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics.

Tim is currently the Executive Director of Micah Australia which works with Christian Aid agencies and Churches to raise awareness and support for overseas Aid and Development. He is also Director of Ethical Voice through which he speaks in many contexts, both Christian and secular.

For 13 years until October 2016, Tim was Chief Executive of World Vision Australia (WVA).

Other positions Tim currently holds are Senior Advisor for the Centre for Public Christianity, Chair of the Community Council of Australia; Chief Advocate of the Thriving Communities Partnership. In 2021 he was appointed by Monash University as Chair of Peninsula Campus Community Advisory Committee.

Tim is a spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, which campaigns for law reform to prevent harm from poker machine gambling.

In earlier roles Tim was National President of the Baptist Union of Australia and Mayor of St Kilda. He has been Baptist Minister at St Kilda Baptist and Collins Street Baptist in Melbourne, as well as Executive Director of Urban Seed.

Initially Tim studied law and education at Monash University, followed by theology at the International Baptist Seminary in Rueschlikon, Switzerland. He also received a Masters Degree in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity.

In 2006 Tim was named Victoria’s Australian of the Year, in June 2005 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO); in 2004, was named Victorian of the Year; and in 1997 was named as one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures

His books include:

A Lot with a Little (2019), Faith (2016), Hope (2012), Streets of Hope: Finding God in St Kilda; Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher; and Wanna Bet? Winners and Losers in Gambling’s Luck Myth (co-written with Royce Millar).

Kevin Sheedy

Kevin Sheedy is a member of the GTM Advisory Board. Kevin is an icon in the sports world, not only for his coaching and athletic abilities but for the way he has innovated the game of AFL. Kevin has been a part of the Essendon Football Club for over 20 years, and throughout his career created 20,000 jobs, the ANZAC Day and Dreamtime matches and was a major playing in ensuring football sizes were inclusive for children. Kevin’s involvement in the AFL has also directly increased the number of Indigenous players within the sport. We can’t wait for Kevin to join us this year and see where his innovation will take us!

Vanessa Ferguson

Vanessa is an accomplished people leader and board director with over 12 years of expertise in senior and executive positions, driven by a profound passion for employee experience and technology. Holding degrees in BAppSc(Psych)(Hons) and GradDipEd(Sec), Vanessa uniquely combines her educational background with extensive industry experience. Specialising in strategic planning, international perspectives, and executive human resources leadership, she has successfully built and led a global People and Culture function, overseeing teams across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. Vanessa’s areas of expertise also extend to practices supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace, employment law, and managing cultural, operational, and technical integrations related to mergers and acquisitions. With her experience as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee for an ASX listed entity, Vanessa is well-versed in robust corporate governance practices, risk management, and driving strong performance across executive teams.