Recent Appointments

Pitcher Partners is a national association of independent accounting and business advisory firms across Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Hunter, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth and a member of the global Baker Tilly International network. Pitcher Partners’ services extend beyond traditional accounting and taxation advice to include such areas as cybersecurity, mergers and acquisitions, international trade and succession planning.

Peejade has a Master of Tax and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) from the University of Melbourne and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.  For the past six years, Peejade has been the Senior Manager – Tax/Employment Taxes with Toll Holdings Pty Ltd, but his career has also included Senior Manager roles with both PwC Australia and Moore Stephens.

AFL SportsReady is a national not for profit company with a simple mission to support, nurture and prepare young people with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the workplaces of tomorrow. They provide entry-level training, combined with practical work experience and vocational education.

Sally brings extensive management experience to this CEO role, gained from a variety of roles over the past 20 years, largely within Bunnings Group and Bedford Group Limited. She has also been a Director/Chair of numerous Boards for organisations including Social Traders Limited, Business SA, Workability International and National Disability Services.

Professor Shaun Gregory is joining Queensland University to lead the Centre for Biomedical Technologies. With the aim of revolutionising human health and patient care through technological advancement and innovation, the Centre stands at the forefront of Australia’s leading biomedical engineering research groups.

Shaun’s research centres around cardiovascular engineering, with a specific focus on the development and evaluation of mechanical circulatory and respiratory support systems (artificial hearts and lungs). He holds several academic positions including Deputy Head of Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Monash University, Founder and Director of the Cardio-Respiratory Engineering And TEchnology Laboratory (CREATElab), Co-Director of the Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, Founder and Academic Director of the Heart Hackathon International Student Team Competition, an NHMRC Investigator Fellow, a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow, and Co-Chair of the Victorian Heart Institute New Technologies Working Group.

ZEDER Corporation is one of the largest automotive steering and suspension businesses in Australia, with Wholesale and Retail Workshop operations nationally. Beyond Australia, ZEDER have become the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive polyurethane bushings and related accessories, with operations extending to the US, UK, and Vietnam.

Greg Johnson is a qualified Chartered Accountant bringing extensive senior executive experience in commercially focussed finance, business and strategic roles to this new position at ZEDER. He has worked for CSR Building Products for the past 18 years, most recently as Group Manager, Business Analytics. Prior to this, his career included such companies as Lion Nathan, SABMiller and Sappi Fine Paper.

Professor Dominique Parrish has been appointed to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Torrens University, Australia’s fastest growing University. Dominique has thirty-five years of experience in the education field, across a range of organisations, and over ten years of experience working as a senior member of university leadership teams. Her most recent role was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) at Macquarie University where she had broad responsibilities, including development of a university-wide teaching and learning strategy, work integrated learning and employability initiatives, micro credentialling, academic literacy, learning innovation and learning technologies.

With a PhD in Education from the University of Wollongong, Dominique has also held the positions of President of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), and Senior Editor of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP).

Founded in 1971, Burson Auto Parts have expanded their operations from their initial distribution of a small range of automotive accessories to service stations and outlets in Melbourne. The major division of top 150 listed company, Bapcor, Burson Auto Parts now have 210+ stores across Australia. In 2018, their reach extended even further when they opened their first international store in Thailand.

Sarah has over 20 years’ experience leading teams and advising on strategic and operational practices. Most recently consulting with Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, Sarah’s previous roles include Operations Manager Victoria/Tasmania with Woolworths Group and Strategy & Operations Support Manager with Baby Bunting. She has also spent several years volunteering and providing fundraising support to a number of charities and causes.

Dr Logan Bannister joins Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington as the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students). In this role she will lead the development and implementation of strategies that attract, grow and retain student numbers, with a focus on scholarships, experience, wellbeing and learning support.

Logan was previously Director Student Services and Experience at NZ Institute of Skills and Technology/Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, with responsibility across multiple locations. Prior to this she held other leadership roles in the education sector and has a PhD in Education from Curtin University.

AL-KO International have a history spanning back to 1946, during which time they have been manufacturing quality trailer, caravan and motor home parts and accessories for distribution throughout Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Melbourne, they also have additional sites in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand.

Nick achieved a Diploma of Business Management from Swinburne University, whilst working with Wacker Neuson. That was the beginning of his experience with manufacturing equipment for the construction industry. Nick's knowledge expanded further in subsequent roles with Shindaiwa Generators and Welders, Ammann and more recently, IMI Hydronic Engineering where he was the Country Manager – Head of Sales prior to this appointment.

A new position, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) is responsible for strategy, policy and advice relating to research infrastructure across the University, working closely with Faculties and Chancellery for optimised whole-of-University outcomes.

Professor Ivan Marusic was appointed to this position in 2023. His research is in the field of fluid mechanics and he has held a number of prestigious fellowships, including an Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellowship. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science.

