Our Team

CHAIR & DIRECTOR

Mrs Blanden is the Principal of Warakirri College, a school for disadvantaged young people who are reconnecting with education. In addition to her 30 years experience in public and private sector education, Mrs Blanden has worked in the construction and finance industries, in resource development technology and in international education at tertiary level. Mrs Blanden is a committee member of the National Council of Women.

DIRECTOR

Dr. Penelope Fotheringham, BMedSci, MBBS (Hons), MPH, MSc (ID) FRANZCOG, FAFPHM an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Public Health Physician working to understand and improve health systems through improving practitioner care.

DIRECTOR

Arda Ergun GAICD is a driven leader; having gained extensive experience in Technology/SaaS and Management Consulting since her career began in 2011. Born and raised in Istanbul, she has lived and worked in Canada, The Netherlands and Australia. Arda holds a Bachelor of Business from York University, and an MBA Essentials program certificate from London School of Economics. She currently resides in Sydney and is the Regional Director, APAC Success Architects at Salesforce.

DIRECTOR & COMPANY SECRETARY

Mrs Tomlinson has extensive experience in the legal profession as a solicitor. As such she worked as an Investigative Solicitor with the Law Society of New South Wales.  Mrs Tomlinson is also a former Judicial Registrar of the Federal Court of Australia. After many years in this profession Mrs Tomlinson became a successful entrepreneur and has experience in start-up internet companies engaged in distance education.

DIRECTOR

Sam Durland, MSocSc, BE(Hons), is a Certified Management Consultant, a Chartered Professional Engineer and a Certified Executive Coach. Sam’s international development consulting work has taken him to more than 20 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and South America. He has held senior executive positions with private enterprise, statutory authorities and government departments in Australia and overseas. He has served on more than 20 boards of public and private companies, government bodies and non-government organisations.

BOARD OBSERVER

Lise Kay, is the Group Chief Marketing Officer at HMC Capital, an ASX‑listed diversified alternative asset manager investing across real estate, private equity, energy transition, digital infrastructure and private credit. In this role, Lise leads the strategic direction and execution of marketing, corporate communications and social license initiatives across the group. Prior to HMC Capital, Lise was the inaugural Chief Marketing Officer at Asia-Pacific & Middle East hyperscale data centre operator, AirTrunk. Over nine years, she played a pivotal role in the company’s exponential growth helping to attract customers, talent and investment. She was the driving force behind one of the industry’s most recognised brands and established AirTrunk’s reputation as a global leader in hyperscale data centres, innovation and sustainability. For a number of years, her remit also spanned oversight of customer success and social impact functions, and she spearheaded the development of AirTrunk’s ground-breaking social impact program across the APAC region and ensured the program’s robust governance as a board-appointed member of the oversight committee. Earlier in her career, Lise held senior roles at Fairfax Media (now Nine Entertainment Co.) as Director of Trade Marketing for leading national mastheads including The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

BOARD OBSERVER

Anna Bezuglova is a governance and engagement professional at the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), where she works with directors and executives to build governance capability and advance board pathways across Australia's corporate and not-for-profit sectors.

Her background spans governance, strategic advisory, and marketing, including founding Female Frontier, an initiative supporting female leaders to strengthen their professional presence and expand their influence. This work gave Anna first-hand insight into the barriers women face in accessing leadership and opportunity, experience she carries directly into her governance practice. Anna brings to Women's Plans Foundation a rigorous understanding of board dynamics, a commitment to purpose-driven governance, and a genuine belief in the power of organisations that exist to advance women's economic agency and long-term wellbeing.