Meet our new Chief Operating Officer!

Youth Projects is entering an exciting new chapter with the appointment of Mary Jankulovski as Chief Operating Officer: a newly created role that reflects the organisation’s continued growth across youth services and social enterprise. 

The creation of the COO role marks an important milestone for Youth Projects, strengthening integration across services and supporting a more connected, consistent experience for the young people and communities the organisation works alongside. 

Mary brings extensive leadership experience across youth services, employment, training and social enterprise, but her journey began on the frontline as a youth worker. 

“I was drawn to youth work early in my career through a strong belief that the right support, at the right time, can fundamentally change a young person’s trajectory,” Mary said.  

“Working directly with young people facing complex circumstances grounded my understanding of what good support really looks like, not just programs, but relationships, trust and consistency.” 

That experience continues to shape how she leads today, with a strong focus on ensuring systems, services and operations always connect back to real positive change for young people. 

As Youth Projects continues to expand programs across employment, outreach, pre-employment and social enterprise, Mary says the opportunity to strengthen integration is what excites her most about joining the organisation. 

“At this stage of growth, there’s a real opportunity to bring greater integration across services, investing in capability, and ensure we’re set up to grow sustainably while maintaining quality,” she said. “Being part of shaping that next phased, while staying true to the organisation’s purpose and culture is incredibly exciting.” 

Having worked across youth services, employment and social enterprise, Mary believes the future of the sector lies in more connected, place-based models of support. 

“Too often, systems and services operate in silos, while young people move between them,” she said. “I see real value in creating more connected pathways, where education, employment, health and social supports are designed together around the individual.” 

She also sees social enterprise playing an important role in bridging the gap between support and opportunity, creating real-world pathways into employment alongside holistic support. 

For Mary, success in the role will ultimately be measured by the difference made in the lives of young people. 

“Success is reflected in more young people being engaged, supported, and progressing into education, employment and stable futures,” she said. “If our operations are enabling that at scale, then we’re succeeding”. 

Please join us in welcoming Mary to Youth Projects!