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Our Executive Team

The CEHL executive team …

Our executive team contributes a diverse range of skills and experiences. They are committed to supporting the growth of rental co-operative housing in Victoria.

Click on each executive team member's image to discover more about them.

Liz Thomas

Managing Director

Matthew Torney

General Manager Strategy & Innovation

Alyce Holmes

General Manager Co‑op Services

Fiona McDonald

General Manager People and Culture

Stephen Yiu

General Manager Corporate Services

What is co-op housing?

A housing co-operative is a community of people who work together to meet their housing needs.

Learn more

In the spirt of reconciliation, CEHL acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's first people.

CEHL are committed to embracing diversity and eliminating discrimination.​

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Liz Thomas

Managing Director

Liz commenced as Managing Director in November 2021. She has more than 20 years Board Director and Managing Director experience in a range of companies including her own consulting practice. Liz led the transformation of Wayss housing and family violence services in Victoria. She led the development Common Ground social housing project in Tasmania and Australia’s first residential dementia village.

Liz specialises in managing change, stakeholders and bringing people together. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Sociology and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Matthew Torney

General Manager Strategy & Innovation

Matthew Torney is the General Manager of Strategy & Innovation at Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL), bringing more than two decades of experience in strategy, executive management, social infrastructure, community engagement and service design. A purpose-driven leader, Matthew thrives on solving complex social and strategic challenges, particularly in housing and community services.

 

Prior to joining CEHL, Matthew was management consultant at Right Lane Consulting, where he advised not-for-profits, government agencies, and social enterprises on strategy, service model design, and organisational transformation. His work spanned housing, disability services, aged care, community health and other non-profits, often blending human-centred design and classic strategy to help service users and providers together to develop more effective solutions.

His previous executive roles include CEO of Urban Communities, an innovative community housing provider, and an executive in the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

 

Matthew holds a B.A. (Hons, First) from the University of Melbourne and is an accredited Design Thinking practitioner. He is passionate about developing innovative responses to Australia’s housing challenges and ensuring that housing co-operatives remain a strong, sustainable pillar of the community housing sector.

Alyce Holmes

General Manager Co‑op Services

Alyce manages support services for co-operatives. With her team, Alyce guides and trains Co-op Boards to excel in their roles and contribute to business success. She’s dedicated to fostering their growth, crucial for CEHL’s ongoing success.

Alyce is a passionate data enthusiast who believes in using data to improve housing outcomes for vulnerable individuals. With experience in family violence, homelessness, university, and health sectors, she brings valuable insights to diverse business domains.

Alyce has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics.

Fiona McDonald

General Manager People and Culture

Fiona is an accomplished strategic human resources practitioner with 20 years’ experience supporting organisations in building their capability for success and strengthening governance practices.  She is passionate about developing leadership at all levels and fostering engagement and cultural strategies.

Holding a master’s degree in psychology and postgraduate diplomas in Human Resources and Ethics, Fiona is also a member of the College of Organisational Psychologists. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to working with organisations that positively impact the community.

Driven by a commitment to creating high performing, inclusive, diverse, and supportive workplace cultures, Fiona strives to cultivate environments where people feel valued, safe, and empowered to do their best work.

 

Stephen Yiu

General Manager Corporate Services

Stephen is responsible for CEHL’s treasury and financial management, business insights and analytics, and risk management practice. He has nearly 20 years of accounting experience across a variety of sectors including International Development, Public Practice, Natural Resources and Mining, and Local Government and has spent the last 10 years leading Corporate Services teams in the not-for-profit sector. Stephen’s extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and technical understanding across the finance, IT, risk and compliance areas are invaluable towards CEHL’s success.

Stephen is a qualified Chartered Accountant, with a graduate diploma in Project Management.