About Incolink

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Earl has been actively involved in the plumbing industry for 30 years. In 2001 Earl was elected State and Federal Secretary of the Plumbing Trades Employees Union, and he has held both roles ever since. Earl is also Chair of the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre and Indigenous Plumbing and Sanitation Foundation, and is a Board Member of the Victorian Building Authority Plumbing Advisory Council, the Building Industry Consultative Committee, Incolink, CBus and the Plumbing Joint Training Fund.

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Michaela Lihou, CEO, leads Master Builders Victoria with a distinguished career spanning blue and white-collar services industries. With a Bachelor of Arts/Commerce from Deakin University and a Graduate Diploma in Business from Monash University, her strategic expertise shines in human resources management, industrial relations, policy and advocacy, communications and stakeholder engagement, strategy development and execution, member services, governance, marketing and finance.

Beyond her CEO role, Michaela's influence extends across key industry bodies. She is a Director on the Incolink Board and plays a vital role within the BICC. Her visionary leadership propels growth, sustainability, and collaboration in the construction sector. With a unique blend of strategic acumen and industry insight, Michaela Lihou leaves an indelible mark on Victoria's built environment, shaping its future with a legacy of progress.

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With more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, Peter has a deep understanding of membership organisations and a proven history of working successfully with government and industry to build consensus around business and public policy outcomes.

He is a Civil Engineer and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Peter is the CEO and Secretary of Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia, member of various government advisory bodies and Director on the board of a number of business entities and charitable organisations.

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Adam is the Managing Director of Wagstaff Piling Pty Ltd, an Australian owned foundation engineering contractor with operations nationally and in New Zealand. Prior to becoming Managing Director, Adam was the Group Finance & Strategy Director. Adam has a professional background in finance and law.

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Giovanni has 15 years of Human Resources experience and 12 years in Senior Leadership roles, predominately within the building and construction sector. Currently Giovanni provides leadership to the Master Builders Association Victoria’s (MBAV) People and Member Services teams, covering, Advisory, People and Culture, Marketing and Communications, Projects and Membership.

Giovanni is also an Alternate Panel Member on the Victorian Building Industry Disputes Panel.

Sherri Hayward is a Senior Legal and Industrial Officer at the CFMEU New South Wales Branch and has been a member of the NSW Dust Diseases Board since 2021.
She has a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations) , Bachelor of Laws, Master's of Labour Law and Relations and over 12 years of experience as an Industrial Officer at the CFMEU NSW branch.

Zach Smith began working at the CFMEU in 2007. Over his 15 years in the union, Zach has worked as an organiser, stepping up into leadership at the ACT Branch, then a member of the Divisional Executive, Construction and General Division, then a member of the National Executive of the larger union.

He became National Secretary of the C&G Division in 2023, and was appointed the National Secretary of CFMEU in 2024.

He serves on the Board of Incolink and serves on the National Construction Industry Forum.

Zach lead the successful campaign to ban engineered stone, and has worked on key policy issues including housing and the development of procurement standards at State, Federal and Territory level.

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Erik has been in leadership positions in the private sector, unions and politics for more than twenty years. Prior to joining Incolink in 2019, he worked as a Chief of Staff in three jurisdictions, held senior management positions in public relations, professional associations, political parties and the union movement.

He has worked in the investment banking sector in London, and while managing public relations firms counted some of Australia’s largest corporates, unions and NGOs amongst his clients. Erik sat on the Board of Andrew Denton’s charity, Go Gentle Australia and played a senior role in the marriage equality postal survey. He studied at UWA, Murdoch and Griffith Universities, collecting Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Communications, Australia and the Asia Pacific. He is a member of and is currently completing his AICD course.

In his role as CEO, Erik is responsible for leading Incolink’s corporate strategy and ensuring the member is always put first. Erik works with our stakeholders and industry to ensure the health and safety of workers is always at the forefront.

Throughout his time at Incolink, Erik has led the organisation to deliver covid testing and vaccinations whilst supporting members by implementing industry-first covid payments. Erik’s leadership has been instrumental in the funds growth and innovation over the last several years.

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Niall is a financial and investment leader with a strong track record in the financial services sector. In his role at Incolink, Niall is responsible for all financial and investments functions ensuring strong returns allowing the organisation to invest back into the industry through programs and services. Niall also works closely with the CEO and Leadership team to design and execute key strategic planning initiatives.

Since joining Incolink in 2014 Niall has delivered consistent industry leading investment returns, built out an in-house finance and investment team alongside external provider expertise, and implemented contemporary financial systems to streamline functional processes and improve efficiency.

Prior to joining Incolink, Niall was CFO at Perennial, a multi-boutique Australian Fund Manager and previously was in a similar role at Victorian Funds Management Corporation.

Niall is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in both Australia and Ireland, holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Monash (Mount Eliza Business School) and is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Benjamin is an executive leader in funds management and wellbeing services to the Australian building industry with over 15 years of experience. Throughout his career Benjamin has advised on major infrastructure projects, including Melbourne Metro Tunnel, Airport Rail and NBN Co on their government relations and corporate affairs strategies.

With strong stakeholder, engagement and business acumen, Benjamin has led project teams with complex interest groups in the delivery of new financial products and services across the Australian building industry.

In Benjamin’s role at Incolink he is responsible for business development, member engagement, stakeholder engagement as well as services and wellbeing program delivery. Throughout his time at Incolink Benjamin has led the rollout of covid testing and vaccinations on site and the relationships between industry, government and stakeholders.

Over the last 6 years Benjamin has sat on the board of Merri Health as a Director and Deputy chair, improving community health outcomes is an area which he is passionate about. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Business at Monash University.

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Christian is a respected workplace leader having held positions in finance, public policy and industrial relations sectors over the last 20 years. Prior to joining Incolink Christian worked as a Senior Adviser to the Premier and Senior Manager of Industry Partnerships at CBUS Super. Recognised as being an excellent communicator, negotiator and strategist he has a consultative approach to decision making.

In his role at Incolink Christian oversees the growth, marketing and communications areas of the business ensuring a member-first approach. Christian has a lifelong commitment to representing the interests of working people and always approaches responsibilities with integrity. Managing processes that deliver effective business outcomes are important to Christian and he strongly believes that his considered approach to building and managing relationships, allows him to effectively deliver outcomes.

Christian holds a Bachelor of Social Science, Industrial Relations and Sociology from RMIT and a Masters of Social Policy from Melbourne University.

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Samantha is an experienced lawyer with a diverse background in legal practice. With many years of dedicated service in private practice, Sam has honed her expertise in property law, general commercial law, and corporate law. Throughout her career she has had the opportunity to collaborate with businesses across various sectors, guiding them through complex contract negotiations, offering sound legal strategies for risk mitigation, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks.

In her role at Incolink, she is responsible for providing vital legal guidance on various regulatory regimes, trust law, and intricate compliance issues. She oversees the critical portfolios of legal, risk, governance and compliance, industry grants and members insurance.

Samantha is committed to the highest standards of legal practice and professionalism and prides herself on facilitating transparent stakeholder communications. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Governance Institute and was recently appointed to the VBA Plumbing Special Advisory Panel.