About us
The Equal Employment Opportunity Network (EEON) is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1988 to support Equal Employment Opportunity practitioners and employers in Victoria.
The EEON committee is comprised of experienced practitioners with diversity of perspectives, attributes, lived experience and industry experience.
For almost 30 years EEON’s work is about inspiring people to action. The EEON mantra is ‘Learn, think, do’. We know that together we can help create a fairer and more equitable society.
EEON is funded via annual subscription. Members support amplifying minority voices and gain access to events, webinars, information and networks.
what we do
EEON brings people together to network, share information, learn from each other and inspire action.
Our annual events and webinars link people into a supportive network, showcase best practice diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace and stay up to date of emerging diversity issues.
We serve our members by minimising fees and maximising benefits. EEON is passionate about making positive workplace change in diversity, equity and inclusion.
our mission
Our mission is to help all organisations prosper by employing and engaging a diverse workforce.
Office bearers
rana ebrahimi
president
Rana Ebrahimi is the National Director of the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia (MYAN). She leads MYAN to advocate for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds’ rights and best interests in policy and practice.
Rana is an expert in social inclusion and humanitarian ethics. Recently, she has been appointed as the reference group for this Multicultural Framework Review (The Review).
Rana is the first Iranian woman to be a National Head of Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran. She is also Director on board of Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, and member of several advisory groups including Welcoming Australia.
Elena Callipari
Vice president
Elena’s professional qualifications include law, policy and projects, management and communications and media. Her experience in varied roles includes technical work as a legal consultant, leadership and management, projects management, editing, publishing and communication.
Elena experience as a diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner in the Victorian Public Service included developing policies and programs to increase employment, career advancement and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; people with disabilities; people from multicultural communities and LGBTIQ+ communities.
Elena’s visible allyship included networks: Enablers for people with Disability, Autism Success Network for people with Autism, Women of Colour, African Australian Network and Pride network for LGBTIQ+ communities. She also coordinated the Wirrigirri Reconciliation Program ally network of over 400 employees to maintain visible and active commitment to Aboriginal cultural safety, nationhood, sovereignty and self-determination.
Elena also hosted a diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner network for several years hosting regular meetings to collaborate, share learning and practices increasing diversity in the workforce and inclusion and equity in the workplace.
A significant contribution before leaving the Victorian Public Service in early 2023 was development and launch of the Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-2027 and associated governance.
Elena is currently studying and completing a Diploma in Community Services aligned with promoting human rights, equity and amplifying voices of minorities.
Adrian Price
Secretary & Administrator
Roman Ružbacký
Treasurer & Life Member
Roman is an experienced diversity, equity and inclusion leader and practitioner and analytical chemist, with over 20 years of knowledge, skills and experience in the design, development and implementation of DEI strategy and programs of work that create happy and productive workplaces.
Roman established Roman Ruzbacky & Associates consultancy in 2021. He was the President of the Equal Employment Opportunity Network between 2017 to 2022. He is a member of the AHRI and Swimming Victoria D&I Advisory Committees. Also he is the Director of DEI at Diversity Atlas.
At the core of the work is the belief that people should be treated with dignity and respect, have equitable access to employment opportunities and outcomes and have the ability to participate in all aspects of work and public life.
Committee Members
Sophie Burzacott
Sophie Burzacott is currently a HR business partner at Ford Motor Company and is passionate about all things diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Born and raised in Ballarat she learned from a young age the importance of DEI when her younger brother was diagnosed with a disability at a young age. Competing her higher education at Federation University Australia and RMIT she has become inspired to learn more in the DEI space and create workplaces where everyone feels valued, safe and most importantly loves their job!
In her spare time she loves going to the gym with her twin sister, hanging out with her cat Kevin and watching horror movies.
She is looking forward to having an open mind, listening to others experiences and taking real action on improving DEI for all.
Jill Sears
Life Member
Jill is a human resources professional with expertise in strategy development, program design, management and implementation, diversity and inclusion, equal employment opportunity, change management and general human resource consultancy gained within a range of sectors including resources, telecommunications, education, health and emergency services.
Debbie Marks
Debbie has a background in commerce with many years’ experience in IT and Business Project Management. Working for large multi-national organisations and governments in both Australia and the UK, she excels at delivering and embedding change. Now an accredited and qualified coach, facilitator and partnership broker, Debbie loves working with people to improve their outcomes in work and life. Debbie has specialised her support of DEI into Gender Equity, spending the last 12 years coaching working parents and their leaders in how to manage return to works, flexibility and team coordination. She has written and facilitated programs for large universities and within the government sector around leading remote and flexible teams as a means of enhancing diversity, inclusion and equity in our work environments. She now leads the Capability, Development and DEI portfolios of a publicly listed company.
Mat Lewis
As an out and proud gay man working in the university sector, Mat has a background in finance, recruitment, call centres and HR. Mat is an LGBTIQA+ Equality and mental health advocate, residing on the lands of the Wurundjeri people. His experience from the financial and corporate sectors, and his passionate involvement (both professionally and personally) in the LGBTQ+ and mental health communities allows him to bring a personalised enthusiasm to ensuring the continual growth and elevation of underrepresented communities across a number of areas.
Now working at RMIT University in Naarm (Melbourne), Mat is the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Lead and works across a number of focus areas such as gender equality, accessibility/disability, LGBTQ+ and cultural inclusion.
Shaun Humphrey
Shaun has spent the last 15 years working with executive teams on culture, change and transformation to unlock potential, deliver outstanding business results and make organisations better places to work.
Having worked across a range of industries and organisations, Shaun describes organisations as a representation, or a sub-system, of what people face in society and that to achieve real growth and productivity, organisations need to encourage a diverse and inclusive culture. He believes that educating organisations on the connection between better business outcomes and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and supporting teams and individuals to realise their full potential often through inclusivity, ultimately helps organisations to grow and prosper.
As a proud member of the queer community, Shaun is passionate about creating workplaces where employees can bring their whole selves to work, feel a sense of belonging and where their diverse perspectives are heard and valued.
Tamara Seif
Tamara is a prolific social justice, Gender Equity advocate and long-standing Diversity & Inclusion and HR management Consultant, practitioner, researcher and Ally. Tamara is highly experienced, international HR Leadership Consultant & Workplace Wellbeing coach making it her mantra to help businesses grow, connect and remain agile – whilst remaining inclusive and ethically responsible.
Tamara has long history of involvement and active participation in a number of local, national and international NGP’s including AFRUCA (African’s Unite against Child Abuse); Lifeline Australia, WIN (Welcoming Intercultural Neighbours, Queensland) and more recently she has been involved in supporting members of the global DEI, OD and Leadership community through NFP’s like SDIG US; MACSA and MBEN (Multicultural Entrepreneur Business Network – South Australia, and MACSA).
Tamara has been an active member of EEON watching it grow and make a genuine difference to our members and communities since 2016. She has supported EEON events over the years including its Summits – Learn, Think and Do’ and has served as a Secretary of EEON between 2018 – 202F.
Gregory Frank
Gregory is passionate about cultivating safe, fair and more inclusive workplaces and communities, where human rights and equality principles are understood, and people can exercise their rights.
He has strong expertise in designing, delivering and evaluating change and capacity building programs and learning experiences, that build and embed equal opportunity and human rights best practice in organisational systems and team cultures.
He has held a variety of education, engagement and policy and research roles across settings including in the public sector, secondary and tertiary education, and the Arts.
Most recently he has been supporting agencies to better understand the issues and inequality that exist at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, culture and faith.
Life Members and Associates
Jill Sears
EEON Life Member
Roman Ruzbacky
EEON LIFE MEMBER
Roman is an experienced inclusion, diversity and equity practitioner, starting his career as an analytical chemist. He has extensive experience in designing and implementing strategies, facilitation and dispute resolution to raise consciousness and build competency.
At the core of the work is the belief that people should be treated with dignity and respect, have equitable access to employment opportunities and outcomes and have the ability to participate in all aspects of work and public life.
Karen Milward
EEON Associate
Administration
Adrian Price
EEON Administrator