Bachar Houli is the Founder of the Bachar Houli Foundation and a former Australian Rules Footballer for the Richmond Football Club, famously known as the first devout Muslim to play the game at the highest level. Houli was drafted in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft with selection No. 42 by the Essendon Football Club. After four years and 26 games with the Bombers, he made the move to Richmond where he forged a remarkable career, playing over 200 games.

Off the field, Houli is a devout Muslim and the founder of the Bachar Houli Foundation. Houli is regarded as a leader and role model for the Australian community due to his inspiring work promoting social cohesion and harmony. Houli’s dedication and commitment to his community work with Muslim youth has enabled him to become one of Australia’s most prominent public figures. He has been internationally recognised and awarded the Beyond Sport achievement award for the Bachar Houli Islamic Programs in Philadelphia, USA and ​High Excellence Award for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding​.

Ali is the Strategic Community Engagement Manager at the Richmond Football Club as well as the Director of the Bachar Houli Foundation.

Ali has over 10 years of experience as the National Diversity Programs Manager at the AFL, as well as extensive experience in the development of multicultural programs. Ali brings his experiences and learnings from the AFL on social leadership, employment, and engagement programs to broaden opportunities for multicultural and Islamic youth.

Ali has previous experience as the managing director of the Islamic Museum of Australia, overseeing the strategic direction and engagement, and was a major part in the establishment of the Islamic College of Sport.

Slavica (Sec) Maljanek is an experienced human resource professional with over 15 years of experience in a variety of leadership roles focusing on growing people and businesses to reach their potential.

She has worked in education, operations, gaming, hospitality, consulting, corporate services and sports.

Sec has a strong track record in delivering results, particularly in the areas of strategic performance management, culture, engagement, talent and succession management, leadership development, human capital integration of M&A, workforce strategies and solutions, and people leadership.

Sec has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physical Education), a Graduate Diploma in Management (Human Resources), and several accreditations in psychometric assessments, emotional intelligence, training and assessment, and work measurement.

Joe Powell has extensive experience managing and operating multinational businesses in the technology sector.

Currently, Joe is the Chairman of The Ripple Group, a leading provider of online training and compliance solutions, and an advisor with Hume Partners. He is also currently a director of the Richmond Football Club and the Chairman of the Islamic College of Sport.

Before this, Joe was the Chief Executive Officer of publicly listed global sports technology leader – Catapult Sports for 2.5 years, as well as a Managing Director of both SEEK Education and SEEK Employment for 10 years.

Prior to SEEK Ltd, Joe spent 11 years at Optus in various management roles after starting his career as an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Joe also has significant board experience with Online Education Services and IDP Education and is currently a director of Tellus Holdings Ltd and The Scanlon Foundation.

Nicole Randle was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the Richmond Football Club in March 2026, with over 20 years’ experience in finance, strategy, transformation and governance. In her position, she is responsible for financial and strategic planning, performance and capital management, enabling strategic investments, and statutory reporting requirements.

Prior to joining Richmond, Nicole was the Director Financial Services at Treasury Wine Estates, a global leader and innovator in the wine industry. Nicole has also worked in various roles in banking and financial services including leadership roles in retail banking, institutional banking and financial markets.

Nicole has a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Science and Master in Applied Finance. Nicole is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ali Faraj shines as a prominent young Muslim leader in Australia, commanding respect for his impactful work. As the General Manager Community of the AFL club, GWS Giants, he fosters unity and mental well-being in Western Sydney through diverse initiatives, particularly among youth.

Recognised as ‘Case Worker of the Year’ by the Migration Council Australia in 2015, Ali’s collaborations with schools and government bodies emphasize social cohesion. During the COVID-19 lockdown, his leadership emerged through the GWS Giant Hand initiative, aiding over 15,000 vulnerable families and supporting their mental well-being. Ali’s commitment to suicide prevention and mental health is evident through his role as the Board Chairman of Educaid Australia, a leading Mental Health not-for-profit organisation working with culturally and linguistically diverse and faith communities across Australia.

He is an accredited Suicide Intervention trainer and presents often at local and national conferences, including recently being a keynote speaker at the Suicide Prevention Forum in Tasmania. His presence extends to being an adolescent expert featured on national TV on the ABC show ‘Old People’s Home For Teenagers’, embodying his dedication to combating loneliness and depression across generations.