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Scope is driven by a passionate and dedicated Executive Leadership Team who are committed to making a lasting impact in the lives of people with disability.

Our Executive Leadership Team comprises of a diverse group of accomplished professionals, each bringing a wealth of expertise and a shared vision of fostering inclusion and empowerment.

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Lisa Evans

Chief Executive Officer

Lisa Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of Scope Australia, one of Australia’s largest and most trusted providers of disability services. 

With more than 35 years of leadership experience across the health and disability sectors, Lisa is a passionate advocate for supporting people with disability to belong and thrive. A Registered Nurse with a Graduate Diploma in Community Health, she has held senior roles in both public and private health, including as Director of Nursing at St John of God Berwick Hospital (2014 – 2019), CEO of St John of God Accord (2019 – 2023) as well as Group Director of Community Services (2021 – 2022), where she oversaw major organisational and service transformations. 

Since joining Scope in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, Lisa has played a key role in strengthening operational performance, embedding the One Scope approach, and building strong connections between staff, clients, and communities. 

Lisa brings a unique combination of clinical expertise, strategic insight, and lived experience as the parent of a young man with disability. This blend of personal understanding and professional skill underpins her authentic leadership style and deep commitment to inclusion, quality, and collaboration. 

Under Lisa’s leadership, Scope continues to evolve as a forward-looking organisation, combining stability and experience with innovation, growth, and new energy to meet the changing needs of people with disability and the sector. 

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Nicole Standfield

Acting Chief Operating Officer

Nicole Standfield is the Acting Chief Operating Officer at Scope Australia. She brings more than 20 years of experience across health, aged care, and disability services, with a strong focus on operational excellence, service quality, and supporting people to belong and thrive. 

Since joining Scope in 2023 as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Nicole has played a key role in leading service delivery across the organisation, strengthening systems and processes, and supporting teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred support. 

Before joining Scope, Nicole held senior leadership roles across the care sector, including Regional Operations Manager (VIC/TAS) for Calvary Health Care, General Manager at Care With Quality and SAI Home & Community Care, and project and operational management roles at Australian Unity. Her background spans both strategic and frontline leadership, giving her deep insight into the people, processes, and partnerships that underpin effective service delivery. 

Nicole holds an MBA from Deakin University and postgraduate qualifications in Aged Care and Nursing from La Trobe University and is also a qualified Neuro Linguistic Programming Leadership Coach She is passionate about leading through collaboration, continuous improvement, and integrity, ensuring Scope continues to deliver consistent, safe, and innovative services across Australia. 

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Liz Cairns

Chief Strategy and Risk Officer

Liz joins Scope with over 25 years’ experience in the areas of health and disability in both New Zealand and Australia. Liz’s career has focused on using her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector to impact significant disability reform particularly over the past five years. 

Liz previously held the role of Head of Strategy, Sectors and Research at the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) where she worked closely with the TAC Board to develop, implement, and execute the TAC long term strategy and to develop key national and international strategic partnerships in improved client outcomes and experiences.

Prior to the TAC, Liz held the role of Director Health and Disability Advisory at Price Waterhouse Coopers before moving to the National Disability Insurance Agency as the inaugural Victorian trial site manager, and then as General Manager Operations. As a further testament to Liz’s skill, in 2020 she was seconded to the DHHS to lead the Government’s Covid response in the highly vulnerable non-Government social housing sector (Supported Residential Services, rooming houses, boarding hostels).

Liz also brings to Scope significant experience in organisational service design and development and is highly motivated to finesse and implement systems to improve the lives and experiences of service users. Liz has working knowledge of Scope, having been previously appointed to our Disability Royal Commission Independent Advisory Committee and our Risk and Audit Committee in 2019.

Liz is currently appointed to the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Premium Committee for SIRA NSW, is President and Member of the Rotary Club of Kardinia, and Advisory Board member for Access Your Supports.

Debra Benger

Debra Benger

Chief Quality, Safeguarding and Practice Officer

Debra joined Scope in 2024 as Scope in the role of Chief Quality, Safeguarding and Practice Officer.

Debra is an experienced executive with extensive health care, aged care and disability sector experience. She combines a high level of commercial acumen with systems thinking and has a passion to embed the consumer voice.  

Debra has come from her role as Executive Lead Quality & Risk at Maxlife Care and was previously General Manager Bodewell Community Care (Home Care Division of Arcare Aged Care).  She has also held senior Allied Health roles at St Vincent’s Private Hospital and on their Executive Standard 2 (Partnering with Consumers) Committee.  

