Our Governance Executive Leadership Team

Derry Simpson

Derry Simpson

Chief Executive Officer since February 2023

Experienced director and senior leader Derry Simpson is the CEO of Youth Focus. Derry is a champion for youth mental health, and is dedicated to improving wellbeing outcomes for young people across the State.

Derry is driven by the belief that a young person’s mental health shouldn’t get in the way of them being who they want to be. By working with sector partners, stakeholders, and communities, Derry leads Youth Focus to deliver a safe, quality mental-health service for young Western Australians - wherever they need it most, at no cost.

Before joining Youth Focus, Derry was the Director of Strategy at Telethon Kids Institute – a role that enabled her to combine her many years of brand and communications experience, with an absolute passion for improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for children everywhere.

Previously, Derry was Managing Director of award-winning advertising agency 303MullenLowe. There she worked with a huge variety of organisations, including many not-for-profits; tackling strategic brand and business projects, and using creativity to solve the most complex of business issues.

An exceptional facilitator, coach and leader, Derry holds a number of Board and strategic advisory positions, is mentor to many young women in WA and a 2018 Telstra WA Business Woman of the Year Finalist.

Angie Perkins

Angie Perkins

Chief Operating Officer since September 2020

Angie has more than 20 years' experience in the not-for-profit and government sectors. She has worked in areas focusing on mental health and family domestic violence, alcohol and other drug issues, pharmacotherapy and homelessness.

Angie is committed to driving change through innovation, evidence-based practice and inspiring teams to support people to achieve their goals through self-determination.

She is passionate about social justice and leadership and is an experienced executive and board director with a raft of community service, social welfare and business qualifications, including a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in social welfare, and a Masters of Business Administration (Leadership).

Jill Downard

Jill Downard

Chief Marketing Officer since September 2022

Jill is an experienced Director Brand and Communications with a demonstrated history of working in brand development, community engagement and change management.

Jill is skilled in Brand Strategy, Engagement, Digital Marketing, Mentoring, Fundraising, and Management.

She is a senior leader with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma focused in Community Development from Murdoch University.

Heiko Plange-Korndoerfer

Heiko Plange-Korndoerfer

Chief Development Officer since December 2022

Heiko is a globally certified fundraising executive with extensive experience in managing fundraising and corporate partnership programs.

With a comprehensive background in developing and implementing strategic marketing and major gifts fundraising, Heiko has worked with organisations spanning health, medical research, arts, education, and community services.

Heiko has led fundraising teams raising funds for Brightwater Care Group, St John of God Health Care, Western Australian Museum Foundation, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth Children's Hospital Foundation and Perth Zoo. He is a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute of Australia.

He is a recipient of several awards, including the inaugural Centre for Social Impact Scholarship awarded by the Qantas Foundation and was recognised by his peers with the Award for the most Outstanding Fundraising Project in Australia in 2019.

Nicole Houtby

Nicole Houtby

Chief Financial Officer since September 2023

Nicole is originally from Perth but spent 15 years in commercial environments in the UK before she returned in 2012. On her return to Perth, she joined not-for-profit Midway, where she managed significant growth through her nine-year tenure.

Nicole studied with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in the UK and is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant. She has expertise in systems implementation, property acquisitions and managing sustainability.

She’s delighted to bring her financial skillset to Youth Focus, an organisation that she says has a lot of positive energy in its mission to help young people with their mental health. Nicole is determined to ensure Youth Focus remains financially secure long into the future.

Erin Hall

Erin Hall

Executive Manager Culture and Capability since March 2023

At Youth Focus, Erin is the Executive Manager Culture and Capability, leading a team of service enablers who work tirelessly behind frontline services to deliver the organisation’s corporate functions.

Erin's role is a privilege, allowing her to experience the organisation as a whole with the diversity of people, communities, challenges and opportunities it presents.

From Tanzania to Meekatharra, Barrow Island to boardrooms, Erin has held diverse roles within major projects, risk and people and culture. Across all of this, the common denominator has been recognising and realising the potential both individuals and organisations can achieve when they continue to evolve and improve, prioritise their purpose and act ethically to the benefit of people and communities more inherently vulnerable. This motivation led Erin to Youth Focus in July, 2019.

Erin holds a B.Com - Human Resources/Industrial Relations, a Masters of Business Administration, with a Human Resources Specialisation, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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