We are senior specialists
Field Tested & Practical

Our team

Trusted Advisors

Dr. Elizabeth Armstrong

Managing Director

  • With more than 25 years delivering innovative, agile social impact in a range of challenging political, economic and transitional contexts, Dr Elizabeth Armstrong is a social impact and peacebuilding specialist working with companies and chambers of commerce globally to help them identify and deliver genuine, strategically relevant social purpose and impact, especially in developing or emerging markets. 

    Elizabeth holds a PhD in the role of the private sector in contributing to social outcomes and peaceful communities from the University of St Andrews, and Masters degrees in Resource Economics and Peace and Conflict Studies.

    Elizabeth has earned her reputation for turning concepts into on-the-ground impacts over a range of high-level positions in the private, for-purpose and public sectors, including:

    • as a consultant, providing strategic advice to private and public sector clients in Australia, Europe, and contested contexts in Africa and the APAC region

    • as a strategic advisor in the Australian foreign service and on international affairs for the Australian Prime Minister’s department in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa

    • establishing and leading the highly regarded multi-donor Peace Support Fund during the transitional and post-coup periods in Myanmar

    • as the lead designer for multiple social impact strategies and programmes, including the Myanmar Women’s Voice and Leadership Programme for Global Affairs Canada.

    She brings a dynamic understanding and tested experience helping businesses manage the increasing risks posed by environmental and social realities; shifting public and stakeholder expectations; and, emerging human rights standards and international best practice approaches in fragile or emerging environments. She is an expert advocate for how businesses can pragmatically and profitably contribute to achieving the SDGs, and a member of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education's Working Group on Business for Peace and the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network’s Digital Economy Taskforce.

Nina Hitchins

  • Based in our Australian office, Nina Hitchins has spent the past 15 years guiding markets and businesses towards long term value creation. As an economist, she has shaped climate policy and energy regulation to facilitate a low carbon future. In the private sector, she navigates perceived tensions between profit, people and planet to develop strategies that promote all three. She applies an extensive economic and commercial toolkit to quantify financial and non-financial risks and returns.

    Nina is an early and continuing student of the emerging sustainability accounting discipline. She monitors developments in third-party sustainability standards, frameworks, regulations and guidance, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards and Task force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

    She is an FSA Credential Holder, demonstrating professional competence to apply the new IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards that link financially material sustainability information to a company’s enterprise value. She has an MBA in Clean Technology and Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a Bachelor of Resource Economics (Hons) from the University of Sydney.

Director

Carly James

Senior Consultant

  • Based in our Australian office, Carly James brings over a decade of experience in strategic design, innovation, and qualitative research to Ithaca Impact. Her work spans complex international development programs, strategic design and innovation initiatives, and qualitative research across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Australia. Having led large-scale projects and multinational teams across these regions, Carly brings a deep understanding of how social, cultural, and institutional dynamics shape impact. 

    As a specialist in human-centred design and ethnographic research, Carly works with organisations to develop “right fit” impact models that translate complex social challenges into practical programs. She applies behavioural science, co-design methodologies, and participatory research to align strategic intent with tangible social outcomes. Carly has led design processes in politically sensitive and multi-stakeholder environments, facilitating consultations with government agencies, implementing partners, community organisations, and private sector actors to ensure programs reflect both policy priorities and on-the-ground realities. 

    Carly has led multi-country design and innovation initiatives for major international donors including DFAT, FCDO, USAID, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. Her work combines rigorous research with practical program design, helping organisations develop evidence-informed, operationally feasible approaches to delivering impact. 

    Carly’s work is underpinned by a strong focus on gender equity, disability inclusion, and child protection. She holds a Master of Design Studies (Risk and Resilience) from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a Master of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology from McGill University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Summa Cum Laude) in Anthropology from the University of Alabama. She is also a member of the MISAP Design Panel, supporting the design of DFAT-funded investments. 

Baptiste Millet

Lead, Conflict Sensitivity Fragile & High-Risk States

  • Based in our Africa offices, Baptiste Millet has worked for over 15 years across human rights, social impact, peace and development in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Within local and international organisations, for businesses, or as a donor, he supported the advancement of human rights and development, is a conflict sensitivity specialist, and has designed multi-year impact programs and partnerships to contribute to sustainable development efforts aligned with the Sustainable Development goals.

    Baptiste has lived and worked in various countries in Asia and Africa including Myanmar, Thailand, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Liberia, CAR, and Libya. In Africa, he designed numerous national and regional initiatives targeting over 20 countries of the continent and served as an advisor on relations with the African Union and Regional Economics Communities. In these contexts, Baptiste supported local capacities in developing and implementing ambitious strategies to access health, education, and livelihood opportunities and to facilitate consultations and dialogues. In this role, Baptiste engaged with numerous stakeholders including local associations of farmers and breeders, retail and wholesale distributors, extractive industry companies, investors as well as national, traditional, and military authorities. This included country-wide consultation efforts on water and sanitation, economic recovery and value-chain assessments, consultations on land management, as well as emergency needs-assessments and response. Baptiste has also been supported the strategic development of civil society (from Madagascar, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) as part of the USAID-funded “stopping as success” strategy transition.