For 40 years, Brilliant Lighting have been leaders in innovative lighting, electrical and air movement products for trade, retail and DIY. One of the largest and most respected names in the industry, they maintain a range of over 3,000 items, primarily focused on trade channels in Victoria, Queensland, WA, and NZ.

Zoran Jovanovski was appointed CEO in August 2023. With over 20 years’ experience in the building products sector, he spent time in general management roles at CSR Building Products, Dunlop Foams and Porta Timber. Zoran has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from Swinburne, has completed a Leadership Development Program at Melbourne Business School and is an accredited Organisational coach.

Professor Greg Cook will join QUT as Head of School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Health. He is currently Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chair at the University of Otago and Head of Department, Microbiology and Immunology. One of New Zealand’s leading biomedical researchers, Greg is also Director of The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, one of the country’s foremost research centres.

Research projects in the Cook laboratory are multidisciplinary, spanning human biomedical and agritech/biotech, and covering basic to translational research with a goal to produce new and fast-acting drugs that will address the issues of antimicrobial resistance and persistence.

ICS Service Solutions has been in operation since 1963, growing from a family business into an international soft services company with offices in Australia and New Zealand. They provide a suite of cleaning and facilities management services to a client base which includes Passenger Transit, Government & Councils, Health, Leisure and Entertainment.  

Davide Teixeira joined ICS as Executive General Manager NZ in August 2023. With a Bachelor of Applied Management (Otago), his previous experience included over 20 years in catering and hospitality roles in Oslo, London, and Auckland. Since migrating in 2010, he has worked primarily with Spotless, Compass and most recently, Cater Plus.

For over 95 years the Middendorp Group of Companies has been 100% family owned and is now led by third generation cousins, Nicholas and Anton Middendorp. The core trading business, Middy’s, is Australia’s largest independent electrical wholesale group with around 100 branches employing over 750 employees and turnover of ~$650m.

Natalie Scott joins Middy’s as Chief Financial Officer. Previously her experience included over 20 years in a mix of large commercial and entertainment-based companies (EVT/Village/Blockbuster) and in For Purpose (Scalabrini Aged Care). Most recently she was CFO at Hills Ltd for two years. Natalie is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University.

For over 40 years, M3 Property has been providing property valuations, general property consulting and commentary on Australian property sector trends to clients across Australia and internationally.

Graham has extensive property experience, having worked throughout Australia and the UK for companies such as Jones Lang LaSalle, Lend Lease and Dexus. More recently, Graham has served on a variety of Boards and Committees, including Chairing the Property Council of Australia’s Unlisted Funds Management Roundtable; as a Member of the Dexus General Management Committee; a current Independent Member of the Wingate Direct Property Investment Committee; and also a Non-Executive Director with the Investa Property Group.

Pitcher Partners is a national association of independent accounting and business advisory firms across Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Hunter, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth and a member of the global Baker Tilly International network. Pitcher Partners’ services extend beyond traditional accounting and taxation advice to include such areas as cybersecurity, mergers and acquisitions, international trade and succession planning.

Brett joins the Pitcher Partners team from Monash College where he was the Executive Director Operations Support and CIO.  His time at Monash was during the global pandemic which required he and his team to establish and implement a complete change from face-to-face learning to a wholly online curriculum within virtual classrooms.  Prior to this, Brett also worked as CIO at Maurice Blackburn and in a number of roles at Rio Tinto, focussing on projects and strategy.

OET is the leading English language test specifically for healthcare professionals. It assesses the language proficiency of healthcare professionals looking to register and practice in an English-speaking environment. OET is recognised as proof of English proficiency by health regulators in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, Namibia, Singapore, Malta and Ukraine for registration.

Greg holds a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Economics from Deakin University and brings extensive experience in strategy, transformation and business change management to his new role at OET.  Having worked as Integration Lead and Executive Coach with Better Health Network and before that as General Manager, Transformation and EPMO at Healthscope, Greg’s career also includes roles with Guild Insurance (Pharmacy Guild of Australia), Cleanaway Waste Management, Wesfarmers Insurance and GE Capital.

Explorers Early Learning operates 19 early learning Centres across Victoria, with more expected to open this year, providing care and kinder for children from six weeks. Their education curriculum includes programs around sustainability, language, art, movement and school-readiness. 

Phil brings a wealth of HR experience to his new role, having led People and Culture teams across various sectors, developing HR programs and implementing new and improved strategies.  His most recent role of Manager, People and Culture was with Wilson Transformer Company but his career includes such companies as Scope Australia, Schiavello Group, Newcrest Mining, Iron Mountain and VISY Industries.

AL-KO International have a history spanning back to 1946, during which time they have been manufacturing quality trailer, caravan and motor home parts and accessories for distribution throughout Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Melbourne, they also have additional sites in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand.

