Our Team

“I’ll never forget visiting an orphanage for the first time and seeing rows and rows of tiny faces. I am dedicated to helping find funds and friends to bring love to all those children.” During her career at McDonald’s, Deanne served as Senior Vice President, Employee Relations, Training & Development, McDonald’s Australia and advisor in the Asia region for McDonald’s Corporation USA. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Arts and lives in Melbourne with her husband, Guy and son, Jack.

“In the words of activist Henry Ward Beecher: “Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven”. OneSky serves the smallest of our population and I embrace this privilege and responsibility as a member of this global family. To know that these precious babies and children now have dedicated people to kiss them goodnight, and give them love and happiness, compels me to give my best, every day.”  Veronica holds a Bachelor of Laws degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations. Prior to joining OneSky Australia, she enjoyed a career in Commercial Law, specialising in Commercial Litigation. She worked as part of the Arthur Andersen Australian International and Domestic Mobility Team, at Ernst & Young, and established a boutique Property Law Firm. She lives in Melbourne, with husband Andre and her two children, Konrad and Lili.

Guy joined Wesfarmers in 2008 as Managing Director of Kmart, and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Department Stores division (Kmart Limited/Target Limited) in February 2016. Prior to this, Guy worked for McDonald’s, beginning his career in 1974. He was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at McDonald’s Australia from 1999 before becoming President, McDonald’s Greater China from 2005 to 2007. Guy is currently a Senior Advisor to Wesfarmers Limited and was recently appointed Chairman of Guzman y Gomez premium fast casual Mexican restaurants. Guy is a passionate President of global non-profit, OneSky, for orphaned and at risk children.

Steve had 21 years executive experience at McDonald’s Australia Ltd, serving as CFO and retiring as Deputy Managing Director in 2005; and remains Director and former Chairman of Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia. Steve has been a director on Australian public company boards, Mortgage Choice Limited and Reverse Corp Limited, and is also a director on private company boards.

Di is a Partner at Gilbert +Tobin, a leading commercial law firm. Di is recognised as a leader in the field of employment law with a particular interest in diversity and discrimination and is a Director of the Diversity Council of Australia.

“I believe that success in business and in life comes about when like-minded individuals connect through things they are passionate about, in this instance changing the futures of children and indeed the future that we all share.”  Dan serves as Executive Director of Macquarie Group, a global investment banking and diversified financial services group headquartered in Sydney, where he has worked since 1989.  From 2007 to 2010, Dan relocated with his family to Shanghai, with a primary focus on growing the venture capital business in China. He has more than 20 years’ experience providing venture capital to high growth companies in Australia, Asia, Europe and the US.  Dan currently serves as Director of a number of companies and holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia (ACA).

“On a rainy day in 1997 when we met our little daughter, Maya, I began to learn what it means to a child to live a life without love. Just a year later, I looked out my window and saw our beloved toddler romping in the garden, so full of life and joy, looking for all the world like she’d always been adored. I suddenly understood just how resilient young children can be, and at that moment, I resolved to do whatever I could so that no child …

“I am passionate about helping organizations with big ideas gain the support they need to make positive, lasting change in the world and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the OneSky team!”  Morgan studied communications, earned a teaching credential, and worked in media, publishing and education before transitioning to a career in nonprofit management. For the past decade she has led fundraising and communications efforts for NGOs focused on education, conservation and animal welfare in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“I truly believe that all children can learn and transform their lives because I have witnessed it over and over in my work at OneSky. These moments watching children grow and change have been some of the happiest of my life.” Wen Zhao is a native of Hangzhou, China. She received her doctorate in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, US. She joined OneSky in 1999 and has extensive teaching and research experience in early childhood education as a teacher, teacher educator, and researcher in the United States and in China.

“More than a decade ago as a graduate student in early childhood education, I read in a journal about Half the Sky and their work to bring relationship-based care and education to orphans in China. By the end of reading the article, I was touched by the cause and the simple solution of training caregivers to know that children’s social and emotional needs are just as important as their physical ones.” Prior to joining OneSky, Alice served as a childcare worker, an educational researcher, and a teacher educator in pre-service early childhood education training programs in Canada and Hong Kong for ten years. She is now based in Hong Kong with her husband and son.

