Leadership
Leadership
Chief Executive Officer
Silvia Romano
Executive leadership shaped by service, training, regulated operations, property development and a substantial record of philanthropic support.
Silvia Romano brings a multi-sector operating background to her role as Chief Executive Officer of 52 Degree Foundation Limited. She leads the Foundation’s organisational direction, governance discipline, partnerships and delivery of its community mission.
Leadership is strongest when commercial discipline and community purpose reinforce each other.
Career journey
A career built across people, operations, compliance and community.
Sales
Commercial foundations developed through sales roles, including telecommunications experience with Telstra.
Virgin Australia
Customer-service leadership in an operational aviation environment where standards and brand reputation matter.
Training leadership
Training-facility responsibility and line-trainer experience focused on coaching, competency and frontline performance.
Property and real estate
Licensed real-estate and Victorian property-development experience across transactions, projects and stakeholders.
52 Degree Foundation
Executive leadership and institutional stewardship focused on accountable, practical community impact.
People and capability
Operational leadership built on clear standards.
Silvia’s aviation experience combined operational accountability with the development of people and service culture.
Customer service leadership
Experience in an operating environment where consistent customer experience protects trust and reputation.
Training-facility responsibility
Responsibility for the environment in which frontline customer-service capability was developed and maintained.
Line trainer
Direct coaching responsibility across service standards, competency and real-world performance.
Accreditation and compliance
Experience in regulated and security-sensitive environments.
Child safety
Working with Children accreditation supporting roles and activities involving children and young people.
Aviation security
High-level Aviation Security Identification Card experience and international-departure security access associated with Australian Federal Police requirements.
Licensed operations
Producer liquor licensing or authorisations across Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.
Property
Licensed real-estate experience supporting property transactions and development activity.
Accreditations and licences are subject to current-document verification and jurisdictional validity.
Property and commercial leadership
Commercial experience used to create community value.
Silvia’s property background provides practical understanding of assets, projects, negotiations, stakeholders and long-term value creation.
Licensed real estate
Experience in property transactions, market positioning and stakeholder communication.
Victorian property development
Experience progressing development opportunities through commercial, operational and community considerations.
Philanthropy through enterprise
Using commercial platforms to support major charitable and community organisations.
Philanthropic track record
Long-standing support for families and public-service communities.
Victoria Police Blue Ribbon
Support delivered through property-development activities to the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon community.
Koala Foundation
Support connected with the One Million Dollar Lunch was provided through the Koala Foundation and is separate from Victoria Police Blue Ribbon activity.
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Major sponsorship across Melbourne and Tasmania through development companies, aligned with a long-standing focus on children and families.
Giving through enterprise
A consistent model of using commercial success and development platforms to create charitable value beyond the project itself.
Choosing community service
Service, independence and direct impact.
Silvia chose to focus her leadership on the 52 Degree Foundation and direct community contribution. The Foundation provides an independent platform for practical philanthropy while working constructively with government, business, donors and community organisations.
CEO mandate
Turning experience into an accountable philanthropic institution.
Strategic direction
Sets priorities and keeps programmes connected to the Foundation’s purpose.
Governance and stewardship
Maintains disciplined oversight of charitable resources, partnerships and institutional responsibilities.
Partnership leadership
Builds relationships with corporate, government, community and philanthropic stakeholders.
Programme delivery
Translates intent into practical initiatives, campaigns and measurable support.
Children and families
Connects child-safety awareness with a history of supporting family-centred charities.
Reputation and trust
Combines operational standards, regulated-environment experience and commercial accountability.
Leadership in practice
People. Discipline. Commercial capability. Purpose.
Silvia’s value to the Foundation comes from the combination of human-service leadership, compliance awareness, commercial execution and proven philanthropy.
The Foundation is led by someone who understands both the responsibility of giving and the discipline required to deliver.