Al brings a wealth of operational experience to his new role, having worked as Director of Operations with Continental AG in Melbourne for five years. A further 13 years of his career was spent with Everest Industrial, based in Dubai. Initially a Refrigeration Engineer, he then moved on to Production and Maintenance and prior to his departure, to Operations Manager.  Al holds a Master of International Business and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Futurity Investment Group is a purpose-driven, mutually structured financial institution enabling members to meet lifelong education objectives. A leading issuer of tax-effective, life-event Education Bonds, they have a significant commitment to advocacy in the education sector and education purposed philanthropy.

Sam Sondhi joined Futurity as CEO in July 2023. A 13-year career in Investment Banking and running his own private investment vehicle preceded his involvement in For Purpose organisations. Initially with the NGO, Business for Development, and then UnitingCare Lentara, in 2016 he was appointed CEO of Outlook Australia, focusing on Disability & Employment, NDIS and Environmental & Waste Management. Sam has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) and an LLB from University NSW.

Since opening in 1996, the MCEC grew to be the principal convention and exhibition venue in Australia. Prior to COVID, the MCEC hosted some 1,500 events a year, and contributed over $1bn in annual economic impact to the state of Victoria. In 2022 we helped secure three new Trustees:

• Ms Virginia Lovett – a 30-year career in the arts and theatrical production working closely with State and Local Government. Currently Director of Performing Arts at Melbourne University and formerly 10 years as CEO at the MTC.

• Mr Peter Jones – highly successful event manager since establishing Peter Jones Special Events in 1991. Focused on four sectors – Government, For Purpose, Sport and Corporate.

• Ms Sujata Stead – a career in International English Language Occupational Testing since 1997. Initially with the British Council in India and London, then at Cambridge English Language Assessment and, since 2013, in Melbourne as CEO of OET.

Krueger Transport Equipment is a major family-owned business and one of Australia’s leading designers and manufacturers of semi-trailers for the transport industry.

Karen Morgan’s 20-year career in Human Resource Management includes working in NSW in the local government and hotel sectors; in WA in the plants at Parmalat and Laminex; and most recently at Hilton Foods in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Karen joined Krueger in April 2023 as General Manager People and Safety reporting to Group CEO, Kevin Dennis.

Griffith Enterprise is the Griffith University's dedicated office for commercial partnerships, IP commercialisation, enterprise establishment and innovation and entrepreneurship support.

Joining Griffith University as Director, Mark Ashton has over 25 years’ experience in senior commercial and operational roles with a track record in commercialisation, business development, start-ups, intellectual property and business strategy. Most recently Mark was Executive Director, Commercialisation at UniQuest. Prior to UniQuest, he was responsible for the commercial activities at the European biotech, Evotec. In addition he has experience as a non-executive director for several Australian companies and a PhD qualification in chemistry.

Professor Glen Lichtwark joins QUT from the University of Queensland where he is a Professor (and ARC Future Fellow) in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. Working within the field of biomechanics, Glen was awarded his PhD in 2005 from University College London (UK), and held research roles at Griffith University, Imperial College London and The Royal Veterinary College.

PBA Transit Planning develop practical solutions for public transport systems globally, working with clients across all transport modes for more than 16 years. Services include scheduling, collection and analysis of data, planning and strategy, network design and modelling, tendering support and public transport policy development.

Kathy Lazanas has a Masters in Urban Planning from The University of Melbourne. She has a background working within the transport sector, including time spent with Yarra Trams and Transdev Australasia. Kathy takes up the CEO role for PBA Transit Planning from her most recent role as General Manager with PMP Urbanists (formerly MRCagney), an Australian based sustainable transport consultancy firm.

Professor Jacky Croke joins QUT from University College Dublin where she is Head of School and co-Director of the BSc in Sustainability and Director of the MSc in Risk, Resilience and Sustainability. Professor Croke received her BA (Hons) and PhD degrees from UCD and travelled to Australia in 1991 as a recipient of an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Wollongong and the Australian National University in Canberra. She has held academic positions at several Australian Research organisations and Universities including CSIRO and The University of Queensland.

Jacky is a Geomorphologist and her work has focussed on using cutting-edge approaches and technologies to reconstruct environmental change in a range of climatic zones, including arid, tropical and temperate. Key projects include The Big Flood Project (www.thebigflood.com.au), an Australian Research Council funded project involving industry and research partnerships that defined landscape response to extreme flood events in south-eastern Queensland.

The Ascott Limited manages serviced apartments, co-living spaces and hotel brands across the world, including Citadines, Quest and The Crest Collection. Their portfolio of over 900 properties spans more than 200 cities across 40 countries, with many more properties currently under development.

Nicole Stockton has a Diploma of Event Management and a Bachelor of Commerce. She brings a wealth of experience to The Ascott Limited, having managed events for over ten years. Most recently Nicole was the Event Services Manager for the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation and prior, she worked with the Property Council of Australia, the Women’s Cancer Foundation, the High Tea Party and the Great Trentham Spudfest.

