Chief Executive Officer

The organisation

PRONIA is one of Melbourne’s most utilised community service agencies within the Greek Community. From its origins as a vital support system for the first wave of vulnerable Greek migrants, the organisation has built a strong community over the last 52 years and is now paving the way for a whole new generation to realise their potential.  The entity’s comprehensive support services include crisis intervention, mental health support, disability, aged care, family and youth services.  PRONIA’s in-depth cultural knowledge, educational expertise and advocacy has allowed for the creation of a stronger community that enables each and every person to overcome disadvantage.

PRONIA means ‘to provide’ or ‘make provision for’ in Greek, but its deeper connotations of ‘care’ and ‘forethought’ lie at the heart of the organisation’s mission.

With a passionate team of 200, this active community service organisation is important to government, peak bodies and the CALD population through policy development and a strong history of advocacy.

The brief

PRONIA was established for the relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune, disability, destitution or helplessness, by providing a comprehensive range of support and welfare services to relieve such benevolent needs, particularly amongst elderly or disadvantaged individuals and families in the Greek community in Australia.

PRONIA has a vision to empower vulnerable members of this ethno-specific Community to reach their full potential. 

PRONIA’s 5-year Strategic Plan, developed in 2021, acknowledges the evolving landscape, marked by a governmental shift towards universal services and a natural decline in the traditional client base of post-war migrants and refugees. This necessitates a critical reassessment of resource allocation to ensure PRONIA’s financial and operational sustainability.

In response to this strategic imperative, the Board of PRONIA requested the submission of a confidential proposal for executive search and selection services to identify and appoint a distinguished Chief Executive Officer to build upon the substantial legacy of Tina Douvos-Strathopoulos, who dedicated over 34 years to the PRONIA community, including seven years as CEO.

The incoming CEO will echo the organisation’s values of Integrity, Respect and Quality in implementing the key objectives documented in the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.

Importantly, the Board mandated an expansive search to identify the most qualified CEO candidate, transcending considerations of Greek heritage and language skills.

The process

Brooker Consulting was delighted to partner with the highly skilled volunteer Board to attract and engage an authentic and strategic Chief Executive Officer.

The campaign commenced with a comprehensive executive search strategy. In addition, targeted external digital and print advertising were utilised, including placements in local and national Greek newspapers. This multifaceted approach successfully generated substantial interest in the position.

This assignment attracted a range of high calibre candidates from across a number of similar sectors due to the multi-faceted elements of PRONIA’s service delivery and the high reputation that they hold with all stakeholders.

The outcome

A rigorous panel interview process ensued, followed by extensive reference checking. Ultimately, Sylvia Hadjiantoniou was announced as PRONIA’s new CEO.   

Ms Sylvia Hadjiantoniou is an experienced Board Director and Executive.  Sylvia is a transformational leader who has worked across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. In these roles, she has collaborated with multisector partners to deliver large-scale capital projects, develop precincts, and manage organisational transformations. She is committed to advancing social justice by providing support services and improving access to affordable housing, community infrastructure, health care and education. 

Sylvia is looking forward to leveraging her collaborative leadership style to advance PRONIA’s Vision and Goals in partnership with the board and leadership team. She is committed to engaging closely with government entities, the business sector, community representatives, and donors to ensure PRONIA’s continued prominence as a leading Australian-Greek community services agency. Sylvia aims to empower community members to achieve their full potential and to lead the organisation as a contemporary change agent, ensuring its future resilience and success.