About APA
Our team
APA is supported by volunteers across national governance, national operations and chapter leadership. This page explains who holds responsibility and how the different parts of APA connect.
Leadership
National Executive
The National Executive supports APA’s day-to-day operations across membership, programs, partnerships, communications and administration, working with chapters within APA’s national direction. Every role shown here should be current and approved.
National President
Tendai Mbirimi
Leads the national executive and represents APA publicly — to members, partners, sponsors and government. Chairs national meetings and carries APA’s strategy across every chapter.
Tendai Mbirimi serves as National President of African Professionals of Australia. A purpose-driven leader and dedicated community advocate, he is passionate about building cross-cultural professional networks and unlocking opportunities for African-Australians from all walks of life.
Professionally, Tendai is a real estate and corporate finance leader with over 15 years’ experience in debt capital funding across major Australian and international banks. Alongside this, he brings extensive experience in executive roles within the not-for-profit sector, including senior leadership positions spanning finance and strategy, where he has driven programs focused on strategic growth and cross-cultural engagement.
At the heart of Tendai’s work is a deep commitment to community development, grounded in his belief in the transformative power of education, unity, and self-determination.
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National Vice President & Treasurer
Oluwabamise Oyewale
Deputises for the National President and carries national portfolios, and stewards APA’s finances: budgets, membership revenue, grant acquittals and the annual accounts.
Oluwabamise Oyewale serves as the National Vice President & Treasurer of African Professionals of Australia (APA), bringing strong financial acumen and a deep commitment to community development. A Chartered Accountant with over 10 years’ experience, Oluwabamise leverages her experience in audit, accounting and business planning to add value to APA’s financial management and reporting framework nationally. She is passionate about financial literacy, transparency, and building sustainable systems that support community organisations.
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National Volunteer Manager
Dr Francine Perrine-Walker
As National Volunteer Manager for the African Professionals of Australia, Francine Perrine-Walker provides strategic leadership to support volunteer engagement, retention, and development nationwide. Drawing on her experience as a plant scientist, educator, mentor, and communicator, she is dedicated to building high-performing volunteer teams that drive positive outcomes for members and communities. Francine is passionate about empowering people through professional networks, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. She believes in the transformative power of volunteering and is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and excellence across the organisation.
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National Digital Strategist
Essy Mwaniki
Leads APA’s digital presence — the website, the member area, social channels and the newsletter — so members and partners can find APA and stay connected between events.
Essy Mwaniki is a digital strategy and operations professional with experience across global platform businesses in the food delivery, ride-sharing and micromobility sectors. She brings deep expertise in market operations, growth strategy and digital transformation, with a track record of driving expansion and performance across East and West Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
At APA, Essy serves as the Digital Strategy and Insights Lead at the national level, where she leads the organization’s digital strategy, social media and analytics functions, including the website transformation project.
She holds a Master of Commerce specializing in both Digital Transformation and Strategy and Innovation from the University of New South Wales. Essy believes in the power of technology as a tool to amplify African professional voices, create visibility and drive meaningful community impact.
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Governance
National Board
APA has been a company limited by guarantee since 2012, governed by a volunteer board. The board sets national strategy, oversees finances, risk and compliance, and holds APA to its purpose and constitution. It appoints and supports the national executive.
Board members are volunteers who bring professional expertise to APA’s governance — setting national strategy, overseeing risk and finances, and holding the organisation to its purpose.
Founder & National Chairman
Tommy Adebayo
Chairs the national board, sets its agenda and leads its decision-making.
Tommy Adebayo is the Founder and National Chairman of African Professionals of Australia, where he provides strategic and governance leadership to the national board and its chapters. He holds primary responsibility for board effectiveness, succession and nomination, and a skills-based approach to board composition. He brings over twenty years of engineering and HSEQ leadership experience, and is HSEQ Manager and Client Relationship Manager for Africa projects at Total Marine Technology. He also owns Migrant Success Academy and co-founded Aspramed Telehealth.
MBA (UWA) · Grad. Dip. OHSMS (ECU) · Grad. Cert. Subsea Technology · BEng Electrical & Electronics
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Director
Arnold Nyamhamba
Arnold Nyamhamba is a Non-Executive Director of African Professionals of Australia, contributing to organisational strategy, governance, risk oversight, stakeholder engagement and initiatives that strengthen the participation and advancement of African professionals across Australia. He is also Chair of Elucidate Education, and brings extensive experience in executive education, leadership development, organisational change and digital transformation. He previously chaired the City of Canning Access and Inclusion Advisory Group and served on the Executive Committee of the WA Singapore Business Council.
GAICD · Prosci Certified Change Practitioner · IECL-trained organisational coach
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Director
Sidney Abiodun
Sidney Abiodun is a governance and risk leader with more than 20 years’ experience across the mining, energy, infrastructure and public sectors, including senior roles with Rio Tinto, BHP, Sydney Trains and the Western Australian resources regulator. He is passionate about strengthening leadership, representation and governance capability within African-Australian communities, and also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Intelife.
MBA · LLM (Enterprise Governance) · GAICD · FGIA · FIEAust · CPEng
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Director of Partnerships
Robert Mukombozi
Mr Robert Mukombozi has vast experience in Public and Non-Government sectors. He specialises in community engagement, policy, and fostering connections between various stakeholders. With background in multicultural relations and community development, he has held leadership roles with the Australian Government, Access Community Services (currently Settlement Services International), Logan City Council, and QPASTT. Also, he has served in numerous National, State and Local leadership positions, including as the Past President of African Professionals of Australia – Queensland, Queensland African Communities Council and Coordinator of Celebrate African Australian Awards – Qld.
Mr Mukombozi holds a Master of Arts (Journalism and Mass Communication) along with multiple qualifications in Public Administration, Community Development, Public Relations, the Craft of Advising Government, Government Writing for Impact and Public Relations. He has led international campaigns to raise funds for communities affected by natural disasters globally.
Recognised with multiple National and International Awards, including Most Influential African Australian (The Courier Mail), Community Leader of the Year, Rankin Local Legend, Excellence in Investigative Journalism Award, Mr Mukombozi’s exceptional engagement and strategic expertise make him an invaluable addition to our team.
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Closer to home
Chapter leadership
APA chapters are supported by local volunteer leadership. Use each chapter page for current leaders, contact details and local opportunities.
Find your chapter
Chapter pages show current local leadership, contact routes and what is happening near you.
Contribute to APA
Committees, working groups, mentoring, events and chapter activity depend on people who contribute time and expertise. Explore current roles rather than assuming a vacancy exists.
Contact the team
Questions for the board, National Executive or a chapter? Start here and APA can route your enquiry to the right person.