“Vietnam never stopped making me feel lucky… Lucky I was born with so many opportunities. Lucky I’ve never faced poverty that is still the norm for much of this country. Lucky to live in this incredible place and lucky to be able to help.”

Steve had worked for a dozen years in the UK, in media and public relations, before volunteering to work for street kid project KOTO in Hanoi. He would later work in Vietnamese media, consultancy, and as Head of Marketing & Communications for the British Council in Vietnam. Eventually he took on a local role with Animals Asia, rising to international Head of Communications. Steve met and married his wife Loan in Vietnam and in 2015 they adopted their daughter Su from a nearby orphanage.

“I grew up in a large family with lots of noise, laughter, and love. Working in two orphanages, and teaching in a rural community preschool in West Africa and South America, gave me a glimpse of the sobering reality so many children face, born into a world in which circumstance dictates their potential. But I also saw the incredible resiliency of a child, despite all odds. I am fortunate to now work for an organization whose endeavor is so close to my heart.” A native of northern California, Katie received her BA in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“When I joined OneSky in 2013, I was immediately immersed in the production of our Video Resource Library. This beautiful collection of training movies strives to inspire caregivers to foster the development of their orphaned children through the magic of responsive care. Having had the incredible fortune of growing up in a loving family, my work at OneSky has provided me with the opportunity to honour the precious gift that life has given me.” Before joining OneSky, Melissa worked for years in the post-production world of non-fiction filmmaking.

“My dream started when I was studying in the Netherlands; I discovered I had a passion for non-profit work. A year later, when I learned that my former boss was an old friend of OneSky Founder, Jenny Bowen, it was as if I had discovered a red thread drawing me into this family. I have been with OneSky for several years and have grown with it and am happy to work to make sure all children know that someone cares.” Winnie is a native of Beijing and received her MS degree at Vrije University in Amsterdam.

“I worked in an institution for 30 years, spending time with the children, getting to know them, and being impressed by them. After my retirement, I couldn’t stay away. It’s the laughter of the children and their smiles that keep me working and make me happy.” Prior to joining OneSky, Li Daoxin served as head of the infant department at the Hefei welfare institution. In 2000, when OneSky opened its very first Infant Nurture Program in Hefei, she became its first supervisor. Upon her retirement in 2004, she became field supervisor and was promoted to her current position in 2011.

“Working with vulnerable children, observing them, helping them help themselves and learning from them has already made my life extraordinarily significant. These beautiful little angels make miracles of their lives and prove that every child has infinite potential. I feel so lucky and proud to work at OneSky.” Before joining OneSky in 2008 as an Infant Nurture field trainer, Daphne served as a local representative of Chinese Children Adoption International for twelve years. She majored in English and is committed to studying Montessori education systematically and in-depth by taking professional training courses in her spare time.

“There is no doubt in my mind that a red thread connected my beloved daughter and I long before her adoption from Jiangxi Province, China, in 2007. And a similar red thread will forever connect our whole family to her birth country and the children left behind.” Heather feels very fortunate to be applying her development, grants, and management experience to her greatest personal passion of supporting vulnerable children and creating economic opportunities for women at OneSky. She holds a BA from Syracuse University and MPA from University of Pennsylvania.

“I grew up in a big, noisy, loving family and know how important that was in shaping my life. OneSky allows me to bring this same love of family to children.” Tim has spent his entire working life in the shipping industry starting as a trainee shipbroker with Clarksons in 1982 after graduating from Edinburgh University. The former CEO of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings Ltd and Managing Director of Clarkson Asia Ltd, Tim has served as Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and is a regular commentator on shipping issues.

“It is not acceptable to me that some children in this world have never been loved. Because OneSky is working with the Chinese government, I believe it has a very good chance of changing the lives of all orphans in China.” Prior to establishing his foundation, Peter started his career at JP Morgan, and then established Bennett O’Shea, a residential property investment and management company, and Gottex Fund Management. The Peter Bennett Foundation supports charitable and social impact development in China, South East Asia and Hong Kong.

