- Founder & President
Dr Anyier Yuol is a renowned global keynote speaker, social impact leader, researcher and advocate for inclusive change. Her work centres on creating transformative partnerships and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by reimagining and reshaping organizational practices. Through her presentations, consulting, and community leadership, she equips organizations and leaders to build inclusive cultures, improve workplace wellbeing, and drive equitable outcomes across sectors.
Born in a refugee camp in Kenya and moving to Australia at the age of 10, Dr Yuol’s journey is one of resilience, purpose, and deep commitment to community. She holds a PhD from Western Sydney University, where her research— “Changes and Implications of Bride Price in the Diaspora: A Case Study of South Sudanese Dinka in Australia”—generated critical insights into cultural adaptation, gendered practices, and refugee experiences. Her work continues to influence community programs, policy dialogues, and national conversations on cultural practices, gender equity, and social cohesion.
Dr Yuol’s advocacy began through sport, championing the rights and visibility of refugee women and girls. Her leadership in this space was recognized with the 2023 Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition, honoring her contributions to raising awareness of forcibly displaced communities through sport and storytelling. She later expanded her advocacy into the fashion and beauty industries, founding the Miss Sahara initiative and Anyier Model Management—pioneering platforms that centre African Australian women’s representation, leadership, and creative expression.
At the heart of her work is Lead Beyond Education (LBE), the voluntary not-for-profit charity she founded to empower young women and girls from culturally and racially marginalized backgrounds through education, human rights advocacy, and leadership development. Under her vision, LBE continues to grow as a grassroots organization, driving community-led solutions, youth empowerment, and global giving initiatives that support girls’ education in Kakuma Refugee Camp and beyond.
Dr Yuol currently serves as the Corporate Partnerships Manager for Australia at UNHCR, where she leads and develops strategic partnerships to support displaced communities globally. She also contributes to high-level state policy through her recent appointment to the NSW Settlement Advisory Council, where she advises Minister Steve Kamper and Multicultural NSW on settlement issues, community needs, and inclusive approaches to supporting migrant and refugee communities across the state.
She has held several additional board and advisory roles, including with the UNSW Active Women Strategy Executive Team, The Northern Centre, and the Blacktown City Council Women’s Advisory Committee. She is the former Chair of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCORW) and contributed to UNHCR’s global Gender Audit Team from 2017 to 2019.
Grounded in lived experience, academic excellence, and a commitment to social justice, Dr Anyier Yuol continues to champion inclusive leadership and community-driven change across Australia and internationally.
- Vice-President
Omar has a depth of business experience and an extensive high quality network. He provides a solid, pragmatic approach to drive solutions. His unique talent is to successfully design and execute strategies by identifying the strengths and needs of all parties involved. Consequently, Omar generates win-win scenarios which are beneficial, both economically and culturally, to all stakeholders.
Being involved in a number of advisory board roles, Omar shares governance and advisory expertise to a range of businesses, from startups to mature businesses and not-for-profit organisations. Omar adds value through corporate governance, financial literacy, understanding of operational issues and balancing risk management with strategic execution. He has a deep and diverse network of contacts and alliance partners which he can draw from to enhance strategic win-win scenarios across multiple industries.
In 2017, Omar founded the MAP Institute (MAP). MAP focuses on leadership development both commercially (to grow businesses) and professionally (to sharpen a business leader’s acumen). As founder of MAP, Omar is responsible for marketing and growth, event coordination, managing internal teams and external suppliers, client and stakeholder engagement, financial management, as well as corporate, government and sponsor partnerships.
- Treasurer
Dor Akech Achiek is the Group Head of Settlement Services at SSI, a community-based, not-for-profit humanitarian organisation providing various human and social services. In his role, Dor provides strategic and operational management of SSI’s Settlement Services across Australia’s eastern seaboard, including overseeing the NSW Settlement Partnership (NSP) consortium of 20 formerly migrant resource centres, ethnospecific organisations and multicultural services.
For the past 15 years, Dor has worked with refugees, humanitarian entrants, and people seeking asylum. Dor is a former refugee from South Sudan who came to Australia in 2003 after nine years of living in the Kakuma refugee camp as a result of war in the then Sudan.
Dor holds a Master’s Degree in International Law and International Relations, a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations, A Diploma of Community Services Coordination and a Diploma of Children Services.
- Secretary
With a strong commitment to serving the needs of disadvantaged members of the community, Elenore has over 17 years of experience working with various vulnerable groups such asylum seekers, refugees, LQBTIQ+ and DFV survivors. She is passionate about volunteering for various causes both locally and internationally. Elenore is an avid traveler and enjoys spending time with her loved ones
- Board Member
Cheryl Webster is presently the Community Engagement Worker and Cultural Adviser in the Community Living Support Program for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, a mental health program with Anglicare, where she has been working for 37 years. Over the years, she has been involved in establishing a number of Multicultural for a with Government Departments and agencies and has worked with Government Departments (Local, State and Federal) and non-Government organisations at a State level in policy development, consultancy and advocacy; and within ANGLICARE has developed access and equity in service provision for communities of CALD backgrounds.
Cheryl has worked with many communities including African and other small and emerging communities, assisting them to build their capacity as they settle into Australia and advocating for, and with, them as they struggled to have their needs and issues heard. She has also been involved in building the capacity of mainstream organisations to assist new arrivals from these communities. She has spent a number of months each year since 2006 for 12 years working in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan (in a voluntary capacity) gaining greater insight into issues for, and ways of working with, many people from this part of the world.
She has qualifications in Social Work (Honours UNSW), a Master of Management in
Community Management (UTS), Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and a Graduate Diploma in Social Work Student Supervision (UNSW).
- Board Member
Catherine Jonathan has more than a decade of experience in communications and media in international development across various industries. She has led multiple business ventures across various industries between Australia and Africa, with a significant focus on the development of small enterprises for global markets and intergovernmental relations.
Among these ventures is Emerging Brand Africa (EBA), a multichannel business platform dedicated to promoting Africa’s emerging markets. In partnership with key stakeholders, EBA organises events to foster economic and cultural ties between Australia and Africa, bringing together influential leaders revolutionising Africa’s development and global relations.
- Board Member
Shayal is a Security Analyst at CyberCX and has an extensive history in customer service and over a decade of managerial experience at Cincotta Chemist. She Shayal enjoys working with people and has supported Anyier as a committee member for Miss Sahara since its inception. As a graduate of a Bachelor of Policing, Shayal now works for Youth Justice NSW as a Conference Convenor. Her role in Youth Justice allows her to achieve meaningful outcomes for youth in a legal context. She aims to utilize these skills and assist the LEAD BEYOND EDUCATION initiative to empower the youth through leadership-building capacities.
