leadership team

Bernie has seven years’ experience at Chief Executive level and an extensive 25+ year career in community services across the NFP sector and government. Bernie brings a record of achievement in leading purpose driven organisations to grow their social impact, maximise the quality and reach of the services they provide, and their influence on government policy and future directions.

Bernie was previously Chief Executive Officer of Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS) and oversaw a significant expansion of its service reach, positioning ECMS as a leader in the provision of early childhood education services. During this time Bernie was appointed co-chair of a national peak body and was a prominent advocate for policy reforms and change to deliver better outcomes, particularly for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families.

Prior to this Bernie held executive leadership roles at Melbourne City Mission, one of the largest community organisations in Victoria, Bernie’s work saw him engaging with teams delivering child, youth and family services, education and training, aged care and disability services across many diverse and disadvantaged communities.

Silvio has worked in Executive hospital management roles in Australia and the UK from 2003. During this time he served on the Boards of not-for-profit organisations as well peak bodies. Since 2015 Silvio has worked as a consultant to government, Departments of Health, hospitals and peak bodies and has been an academic staff member teaching postgraduate students, supervising students on clinical placement and providing lectures in health and mental health reform.

Silvio has remained actively involved in volunteering in the community and brings a passion and commitment to supporting CALD communities, mental health and aged care. Silvio has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Applied Science (Org Dynamics). He is also a member of ACHSM and AASW.

Bevan manages Spectrum’s Central Support Team. A migrant himself, he worked in leadership positions spanning two countries and two different industries, roles in both corporate and government sectors. He established his Australian career by working in a both service level management and project management positions servicing the NTG in the outback Darwin.

With a passion for people, technology and leadership he completed his Microsoft Certified IT Professional Certification underpinned by his ITIL certification including various industry qualifications. Bevan has worked in service delivery and operational lead positions in South Africa servicing clients, investment giant Remgro Ltd supporting both Bloomberg and Reuters.

He opted to diversify and pursued an industry change, subsequently working in the Contact Centre industry. He worked as the Australia and New Zealand ANZ senior team leader for National Hearing Care part of the multinational Amplifon Group and has developed high performing teams in both the IT and Contact Centre industries.

Gabby is a Strategic Delivery Manager known for her strengths in risk, governance, program and portfolio management, systems analysis and business strategy; skills accumulated throughout her extensive experience working in the public and health sectors. Gabby has joined Spectrum to facilitate business planning and evaluation to support the new strategic directions.

Highly regarded as an effective and confident leader with a systems approach to linking all areas of the business to achieve shared benefits; through collaboration Gabby will be promoting effective change management and the development and uptake of frameworks and policies to embed new practices. Gabby is customer driven and results focused.

Romy Vitalien manages a range of programs at Spectrum, spanning complex and intensive case management, family and relationship services (groupwork and therapeutic casework) and a suite of settlement services including casework, youth work, community development and migration assistance.

Romy has a Masters of Social Work, a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts, and has worked extensively with people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as both a social worker and a legal practitioner.

Some highlights of Romy’s career include volunteering as a lawyer and mediator at the Legal Aid Scheme in Ghana, coordinating the reception of asylum seekers into the Australian community following their release from immigration detention facilities while working for AMES, Australian Red Cross and Life Without Barriers and working to restore contact between family members separated internationally as a result of conflict, natural disaster and forced migration with the Red Cross International Tracing Service.

Romy is driven by the opportunity to partner with newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers to become self-reliant and to participate equitably in society and to harness the enormous contributions that this resilient cohort can offer to Australian society.