Michelle Despas

Bringing more than 25 years of experience to her role as Director, People & Culture, Michelle Despas has led people and culture initiatives across local government, state government, not‑for‑profit, and private sector organisations, including aviation, hospitality, tourism, healthcare, and procurement. With over nine years tenure, Michelle has grown in her role from strategic HR and organisational development advisor, before taking up the role of Director in 2022, where she applies deep experience in organisational development and culture. 

As a strategic HR leader, Michelle is known for aligning people strategy with business outcomes. Her focus is on organisational development, leadership capability, and workplace culture, with a strong emphasis on psychological safety and wellbeing. Drawing on a broad generalist background, she combines strategic insight with hands‑on operational expertise to navigate complex and highly regulated environments.

As a qualified Nutritionist, Michelle takes a holistic approach to corporate wellness, integrating health, wellbeing, and psychosocial safety into leadership practices and organisational culture to support long‑term resilience, engagement, and high performance.