Board of Directors
Chair
Mr. Funston is an experienced former lawyer and manager. Recently retired, his previous roles included that of Senior Lawyer and Manager at GRC Solutions; Senior Lawyer with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; and, Coordinator of the then Consumer Credit Legal Centre (NSW) Inc. Michael has expertise in areas including corporate governance, charities law, and community management and regulation. His qualifications include LLB, LLM and a Master of Arts degree.
Non Executive Director
Ms. Petschler has extensive experience in public policy, government, advocacy and executive roles. She was CEO of the Customer Owned Banking Association – the national association representing banking institutions with more than $90 billion in assets under management. She also worked for consumer rights group, Choice and is currently General Manager, Advocacy at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a graduate degrees from UNSW.
Non Executive Director
Born in Afghanistan, Dr Bilquis Ghani is currently a Lecturer in Arts at Canberra University. Her previous roles have included Head of Inclusion at the Sydney Opera House, and working with University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion. Bilquis’s social justice background spans beyond formal institutions and forms an integral part of her life. She is co-founder and lead for Hunar Symposia, a collective of academics and artists creating spaces of discourse and collaboration between practice and theory. Bilquis’s PhD employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand how cultural products can be deployed to reconceptualize gender and identity in conflict zones, namely, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Founder and Executive Director
Mahir is an internationally renowned development sector expert with vast international experience in Canada, Australia and Afghanistan. He has previously worked for the United Nations, the World Bank and served as a senior Financial Advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Government of Afghanistan. Mahir grew up in a large and hardworking family. He arrived in Australia as a refugee, with a strong passion for improving the daily lives of those still suffering in his war-torn home country. Through his established network of professionals in Afghanistan, Mahir has been able to grow the Foundation with a significant amount of volunteer and community support. Mahir sits on the HADIA Foundation’s board as are the three other directors listed in the page that follows.
Team in Afghanistan
President
Dr. Sherzai is a highly experienced medical doctor with more than 30 years of service working with public health, national and international non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan. She has held a range of senior leadership and technical roles, contributing to the delivery of effective health, humanitarian, and health development programs in complex and challenging contexts. Dr. Sherzai is a strong advocate for women and children’s health, self-reliance, sustainable economic development, and results-driven development practice. Alongside her leadership work, she has provided vital surgical care to victims of war, supporting some of the most vulnerable members of Afghan society. Through her long-standing professional networks and deep understanding of local communities, Dr. Sherzai continues to play an important role in advancing impactful and sustainable development outcomes in Afghanistan. Dr. Sherzai dedicates most of her time with HADIA in a volunteer capacity.
Director Operations
Mr. Muzafar Gulistani joined the HADIA Foundation’s work in Afghanistan in early 2019, initially serving as a Project Manager. He brings extensive experience working across a wide range of development initiatives, including projects funded by USAID and other major international donors. As Director of Operations, Mr. Gulistani oversees all HADIA projects in Afghanistan, including programs in Health, Education, Emergency Aid, and Economic Empowerment, ensuring that key performance indicators are delivered effectively and to a high standard.
Librarian
Mr. Masood Rahmani operates the HADIA Foundation’s Moska Mobile Library, an initiative dedicated to improving access to books and essential learning resources for communities with limited educational opportunities. Through this mobile library model, he supports children and young people who would otherwise have little or no exposure to reading materials, helping to strengthen foundational literacy and educational engagement. As an education specialist, Mr. Rahmani has led multiple literacy improvement initiatives focused on strengthening reading skills, encouraging regular reading habits, and promoting lifelong learning. Over the past ten years, his work has contributed to more than 250,000 children receiving books and learning materials, significantly expanding access to education and supporting long-term learning outcomes for underserved communities.
Volunteer with us
Please email us at info@hadiafoundation.org or fill the form below to express interest in volunteering your time and expertise to assist us.
