Our people

Katherine Ellis (she/her)

Chief Executive Officer

Katherine joined YACVic in May 2019 and has over 25 years’ diverse experience in senior positions across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with extensive expertise in youth development policy and practice, organisational leadership and change management, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Katherine previously worked for six years in London as Director of Youth Affairs at the Commonwealth of Nations, working on youth empowerment policy and programming across 53 countries with governments, youth leaders and other stakeholders. Her career also includes five years leading and transforming the Reach Foundation, as well as periods consulting to other organisations such as Teach for Australia and the Foundation for Young Australians. Earlier, she spent over a decade in the private sector, working both in Australia and internationally in a variety of analysis, strategy and corporate social responsibility roles.

Katherine holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, a Master in e-Business, a Bachelor of Commerce, and a Diploma of Youth Work. She is also a Non-Executive Director of TRY Australia, a Mentor with Women on Boards, and a Fellow of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program.