Meet the Special Interest Group members | Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)

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The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, nonprofits and other private-sector organizations around the globe.

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The SIG members

	Chair: Theo Kapodistrias, General Counsel, Evergen Theo Kapodistrias is a multi-national award-winning lawyer and runs his own business as a speaker, MC, trainer and presentation and communications coach. Currently he is the General Counsel at Evergen and has worked as the first and sole General Counsel for a global technology company. He is the Tasmanian Divisional President and Director of ACC Australia, and is the Chair of the Sole Legal Officer Special Interest Group. In addition, Theo has a strong involvement in the community and was a Director of Business Events Tasmania and is the Executive Director and Licensee of TEDxHobart. In his business, Theo speaks to local, national and international audiences on crafting messages that matter, and communicating your impact www.theokap.com.au. In June 2024, he will release his first book, A Way With Words.
	Vice Chair: Kate Sherburn, Head of Legal, Who Gives A Crap Kate is the Head of Legal at Who Gives A Crap, and has been the first and sole in-house lawyer in her two most recent roles. Kate’s experience is predominately in the corporate advisory space, compliance, commercial and contract law, IP and privacy, but as a lawyer in a very small team, she covers everything that gets thrown her way. In her current role, she is creating the legal function from the bottom up (pun intended!) Kate is also the Company Secretary of Who Gives A Crap’s foundation.
	Secretary: Courtenay Zajicek, Chief Counsel ANZ, Nando's Australia Courtenay is the Chief Counsel ANZ for Nando’s and has worked as an in-house lawyer (and as a YOLO) for several years. Her experience covers franchising, property, industrial relations, marketing, commercial and contract law with a strong focus on contract negotiation, compliance, company secretary and governance duties and risk mitigation. She has also completed a Masters in Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course to further enhance her ability to support the commercial goals and objectives of the business and contribute strategically as a member of the senior leadership team.
	Committee Member: Dashani Siva, Legal Counsel, Retail Zoo Dashani is Legal Counsel at Retail Zoo and supports all four Retail Zoo brands – Boost Juice, Betty’s Burgers, Salsas and CIBO Espresso. She has worked in the in-house legal space for over 10 years, within a team and as the sole legal counsel, and provided advice across a range of areas. Her experience is predominantly in the franchising, compliance, property, commercial and contract law space. Dashani partners closely with key stakeholders and the wider business with a focus on risk mitigation in the operational and commercial elements of Retail Zoo.
	Committee Member: Faten Awad, General Counsel, MacKillop Family Services Faten joined MacKillop Family Services (MacKillop) as its first General Counsel, in 2017. Since this time, Faten’s role has evolved to establish and manage several functions: Legal Services, Procurement, Sustainability and Internal Audit. Faten was also the Secretary of the Board Audit and Risk Committee from 2018 to 2022. Faten advises across a range of areas including corporate governance, commercial, IP, dispute resolution, property and privacy, is responsible for management of key policy frameworks and regularly delivers training to MacKillop’s staff. In 2022, Faten commenced in the role of Company Secretary for MacKillop’s Member company and its subsidiaries.
	Committee Member: Aimee Pomogacs, Head of Legal, Grill'd and Koko Black Aimee is an experienced senior lawyer with broad knowledge and experience in general commercial law across a range of industries. Currently Head of Legal at Grill’d and Koko Black, Aimee established the legal function within the businesses and is responsible for all legal matters including commercial / contracts, IP, franchising, disputes, privacy and marketing / advertising. Aimee is passionate about enhancing the profile of the in-house legal function by building trusted relationships with stakeholders and providing strategic and commercial legal advice. In 2023, Aimee won the ACC Australian Corporate Lawyer Award for Sole Legal Officer of the Year.