Her academic qualifications include Master of Health Administration, Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy), Certificate IV in Frontline Management, Graduate Diploma in Manipulative Physiotherapy and she is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management.

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Bruce McCowan

Chief People Officer

Bruce joined Scope as the Interim Chief People Officer in late 2022 and was appointed as Chief People Officer in May 2023.

An experienced Executive, human resources leader, consultant and Board Director, Bruce has a strong background in organisational transformation through alignment of business and HR strategy. Bruce has a particular interest in culture change and improving leadership capabilities.

Bruce has experience in the disability sector, both in an Executive role and serving as a Board Member in two different disability services organisations, including Chair of Quality and Client Safeguarding Committee and Chair Governance and Remuneration Committee

Bruce serves as the Chair of the White Ribbon Australia Workplace Accreditation Panel and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

John Preston

John Preston

Chief Employment Pathways Officer 

John is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience within the disability sector. During this time, he has held a variety of senior leadership roles and served as a board director. He possesses a deep knowledge of the sector and has overseen a wide array of services across dispersed geographies.  

Prior to joining Scope, John worked for Northcott as their State Operations Manager, leading their transition to the NDIS and overseeing a period of significant growth.  

John joined Scope as an Executive General Manager at DSA, where he has played a pivotal role in leading transformative programs and welcoming DSA to the Scope family.  

John has a passion for improving practice, with a special interest in active support and the development of valued roles. 

Leanne Dillon

Leanne Dillon

Chief Legal Officer

Leanne joined Scope in 2024. With more than 25 years’ experience in health and disability services, Leanne has focused her career primarily in the public/for purpose sector. 

Holding qualifications in law, business administration and nursing, Leanne has held diverse executive and senior management roles.

Leanne has a passion for using her skills and expertise to improve the lives of vulnerable people and believes that client focussed, and co-designed services empower individuals to belong and thrive. 

Before joining Scope, Leanne was General Counsel and Board Secretary at the Royal Women’s Hospital (The Women’s) in Melbourne, where she helped Melbourne’s leading women’s hospital operate successfully within the complex regulatory and legislative framework in which it delivers services. 

Leanne has held a number of roles including Manager Legal and Compliance with Dental Health Services Australia, Director Governance and Board Secretary with the National Disability Insurance Agency, Director Clinical Governance and Medico-Legal with Western Health Footscray, and Legal Counsel and Board Secretary at Western Health.

Leanne also served as a Director and Committee member over a seven-year period from 2014 – 2021 for cohealth, a not-for-profit community health organisation servicing a broad area of high-growth communities across Melbourne’s northern, western and inner suburbs.

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Joel Chibert

Chief Financial Officer

Joel joined Scope as Chief Financial Officer in June 2024.

Joel holds as Bachelor of Commerce and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Joel is an experienced financial and corporate services executive with extensive experience across a range of sectors including education, health, scientific research and development, and professional services.

He is currently a Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee and a Board member of Austin Health.

Previously Joel was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Melbourne Business School. Prior to that he was Chief Financial Officer at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and has held a range of senior finance roles with Monash University.

Joel is passionate about transformational change, best practice service delivery, sound financial management and ensuring the Scope community are well supported.

Amrita Ahluwalia

Amrita Ahluwalia

Chief Transformation Officer

Amrita joined Scope in April 2025, taking on the role of Chief Transformation Officer.

She has significant experience in executive and senior management roles, with expertise in leading transformation in the health and disability sector. Most recently, Amrita held the role of Executive Director Transformation at Better Health Network (BHN), which was formed through the tri-party merger of 3 Victorian community health organisations in 2022. Amrita had responsibility to support the 3 CEOs and Boards with the merger and establish and lead the Office of Transformation to integrate these 3 organisations. Amrita’s role also included executive leadership in the portfolios of Business Intelligence, Systems, Marketing, Communications and Client Experience. Prior to BHN, Amrita held the role of General Manager Strategy, Transformation and Disability Services at CBCHS (now BHN) where she was responsible for organisation wide strategic business planning and transformation, sustainability and growth of multi-site NDIS services, establishing and leading the BI function and enhancing organisational brand awareness.

Before moving to health and disability sector, Amrita held various management and analyst roles at Deloitte in both Australia and the UK, including Director of Corporate Advisory Services. Amrita also brings to Scope governance and NFP sector experience through her current and past Board roles at Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) and Your Best Life Disability and Health Services.