Meet Cara's Board of Directors
Cara is governed by a Board of Directors, a group of South Australian business leaders, including several with lived experience of disability, all committed to guiding our strategic direction and business performance.
Matthew Nicholls
President
Matthew joined Cara’s Board of Directors in 2018 as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee and was elected as President in 2022. Matthew brings over 30 years of experience in a range of roles across public administration, consulting, and corporate finance.
Matthew is a fierce advocate of people with a disability and pursues this in his workplace and through his business contacts. He brings a lived experience of disability having lost both of his arms in a farming accident at a young age.
He says “Cara has an exceptional team that delivers outstanding services to many special and vulnerable people in our society. It is a privilege to work with the Board and our Cara Team to consistently make a difference in the lives of our customers.”
Pamela Lee
Vice President
Pamela is an experienced board member and senior executive with an MBA, degree in applied economics, post graduate qualifications in strategic management, governance, and risk management; with senior executive career in federal, state and local government, banking, insurance, superannuation and water utility sectors.
Pamela joined the Cara Board of Directors in late 2015; is the Chair of Governance and Risk and a member of the Client Experience Committee and Remuneration and Nominations Committee of the Board. She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, an member of the Leaders Institute of South Australia, Governor’s Leadership Foundation, certified member of Australian Human Resource Institute, and is internationally accredited in change management (PROCSI).
Pamela is a past recipient of a Telstra Business Women’s Award.
Michael Hutchison
Michael is a qualified town planner with significant experience across all aspects of urban planning, in both the public and private sectors, with a special interest in social housing. Michael also brings lived experience of disability after having lost his sight in 2015. It was this experience that motivated him to join the Board, having attended a CARA event and being heartened by the [amazing empathy and support] that he received from CARA staff.
Michael has been serving on the CARA Board since July 2017. He is also a Director on two Board sub-committees, The Finance and Audit committee and the Client Engagement Committee.
Michael is passionate about improving the quality, location and accessibility of the houses our Clients will live in.
Sam Scammell
Sam Scammell joined Cara’s Board of Directors in 2021, bringing with him extensive CEO and executive management experience across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, mining, insurance, and agriculture. With a proven track record of managing businesses both domestically and internationally, Sam excels in driving product and market development to achieve profitable growth. His expertise in developing and executing strategic plans, turnaround initiatives, and organization-wide transformation programs is invaluable to Cara.
For nearly 15 years, Sam has made significant contributions to the NDIS/Disability sector, serving as Director of several NDIS service providers that offer employment, supported independent living, and early childhood disability services. His focus on building sustainable, purpose-driven organizations that thrive in the NDIS landscape aligns perfectly with Cara’s mission. Additionally, as a Director of TAFE SA, Sam played a crucial role in restoring its leading position in the VET sector through a comprehensive transformation program.
Sam’s involvement in the establishment and management of cooperatives and mutuals highlights his commitment to sustainable organizational structures. Beyond his role at Cara, he provides coaching and mentoring to CEOs and owners, undertakes interim executive roles, and develops and manages cooperative and mutual organizations. Sam’s background as a corporate lawyer, combined with his experience in Chief Executive and general management roles, equips him with a comprehensive understanding of strategy, planning, business development, operations, and logistics.
Sam holds a Master of Business Administration and formal qualifications in Law and Economics, further enhancing his capability to contribute to Cara’s strategic objectives.
Jack Snelling
Jack Snelling retired from politics in March 2018 after an impactful 20-year tenure in the South Australian parliament, including 8 years as a minister. Renowned for his leadership of complex reforms, Jack was a staunch advocate for these initiatives, communicating their benefits to the South Australian public. His achievements include overseeing the largest infrastructure project in South Australian history, the New Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Jack serves on the boards of the Northeastern Community Hospital and St Benedict School and is the CEO of international development charity, Bright Futures.
Jack Snelling is highly respected for his integrity, his ability to champion complex and challenging reforms, and his talent for fostering consensus among diverse parties. Since 2023, he has been contributing his expertise as a member of the Board of Directors for Cara.
Caroline Patrick
Caroline Patrick is an experienced executive and non-executive director with 25 years’ experience in customer, brand and marketing in complex and highly regulated sectors.
Caroline holds a BA (Hons) in Marketing, an MBA, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has post graduate certifications from Harvard Business School and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Caroline was awarded the Certified Practicing Marketer of the Year Award by the Australian Marketing Institute and is a Chief Executive Women Scholar.
Caroline has served on the Boards of several disability services organisations across two decades and is inspired by Cara’s purpose to empower people for greater independence.
Caroline is a member of Cara’s Governance and Risk Committee and is Chair of the Client Engagement Committee.
Andrew Aitken
Andrew comes to us with extensive senior leadership experience, including a rewarding 10 years as CEO of Adelaide Hills Council. He has held a number of commercial and community board and committee roles, including in the waste, tourism, emergency management, education and arts sectors, and is a past President and Board Member of Local Government Professionals SA.
With a strong background in strategic planning, human resources, organisational development and change management, Andrew brings with him an intricate understanding of how leadership links to people, culture and sustainable organisational performance.
Partnering, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and problem solving have been features of his career. Andrew has a passion for social, economic and environmental prosperity, social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, innovation and customer service excellence.
The vision of Cara to enable people with disability to be supported, empowered, independent and to grow as individuals and live their lives rich with opportunities is closely aligned with Andrew’s values. When the opportunity arose to contribute to this purpose, Andrew wholeheartedly embraced it.
