Executive Team
David
CEO
Media and Communication Advisory Board
David Curl, MA (Oxf) PhD (Monash)
Father, film-maker, scientist and writer, David’s career bridges art and science. An award-winning cinematographer, director and producer, he has created and worked on numerous international films, produced media for TV, radio, print and online, and worked in science and wildlife conservation. He has been a long-time contributor to national policy development in a number of fields, and has been an active Board Member of the prestigious Australian Directors Guild, Australian Cinematographers Society and Alice Desert Festival. Currently CEO of Australian non-profit For Kids Sake, and member of a Cafcass (UK) Advisory Board, he has met with many politicians and industry leaders as part of a social impact campaign for children’s rights and better, health-focused approaches to help families in crisis.
Jane
Board Member, UK
Family and Community Advisory Board
Jane Jackson
Jane was the founder of the Bristol Grandparents Support Group, a well-respected UK organisation helping grandparents and other relatives experiencing family breakdown. A full-time carer to her own mum for many years and with two sons herself, she was a School Teaching Assistant for 15 years, supporting Special Needs children and children with low self-esteem. She has qualification to teach PHSE (Personal, Health, Social Education), was a Union Learning Representative for several years, and spent four years as the chair of governors at a primary school in England’s south-west.
Karen
Board Member, AU
Schools Advisory Board
Karen Clarke
Karen is the author of From Bullied to Brilliant, a fresh look at the nature of bullying and how best to deal with it, and director of Powerful Positive People. A qualified Trainer of NLP and Time Line Therapy® Coach, Karen helps children, adults, performers and athletes overcome confidence and self-esteem issues. Karen has a broad understanding of the dynamics of personal interactions, particularly bullying and social isolation, through both her professional and personal life. As a coach, she has seen how even the most hostile of parents, in seemingly intractable disputes with ex-partners, can be supported and coached towards better outcomes for themselves and their families.
Nick
Board Member, UK
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Board
Nick Child BSc MB ChB MRCPsych Mphil
A child psychiatrist with the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Scotland until 2003, Nick Child grew up in India and has lived in Scotland for the past 50 years. Over the past two decades, he has worked as a family therapist in Edinburgh’s voluntary sector team while campaigning initially for the extension of the scope of family therapy and, more recently, for a wider recognition of the nightmare faced by many separating families and their children as a result of the systems we currently have in place to deal with family breakdown.
Olivier
Board Member, EU
Management & Social Media
Olivier Vanhaelen
Born and raised in Belgium, Olivier Vanhaelen studied Commercial Science and Marketing before becoming an entrepreneur. For three decades, he has worked as an engineer in Belgium, initiating and leading many innovative, high-tech and energy projects. For the past 12 years, having studied Applied Psychology, trained as a coach and contact facilitator, and gained accreditation as a court expert, he has been working with family courts and supporting families, practitioners, and organisations dealing with family breakdown. A member of several international organisations, and fluent in three languages, he leads courses, workshops and training for professionals who work with families.
Philip
Chair, Advisory Boards
Law and Justice
Advisory Board
Philip Marcus LL.B LL.M
Philip Marcus is part of a large, happy family, with children and grandchildren, in Israel. After completing his law degree at University College, London, he moved to Jerusalem in 1978 and was admitted as an Advocate at the Israel Bar in 1979. In 1995, Philip was appointed a Judge of the Jerusalem Magistrates Court and served as a Judge of the Family Court from its inception in 1997 until 2012, during which time he obtained his Master’s degree in Law from Haifa University. He has lectured on five continents and is a consultant to organisations and governments around the world (including the Israeli Knesset) on family court system reform, interdisciplinary collaboration, prevention of harm to children and legislation involving children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Toni
Board Member, AU
Media and Communication Advisory Board
Toni Leahy
Born and raised on the South Island of New Zealand, Toni is an award-winning technical producer with a career in radio at both New Zealand’s and Australia’s national broadcasters. Having undertaken courses in life coaching, explored family therapy practices, and volunteered as a Counsellor with Youthline in New Zealand, she brings a wealth of practical experiences and ideas to the work of Two Wishes. She has been a Board Member of For Kids Sake since 2018. She has two sons and is passionate about ensuring that all children get the best possible start in life.
Xiaojie
Board Member, USA
Fund-raising &
Media and Communication Advisory Board
Xiaojie Zheng
Born and raised in Wenzhou, Xiaojie Zheng is an artist with two decades’ experience in creating, teaching, exhibiting and curating fine art, as well as in administration, management, sales and consultancy in art businesses. Having studied art education, fine arts and art gallery management in China, the Netherlands and the USA, she has built an extensive network of contacts throughout the global arts community. A member of non-profit Boards for the past five years, she has successfully used arts and crafts to raise funds and community awareness for social issues and worked as a volunteer helping children and families in crisis. Fluent in English as well as Mandarin, and herself a mother of two children, her work has taken her around the globe, from China, to Europe and the USA.