ABOUT US

Co-Director

Shaan Ross-Smith

Shaan is a psychologist and mediator with over 20 years of experience in addressing domestic, sexual, and discriminatory violence. Driven by a passion for eradicating all forms of violence, she is a visionary and dedicated change-maker. Shaan excels at fostering conversations that encourage critical self-reflection on biases and exploring ways for everyone to thrive in a safe and equitable environment.

Co-Director

Kirsty Tschirpig

Kirsty is a social sciences expert with experience ranging from managing high-risk prison environments to directing operational strategies for violence prevention programs. As a mediator and passionate strategist, she is dedicated to collaborating with clients on workforce solutions that promote safe and respectful workplaces.

Consultant

Cate Darcy

Cate Darcy is a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion practitioner & Be There facilitator who is passionate about the benefits an inclusive culture can bring to individuals, organisations, and society. It was through Cate’s work in Diversity & Inclusion in the mining sector, that she recognised the important role that everyone can contribute to be effective bystanders, not only in the workplace but also in the broader community.

Cate has more than 20 years’ experience in leading cross-functional teams in the delivery of initiatives including Diversity and Inclusion, Partnerships, Events, Regulatory Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement programs. She has worked for blue-chip national and global organisations across a range of industries including Mining & Resources, Financial Services and FMCG.

Consultant

Tess Raby

Tess is a passionate advocate for equity, diversity, and the prevention of gendered violence, including violence against women. She believes that education and training are essential for building safer workplaces, homes, and communities. With extensive experience facilitating workshops and training programs, Tess empowers individuals to create meaningful change in their lives and the lives of others.

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With many years of experience leading diversity and inclusion portfolios along with domestic violence and gender equity programs in large government departments, Tess is regarded as a highly knowledgeable program manager. Her expertise is widely recognised, particularly in managing complex programs in collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, and corporate partners across the social services sector.

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Tess has also developed comprehensive workplace training programs, focusing on key areas such as responding to disclosures, preventing gendered violence, and fostering respectful, inclusive workplaces. Tess has a particular interest in the prevention of and response to coercive control and as such, has been involved in advocating for changes to the justice system.

Consultant

Hayden Whitworth

With over 20 years of executive leadership and facilitation experience, Hayden brings a wealth of expertise to his work with Be There Group clients. Known for his ability to guide complex behaviour change in a calm and empowering way, Hayden has a unique approach to tackling challenging issues, creating a safe and supportive environment for transformative growth.

Beyond his facilitation, Hayden is deeply engaged in community-based initiatives that bring people together to address complex social challenges, such as domestic violence, homelessness, and post-disaster recovery. His background in civil engineering provides him with firsthand insight into construction spaces, an experience he draws on to connect with diverse audiences. Additionally, Hayden’s time as an executive in community radio and his status as a respected Gold Coast figure further enhance his impact in these settings.

For the past seven years, Hayden has also facilitated court-ordered men’s behaviour change programs, guiding reflective learning and helping men reshape patterns of thinking and behaviours that drive violence. His dedication to positive change spans both corporate and community spaces, making him an invaluable part of the Be There Group.

Consultant

Deb Candler

Deb’s journey to becoming a facilitator with the Be There Group has been diverse and impactful. With 15 years in clinical children’s dentistry and community oral health education in Victoria and Queensland’s health sectors, along with 15 years of lecturing through the Australian Institute of Learning, Adelaide College of Divinity, and Alpha Crucis College University, her expertise spans many fields. Additionally, she brings five years of experience in professional supervision and six years of training with the Be There Group.

An accomplished speaker and a 3x published author, Deb is passionate about training, teaching, and facilitating to inspire positive change and transformation in thinking and behaviour.

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She and her husband Philip enjoy a fulfilling life on the Gold Coast, surrounded by their four adult children and ten grandchildren, and love spending time on the waterways boating or jet skiing.

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Currently, Deb focuses on co-facilitating training for the Be There Group and offering Professional Supervision, creating safe spaces for reflection and self-awareness. Her qualifications include a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision, Dual Diplomas in Business Leadership and Management, a Master’s in Theology and Leadership, and advanced diplomas in Applied Science and Oral Health Education, and Child Clinical Dentistry.

Consultant

Nadima Peer

With over 22 years as a business owner, Nadima has dedicated herself to creating an empowering work environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level. This commitment to fostering a supportive workplace culture led her to charity work and, ultimately, the field of domestic and family violence. Motivated by her passion for helping others, Nadima returned to university to earn a Bachelor of Psychological Science and Counselling.

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Today, Nadima runs her own counselling practice, specialising in women’s and couples' counselling, providing a safe and nurturing space that prioritises mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Her journey also brought her to The Be There Group, where she is dedicated to raising awareness and offering the education and support needed to prevent domestic violence. Nadima is committed to empowering individuals and communities to lead lives grounded in integrity, inclusion, and respect, making a meaningful impact in this essential area.

Consultant

Andrea McKim

Andrea has been a company director in a family business for over 30 years, providing many skills towards a healthy workplace culture; promoting open communication, inclusion, equity and respect. With a strong commitment to enhancing workplace interpersonal relationships, Andrea completed a social science degree and found her passion in coaching and education. She has since spent many years working with families in the foster care and kinship realm empowering individuals to cultivate relationships built on respect, empathy, and active communication. Andrea’s proficiencies have been educating families in violence prevention by recognising when a problematic situation is occurring that they have the skills and choices required to address any conflict. Additionally, Andrea facilitates workshops in primary and secondary schools teaching respectful relationships, fostering healthy connections and promoting a culture of respect. Andrea’s mission is simple, by raising awareness with the Be there Group, we can all play a role in preventing violence by developing effective participants who have the tools to action change within their workplace, families and communities. Andrea is dedicated to addressing systemic barriers, fostering a culture where every voice is heard and valued.