Professor Nick Brown joins QUT in 2023 from the University of Canberra where he was Professor of Allied Health Research and Director of the UC Clinical School at Canberra Health Services. He was previously the Deputy Director, Performance Science and Innovation at the Australian Institute of Sport delivering applied research and innovation outcomes for Australian Olympic and Paralympic sport.

Nick has previously worked and lectured as a Podiatrist in Brisbane before completing a PhD in Biomechanics and a post-doctoral fellowship in Bioengineering at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. He has worked in the Departments of Orthopaedics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah, USA.

VicTrack is a state-owned organisation providing core services to the transport sector. They are comprised of three specialist delivery groups - Property, Telecommunications and Project Delivery.

Andy Santana was appointed as EGM Property in October 2022. He has worked at VicTrack for 15 years, primarily as the Group Manager, Infrastructure managing all aspects of VicTrack's non-Telco infrastructure. Prior to 2007, he worked in the UK in civil engineering and rail maintenance.

Tim Schork joins QUT from the Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building at the University of Technology Sydney, where he co-founded and co-leads the Transformative Technologies Lab. The group is an interdisciplinary research platform that pools together expertise from the fields of architecture, industrial design, visual communications, interaction design, engineering, mechatronics, computer and materials science. His research investigates the progressive integration of technology into architectural practice and construction.

Tim received his PhD from RMIT University for his research on the transformative effects and contributory role of integrative computational design strategies on the practices of architecture.

The Workplace Injury Commission is a key part of Victoria’s workers compensation scheme. Operating independently of WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe agents, self-insurers, workers, employers, solicitors and unions, they manage disputes related to WorkCover claims where conciliation becomes necessary.

Nguyen To is a sector specialist with a career spanning over 20 years. Working for WorkSafe agencies he has been involved in many changes to legislation, policy and procedures. Most recently at Gallagher Bassett, Nguyen also spent nine years with DXC/Xchanging, and prior to that he was at GIO and Suncorp. He commenced with the Workplace Injury Commission in late October as General Manager, Registry.

The Ascott Limited manages serviced apartments, co-living spaces and hotel brands across the world, including Citadines, Quest and The Crest Collection. Their portfolio of over 900 properties spans more than 200 cities across 40 countries, with many more properties currently under development.

Tom has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Property and Valuation from RMIT and is an Associate Member of the Australian Property Institute. He spent seven years with AVA Property, the last four as a Certified Practicing Valuer. More recently Tom held the role of Acquisitions and Development Associate with CloudKitchens.

Paul Fenton joins QUT in January 2023 in the role of Director, Equity with responsibility for the development and delivery of services that maximise student inclusion, support and engagement across the University.

Currently, Director of the Secretary of Education’s Office at the Ministry of Education in New Zealand, Paul leads the delivery of a suite of behaviour, wellbeing and equity programmes across the NZ schooling network. Prior experience includes as Executive Director Student Success at the Universal College of Learning and Director Student Learning & Experience at The Auckland University of Technology.  Paul holds a BA (Honours) in Clinical Psychology & Neuropsychology from the University of Auckland and Bachelor of Arts from Massey University.

Family owned and operated since 1946, Barro Group is the leading independent supplier and distributor of premixed concrete and quarry products, operating in Victoria and Queensland at around 50 sites.

Mike is a Chartered Accountant and a graduate of Cambridge University (UK). He comes to Barro Group from his role as Group CFO with Pope Packaging Group. Before that he headed up various teams at Ridley Corporation, including Corporate Services, Strategy, M&A and Investor Relations and has worked for PwC and Convex Capital in the UK.

The University of Sydney has appointed Professor Susan Rowland to the role of Vice-Provost, commencing in February 2023. As an education-focussed professor, Susan is an Australian leader in the field of science education and an internationally recognised expert in the areas of large-scale undergraduate research experience and science communication. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Previously with the University of Queensland, Susan held several leadership roles including Deputy Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Deputy Associate Dean Academic (Future Students and Employability) in the Faculty of Science, Associate Dean Academic and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning).

Professor Joanne Travaglia has been appointed as Head of School of Public Health and Social Work at QUT and takes up the position at the end of the year. She is currently Discipline Lead for Health Services Management and Director of the Centre for Health Services Management in the School of Public Health at UTS.

Jo has worked in the health, welfare and higher education fields since the 1980s. She has a Bachelor of Social Studies (Hons) from the University of Sydney, postgraduate qualifications (including a MEd) in adult education, and a PhD from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales.

Professor Frances joins Griffith University in 2023 as Head of School and Dean of Education and Professional Studies. She is presently Head of the School of Childhood, Youth and Education Studies (CYES) at Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the Education and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

Australian by background, prior to joining Manchester Metropolitan University she worked in a number of Australian universities including Macquarie University, Western Sydney University and Charles Sturt University (CSU). She was most recently Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Education at CSU. Frances is a leading researcher in early childhood education and care policy, and in the impact of educational leadership.

Established in 2004, Intrax Consulting Group is an engineering consultancy delivering services into Australia’s residential housing and building construction industries. Today, there are 500 staff, including 100 offshore, working across three divisions - Housing, Projects, Land.

