Our Board
Cirkidz is an Incorporated Association governed by a Board of Directors.
OPPORTUNITY : Join the South Australian Circus Centre Board!
Current Board Members
Dominic Stefanson (Chairperson)
Dominic joined the South Australian Circus Centre board in 2019 and was selected as chair in 2022. He runs his own consultancy company, Strategic Solutions Co, which provides consultancy services to clients across all levels of government as well as industry associations, NGOs and the private sector. Dominic formerly worked at Director level at EY and was also Head of Public and Corporate Affairs at the Adelaide Festival Centre where he oversaw the Centre’s strategic projects including the development of successful budget bids for the $90 million redevelopment of the Adelaide Festival Centre and the $66 million renewal of Her Majesty’s Theatre. He has also worked as a senior advisor to the South Australian Government including as Chief of Staff to John Hill, the former Minister for Health and for the Arts. Dominic has PhD in political philosophy. Dominic believes in the power of circus to provide children a place to belong where they can grow physically, socially, emotionally and artistically. His daughter is enrolled in a Tackerz class and loves it because it is “fun”.
Marissa Galatis (Deputy Chairperson)
Marissa is currently the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Health Partners and has 25+ years business experience, predominantly in the health and retail sectors. She has a proven track record of accelerating organisational performance through cohesive strategic planning, and has key experience in business development, marketing and retail strategy. She has been instrumental in driving transformational change across all facets of the business, uncovering strategic opportunities and is quick to action in a measured and meticulously planned approach. But while she may be serious about work, being Greek, she is also seriously committed to sailing around the Ionian islands in Greece - as often as she can.
Tereza Sysouphat (Treasurer)
Tereza Sysouphat is a Chartered Accountant with over 14 years of experience as a commercial advisor working for some of South Australia’s largest companies and Government Agencies including EY, SA Water and Aurecon. Tereza understands the long-term financial impacts of decisions having worked both at the project and portfolio level for regulatory submissions, capital business cases and long-term investment decisions as well as State Budget submissions. Tereza has a mix of financial modelling skills, financial strategy as well as C-suite level storytelling and a knack for making the complex simple. She is a forward thinker and a passionate advocate for effective financial decision making to achieve sustainable outcomes for organisations. She is also an aerial artist and a strong believer of movement as a means to grow, nourish and learn as a child and adult.
Sally Chance (Board Member)
Sally Chance is a dance-theatre artist. She trained at Trinity Laban, London, and is motivated by the power of collaborating with specific communities whose artistic perspectives open the door to new performance forms. For the past fifteen years, and beginning with an Australia Council Fellowship, Sally’s work has been dedicated to the cultural lives of children aged three years and younger. In collaboration with the members of her South Australia-based independent company – Sally Chance Dance - she has created, presented and toured five new performance works and co- created other works including Flower 꽃, a collaboration with Seoul-based Theatre Masil. Sally practices in the field of perinatal infant mental health using dance to support the critical first relationship between mother and baby.Hamish De Silva (Board Member)
Hamish is currently Senior Legal Counsel at Australian-owned defence and engineering company Nova Systems. Hamish is recognised during his industry career as a pragmatic commercial lawyer who has implemented unique commercial solutions in aviation acquisitions, international dispute resolution and significant Commonwealth procurement activities. Hamish is passionate about using his skills to analyse complex legal issues to enable boards and management to make informed strategic decisions. Hamish is strongly committed to youth development and mentoring through various volunteer roles. Being of Sri Lankan and New Zealand heritage, he is enthusiastic about championing diverse voices and fostering greater access to educational opportunities for youth to maximise their potential. Hamish is well-known for his penchant for competitive trivia, including being a 2x State trivia finalist. He is also a passionate devotee to the local arts, music and film industry, and can regularly be spotted amongst the crowd at local concerts and events.
Emma Siami (Board Member)
Emma is an experienced senior leader and non-executive director with a background in diversity, equality and inclusion. Emma has held senior roles in the public sector in South Australia, in the United Kingdom Civil Service and at an Australian trade union. She has worked towards positive outcomes in the areas of employment, education, the criminal justice system and economic development. Emma brings expertise in strategy, people management, equality and program development to empower people through systemic change.
