Our leadership team

Liz Neville was appointed AIFS Director in December 2024, after acting in the role from June 2023, and provides overall leadership of the organisation. With a background in disability, aged care and community services, Liz has extensive experience in social work, education and evaluation.

Liz has held management roles in service delivery and peak body organisations within the not-for-profit sector and has worked as a senior manager in government advisory services. Before joining AIFS, Liz was a senior executive at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

Liz holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Queensland, a Bachelor of Education (Adult and Workplace Education) from Queensland University of Technology and a Master of Assessment and Evaluation from the University of Melbourne.

Catherine Andersson oversees 3 key program areas:

1. Families, Society and the Life Course
2. Longitudinal Studies
3. Data Management.

She also serves as Chief Data Officer and Privacy Champion at AIFS. With more than 20 years of experience in monitoring and evaluating government policy, Catherine has held senior leadership roles at the Productivity Commission and the Victorian Department of Justice and Regulation.

Catherine has worked extensively with non-government organisations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, contributing to her strong understanding of social policy and Indigenous affairs. Prior to joining AIFS, she was an Assistant Commissioner for the Closing the Gap Review and Reporting Group at the Productivity Commission.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology Honours) from the University of Queensland, a Graduate Certificate in Management from the University of Southern Queensland and Master of Criminology from the University of Melbourne

Kira Duggan leads a portfolio of programs that investigate factors impacting child and family wellbeing, evaluate policy and service responses, synthesise and translate evidence and build the capability of child and family services. She also serves as the Secretariat of the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Kira is a social policy evaluation specialist with extensive experience advising government agencies and community service organisations across Australia and internationally.

Kira has worked in program evaluation and design, evidence-based policy development, sector engagement and organisational strategy. Before joining AIFS, Kira was the Director of Evaluation and Program Impact at the Victorian Government Department of Education.

Kira holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a Diploma in Modern Languages (Mandarin) from the University of Melbourne.

Dr Michael Alexander is responsible for overseeing AIFS’ administrative, operational and financial functions. He also serves as Chief Security Officer, Chief Risk Officer, FOI Contact Officer and Diversity Champion.

Michael manages services that support the Institute’s research activities, including human resources, financial management and communications.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Adelaide and a PhD in Employment Relations from the Griffith University.