Our CEO
Mark Painting
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Mark Painting joined NAATI as Chief Executive Officer in July 2015 and has overseen the organisational transformation of NAATI, including the implementation of the national Certification System.
Mark is the chair of the Australian Mirror Committee (CS117) to the ISO Committee on Translating, Interpreting and Related Technology (ISO TC37/SC5). He is also a member of the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity and the Industry Advisory Board for Monash University’s translating and interpreting program.
Prior to joining NAATI, Mark held several corporate and operational roles at senior executive levels in the Australian Public Service. In addition to his public sector career, Mark also has experience as Board Director and sat on several governance and audit committees. He has also been a lecturer/tutor at TAFE and university levels.
Mark holds a Master of Public Administration, a Graduate Certificate in Management and a Bachelor of Business. Mark is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Institute of Management and Leadership and an Executive Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).
Voula Messimeri AM
Chair
Voula Messimeri AM was appointed to the NAATI Board from 1 November 2014, bringing to the Board significant experience and skills as an executive and non-executive director.
Ms Messimeri has had roles as a non-executive director including as chair of the peak multicultural national body, the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA); deputy chair of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria; inaugural chair of Women’s Health in the North; and chair of InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence.
Ms Messimeri was appointed to the RMIT University Council, serving two terms and representing the council as a board director on the RMIT Training Board, a controlled entity of the RMIT University. With a strong interest in language services, she was appointed as a director on the Victorian Interpreting & Translating Service (VITS) Board, a state-owned enterprise, where she served for 15 years and occupied the role of deputy chairperson twice in that time.
Major contributions to policy combined with her advocacy roles led to appointments on a wide range of ministerial state and federal advisory structures across diverse areas, including health, ageing, income support, media and as a member on the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council.
She is a Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program and has been awarded honorary life membership for significant contributions and leadership by FECCA and serving as a non‑executive director and Vice President on the Board of PRONIA, where she was a long‑standing CEO. The Greek Government recognised her service to the Australian Greek diaspora in 2009.
Ms Messimeri was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and recognised under the Order of Australia for her contribution to refugees, migrants and women. She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently serving as a non‑executive director on the board of PRONIA and as chair of the Board of Settlement Services International (SSI).
Ms Messimeri’s term expires on 30 June 2024.
Dr Adolfo Gentile
Board member
Dr Adolfo Gentile was appointed to the NAATI Board from 31 July 2020.
He brings to the Board significant experience as a consultant, teacher and researcher in the translating and interpreting field. He was also a member of the Refugee Review and Immigration Tribunals.
Dr Gentile has a PhD in Translation Studies, a Master of Educational Administration and is a NAATI Certified Advanced Translator in Italian (both directions).
He is an Affiliate of the Interpreting and Translation Studies program at Monash University and is widely known as an expert in his field, having researched and published extensively on translating and interpreting matters.
He is a former President of the International Federation of Translators (FIT).
Dr Gentile has a long-standing relationship with NAATI, including being a former Board Chair.
Dr Gentile’s term expires on 30 June 2024.
George Bisas
Board member
George Bisas was appointed to the NAATI Board from 1 September 2023.
He brings to the board more than 30 years of executive management experience in Australia and abroad within the government, private and non-government sectors.
Mr Bisas has worked for the last 15 years in senior roles within the language services industry. As Chief Executive Officer for LanguageLoop, the Victorian Government owned language service provider, from 2009 to 2015, he managed a major change process resulting in significant commercial success for the company. He returned to the company as CEO from 2021 to August 2023.
In November 2015 he was appointed as Director of Language Services for the NSW Government where he managed a major review of the industrial award covering NSW Crown interpreters and translators. He was responsible for the development of key policy related to language services and also implemented a number of key initiatives aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the industry in NSW.
Prior to his involvement in the language services industry he was with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, where he managed the Commission’s education, community relations and commercial operations. Between 2000 and 2005 he was appointed to a senior advisory position with the Hong Kong Government through the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission.
He has been appointed to a range of government and non-government boards and advisory committees.
Mr Bisas’ term expires on 31 August 2026.
Jeff McAlister
Board member
Jeffrey McAlister was appointed to the NAATI Board from 1 September 2023.
Mr McAlister is a senior government executive with extensive experience in trade, investment, and international relations across multiple jurisdictions as well as Australia’s major overseas partners.
Since graduating with an MA (Hons) in Languages, Mr McAlister has had a lifelong interest in language and knows firsthand the value of quality translation and interpretation services to help business and people access services and reach agreements. Mr McAlister has worked on a range of Indigenous projects and is encouraged by the renewal of First Nations languages.
Mr McAlister is currently the Chief Investment Officer for the City of Gold Coast where he attracts and drives public and private investment into Australia’s fastest growing major city. He also does pro bono work providing migration advice for vulnerable migrants, and sits on the Board of the Licensed Immigration Advisers Association of New Zealand.
Mr McAlister’s term expires on 31 August 2026.
Prof. Nicholas Farrelly
Board member
Professor Nicholas Farrelly was appointed to the NAATI Board from 1 December 2023, bringing to the Board significant academic, leadership and organisational change experience.
After graduating from the Australian National University with First Class Honours and the University Medal in Asian Studies, he completed his M.Phil and D.Phil at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Professor Farrelly was previously an Associate Dean in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Deputy Director of its Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, and the founding Director of the ANU Myanmar Research Centre.
For the past 20 years, he has published widely on Asian political, social and security issues, with a long-term focus on Thailand and Myanmar. He has also led a range of academic activities in Bangladesh, India, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
At the start of his academic career, he co-founded New Mandala, which went on to become a pioneering website for Southeast Asian Studies.
Professor Farrelly is currently a Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Tasmania and previously, from 2020-2023, he was Head of the University’s School of Social Sciences. He also works closely with many different government, community and industry organisations. Professor Farrelly maintains a keen interest in educational, technological and cultural change.
In 2020 he was appointed by the Australian Foreign Minister to serve on the board of the Australia-ASEAN Council. He was re-appointed to this role in 2023. Professor Farrelly is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).
Professor Farrelly’s term expires on 30 November 2026.
Magdalena Rowan
Board member
Magdalena Rowan was appointed to the NAATI Board from 1 December 2023.
Ms Rowan has been a practicing certified interpreter and translator for over 40 years. During this time, she has also been involved in most facets of the industry. She has provided services across all levels of interpreting and translating. She has been an educator in interpreting and translating since the eighties, both at university and vocational levels in Australia and New Zealand and has designed and implemented T & I courses as a senior lecturer at TAFESA, including courses for Indigenous interpreters.
Ms Rowan has worked extensively with NAATI since the 1990’s including being a member of the NAATI Regional Advisory Committee for many years. More recently she has been involved in the development of the NAATI certification system and Continuous Improvement Program. She was a NAATI examiner for many years and also assisted in training examiners. Until recently, she was also a member and then chair of NAATI’s Technical Reference Advisory Committee (TRAC).
Ms Rowan is also a member of the Judicial Council on Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee, responsible for the development of the Recommended National Standards for Working with Interpreters in Courts and Tribunals. Ms Rowan regularly presents to professionals who work with interpreters and continues to be a practicing interpreter and translator in Spanish. In the past, Ms Rowan also practiced as an accredited Polish professional Interpreter.
Ms Rowan has a Bachelor of Arts, a Postgraduate degree in Adult Education and an Advanced Diploma in Interpreting and Translating. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators and a member of the New Zealand Society of Interpreters and Translators.
Ms Rowan’s term expires on 30 November 2026.
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