Kathryn Mandla is the CEO of the National Employment Services Association (NESA), the peak body for the Australian employment services sector. She commenced with NESA in April 2023. Kathryn is also the Chair of Families Australia, the national peak providing policy advice to the Australian Government on ways to increase the wellbeing of families.

She is a dynamic and passionate policy professional and advocate who brings three decades of experience in social policy reform spanning federal and state government and the not-for-profit sector. Kathryn believes good social policy should promote lifelong wellbeing and be co-designed with those who are likely to be impacted by it.

Prior to joining NESA, Kathryn worked for yourtown, one of Australia’s largest youth service providers, as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy. She was the inaugural Head of the National Office for Child Safety in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra and the Chair of the OECD Working Party on Social Policy from 2016-2019. Kathryn has also worked as a senior executive in the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services in various roles responsible for children, family, housing and homelessness policies, international and Commonwealth-State relations, performance and evidence.

She has also worked for the Queensland Government in central and line agency roles, including as a senior executive responsible for child protection policy and programs, and as Head of the Office for Women.

Kathryn holds Law and Arts degrees from the University of Queensland.