Consultant

Bernadette Murphy

Bernadette is a dedicated trauma-informed, strength and solution-based facilitator who brings a wealth of experience to the Be There Group having delivered wellbeing mentoring workshops and respectful workplace Bystander training across a range of sectors including corporate, not-for-profit, health and education.

Bernadette chose this career as she has an innate interest in human behaviour and a passion for empowering individuals to be their best self, through awareness, education and action. As part of the Be There Group, Bernadette is able to bring that passion to life by arming individuals with practical skills and strategies to be effective bystanders in the workplace, within family and the broader community.

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Bernadette has qualifications in both Behavioural Science (Psychology and Counselling) and Business Marketing. Her knowledge and experience in these fields has honed her ability to inspire engagement and active participation to drive successful workshops and build lasting impact. Bernadette prides herself on building trust, fostering respectful relationships and creating a safe and positive space for learning and growth in the people and environments she leads and works collaboratively with.

Bernadette considers herself to be a life-long learner and relishes the opportunity to bring others on that journey with her.

Consultant

Mark Morris

Mark Morris is a passionate advocate for positive masculinity and gender equality, Mark is an active dad and volunteers at his kids’ school and local football club. With more than 20 years of leadership and management experience in both public and private sectors, he specialises in People & Culture, and is an accredited executive leadership coach. Mark has extensive experience in project management, change management, HR management, strategy development and transformation.

A keen supporter of growth-mindset and continuous learning, he is passionate about culture, leadership, performance, gender equality, coaching, and allyship, and enjoys working with leaders and teams to tailor strategies for inclusive, efficient, and sustainable performance and practical success. Mark enjoys his coffee as a long black, loves talking running and running shoes, and is enjoying getting back into gardening.

Active in DEI for many years, he has recently been looking into gender equality in schools and through that advocating for more equity and inclusion in schools to help generations to come. Mark has a variety of experiences in the professional services areas and is a creative thinker and innovative problem solver. He encourages a greater focus on equity in schools & early childhood to set children on a better path early on, contributing to reduce the gender pay gap and gender-based violence downstream.

Consultant

Sheldon Smith

Having experienced initial and further education during challenging times in South Africa, Sheldon made choices early in his teaching and training career to focus on and formulate pathways to underpin access to and continued education for all South Africans.

Working in several teaching, training, and corporate social investment and development settings - including the regional resources sector, he set about fostering links and common understandings between multiple stakeholders.  On relocation to Australia in 2010, he found that similar access and inclusion barriers still existed for marginalised and historically disadvantaged Australians, most specifically the Australian First Nation’s Peoples; CALD Australians; those with neurodivergences; Women in STEM and Australians of diverse biological sex, sexualities, and genders.

Hence a natural progression to apply the skills, frameworks and lessons learned abroad to these and other marginalised groups within contemporary Australian communities. Apart from occasional teaching at Curtin University, In his day-to-day work, Sheldon is Curtin University’s Senior Diversity & Inclusion Advisor, specialising in the areas of Inclusive Practice, Cultural Change, Gender and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion. Sheldon advises locally as well as at Curtin’s regional and international campuses. Sheldon currently chairs of the University’s ALLY Network and Curtin LGBTQIA+ Advisory Group; co-leads the Creating Respectful Workplaces Capability Framework as well as Family and Domestic Violence Communities of Practice.

In 2023 and 2024 Sheldon has been working on a Griffith University and AUSMASA project focusing on ‘Building Safe and Respectful Workplaces’ analysing data and training local area champions to deliver inclusive practice messaging to workers in the resources and manufacturing sectors. These and other initiatives all highlighting his passion for meaningful corporate social investment and striving for and embracing inclusion and belonging for everyone.

Most recently in 2024, Sheldon was awarded the Chamber of Commerce and Industry award for Diversity and Inclusion as the inaugural Individual Changemaker.  

Consultant

Narelle Mason

Narelle is a Level 2 registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association. She has a background in Military and Emergency Service roles, serving six years as a frontline Police Officer, followed by ten years in the Royal Australian Airforce.

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Narelle has a wealth of experience with people from various backgrounds and has developed a deep understanding of mental health issues and the impact poor mental health can have on entire communities. She draws on her experience working in high-stress environments to facilitate programs that educate and reduce mental health stigma in the community.

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Narelle's primary focus is delivering prevention education in self-care practices and resilience within uniquely challenging environments.

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As well as her family, Narelle loves her four budgies Dev, Wilson, Poppy and Greg!

Consultant

Matt Newlands

Matt is a husband, father, and passionate mental health educator and registered counsellor. Following ten years-service as a frontline Police Officer for the South Australia Police, Matt endured significant mental distress, including personal experiences with suicide and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress and depression. More importantly, Matt learnt first-hand the life-saving impacts of having a sound understanding of mental health, and good mates checking in and supporting him through the mental distress.

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Matt is a co-founder of Frontline Mental Health, leading a team that delivers customised mental health and workplace training, employee assistance programs, counselling and keynote presentations to workplaces, organisations, and conferences around Australia.

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In 2022 Matt was awarded the Lived Experience Worker Award by Mental Health Coalition South Australia, and most recently, the 2024 South Australia Suicide Prevention Awards in the Priority Populations category.