TAS has approximately 40 staff working across Australia. Our staff are predominantly based in our Sydney office, with personnel also located in Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland.
The Executive Team comprises exceptionally experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated individuals who have played a pivotal role in achieving success for our clients.
Francis Child FCA, CEM
Executive Chair
Francis was born and educated in the United Kingdom where he obtained a BSc. in Economics with Statistics at the University of Bristol. He qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales in 1981. After leaving the accounting profession in 1985, Francis gained extensive experience in both the entertainment and events-based industry sectors. Having worked for Chrysalis Records and EMI Records in the UK for 8 years, Francis moved to Australia in 1992, where he worked for AiC Worldwide (now Terrapinn) in the capacity of both Main Board Director and Finance Director. During this time AiC Worldwide became one of the leading global conference and trade show organisers.Show more/less
In July, 2000 Francis purchased Conference Action Pty. Ltd a company specialising in event management for the Association, Society and Government sectors. In 2005, the addition of the Australian Professional Centre (APC), moved the business into a more strategically focused provider of association management services. Francis has, since then, developed what is now The Association Specialists into the leading provider of association management services in Australia. He continues to passionately drive improvements into the not-for-profit sector whilst struggling to get any improvement in his golf game. Francis is an Honorary Life Member of the PCO Association and Past President of Lane Cove Football Club.
Nell Harrison CEM
Managing Director
Nell is a highly committed and passionate industry professional, who has been working with TAS for over 13 years and has been instrumental in all aspects of the business. With a degree in Applied Communication Studies, majoring in Marketing and Public Relations and a career spanning over 20 years in these areas, she brings extensive organisational and international management experience within the association sector and in particular the event, marketing and sponsorship fields. Nell is a certified Event Manager (CEM) with the Australian Professional Conference Organisation Association (PCOA), a member of the global Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and sits on several advisory industry panels across the association and event space.Show more/less
Embracing new opportunities and providing strategic direction, she is able to deliver measurable outcomes and effectively manage change even in disruptive circumstances.
Her passion for creating and fostering long-term relationships is reflected in her commitment to her clients, mentoring of her teams and respect amongst her industry peers, suppliers and stakeholders. She has a strong focus on achieving excellence in operational management and maintaining a strong sense of ethics and integrity throughout all her business practices.
Nell is a dynamic leader, supporting and empowering the TAS team to provide excellent service delivery results across the TAS client portfolios.
Adil Ahmad
Director of Finance
Adil brings to The Association Specialists and our clients extensive experience developed within TAS since 2014. Adil looks after a team of six qualified accounting staff who provide timely and detailed information to our 80+ clients on a daily basis. Adil graduated from Central Queensland University (Sydney campus) and then completed a Masters Degree in Accounting. In addition, Adil is actively involved in the budgeting for events ensuring clients ae kept informed at all times.
Megan Ogier GIA (Cert)
Director of Performance
Megan joined The Association Specialists in early 2012 bringing with her a wealth of experience in Sales and Event Management. Her previous roles within the hotel industry included sales, client relationship management, contract negotiation, event and financial management with clients from both Association and Corporate sectors. She brings a commercial focus and strong customer service skills to her client portfolio.
Megan is certified through the Governance Institute of Australia the leading authority on governance and risk management in Australia.
As the Director of Performance, Megan manages a large team of staff ensuring high delivery of service, implements best practice and with her excellent attention to detail, exceptional customer service and precision project management she provides strategic advice to over 80 associations across the company. Show more/less
Annie Coulter GIA (Cert)
Director of People
Annie joined The Association Specialists in 2013. She graduated in BA History at Cardiff University in the UK and developed her skills within the sales and charity sectors before moving to Australia. She has worked with not for profits and associations for 10 years and has extensive knowledge of working with boards to deliver quality member services and benefits.
Show more/less
Annie is experienced in developing and streamlining operational processes in addition to providing advice on governance, marketing and communications. In her current role she is responsible for leading and providing strategic direction and support in the areas of recruitment, training, mentoring and well-being. Her passion for people shows in her dedicated to building strong client relationships and providing an exceptional level of service while fostering the growth and performance of the TAS team.
Thalia Child GIA (Cert)
Director of Productivity
Thalia graduated from Macquarie University in 2015 with a degree in International Business Studies and is also certified Governance for Not-for-Profits from the Governance Institute of Australia the leading authority on governance and risk management in Australia.
Show more/less
She has skills in both association and conference management, having operated in various roles throughout the organisation in her 10+ years with the company.
Thalia’s key role is ensuring client service delivery and company resource allocations are managed optimally. Her strong leadership skills enable her to successfully lead a team, while analysing productivity and streamlining process to ensure the TAS team are delivering outstanding results in ever-changing environments.
Her passion for exceeding client expectations facilitates strong client relationships, delivers tangible results and positions associations for market growth and long-term sustainability.