    Baptiste holds a Master Degree in International Law of Peace and Armed conflict from Ruhr-Bochum University in Germany, including a semester at the “Conflict, Disaster and Peace Building Studies” at Uppsala University. He also holds a Master Degree in

Dominic Min Lwin

Senior Advisor, Community Development

  • Dominic Min Lwin is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience spanning market analysis, IT, investment banking, and community development. He began his career at Thomson Reuters, where he helped integrate global financial tools to support investment banking and wealth management.

    In 2015, Dominic founded an ICT services company in Southeast Asia, partnering with major telecom companies like Ericsson, Telenor, and Huawei. Through his work, he has championed women’s empowerment, leading projects that promote women-owned SMEs and provide microfinance training to help women thrive in business.

    Dominic has deep expertise in electrifying rural communities with solar energy, fostering economic growth and sustainable development.

    A devoted advocate for responsible business practices, Dominic also supports media organizations in navigating complex political landscapes, advocating for free expression, and improving access to reliable information.

    Dominic holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Strayer University and earned certification from the U.S. Mission to ASEAN in 2023.

Scott Carnie

Senior Advisor, Security and Human Rights

  • Based in our European offices, Scott has extensive experience in the practical, in-field application, audit of and training on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. 

    A deeply experienced risk, crisis and security management professional with more than 25 years providing consulting and advisory services for a variety of commercial, government and non-governmental organizations.

    Scott's specialty is helping clients make informed decisions on risk and enhancing their organisational resilience in order to achieve operational objectives in both traditional and complex environments. By adopting the role of coach and mentor Scott helps his clients to develop a latticework of tools and mental models that facilitate better risk related decisions while also building their internal capacity and confidence.

    Following a career in the military, Scott held a number of Executive appointments across the defence, risk and security sectors globally including Europe Lead Mettle Global Security Advisors, Vice President, Risk Advisory services for Unity Resources Group, and Vice President, International Programmes for the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. In this role, he championed the development of VPSHR training courses which have become the foundation for VPSHR training for companies globally.

    Scott holds a MSc Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management – Leicester University.

Donisha Duff

Senior Advisor, Indigenous Engagement

  • Based in Queensland, Donisha is a highly respected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leader with over 25 years’ experience across government, corporate, and for-purpose sectors. She brings deep expertise in policy, strategy, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder engagement, with a long-standing commitment to advancing Indigenous rights and perspectives.

    As a senior advisor, Donisha supports our work to deepen Indigenous engagement and strengthen culturally-informed impact strategies. She is the inaugural CEO of the Queensland Indigenous Business Network and Chair of the Stars Foundation Ltd, and she previously stood as the ALP candidate for Bowman in the 2022 Federal election.

    Donisha is a Wuthathi woman from Eastern Cape York, with family ties to Badu, Moa, and Mabuiag Islands in the Torres Strait. She holds an MBA from the Australian National University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Griffith University, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University.

    Her leadership and service have been widely recognised, with numerous awards and scholarships over the years - including the 2014 National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2024.

Chandran Vigneswaran

Strategic Communications

  • Chandran has crafted strategic communications for some of the Asia-Pacfic’s biggest brands and companies.

Celesta den Houdijker

Marketing & Communications

  • Celesta den Houdijker is a marketing and communications specialist with extensive global experience shaping strategic campaigns across a wide range of sectors. She brings a strong track record in brand development, stakeholder engagement, and digital strategy, developed through years of agency and consultancy leadership.

    At Ithaca Impact, she leads marketing and communications that elevate the firm’s role as a trusted partner in helping organizations in their responsible business journey. With a focus on aligning communications with broader business goals, she helps strengthen Ithaca’s presence, translate complex ideas into accessible messages, and foster meaningful engagement.

    Prior to joining Ithaca, she held senior roles in creative and strategic agencies, where she led award-winning campaigns, large-scale events, and integrated brand activations for diverse clients. She is driven by a commitment to meaningful communication that informs, inspires, and drives change.

Prof. Roddy Brett

Conflict, Human Rights & Heightened Due Diligence

  • A leading peace building expert, Roddy has worked at the intersection of business, human rights, and conflict for over 25 years. His expert analysis supports ‘do no harm’ and heightened due-diligence in practice.

Natalia Pombo

CSR

  • With a dual background in social impact implementation and corporate social responsibility, Natalia is focused on best-practice programme planning and delivery.

Dr. Unang Mulkhan

  • With extensive experience in business and human rights, labour standards, and responsible supply chains, Unang advises companies and international organisations on human rights due diligence and responsible business practices across Asia.

Business and Human Rights | Indonesia

Auranetya Adya Kayana

  • Netya works in Business and Human Rights in Indonesia and has experience engaging with leading Indonesian companies. She focuses on data assessment, evidence-based analysis, and field assessments to support Human Rights Due Diligence. 

Business and Human Rights | Indonesia