Ombudsman and Executive Leadership Team
Our work is delivered by skilled and dedicated people, led by the Ombudsman with the support of our Senior Leadership Team.
Cynthia Gebert, Ombudsman
Cynthia Gebert commenced in the role of Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in May 2022. She is responsible for bringing to life the Board's vision for the TIO, through the implementation and delivery of the organisational strategy.
Before joining the TIO, Cynthia was Victoria’s Energy and Water Ombudsman for ten years. She has a master’s degree in Dispute Resolution from the University of Technology, Sydney and bachelor’s degrees in law and political science from the University of Sydney.
Cynthia is a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association (ANZOA), previously serving as its Chair. She is also a member of Chief Executive Women.
As a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Cynthia is currently a Director of the Thriving Communities Partnership, Thriving Communities Foundation, and Eltham College Limited.
Mat Stewart
Chief Financial Officer
Mat leads the Finance team who are responsible for managing the financial actions of the TIO including overseeing all aspects of financial success and providing strategic leadership for corporate and financial governance. His team are accountable for providing relevant business insights to internal and external customers, ensuring the efficient and accurate processing of transactions and promoting an effective financial control environment.
Mat has worked in public practice and industry with experience across all facets of financial sustainability including reporting, planning, strategy, compliance, risk and treasury. He has experience in both commercial and not-for-profit organisations across the health, telecommunication, entertainment, and financial services sectors. Mat is a qualified Chartered Accountant and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with a Bachelor of Business in Accountancy from RMIT.
Bernie Wise
Executive General Manager, Operational Excellence
Bernie leads the Service Delivery, Service Excellence and Optimisation and Operations Groups. From her previous roles at TAL and AMP, Bernie brings a wealth of complaint handling and operational management experience. She has also previously worked at the TIO from 1997 to 2012 and successfully helped lead the organisation through immense growth and change. She has a strong foundation in alternative dispute resolution methodologies, investigation techniques, decision-making, and ethics.
Bernie is passionate about helping vulnerable people and making sure all people receive the best possible experience when dealing with their telecommunication complaint.
Freyja McCarthy
Executive General Manager, Legal, Policy and Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretary
Freyja leads the Legal, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Group. This Group provides legal advice to the organisation, works closely with the Ombudsman on land access matters, and works with regulators, the telecommunications industry and other stakeholders to drive improvements across the communications environment. The group produces systemic issue investigations and comments regularly on public consultation processes. In addition, Freyja is responsible for supporting the governance of TIO in the role of Company Secretary.
Freyja has experience in telecommunications regulatory advice, competition and consumer law, intellectual property, privacy, employment, and administrative law. She was previously a Special Counsel in the Intellectual Property, Technology and Regulatory team at Thomson Geer, and was recognised as In-House Counsel of the Year in the 2019 Law Institute Victoria awards.
Cathy Thomas
Executive General Manager, Technology, Analytics and Business Improvement
Cathy Thomas is our Executive General Manager of the Technology, Analytics and Business Improvement group. Cathy has over 24 years' experience working across all phases of IT planning and delivery and has held a variety of leadership roles across essential services including telecommunications, utilities, and banking. She has worked in consulting roles for well-known brands and has experience with a consulting start-up.
Cathy's passion lies in leveraging technology to drive operational excellence, enhancing customer experience and creating a culture of collaboration and innovation across her team.
Meagan Downie Knowles
Executive General Manager, People, Culture and Capability
Meagan leads the People, Culture and Capability Group and plays a critical role in ensuring the TIO is supported to meet its strategic priorities. She provides strategic advice to the Ombudsman and Senior Leadership team, and sponsorship of key strategies and activities.
Meagan is a collaborative leader and enjoys collective problem-solving, finding solutions with her talented team and in partnership with others across the TIO. A key focus for Meagan as she strives to make the TIO an even better place to work is optimising organisational performance and driving innovation. She is also deeply committed to fostering and strengthening a safe and productive work environment.
Meagan most recently worked as Chief People Officer at Able Australia and brings a breadth of experience in talent management, industrial and employee relations and organisational development. She is passionate about leading with energy and inspiring a vibrant, happy workplace culture.