Our Board

The Hands Board provides the strategic direction for the operation of Hands and supports our Thai Partners in the four foundation pillars of governance, compliance, sustainability and leadership.

The Board members are all accomplished in their chosen field, bringing a wide range of skills and attributes to the table. They are well respected and most importantly, they share one vision: supporting the children. Board members are not financially compensated for their time – in fact they cover their own expenses when traveling to our sites in Thailand.

Hands has established a Foundation in Thailand. This allows us to own property in Thailand and to continue the work we do for the long term. Being granted Foundation status by the Thai Government is further testament to the work we do.

Peter Baines, OAM

Chair and Founder

Peter is the Founder of Hands Across the Water. His passion for helping others, especially Thailand’s children, has inspired people around the world to have the courage to make a difference.

In addition to leading Hands, Peter is the principal of Peter Baines Consulting. Peter helps businesses build effective sustainable leadership programs through a unique mix of leadership and corporate social responsibility initiatives. His corporate social responsibility platforms create goodwill, staff engagement and sustainable change.

Peter was awarded the Order of Australian Medal in 2014 for service to international humanitarian aid in Thailand.

Peter delights in the opportunity to return to Hands’ homes in Thailand. He also enjoys spending time with his kids, cycling and snowboarding.

Scott Stein

Member of the Hands Board since 2006 and founding member

Scott has been on the Hands Board since 2006. He was deeply moved by Peter Baines’ story and commitment to helping Thailand’s children and volunteered to help found the Hands Board. Scott plays a pivotal role in helping Hands identify strategic opportunities and partnerships and to be more effective.

A thought leader on advocacy, Scott works closely with leading organisations across Asia Pacific and the US. He is passionate about helping others identify possibilities and transform their dreams into reality.

Scott holds a Master of Arts in Organisational Communication and is a director of 4 successful companies, including a registered training organisation (RTO) and a property trust. He is the co-author of Thought Leaders: How to capture, package and deliver your ideas for greater commercial success and Sell Your Thoughts: How to earn a million dollars a year as a Thought Leader.

Scott loves spending his spare time with his three young children.

Kay Spencer

Member of the Hands Board since 2009

Kay is the executive chairman of the buying group NARTA, the National Association of Retail Traders of Australia. An accomplished leader, Kay joined NARTA in 1998 after rising through the ranks at Sharp Corporation of Australia where became the first female director in a Japanese company. Kay also held the position of Sharp’s general manager of sales and marketing.

She joined the Hands team after hearing Peter Baines speak at NARTA’s 2007 conference.

Under Kay’s leadership at NARTA, the organisation’s annual turnover has grown from $350 million to more than $3.4 billion. Today NARTA is the largest buying group of independent retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

As an accomplished leader, Kay brings to Hands her extensive knowledge of the business sector, as well as compassion and care for the children.

Willie Moud

Member of the Hands Board since 2010

Willie met Peter Baines in 2008, after learning about Hands through a friend. For him, Hands ticked all the boxes for involvement in a charity. Hands has a strong inspirational leader, is committed to children (and all children deserve a chance in life), and every dollar donated goes to the children.

Originally from the UK, Willie came to Australia in 1974 as a 10 pound Pom. Willie is enjoying retirement after a successful career in the insurance industry in Australia, the Asia Pacific and the UK.

A Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Willie oversees Hands’ accounts and administration requirements and brings a broad range of business skills to the charity.

Willie completed a Hands bike ride in 2010 and another one in 2014 aged 61 and 65 respectively.

When he’s not giving his time to Hands, Willie loves traveling, skiing, fishing, golf and collecting/drinking good Australian wine.

James (Jimmy) Fitzgerald

Member of the Hands Board since 2016

Jimmy is the Managing Director of one of Australia’s leading independent Media and Advertising agencies, Media Merchants, with offices in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Jimmy has a passion for people and a passion for business – in particular, getting results for Media Merchants’s extensive range of clients, predominantly in the retail sector. His strengths are in sales and marketing, great relationships, and a proven highly successful business record. All of which is underpinned by his strong value pillars of honesty, integrity, transparency, and good communication.

Jimmy and his team at Media Merchants have been fantastic supporters of Hands since 2008 and want to make a positive difference for the children.

Tricia Velthuizen

Member of the Hands Board since 2016

Tricia Velthuizen is the CEO of Churchill Education, a Brisbane-based registered training organisation. Tricia co-founded Churchill with her husband (Randall Smith) in 2006, and took up the reigns as CEO in 2016. Tricia, a former Crown Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Queensland, has over ten years of experience in the legal profession.

Tricia was awarded a Churchill Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust in 2002, and has recently been honoured with the AchieveForum Australian HR Champion (CEO) of the Year Award, in recognition of her innovative and inspiring leadership philosophy and practice at Churchill.

Tricia and Randall (a former senior Detective with the Queensland Police Service) have a long-standing relationship with Hands, and are now veterans of the Thailand ride, having participated over several years. They have the saddle sores and stories to prove it!

Tricia has a commitment to Hands that is both professional and personal, and regularly returns to visit Thailand, most recently with her two daughters.