Simon Bambridge started his surveying career while at university. After graduating, he worked as a Project Surveyor with Rio Tinto in WA, returning in 2015 to undertake professional training as a Land Surveyor. At Terrain Consulting since 2019, he qualified as a Licensed Surveyor in early 2022 and joined Intrax in August 2022. Simon holds a Bachelor of Geomatic Engineering degree from The University of Melbourne.

Working under the direction of the Respect at Melbourne Committee, the newly created position of Associate Director, Respect Initiatives leads the implementation of the University’s initiatives to respond to and prevent sexual harassment and assault, university wide.

With over fifteen years within academic, government and not-for-profit organisations, Amanda Benson has direct experience of leading diversity, inclusion and gender equity initiatives. She holds a Masters of Social Change and Development from the University of Newcastle and her most recent role with the Burnet Institute was as Diversity, Inclusion and Safeguarding Manager. Amanda has also worked with Red Cross Australia and the Nossal Institute for Global Health, managing health, equity and inclusion programs throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

BaptistCare is a leading not-for-profit Christian based care organisation that has been serving the aged and people living with disadvantage for 75 years. They support thousands of people across NSW and the ACT through more than 160 facilities and programs.

Liz joined BaptistCare as General Manager, People and Culture in May 2022.  Liz has over 15 years’ experience leading People and Culture teams across a range of industries such as aged care, specialty retail, distribution and dry bulk shipping. Prior to joining BaptistCare, Liz was Head of People and Culture with Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT), in a role established to modernise the organisation’s People and Culture function, in line with their developing Strategic Plan.

Philippe was appointed as CEO of The Hunger Project Australia effective May 23, 2022. The Hunger Project is a global, non-religious, non-profit organisation working to end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world. Active in Australia since 1983, The Hunger Project’s vision is a world where every woman, man and child leads a healthy, fulfilling life of self-reliance and dignity.

Prior to joining The Hunger Project, Phillippe was CEO of Reach Foundation - a youth oriented NFP. Philippe also has experience working in an international organisation as the Global Director, Arts and Culture Experiences for Airbnb. As Executive Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre, Philippe initiated immersion programs for investors to first nation communities which resulted in significant giving.

The Ascott Limited manages serviced apartments and co-living spaces internationally, under brand names such as Somerset, Quest and Citadines. Their portfolio of over 800 properties spans more than 200 cities across 30 countries.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Business and has gained extensive hospitality experience whilst working as General Manager for Accor Hotels and Resorts across properties including Novotel Preston, Sebel Melbourne and The Heritage Yarra Valley and also earlier with Walker Corporation, overseeing hospitality operations at Collins Square.

Professor Marcel Dinger has been appointed to the position of Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. Professor Dinger will join in January 2023 from the University of New South Wales, where he is currently the Head of School for Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences.

Prior to his role at UNSW, Professor Dinger was the founding CEO of Genome.One, Australia’s largest commercial clinical genomics service and the inaugural Head of the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics. Marcel currently serves as the Chair and co-founder of Pryzm Health, President of the Australasian Genomics Technologies Association; Director of the Governance Board of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, ANU; Director of GeniUs and Director of Scientia Clinical Research.

United Protestant Association of New South Wales (UPA)  operates 19 residential aged centres, 23 retirement villages, five centres for veterans’ home care, one serviced apartment and provides home care packages in NSW, QLD and Victoria. They also have a successful Youth Care service for young people who cannot live with their natural families.

Lucy joined as Chief Operating Officer in February 2022. Lucy has over 25 years healthcare experience spanning both Australia and the United States of America.  Before joining UPA, Lucy was employed as Director of Clinical Services with Opal Specialist Aged Care where she oversaw clinical services across 77 Homes delivering care for 7,000 residents across four states.

Cement Australia is the leading cement producer in Australia and an integrated provider of building materials and industrial services. Operations range from the mining of raw materials to the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of a diverse range of high performance cements and cement related products.

Prior to joining Cement Australia, Ainsley was employed with icare NSW where she developed and implemented forward-focused HR strategy to enable icare’s growth and transformation from legacy government entities to a trusted brand. Prior to her employment with icare NSW, Ainsley was employed as  Group Executive Talent Development and Head of Learning with Woolworths Group (2014 – 2015) and Head of Talent Management, Capability & Org Development with Coca-Cola Amatil (2012 – 2014).

Mission Australia is a national Christian charity that stands together with Australians in need, until they can stand for themselves. Sharon joined Mission Australia, taking up the role of Chief Executive Officer when James Toomey stepped down in March 2022. Sharon is a proven strategic leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector including as CEO of the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association Queensland, The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus and The Salvation Army Humanitarian Mission Services.

Mentholatum is probably best known as the makers of Deep Heat. As part of the Japanese pharmaceutical group, Rohto, they are major manufacturers and providers of topical pain relief and other joint, muscle and gut health products. Mentholatum Australia has its local headquarters and factory operations in Scoresby, Victoria.

