BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KATE DEZARNAULDS

Co-Chairperson

Kate Dezarnaulds founded WorkLife in 2017 to create for herself the coworking community she so desperately needed to balance her consulting work, with her local tree-changing life in Berry NSW. Since then WorkLife has grown to a community of 70 members across three South Coast sites- Berry, Coledale and Picton. Kate’s background is as a consultant, connector and advocate who has worked with cultural organisations, not-for-profits and social ventures to increase the financial value of culture.She has previously been a Board Director for Underbelly Arts, The National Trust of Australia, Art Month Sydney and the South Coast Tourism Board. She was also the Head of Partnerships for TEDxSydney for 7 years.

KATE HASBANI

Secretary

Kate Hasbani is an individual (Affiliate) member of FWA.

She is currently Head of Legal – Pacific for WeWork.

Kate entered the flexible workspace industry in 2019 to challenge the status quo in commercial office real estate, and was instrumental to the execution of her employer’s real estate growth mandate in Australia.  As the business and market conditions evolved, Kate pivoted to drive sales execution, COVID-19 response strategy, and real estate portfolio optimisation from 2020 onwards from both a commercial and legal perspective.

Kate plays many roles in the industry – advisor, strategist, risk assessor, mentor and sometimes confidante. She is passionate about ensuring the flexible workspace sector delivers the best, and most progressive, workplace experience – both for its members and employees.

Kate has received external recognition for her execution, with The Legal 500 recognising her achievements in 2019 and 2022.

FWA Board note: Kate has joined FWA as a Supporter Member. Her capacity and representation may change when WeWork is able to rejoin the association as a Workspace Member.

JAMES BINGHAM

Treasurer

James is the Director of Alidade Australia, supporting Alidade’s growth within APAC. Alidade fundamentally believes that the future of Corporate Real Estate exists in an environment where flexibility is central to both supply and demand. James’ career experience ranges from technology in professional sports & infrastructure consulting to international office developments for NBCUniversal and workplace strategy for WeWork in New York.

Having seen the impact the flex industry can have, Alidade started to service Occupiers, Owners & Operators, navigating the implications of hybrid and flexible work. At its core Alidade is a data analytics company, simulating occupancy and using economic principles of real estate to find optimal solutions based on changing work patterns.

JESSIE GLEW

Jessie is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of WOTSO Property.

Prior to her appointment as CEO Jessie was Joint Managing Director of both WOTSO Property and BlackWall Limited (ASX: BWF), the listed property and fund manager and previous manager of WOTSO Property.

Jessie has been with the Group since early 2011 and has over 15 years’ experience in the property industry, specifically in development and operations. Jessie was a key part in the creation of the WOTSO operating business back in 2014 and holds a Bachelor of International Communication from Macquarie University and a class one NSW real estate licence.

Jessie joined the Board of The Kids Cancer Project in 2022 providing insights and operational knowledge to help support the charity.

OPHELIE CUTIER

Ophelie Cutier is the Chief Executive Officer at Spacecubed, overseeing space growth and operations, programs delivery, and finance. She is a results-driven executive with a strong background in strategic planning and operations management. She has a proven
track record of successfully leading teams and delivering measurable results in fast-paced and complex environments.

Ophelie spearheaded Spacecubed spaces projects over the past 12 years, such as FLUX and Fern, as well as the expansion to the East Coast at the end of 2022 with the Western Sydney Start-up Hub. Ophelie’s involvement with Spacecubed as a community manager and operations manager since 2012 has been crucial to the startup ecosystem’s growth.

Today, Spacecubed provides 5000sqm of shared working and event space, enabling over 750 people per day to explore their passions and grow their businesses. It also includes industry-specific hubs such as the CORE Innovation Hub, which is focused on the Resources and Energy sector.

Ophelie has a deep passion for innovation, startups, and growing businesses, especially where companies are looking to have a social impact and help shape tomorrow’s economy.

DAMIEN SHEEHAN

Damien Sheehan is Country Head of IWG Australia, whom he joined in 2017. IWG is the global leader in providing flexible workspace & co-working solutions across 5 global brands in 120 countries.  

Prior to joining IWG, Damien spent 20+ years in the transport & logistics industry in Asia, The Americas and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa with the majority of that time spent with DHL in the Express & eCommerce divisions.  Prior to joining IWG, Damien was the Managing Director of DHL eCommerce for AU & NZ. 

Damien’s move to IWG was a chance for him to transfer from the digital marketplace in e-commerce to the physical flex-working marketplace & capitalise upon the workspace revolution.  His focus is on building out the IWG network across AU via both company owned & strategic partner expansion. He is a big believer in the sharing economy & the growth that lies ahead is significant in assisting SME’s through to corporate enterprises with their workplace strategy and a ‘great day at work’. 

BARRY HICKMAN

Barry Hickman is the director of collective_100, a coworking business that he started in late 2019 and runs with his daughter, Kiara. They run the business from a four-story building that Barry owns, located in the heart of Cremorne, Melbourne.

Prior to collective_100, Barry has built business across the tech, photography, advertising, and coworking sectors.

Outside of his business ventures, Barry sits on the boards of not for profits World of Difference and The Break and in his spare time, he mentors troubled youth referred by Victoria Police.

SHEREE MCINTYRE

Sheree McIntyre is the founder of Coworking Counsel, one of Australia’s leading independent consultancy offering flexible workspace expertise derived from over 20 years of senior experience with some of the world’s leading coworking operators.

Previously, Sheree was Vice President and Country Head at JustCo, where she launched the company’s Australian operations. She also held senior roles at IWG overseeing 27 commercial sites in Victoria. She began her flexible workspace career at Servcorp, where she opened and managed locations in Melbourne, Auckland, and Tokyo.

Sheree is passionate about driving growth in the coworking industry. She’s always open to offering advice and insights to those navigating their coworking journey and enjoys connecting with others to share knowledge and support whenever needed.