Our Team

Steph Curley is the CEO of Surfrider Foundation Australia and a dedicated ocean conservationist. She has 10+ years of experience spanning NGOs and the private sector, including legal, environmental campaigning and the surf industry. Steph lives on Kabbi Kabbi Country/Noosa Heads and can be found surfing the points most days.

Drew has been immersed in the ocean from an early age. His experiences in nature motivate him to passionately protect his surrounding environment. His dedication to protecting our marine environment and community was evident in campaigns such as Save The Kimberley, Fight The Bight and more recently the Stop Pepp11 campaign. Drew has been involved in the Surf Therapy scene for many years, co-founding & working with Surfing The Spectrum—an organization that introduces young children on the Autism Spectrum to the wonderful world of the ocean.

He spends his time surfing the coastlines of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales and most recently, his new home of Tasmania.

A firm believer in the power of the ocean to heal, Angus credits connection with the natural world as the key to transforming perspectives and igniting positive environmental change. Angus plays a key role in supporting the grassroots campaigns and community initiatives that make Surfrider’s mission possible.

Based on Arakwal/ Bundjalung Country (Byron Bay) you’ll find Gus chasing little peelers or exploring the nearby hinterland.

Nick has 10+ years experience creating positive impact as the former Head of Foundation at Australian Ethical Investment and with leadership roles across philanthropy, partnerships and social impact organizations. Nick is now investing his energy in the the Gum Tree Foundation, a charitable trust committed to regenerating nature, caring for people, and addressing the root causes of environmental degradation, inequality and injustice.

Rafael is a global finance executive with over 25 years of experience across capital markets, corporate finance, and business transformation in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Currently serving as Group Executive, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at Rabobank Australia and New Zealand, he has held senior leadership roles across three continents and brings a wealth of expertise in investment banking, structured lending, and large-scale organisational change.

Jasper is a Special Counsel at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers in Sydney, one of Australia’s largest national law firms. His legal career includes experience at the Environmental Defenders Office, reflecting a longstanding commitment to public interest law and environmental advocacy.

Award-winning filmmaker and journalist with 15+ years of experience in social impact storytelling. Bessie has played a key role in leading campaigns and developing strategies for Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd.

Jessi is an accomplished leader in professional sports, most recently serving as Commissioner for men’s and women’s surfing globally at the World Surf League (WSL). A former Women’s Championship Tour surfer herself, she brings a unique combination of competitive experience and executive leadership to everything she does. A passionate advocate for gender equality she made history in securing equal prize money for women in surfing — earning her recognition as a ‘Game Changer’ by Sports Business Journal in 2022.

Peter is a lifetime surfer, family man, engineer and business leader. Motivated by the appalling impact of plastics on pristine oceans, beaches and islands, Peter has shifted his professional focus—and will dedicate the rest of his engineering career—to pollution reduction. Peter is leading deep renewable energy storage investment at Hydrostor, on their Australian portfolio of large-scale, long-duration energy storage projects. Peter recently finished as CEO of Sea the Future, a not-for-profit that aimed to get plastics out of the environment and into the economy through unblocking, accelerating and scaling plastic recycling globally. Peter has 30 years of experience driving businesses and projects in transport, utilities, social infrastructure, industrial and, plastic recycling and now renewable energy. Peter is a board member at Surfrider Foundation to protect oceans and coasts and also supports tree planting and forest protection charities.

Michaela, based in Perth, is a scientist with over 30 years of expertise in marine conservation, sustainable shipping, and environmental management. A PhD holder and board member, she leads initiatives like The Sustainable Ocean Shipping Hub and has held key roles at Minderoo Foundation, NOPSEMA, and AIMS, driving sustainability and innovation in marine industries as well as being an adjunct researcher at the Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia. Michaela is a (mad) keen-wing foiler, surfer and loves all things ocean.