Ben joins Mentholatum from Integrated DNA Technologies, where he was the Quality Excellence Manager. Prior to that he worked with Pfizer, Seqirus and CSL. He graduated from Monash University with First Class Honours in Biochemistry (Vascular Biology) and also holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Professor Ling Zhi Cheong joins The University of Melbourne from Ningbo University, China where she has been the Deputy Director of the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2020.  She previously worked as a Senior Scientist at the Wilmar International Global R&D Centre and Aarhus University in Denmark.

Ling Zhi has a PhD in Food and Enzyme Biotechnology from the Universiti Putra in Malaysia and an interest in researching green, sustainable and innovative food processing technologies, focusing on biocatalysis and biotransformation.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) is the medical college responsible for training and professional development of ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand. 

Mark joined as Chief Executive Officer in May. He comes to the position after serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists for the past decade. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgeons for five years. Mark holds a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Western Australia and a Masters in Business Management from the University of Technology, Sydney.

The ASSA ABLOY Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of access solutions in the form of doors, windows and related hardware, locks and access control systems for residential, commercial and institutional properties.

Jonathon has substantial experience in managing various areas of operations within the manufacturing sector, having spent six years with Bray Controls Pacific, most recently as Supply Chain and Systems Manager. He also worked with Pentair Valves and Controls for ten years and holds a Bachelor of Commerce qualification.

Bapcor Limited is Australia’s leading provider of vehicle parts, accessories, equipment, service and solutions. The business covers all major automotive aftermarket segments including trade, commercial, retail and specialist wholesale businesses.

Ashmid joins Bapcor from Saputo Dairy Australia where he spent four years as Supply Chain Finance Manager and Group Financial Planning and Analysis Manager.  Prior to this, he worked with Cleanaway Waste Management and Carlton & United Breweries.  Ashmid holds postgraduate finance qualifications.

For over 50 years, AL-KO International have manufactured quality trailer, caravan and motor home parts and accessories for distribution across Australia and New Zealand. Headquartered in Melbourne, they also have additional sites in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand.

Darren joins AL-KO from New Age Caravans. He holds a Diploma of Marketing from the University of New South Wales and spent four years as the National Marketing Manager with Iveco Trucks Australia and has worked in General and Sales Manager roles with both Hills Limited and Kodak Australasia.

Krueger Transport is a major family-owned business and one of Australia’s leading designers and manufacturers of semi-trailers for the transport industry. 

Ray is a qualified CPA with experience in transport, most recently in the role of Head of Finance, Bus Operations with Transdev Australasia Pty Ltd. Prior to this he was the Senior Finance Manager with the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth and Finance Manager ASPAC with BAE Systems, responsible for entities across Asia. 

The Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is hosted by The University of Melbourne and is a unique state-wide partnership to enhance drought resilience on farms, in the environment and in communities. Professor Michael Tausz has been appointed as the new Drought Hub Director.

Originally from Austria, Michael previously spent 12 years at the University of Melbourne and when he left in 2016, was Professor of Crop and Tree Physiology within the Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science. Michael relocated to the UK joining the University of Birmingham as Professor and Chair (Forest Ecosystem Science) and was also Director of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research. A plant physiologist by training, Michael’s research focusses on impacts of environmental change on forests and crop production systems. He recently completed an appointment as Professor of Agriculture and Environment and Head of Department at CQUniversity.

Dr Werner van der Merwe has been appointed to a newly formed role of Vice President, Innovation and Enterprise at Swinburne University, reporting to the Vice Chancelor.

Werner has been with CSIRO since 2018 and is currently Executive Manager, Commercialisation. He was previously Business Development Manager at UNSW Innovations, having relocated to Australia in 2016 from South Africa. Werner had an earlier extensive career at Sasol (SA/US listed multinational) where he worked in multiple countries in a range of engineering, R&D and commercialisation positions. Werner has a PhD in Engineering from the University of Pretoria (with a background in chemical engineering and fluid dynamics), is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and an INSEAD alumni. He currently serves on the boards of Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia and local manufacturing company Boron Molecular.

Spence Doors is one of many brands under the ASSA ABLOY banner, a global leader in access solutions.  

Shaun brings extensive national and international experience to the Spence Doors team, most recently in his role as Global Sales and Marketing Director, USA Business Leader with Camatic/Dentons and in previous roles with ALLPOWER and Gale Pacific. For more than 25 years, Shaun has managed a variety of businesses, trading in a wide range of products from venue seating to tools to window furnishings.

Education Services Australia (ESA) is a national not-for-profit company owned by the state/territory and Australian Government education ministers.  It was established in 2010 to research, test and develop curriculum, resource materials and support services within the education sector.

