The KBDi team is a small but powerful force and an utterly adaptable crew. But our role flexibility (i.e., how we wear many hats) can confuse people. In this feature, we’re sharing a little about each of the names you’ll see in your inbox and explaining who does what here at KBDi.
Leanne Hall | Manager – Membership & Events
Leanne’s job title should probably read ‘Manager of Everything and Everyone, Especially Royston & Selina’. With her expert time management skills and commitment to keeping things moving, Leanne does an incredible job managing local events, securing new partners for KBDi and liaising with new and long-time members on a daily basis. Her most challenging role, however, is keeping tabs on the creatives in the KBDi crew. While Royston and Selina are exceptional at coming up with new initiatives, we know none would come to fruition without Leanne’s persistence in drilling down to the details. Her dogged determination has earned her the title of The Terrier, and we’d be lost without her. In the few hours of the week when she’s not taking care of KBDi business, Leanne can be found trotting around the paddocks on horseback. She recently completed the Six Day Man from Snowy River Ride and looks forward to future treks.
Lorena Nelson | Manager – Major Events
As her title would suggest, Lorena takes care of the ‘major events’ on the KBDi calendar, including our annual National Conference and always-spectacular Awards Galas. For over ten years, Lorena has worked her magic producing seamless events for KBDi Members and Partners and ensuring our biggest get-togethers go off without a hitch. We especially love to watch her at work at our Gala dinners; with her no-nonsense nature and (sometimes scary) direction, Lorena ensures the service is swift, and your glasses are charged at all the right times. When she’s not within earshot, we call her ‘The Major’ and sincerely admire her event management efficiency. Outside work hours, Lorena loves to lean on her Italian heritage cooking up fabulous feasts and is a keen traveller, too.
Bronwyn Cheales | Assistant – Membership & Events
Bronwyn is affectionately known as MacGyver in the KBDi office – with her outstanding problem-solving capabilities, she’s our go-to when things go pear-shaped and an absolute asset to the team. Bron’s title doesn’t come close to describing her roles and responsibilities because her wide breadth of skillsets is hard to pigeonhole into any one position. But if you have queries about upcoming events, general membership, access to the member portal, or your Find a Designer profile, she’s bound to be able to help. Outside of the office, Bron wields a mean stick on the hockey field and is a busy and capable Mum of three mini MacGyvers.
Tamara Hughes | Administration & Engagement
Tamara will likely be the first person you speak with after joining KBDi. She’s our official onboarding expert and is always keen to ensure you get the most bang for your buck with membership. Tamara is our numbers whiz, too, so if you have a question about fees or finance, she’s the one to chase. She has a wicked sense of humour and a (potentially dangerous) craze for crime novels – with her in-depth knowledge of disposing of bodies, we’ve learned to keep her on our good side here in the office.
Royston Wilson | Executive Officer
Royston has racked up more years with KBDi than most of us. He joined as a member in 2007 and has enjoyed a few stints on the KBDi Board. In March 2020, Royston resigned as the President and took on the position of Executive Officer. With his long list of design accolades and unrivalled passion for the KBDi community, Royston is relishing his role as leader of the team. He has been instrumental in building a solid partnership and consumer presence with The Home Show and has led our venture into trade shows, too. He’s a well-known shiny-shoe collector with a hidden stash of hiking boots; when he gets an opportunity, Royston is keen on long-distance walking and always has a sketchbook on hand.
Selina Zwolsman | Manager – Design & Communications
Like Royston, Selina has hovered around the KBDi longer than she’d like to admit. She joined as a member way back when and enjoyed some time on the Queensland Chapter Committee. She initially worked with Alex to develop KBDi’s early training materials and hopped back and forth between KBDi and Designer Training as the newly-formed RTO found its feet. Selina is proud to have trained many of KBDi’s top designers and loves to see our up-and-coming members grow and succeed. While she sometimes misses working with her own clients, Selina always enjoys flicking through the photos and files of our fabulous finalists and creating editorials to highlight her favourites. She has an odd interest in the National Construction Code and loves to translate Australian Standards and technical tripe for our members, and is passionate about supporting small businesses. If you’re seeking a second opinion on a design or business matter, Selina’s always keen to help. When she’s not pushing her pen (a.k.a. writing), she’ll be cooking up a storm in her much-loved kitchen, hanging in her studio painting feathers and florals or talking to her hens. (Fun fact: Selina has a dedicated selection of aprons for each of these activities and considers the humble apron a sorely underrated collectable item.)
