Our Executive Team
Kon Karapanagiotidis
CEO and Founder
"When I founded the ASRC back on the 8th of June 2001, I started with a simple vision: I wanted to create a place of hope and welcome where no one was turned away. A centre that stood for justice, that was willing to be at the coalface when and where it mattered for people. Where dreams of freedom burned brightly in the hearts of all who entered.
Many years have passed since and some great changes have been achieved, yet there is still much work to be done to create true equality for all asylum seekers. I ask you to join me in this journey. A journey where by you just opening up your heart and offering your hand in support and solidarity can change the world forever."
Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM is the CEO and founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Kon is proudly Greek, growing up in a working class family in a small country town in Victoria. Kon's personal experience of racism and witnessing the exploitation of his parents in factories planted the seeds for his passion for human rights.
Kon went on to become a lawyer, social worker, and teacher. He has been recognised as an Australian of the Year (Victoria) finalist in 2007, was invited to participate in the 2020 Summit in 2008, was voted one of Australia's 20 Unsung Heroes as part of the launch of the new Portrait Gallery in Canberra in 2008, and was voted as one of Melbourne's 100 most influential people in The Age Melbourne Magazine. Most recently, Kon was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2010 and an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2011.Anastasia Magriplis
Anastasia joined ASRC as the Director Advocacy and Campaigns in May 2019. After a long career in the not for profit sector in Queensland and New South Wales, she now serves as the Director of Services and Advocacy Operations. Her career has centred around workforce management and community mobilisation, with more than 30 years working to change systems and build a better community for all people. Her most recent role was Head of Volunteering for UnitingCare in Queensland, a role that managed a voluntary workforce of more than 9000 volunteers across 400 programs, and contributed more than 1.3M hours to the people UnitingCare serve.
Anastasia brings to the ASRC her experience of getting the best out of people to get the best outcomes for people seeking asylum. She is experienced at bringing the organisation's plans and aspirations to life through listening, planning and responding.
Anastasia oversees our Legal, Community Food Program, Housing Support Program and Health Clinic. Her work is focussed on supporting our extraordinary teams to deliver the best possible service to people seeking asylum. Building the case for meaningful and lasting change through the evidence of the people we support each and every day underpins the services she manages. She is driven to build momentum and appetite for cultural and systemic change in Australia so that our policies truly reflect the amazing multicultural society Australia was built on.Joanne Kakafikas
Jo Kakafikas is currently on maternity leave, with Julie Rowan in the role of Director of Shared Business Services.
Julie Rowan joined the ASRC in February 2018 bringing over 20 years senior experience in both the government and NGO sectors. Julie began her career as a Chartered Accountant before taking on wider corporate management roles at Mary Potter Hospice, Plunket, Ministry for Women and Heritage New Zealand. Having lived and worked in New Zealand, Uk, Singapore and Australia over her career, she appreciates the need for ensuring a workplace is culturally responsive and welcoming.
As the Director of Shared Business Services at the ASRC Julie oversees finance, information and communication technologies, property services, office management, data and Occupational Health and Safety. She holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University, NZ, a Member of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants,and a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.Jana Favero
Jana is Director of Advocacy and Campaigns and has worked for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) for 13 years.
Jana is a regular spokesperson in breaking news on human rights and refugee policy on and offshore. She contributes comment to major publications: Fairfax and Newscorp press, ABC national and local radio and TV, The Guardian, New York Times and Al Jazeera. She is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and events on asylum policy.
With strong, varied global experience, from communications for the private sector in the UK to women’s social enterprise development in the steppe of Mongolia, to leading a campaign to increase the effectiveness and acceptance of women’s leadership in India.
Jana’s global social justice work has sharpened her social justice values and entrenched in her work a basic belief that seeking asylum is a point in someone's life – not a definition of identity.
Jana is committed to seeing through advocacy work until people seeking asylum are treated fairly in Australia.
Outside of work, Jana is a proud member of the Cloud Appreciation Society and in leisure time can be found on a flying trapeze or on a bike path with her three young children in tow.Qutbiallam Timor
Qutbiallam Timor joined the ASRC in July 2021 as the Director of Refugee Resource Hub, bringing extensive knowledge with 10 years of experience in government agencies and not-for-profit organisations, within Australia and abroad.
Qutbiallam specialises in business and organisational development, change management, community building, agricultural research, evaluation and extension. Prior to joining the ASRC, Qutbiallam worked with the City of Greater Dandenong, DHHS, Uniting, Australian Aid, and is currently a board member/Deputy of Chair of the Afghan Youth Association in Australia (AYAA). He holds a Masters in Management Studies, in addition, a Masters in International Community Development and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agricultural Studies.
Originally from Afghanistan, Qutbiallam is multilingual; fluent in Pashto (his native language) and in Dari/Persian, English, Urdu and Hindi languages. With a passion for equality and equity advocacy, he brings his lived experience into the role and to the organisation - a fundamental quality for the Refugee Resource Hub. Qutbiallam stands for empowerment and the belief that people seeking asylum deserve the opportunity to live safely and equally.
Executive Team
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