“On a rainy day in 1997 when we met our little daughter, Maya, I began to learn what it means to a child to live a life without love. Just a year later, I looked out my window and saw our beloved toddler romping in the garden, so full of life and joy, looking for all the world like she’d always been adored. I suddenly understood just how resilient young children can be, and at that moment, I resolved to do whatever I could so that no child …

“As a teenager, I worked in an orphanage. I would hold a child in my arms, a child the doctor told me might die. I could do nothing or I could go home to find the money for that child’s surgery. This changed my life.” In 2000, at the age of 16, Matt founded China Care Foundation to help orphaned children with special needs in China, and currently serves as President of its Board. He is a graduate of Harvard University and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“When I adopted my son from a Chinese orphanage, he arrived with a journal full of stories and photos carefully compiled by his OneSky-trained caregivers. I knew someone else felt his life mattered and I knew I had to support OneSky’s work.” Melissa helped found one of the first Asia-only private equity fund-of-funds, which she still runs today. She received an MBA Harvard Business School and an AB from Harvard College. She also serves on the Boards of Marin Country Day School and the SF Zoo, as well as the Advisory Board of Room to Read.

“I still remember visiting an orphanage for the first time as a child, and the joy in the eyes of the children as we celebrated Christmas together. Having followed OneSky’s work for many years, I have no doubt OneSky provides a loving and scientific approach that has positively change many lives, and I hope to contribute towards bringing many more joyful moments to children.” Melvyn has been running Yoma Strategic, a Myanmar-based business group that engages in real estate development, automotive and heavy equipment distribution, consumer businesses and financial services, since 2015. Previously, he was CEO of Serge Pun & Associates (Myanmar) Limited and was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. He studied at Cambridge University, and now divides his time between Hong Kong and Myanmar.

“I was first exposed to the effects of institutionalization and the healing power of loving caregivers through my father’s life’s work in Washington DC. When I saw OneSky’s transformative efforts across an entire country, impacting thousands and potentially millions, I very much wanted to be part of that effort.” Chapman serves on the boards of For Love of Children, Microdreams and Karya Salemba Empat in Indonesia. He and his wife, Grace Boey Taylor, live in Washington DC.

“As a pediatrician and researcher in child development, I know institutionalized children deprived of love fail to grow normally. OneSky is the answer for this tragedy. No other organization has developed a range of orphanage interventions that prevent deterioration and help children achieve their potential.” Dana is a professor at the University of Minnesota where he co-founded the International Adoption Program. His research interests include the effects of early institutionalization on growth and development and the outcomes of internationally adopted children. He has 2 birth daughters, 3 stepdaughters and a son from India.

As a father of two Chinese daughters, I never forgot about the children ‘left behind.’ When Half the Sky came along, I was able to do more than just think about them. Now that our model for care has been widely recognized–by the Chinese government itself–I no longer think of orphans as being left behind. They are now being helped along their way. Peter is a Sinologist and author of Host of Memories: Tales of Inevitable Happenstance and Pieces of China. He and his husband live in Princeton, New Jersey with their two daughters.

I began working at OneSky part-time as a donations coordinator in 2003. I was moved by the stories I heard from adoptive families and became committed to making changes in the lives of those children left behind. Born in Nantong, Mei worked as a bank manager at the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank before she came to the US. She received her MBA from California State University at Hayward with a focus on accounting.  She lives in Hong Kong with her husband, Ting Lu and daughters, Mira and Nora.

“In my work educating and training potential philanthropists, I still look to OneSky for inspiration.”Zhenyao is the Director of the new Beijing Normal University One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute and Director of the China Institute for Social Policy. Prior to this, he served as Director-General of the Department of Social Welfare at China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs and Director of Disaster Relief. In 1994, he initiated China’s first village election, sparking fundamental change in China. Zhenyao holds an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Beijing University.

“How could I ever give back to OneSky what OneSky have given me? My youngest daughter was one of the first babies to receive the loving care of a OneSky Nanny in Hefei.”  Jeronia, who was born in Spain, lived and worked in China for 30 years. A Montessori Teacher Trainer, she joined OneSky in 2004 and served as our Infant Program Director until 2012. Jeronia, her husband Clinton, two daughters and a son live now in Australia.