When Leanne Chandler joined the Kilfinan Australia mentoring program, she wasn’t looking for a traditional volunteering opportunity.
As a senior executive at Origin Energy, she had spent years leading complex stakeholder environments, navigating governance challenges and influencing decision-makers. What attracted her to Kilfinan was the opportunity to contribute those skills in a different setting – alongside leaders tackling some of Australia’s most complex social challenges.
“I’d been thinking about how experienced professionals could contribute more than time alone,” Leanne says. “There are people with deep expertise in strategy, finance, governance and stakeholder engagement who can help strengthen organisations and leaders in ways that might not otherwise be accessible.”
Kilfinan’s partnership with the Origin Foundation connects senior Origin leaders with leaders from the not-for-profit sector. Through the program, Leanne was matched with Cate Akaveka, CEO of Neighbourhood Centres Queensland.
What began as a mentoring relationship quickly became an insight into the realities facing community leaders on the frontline of the cost-of-living crisis.
Representing neighbourhood centres across Queensland, Cate works within a sector experiencing increasing demand as communities grapple with housing insecurity, financial hardship, family violence and social isolation. Yet many of the organisations responding to these challenges operate with limited resources, small teams and competing priorities.
For Leanne, one of the most striking observations was not simply the scale of the social issues, but the breadth of leadership required to navigate them.
Kilfinan mentor Leanne Chandler, Origin Energy and mentee Cate Akaveka, CEO, Neighbourhood Centres QLD enjoying coffee together during one of their mentoring conversations.
“Community leaders are balancing strategy, governance, funding, stakeholder management and service delivery, often without the level of support structures that many corporate leaders take for granted,” she says.
The mentoring relationship created a space to explore those challenges.
Together, they discussed board and governance dynamics, funding approaches, stakeholder influence, organisational priorities and leadership decisions. Sometimes the conversation focused on practical problem-solving. Other times, it was simply an opportunity to test ideas, challenge assumptions or build confidence in a difficult decision.
“It can be a lonely role,” Leanne says. “Having access to an independent sounding board – someone who can bring a different perspective, ask questions and help think through options – can be incredibly valuable.”
For Cate, the value of the mentoring relationship has been both practical and personal.
“Coming from a different sector, Leanne has offered perspectives I wouldn’t have gained from someone working within my own field. Her thoughtful advice has helped me navigate organisational restructuring, how we measure our impact, and some of the more complex decisions that come with leading a growing organisation. More than that, she’s helped build my confidence as a CEO.”
Beyond the practical advice, Cate says the relationship was strengthened by Leanne’s thoughtful approach and the genuine trust they developed over time.
For not-for-profit leaders, access to this kind of strategic support is not always readily available. Yet it can make a significant difference to confidence, decision-making and leadership effectiveness.
What surprised Leanne most, however, was how much she learned in return.
“Hearing the realities of what communities are experiencing makes those issues very real,” she says. “It gives you a different perspective on leadership, on people and on the challenges many Australians are navigating every day.”
The experience has strengthened her appreciation for the role community organisations play as essential social infrastructure and reinforced the importance of cross-sector collaboration.
“Leadership capability exists in every sector,” she says. “Programs like Kilfinan create an opportunity to share that capability where it can have real impact.”
As communities face increasingly complex social and economic challenges, no single sector holds all the answers. Programs like Kilfinan create opportunities for leaders to exchange knowledge, experience and perspective across organisational boundaries, strengthening decision-making, broadening understanding and building capability where it can have the greatest impact. The result is stronger leadership, stronger organisations and ultimately stronger communities.
To learn more about becoming a Kilfinan mentor, visit here.