The FCA board, which meets at least six times per year, is made up of seven directors: four are elected from the financial counselling sector, while three external, skills-based directors are appointed by the board. All directors serve a three-year term, with a maximum of two continuous terms.
Directors from the financial counselling sector need to be accredited financial counsellors and are elected by the Representative Council. Any accredited financial counsellor can apply for a position on the board in an election. However, if a state or territory president is elected, they need to resign from that role.
Board members
Kylie Holford
Chair
Diploma in Counselling, Diploma in Community Service (Financial Counselling), Certificate IV in Training and Assessing, Certificate in Gambling Counselling, Certificate in Professional Supervision, GAICD.
Kylie was appointed to the FCA Board in 2020 and was appointed Chair in December 2024. Kylie has been a member of the FCA Nominations Committee since 2021.
Kylie joined the financial counselling sector in 2014 and currently works as a senior financial counsellor in Central West NSW. Kylie has experience as a trainer/assessor in the financial counselling field.
She has previously been director and deputy chair of Financial Counsellors of NSW (FCAN) and served as the FCAN representative on the FCA Representative Council and the NSW Economic Abuse Reference Group. Kylie has also served as the FCA representative on the AER Game Changer Design Group and The Sylvan Implementation Working Group.
Kylie is passionate and driven by FCA’s vision of an Australia with fewer people in financial hardship.
Vicki Penner
Financial Counsellor Director
B. Applied Business (Management), Diploma in Community Services (Financial Counselling), Specialist Problem Gambling Skill Set, Certificate in Professional Supervision.
Vicki Penner is the Queensland Manager for The Salvation Army’s Moneycare Financial Counselling Program.
She has held various executive roles in the Financial Counsellors’ Association of Queensland, including Chair and National Representative for Financial Counselling Australia. With over 18 years experience in the community services sector, Vicki has spent nine years with the Gambling Help Service in Queensland, contributing to initiatives aimed at reducing gambling harm across Australia.
Prior to her career in community services, she worked as a recruitment consultant and managed the financial operations of a commercial construction business for 15 years.
Carly Baker
Financial Counsellor Director
Diploma in Community Service (Financial Counselling)
Carly came to financial counselling in 2011 and is a senior financial counsellor who has covered many specialities throughout her career.
She is currently working for Good Shepherd ANZ in the Financial Independence Hub. Carly was the Chairperson of Financial Counselling Victoria for three years and was a Board member before that. Carly has previously served as the Financial Counselling Victoria representative on the FCA Representative Council.
Carolyn Piper
Financial Counsellor Director
Diploma in Community Service (Financial Counselling), Diploma in Community Services Coordination, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE), Certificate in Financial Markets
Carolyn Piper is the coordinator for the Financial Wellbeing & Emergency Assistance Program with Anglicare SA. Carolyn has been in the financial counselling sector since 2011, initially working at a statewide homelessness program before transitioning into a coordinator role overseeing all financial counselling programs at Anglicare SA. With the introduction of the Financial Wellbeing Program, she has focused her efforts on Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Before her work in financial counselling, Carolyn spent over 20 years in the corporate banking sector. She also served as the Chairperson of the South Australian Financial Counsellors Association (SAFCA) for six years, following a tenure as a board member.
Jocelyn Furlan
Appointed Director
LLB, B.Com, FAICD
Jocelyn’s background is in financial services, with more than 25 years experience in superannuation. She holds law and commerce degrees and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She has experience as a non-executive director of a number of superannuation funds and is the Independent Chairperson of the Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee. She was the Chairperson and CEO of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal from 2007 to 2015 and was the inaugural company secretary of VicSuper.
Jocelyn has been the Chair of the Board of Strathcona Girls Grammar School since 2017 and is a non-executive director of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation.
In addition to her non-executive work, Jocelyn provides consulting services in superannuation, dispute resolution, excellence in member services, and financial services remediation.
Delia Rickard
Appointed Director
BA, LLB
Delia has worked in the area of consumer protection for the last 30 years. She has held senior roles at both ASIC and the ACCC and was most recently the Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from 2012 until early 2023. Throughout that time, she regularly worked with Financial Counselling Australia.
In 2011, Delia was awarded the Public Service medal for her work in consumer protection and financial services. She was also awarded the inaugural Law Council of Australia Consumer Rights award and the SOCAP lifetime achievement award.
Tim Barnett
Appointed Director
Tim has worked in five countries through his career (Barbados, UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia), serving and leading NGOs in the social change space and being elected as a local councillor (London) and Member of Parliament (NZ). Between 2017 and 2020 he led FinCap, a comparable entity to FCA, based in Wellington.
Between 2020 and 2024 Tim worked as Chief of Staff to Hon Selena Uibo in the Northern Territory Government, covering fourteen portfolios in that period. He is now Interim CEO of Injalak Arts Aboriginal Corporation, in the remote NT community of Gunbalanya.
He brings to the Board a love of strategy, risk and mitigation, and agencies making an impact. Plus all sorts of insights living in the heart of an Aboriginal community of 1,200 people.