Staff


MEAA Member Central is your first point of contact for any  inquiry you may have as a MEAA member or as a creative professional looking to join MEAA.

We have trained information officers ready to answer any inquiries you may have about your employment conditions, membership status or to be put into contact with your local union representative.

MEAA Member Central: 1300 65 65 13 or email: members@meaa.org

Erin Madeley – Chief Executive
Erin joined MEAA straight out of drama school in 2005 and was the lead organiser for the ECS section before taking maternity leave in late-2016. She returned to active work as the director of the section in July 2017, and was Director, Operations before she was appointed Chief Executive in July 2022.

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Adam Portelli Deputy Chief Executive
Prior to joining MEAA, Adam worked in a variety of roles including as an employment lawyer and with the National Union of Workers (now the United Workers Union) as a National Industrial Officer. He was the Director of MEAA Media from late-2020, moving into his current role in October 2022. Adam is also the union’s Victoria/Tasmania Regional Director.

Susan Clarkson – Director, Finance
Susan Clarkson is a FCPA with over 20 years in experience in senior financial roles; she joined MEAA in 2012 and is responsible for the overall financial performance of the union in line with the relevant legislation and regulation. Susan started her career in merchant banking and over the last 15 years has worked predominately in NGOs. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Western Sydney University.

Cassie Derrick – Director, Media
Cassie has worked alongside MEAA members for over five years in the positions of Media Organiser, Organising Director and Deputy Director of the Media Section, as well as organising workers at Professionals Australia, the CFMEU and Unions NSW. She was appointed Director of Media in October 2022.

Kelly Wood – Director, Entertainment, Crew and Sport
Kelly has been Director of Entertainment, Crew and Sport since 2019. She has been an activist and worker in the union movement for more than 20 years. She has worked in both the Queensland and national offices of MEAA, and has worked full time with technicians, creatives, and venue workers in the ECS section since 2013.

Michelle Rae – Director, Equity
Michelle commenced as Director of the Equity section in January 2021. Michelle has been MEAA’s Queensland director for 13 years during which time she has been intimately involved in MEAA’s key campaigns and negotiations across the Equity, Crew and Media sections of our union. Before joining MEAA, Michelle was an organiser and campaigner at the Australian Council of Trade Unions. When she joined MEAA she had found her home. Michelle is passionate about the Australian arts industry and has worked closely with Queensland performers and creatives throughout her time at MEAA.

Paul Davies Director, Musicians; National Campaigns Director
Paul has worked as a national official for a number of unions over the past 20 years, most recently as NSW Director of Professionals Australia. He has set up and led campaigns in a many different industries, from childcare (Big Steps) to engineering and public infrastructure (Australian National Engineering Taskforce). He is motivated by the need for unions to adapt, change and grow. He has degrees in Arts and Law and is a keen amateur musician.

Jill Biddington Director, Education and Development
Jill joined MEAA in July 2021. She has more than 40 years in the union movement and is passionate about organising in the community and amongst workers to build and strengthen civil society. Jill chooses to work at MEAA because MEAA people contribute to building a stronger civil society and because she wants to strengthen workers’ rights for insecure workers to lift the safety net for all workers. Jill has worked for a range of unions in Australia and internationally including the ACTU and UnionsNSW and most recently as the Labour Migration and Pacific Organiser for Union Aid Abroad- APHEDA. She was also a panel for the Insecure Work Inquiry on behalf of the ACTU in 2012.

Mark Phillips – Director, Communications
Mark Phillips has worked as a journalist and a communications professional for 25 years. As a journalist, he was employed by Fairfax Media, News Corp and AAP, including several years in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. Prior to joining MEAA in 2015, he spent seven years at the ACTU, including as communications director.

Greg CumminsManager, Member Services
Emily SevenoaksMember Central Consultant
Liliana Blaazer GrossiMember Central Consultant
Tanya Smith – Member Central Consultant
Nicholas Anderson – Member Central Consultant
Matt Henderson – Member Central Consultant

 

Toby BorgeestNational Legal Officer
Annette Widitz – Industrial Officer (ECS)
Miles Hunt – Industrial Officer (Equity)
Tess Chappell – Industrial Officer (Equity)
Sana Shaikh – Industrial Officer (Musicians/SOMA)
James Rodgers – Industrial Officer (Media)
Billy Whitsed – Industrial Officer (Media)
Lilia Anderson– Research & Policy Lead
Matt Byrne – Politics Lead

Mark Phillips – Communications Director
Lizzie Franks – Communications Manager (MEAA Equity section)
Phill Lappin – Digital Communications Officer

Steve FurnessDigital Director
Dalin Ouch – IT Support

Jennifer O’Brien – Executive Officer
Jack Walton – Administration Officer
Maria Sorbello – Mail Clerk

Susan Clarkson – Director, Finance
Sophie Wang – Financial Accountant
Bhavank Bhardiya – Financial Accountant
Varsha Chandurkar – Financial Accountant
Vivian Tong – Financial Accountant
Martine Shqau – Payroll Officer
Frisco Carmona – Residuals Manager
Amelia JimenezResiduals Officer

Michelle RaeDirector
Jay Radford National Imports Officer
Nicholas Hope NSW Organiser
Ashley Rose Diversity Organiser
Jenna Schroder Vic Organiser
Egan Sun-Bin Qld Organiser
Andrew Markey WA Organiser
Aaron Connor SA/NT Organiser
Miles Hunt Industrial Officer (Screen)
Tess Chappell Industrial Officer (Live Performance)

Mary Cotter – Director
Alex Jones – Program Manager
Lizzie Franks – Communications Manager 

Kelly Wood – Director, ECS
Nikau Irvine – Deputy Director, ECS
Gerard Brown – NSW Screen Crew Organiser
Karina O’Callaghan – NSW Live Theatre and Venue Crew Organiser
Paul Stanley – Vic/Tas Screen Crew Organiser
Sukhmeet Grewal – Vic Live Theatre and Venue Crew Organiser
Jemma Nott – Qld Organiser
Aaron Connor – SA/NT Organiser
Andrew Markey – WA Organiser
Annette Widitz – Industrial Officer

Cassie Derrick – Director, Media 
Matthew Burton Deputy Director, Media
Mia Carey Vic/Tas Organiser
Aaron Connor SA/NT Organiser
Tiffany VenningWA Director
Harriet Blaazer-Grossi – Freelance Organiser
George KanjereFreelance Organiser
James Rodgers – Industrial Officer
Billy Whitsed – Industrial Officer

Paul Davies – Director, Musicians
Elise Chidiac – Organiser
Chloe Ann Williamson – Organiser
Sana Shaikh – Industrial Officer

Nathalie McLeanFirst Nations, First Peoples Organiser

Michelle Rae – Director, QLD/ Director Equity
Nikau Irvine – Deputy Director (ECS)
Matthew Burton – Deputy Director (Media)
Jemma Nott – Organiser (ECS Screen and Live)
Egan Sun-Bin Organiser (Equity)

Tiffany Venning – Director, WA & SA/NT
Aaron Connor – Organiser 

Adam Portelli – Deputy Chief Executive; Director, Victoria & Tasmania
Paul Stanley Organiser (ECS Screen Crew)
Mia Carey – Organiser (Media)
Sukhmeet Grewal – Organiser (ECS Venues)
Jenna SchroderOrganiser (Equity)

Keryn Anderson – Regional Organiser, WA/SA/NT
Andrew MarkeyOrganiser (Equity/ECS)