Corinna has substantial experience in the digital realm, commencing her career in smaller sized agencies and moving into larger organisations such as Nova Entertainment and RMIT, where she has spent the past four years.  In her most recent role as Director, Operations Portfolio, Corinna’s responsibilities encompassed a wide breadth of the University’s activities, including Property, Student Recruitment, Global Marketing, IT and HR. 

For over 40 years, m3property has been providing property valuations, general property consulting and commentary on Australian property sector trends to clients across Australia and internationally.

Ying joins m3property with over 17 years of experience in commercial finance roles across various industries, from professional services to logistics, construction and most recently in FinTech with Payright Limited.  A qualified CPA, Ying has a proven track record of developing strategies and solutions to help businesses maximise performance, manage risks and promote growth.

Occupational English Test (OET) measures the written and oral English language abilities of Healthcare Professionals, to ensure they are capable of delivering high quality and safe patient care in a variety of healthcare roles.

Kate joins OET with a wealth of experience in human resources and law, most recently working at Slater and Gordon. She also had a successful period in the higher education sector, having spent three years at RMIT University, as Principal Advisor to the Chief Operating Officer. Kate has lived and worked in Melbourne, Brisbane, Japan and Chile and is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor.

Professor Karen Hapgood is an experienced and respected research leader, with an engineering and STEM background as well as 15 years of leadership experience in the higher education sector. Prior to joining Swinburne, Karen was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment at Deakin University and part of the senior leadership team.

Karen is a renowned researcher in the fields of chemical engineering and pharmaceutical manufacturing and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. Karen is passionate about diversity and inclusion, especially for women in STEM in Australia.

Professor Turchini joins the University of Melbourne from Deakin University where he is Professor of Nutrition and Food Science and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment.

As a biochemist nutritionist, with key focus on food quality and sustainability, Giovanni’s research interests span from fish to human nutrition, aquaculture, fatty acid metabolism, fishmeal and fish oil replacement and ethical issues encountered in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. From 2014 to 2017, Giovanni led the Marine, Freshwater and Aquaculture Sciences research group. Originally from Italy with a PhD from the University of Milan, Giovanni has been awarded two ARC Discovery fellowships, has developed a series of significant industry collaborations and previously also held the position of Associate Head of School.

Janet Clarke Hall is a leading academic residential College, of and within, the University of Melbourne. Founded in 1886 as part of the first established college of the University, the College provides an independent, co-educational experience with a distinctive culture focussed on the personal and intellectual formation of students. Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan has been appointed the next Principal of JCH and will commence in 2022.

Dr Spencer-Regan is currently Vice-Principal and Senior Tutor of St Chad’s College at the University of Durham in the UK. She has served Durham University in various roles over the last seventeen years. Holding a doctorate from Durham in twentieth-century poetry, Dr Spencer-Regan has won recognition for her research, teaching and publications, and was awarded the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship which took her to Harvard University in 2011.

Pitcher Partners is a national association of independent accounting firms across Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Hunter, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth and a member of the global Baker Tilly International network. Pitcher Partners’ services extend beyond traditional accounting and taxation advice to include such areas as cybersecurity, mergers and acquisitions and wealth management.

Anu brings an extensive background in law and human resources to her new role with Pitcher Partners, having previously worked at renowned law firms Gilbert + Tobin and Gadens. Commencing her career in the UK as a Legal Counsel, Anu has extended her skillset to include all areas of People and Culture, successfully implementing and managing programs designed to improve workplace strategies and foster employee engagement.

Precision Valve Corporation was founded in 1949 by an American engineer who invented the aerosol valve, creating an entirely new market for many personal care and household products. With over 500 patents, today Precision has 17 facilities in 15 countries, and continues to be the global market leader. 

Mario Tetoros joined Precision in December 2021 as Supply Chain Manager, Australasia based at their plant at Ingleburn, NSW. A 30-year career in Distribution, Logistics and Customer Service, Mario worked with AWA, ResMed, and Dyson before spending ten years with the US owned Industrial Equipment manufacturer, Tenant. Mario’s most recent role was with Technogym in Sydney. Mario holds a Bachelor Engineering degree from UTS and is CPIM qualified.

Anglicare Sydney is a Christian not-for-profit organisation supporting people at all stages of life across the greater Sydney and Illawarra regions. Simon will commence as the next CEO of Anglicare in February 2022.

Simon has over 14 years’ experience in advising the Boards, CEOs and Executives of Australia’s top companies on strategy, growth, digital transformation, AI and advanced analytics, and M&A. Prior to joining Anglicare, he was employed as a Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). His other positions include First Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Water and Energy, Policy Director to the Premier of NSW and Chief of Staff to the Treasurer of NSW. Early in his career Simon was also Executive Officer for the Social Issues Committee of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.

Landcare NSW is the representative body (peak body) of the Landcare movement in NSW and the voice of community Landcare. Turlough commenced as new CEO of Landcare NSW in December 2021. Turlough has held senior sustainability and stakeholder interface roles in technology, energy, and resources companies. Prior to joining Landcare NSW, Turlough was employed as Program Leader, Low Emissions Building Materials within Climate Change and Sustainability in the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment.

