About us
Our staff are committed professionals who work tirelessly to deliver meaningful impact across our communities.
Michelle Endacott
Chief Executive
Chief Executive
Michelle joined the Trust in August 2021. She has 30 years experience as a leader and editor in Australia, London and Nigeria.
Michelle has led the charity through exciting times – from evolving from The Prince’s Trust Australia to The King’s Trust Australia, to the visit of our Royal Founding President, His Majesty King Charles III in 2024.
Michelle led our delegation to London for the Coronation, where a young ‘Get Into’ participant was inside Westminster Abbey, and interviewed by the world’s press.
She has overseen a range of new projects, with deep impact across employment, enterprise and education, and impactful new work with First Nations communities.
She is particularly proud of our impactful projects on the reef in North Queensland, as she was born and grew up in Rockhampton, Queensland, starting her career on the local daily newspaper.
As a volunteer, Michelle edited the Australian Women’s Health Diary, which raised $1 million a year for breast cancer research, and delivered meals for Meals on Wheels during the pandemic years.
Dean Delia
Executive Director
Executive Director
Dean is a teacher, strategist and community builder with a passion for connecting our global community through education and inspiring others into action. He is committed to equipping the current and next generation with opportunities, mindsets, skills and capabilities to create positive impact in a changing and complex world.
He believes that the key to creating innovative, socially minded leaders is access to quality education, regardless of place of birth or social status. This belief has driven him to create action-focused learning opportunities through schools, non-profits and independent organisations across five continents.
Dean has founded several start-ups and built relationships and partnerships across the corporate, government, and philanthropic sectors. He joined The Kings Trust Australia (formally Prince’s Trust Australia) in 2018 as Director for Young People and currently serving as Executive Director.
Faye Ryan
Director of Operations
Director of Operations
Faye joined The King’s Trust Australia Limited in June 2019 after a financial services career spent in senior management roles in the United States and Hong Kong.
Qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Faye has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Banking and Finance Law from The University of Melbourne and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Faye’s responsibilities include overseeing the financial, compliance, HR, and administrative aspects of the Trust’s operations and is the company secretary. Outside work, Faye actively supports her local community through committee work and mentoring university students.
Jasmine Cooper Sutton
Director for Impact
Director for Impact
Jasmine joined The King’s Trust Australia in 2017. She oversees the Defence Members portfolio, supporting enterprise skill-building and self-employment pathways for Australian veterans and their families.
Jasmine’s professional background includes public affairs, community engagement, major events and project management for government and not-for-profit sectors, including the U.S. Embassy in Australia, Edinburgh Global Partnerships, and as Organiser of the 2017 inaugural TEDxFulbrightMelbourne.
Jasmine holds a Masters with Honours in International Relations from the University of Edinburgh, a Masters in International and Public Law from the University of Melbourne, and runs her own photography business.
Jigna Desai
Head of Programmes
Head of Programmes
Jigna is a passionate leader dedicated to creating positive social change and equitable opportunities for young people. With experience spanning the private, public and nonprofit sectors, she brings a strategic and systems-change approach to addressing complex challenges in the youth sector.
Currently serving as the Head of Programmes at The King’s Trust Australia, Jigna leads a dynamic team driving impact across multiple portfolios to help young people prepare for and transition to meaningful employment. She previously played a pivotal role as Programme Manager of a nonprofit, where she led initiatives to support high-potential students across Victoria facing socioeconomic adversity, helping them thrive in school and beyond. Her commitment to equity in education was recognised with a 2024 Teach for Australia Jane Hansen Alumni Award.
Nadine Cattell
Engagement Manager
Engagement Manager
Nadine joined The King’s Trust Australia in October 2023. She brings over 30 year’s experience across the not-for-profit, corporate and government sectors.
An experienced communicator and fundraiser, Nadine is keen to use her varied skillset to both amplify the great work of The King’s Trust Australia and to develop funding opportunities for each of the portfolios.
Jade Waters
Education Lead
Education Lead
Jade Waters is an experienced event manager with over 6 years of experience in organising successful events in the education and commercial sectors. With a passion for event planning, Jade has a track record of delivering high-quality events that exceed client expectations.
Currently, Jade is serving as a Project Lead where she is responsible for working with young people and organizing programs to promote community engagement and social development. Jade brings exceptional organisational skills, attention to detail, and a creative approach to every project she undertakes.
Simone McKenna
Project Officer, Enterprise
Project Officer, Enterprise
Simone joined The King’s Trust Australia in June 2022, initially as a Project Coordinator supporting the Young People and Defence Members and their Families portfolios. She now works full time as the Project Officer within the Enterprise portfolio.
With experience spanning public policy, grant writing, international development, and communications, Simone brings a diverse skillset to her role. She is deeply passionate about youth empowerment, social justice, and human rights, and is committed to making a meaningful impact in the lives of young people, veterans, and their families through the delivery of impactful programmes.
Simone holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Studies) from the University of Melbourne.
Jennifer De Luca
Project Officer, Employment
Project Officer, Employment
Jennifer is The King’s Trust Australia’s Project Officer for Employment. In this role, Jennifer primarily works to support projects that focus on ‘Employment’ based programmes for young people. One of these projects is the successful Get Into programme which helps young people gain the necessary skills, training and work experience to gain meaningful employment in various industry sectors. As a lifelong learner, Jennifer is currently completing a combined Law and Global Indigenous Studies degree.
Nicole Tru
Accountant
Accountant
Nicole joined The King’s Trust Australia in February 2024. As an accountant, she leverages her expertise in tax and non-profit accounting to ensure financial accuracy and support the organisation’s goals. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Queensland and has since earned her designations as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).
Beyond her work at The King’s Trust Australia, Nicole runs her own accounting practice and is fluent in Vietnamese and French.
Lester Landayan
Assistant Accountant
Assistant Accountant
Lester is a thorough and detail-oriented accountant with strong experience in external auditing of construction, manufacturing, and mining companies. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the Philippines, where he also finished his Bachelor of Accountancy.
While in the process of completing his Master of Accounting in Kaplan Business School, Lester joined The King’s Trust Australia in August 2024 as an Assistant Accountant, providing administrative support and streamlining essential organisational functions.
Aside from work, Lester is a current and active student ambassador and peer mentor in his university.