Organisational Structure
The day to day operations of Empress Support Services are overseen by the Executive Team which currently consists of the following individuals.
Saheed Akolade
Empress Support Services operations and service manager, Saheed is passionate about creating a meaningful and purposeful work environment for employees and customers alike. Having dedicated his career to the disability sector, he experienced life as a frontline worker from community development worker and disability support worker to practice leader & house manager.
His extensive experience has provided insight and understanding into how different parts of a business connect and operate and the importance of collaboration and genuine engagement. His skills and focus lie in organisational culture, ethical practices, organisational transformation, strategy development, governance, and managing high-performance teams focusing on engagement, empowerment, and quality results.
Saheed holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management, Diploma in Community Service and Certificate IV in Disability. Saheed had worked and acquired knowledge and experience managing diverse and successful teams in Community Sector, Mental Health, Autism, Complex Behaviour, AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) and Youth Coaching & Mentoring.
Mr Saheed grew up working around providing volunteer community care, support, coaching and mentorships in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) for young people from challenging backgrounds. Mr Saheed has a wealth of experience in sports. He played and coached for Nigeria cricket national teams from the underage level to the seniors, giving him some of his mentorships and coaching experience in more than 20 countries worldwide. He also played and coached in other sports like soccer, football, track and field, etc.
Mr Saheed has experience implementing contemporary approaches to managing challenging behaviours that reduce and eliminate the need for restrictive physical and chemical practices.
Kevin Wani
Empress Support Services COO/ Operation Director Kevin is devoted to creating an ethical working environment for employees to ensure that participants have quality and meaningful support and care while providing the business’s operational and governing side meets NDIS compliance.
Mr Kevin will oversee the operational side of the business. Coming from the Civil Engineering sector by profession, Mr Kevin has up to 3 years of experience in project management and delivery. With this knowledge, Mr Kevin will evaluate the overall company performance and ensure that all staff adhere to compliance procedures, laws and regulations. Mr Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Victoria University.
Mr Kevin has gained knowledge and qualifications in the disability sector in the last couple of years. From the basic understanding and expertise within the NDIS setup to practically finishing his Certificate IV in Disability and completing NDIS Basics for Managers, Introduction to Behaviour Support, NDIS Pricing Arrangements & Funds Flexibility and Safe Waste Management.
To better understand people, Mr Kevin spends most of his leisure time engaging with the community and providing support where required. Mr Kevin is a fitness enthusiast; most of Mr Kevin’s involvement in the community is based on volunteering and providing physical activity program sessions.
Mr Kevin’s management experience will be implemented within the organisation to ensure that the business operates smoothly. Mr Kevin will also use his people skills to understand better key stakeholders and staff regarding how the organisation can improve services and increase work efficiency.