Turlough has also held Board roles in for-purpose and community organisations including with the Ag Institute of Australia, community radio, as well as community energy generation. He has a PhD in Agriculture from the University of Sydney, is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

Professor John Evans has been appointed as Swinburne University of Technology’s inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement (PVC IE).  In this role he will be responsible for leading, guiding and governing the strategic direction of Swinburne in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives and strategies, including responsibility for the Moondani Toombadool Centre.

John joins Swinburne from UTS where he was Professor of Indigenous Health Education in the School of Public Health. John has extensive academic and industry experience in Indigenous sport, physical activity and education. He is an ARC Indigenous Research Fellow and holds a number of ARC competitive research grants.

ASX listed since 1966, Coventry Group (CYG) operates principally as a distributor of industrial products and services throughout Australia and New Zealand and the two distinct businesses, Fluid Systems and Trade Distribution, are supported by well-known trade brands.

Renee Monkman-Straub joined Coventry as Chief People Officer in December 2021 reporting to CEO, Robert Bulluss. During her 20-year professional human resources career, she worked with BlueScope, PZ Cussons, Murray Goulburn Cooperative, and for the last 6 years at Toll Group as GM HR Retail, Consumer & Healthcare Global Logistics. Renee has a Bachelor of Commerce (IR) from Wollongong University.

Shane was appointed as Baptist Care SA’s new CEO in January 2022. Established in 1913, Baptist Care SA provides out of home care, disability care, youth education, employment and training, mental health and wellbeing services, homelessness services, Aboriginal services and therapeutic support.

Shane has held senior executive management roles for more than 15 years in specialist homelessness services, community housing, cross-cultural international development and social justice philanthropy. Prior to joining Baptist Care, Shane was State Manager for Homelessness in Victoria for The Salvation Army Australia. He was also previously CEO of Community Housing Ltd in St Kilda and has held key advisory roles as a member of ministerial advisory councils.

Shane holds tertiary qualifications in applied science, theology, business law and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Futurity Investment Group is an independent financial institution and Australia’s leading issuer of tax-effective, life-event Education Bonds.  Owned by its 75,000 members, rather than shareholders, its primary purpose is to enable members to attain financial self-sufficiency to meet lifelong education objectives for themselves and their families. They have been supporting the education journeys of Australian and New Zealand families for nearly 50 years.

Craig joins Futurity to lead and drive their deep commitment to affordable, accessible and quality education. He has an extensive background with not-for profit organisations, working to support young people by advocating for social change and the advancement of education issues. Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community and International Aid and Development and a Masters degree in Public and Social Policy.

Futurity Investment Group is an independent financial institution and Australia’s leading issuer of tax-effective, life-event Education Bonds. Owned by its 75,000 members, rather than shareholders, its primary purpose is to enable members to attain financial self-sufficiency to meet lifelong education objectives for themselves and their families. They have been supporting the education journeys of Australian and New Zealand families for nearly 50 years.

Catherine joins the Futurity Board with more than three decades of experience working in senior governance roles within education and government, leading education and employment policy, performance and transformation. She has received national recognition for leading strategy and innovation, winning the Australian Government Secretary’s Excellence Award in 2011.

Martine joins Asialink from the Committee for Melbourne where she has been CEO since 2016. Martine is an experienced executive within the government, non-profit and international policy sectors, and was previously CEO of the Australia China Business Council, Deputy Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy and Secretary-General of the Australian Red Cross. Martine was also a senior Australian diplomat for 17 years and an adviser to Foreign Minister Evans from 1992-1994.

She served on the Australian National University Council from 2004-2014.  She is a member of the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) board, chairs AVI’s Governance Committee and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Indigenous Runway Project. Martine speaks French, German and Spanish and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (FAIIA).

Professor Mayfield joins the University of Melbourne from the University of Queensland where she is a Professor of Ecology and Head of the School of Biological Sciences, currently ranking among the 20 best universities in the world for ecology.  Originally from the US, Professor Mayfield has developed a large and thriving research group focused on plant and insect community ecology in Australia.  She completed her PhD in biology in 2005 from Stanford University, with a focus on plant ecology and conservation, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Santa Barbara before commencing at UQ in 2007. An accomplished researcher, Professor Mayfield has a track record of sustained research funding, including six ARC Discovery grants, two ARC Linkage grants and an ARC Future Fellowship over the last decade.

Professor Michael Ondaatje joins Griffith University as the new Head of School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences. Michael is currently Deputy Director of the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences at ACU in Melbourne. His research is focused on American political and intellectual history, with a particular interest in the history of black conservatism in the United States. Awarded his PhD, with Distinction, by the University of Western Australia in 2008, Michael is an award-winning researcher and teacher and a regular commentator on US history and politics in the Australian and international media. He has also been a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Trudi Cummins joined Parks Victoria in early October 2021 as Senior Manager, