Our Founder
Suzanne Wright
Office Bearer/Founder
Teaching for two decades in the UK, Asia and Australia, with a degree in humanities and English and a Masters in Education, Suzanne has extensive experience working with young people in many contexts.
As a forward thinking, dynamic classroom teacher, she’s inspired many students to succeed through her infectious energy and ability to connect in a meaningful way.
Leading departments and creating innovative courses, she has a proven track record in creativity, resourcefulness and creating effective outcomes in an educational context. This skill set has been transferred, utilized and developed from the conception of Shine, through leading the organization as the CEO for three years and now as the founder and acting Chair of the Board.
Her passion for creating change in Cambodia was ignited whilst living there for two years, running a backpacker hostel and volunteering with a children’s project whilst on a career break.
Her passion is to create change on a global level, by inspiring and empowering young people to reach their full potential. She’s experienced the joy of altruism and wants to ensure others feel this by giving back to their communities.
Our Board
Susan Steele
Chair
Susan is an experienced Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary with over 20 years’ experience in areas relating to governance, financial management, audit, contract management, legal, regulatory and risk. Susan’s background includes working for an organisation responsible for delivering International Aid projects and she is currently Chief Financial Officer for a Not for Profit organisation with a global remit to address climate change.
Susan combines her professional experience with a passion for supporting and delivering aid programs that particularly focus on supporting and enhancing opportunities for children. As the Board Chair of Shine, she looks forward to contributing and making a difference by improving the lives of the children and youth of Cambodia and Australia.
Cat Strawa
Secretary
As a risk management professional, Cat has experience advising and consulting with the VPS, community services and not-for-profit sector to create safer communities who are confident in their harm prevention and recovery strategies. Cat’s work as a Risk Adviser and ongoing study of Business Governance with the Institute of Community Directors Australia is fuelled by her appreciation of the need for robust governance and risk-based decision making in the not-for-profit sector.
Cat enjoys supporting individuals and communities to protect their human rights and realise their aspirations. She has held a variety of voluntary roles, from overseeing marketing and communications for international development programs in Tanzania, to offering social support to asylum seeker and refugee communities in London.
Guided by her Master’s in Human rights and Bachelor’s in Sociology, Cat is deeply committed to protecting human rights across the world and believes education at the grassroots level is the key to empowering communities to break the cycle of poverty. She feels privileged to have an opportunity to contribute to Shine’s important work championing the next generation of changemakers.
Daniel Hamilton
Head of Youth Programs and Board Member
Daniel has been with Shine since the beginning of 2018 developing the Melbourne youth program. He has already taken multiple trips into the South-East Asian regions to understand and work with local communities. Currently studying a double degree of Law and Global Studies at Monash University, Daniel is working to ensure that the emerging generations of young people, globally, are passionate and conscientious change-makers.
Operations
Christine Thornton
CEO
Christine is an experienced CEO with over 15 years of senior and executive management experience in the mental health, wellbeing and community services sectors in the United States and Australia. Christine’s proven track record includes maintaining highly successful and profitable business development initiatives in government, non-for-profit and social enterprise sectors. Christine’s expertise is in research and development, managing high-level organisations and projects, fundraising, business and relationship management and marketing and communications.
Christine is passionate about working with individuals to help them realise their goals. Her volunteer work experience includes providing counselling and practical support to some of the most marginalised individuals in low-socioeconomic communities in the US and Australia.
Christine believes that by educating and supporting the young, you support the future of the community and world at large. She is honoured to be a part Shine Cambodia’s work with the Otres community and is committed to working with the Board and community in supporting the future leaders of Cambodia and Australia.
Samantha McLaughlan
Samantha McLaughlan
With a background in media analysis and account management Samantha has extensive experience in developing and managing various projects and programs. Prior to moving to Cambodia she worked with UK central and local Government charities and public relations companies on numerous public health behavioural change campaigns.
Her dream is that every child has access to quality education and a safe space to learn and develop.
Samantha joined the Shine team in 2017 and is proud to have seen first hand the benefits and opportunities that are opening up to the young people of Otres. ‘Education will give young people access to opportunities that will allow them to dream big and follow their dreams’. It’s her own dream that Shine will grow, develop and expand their reach to support more young people in Cambodia.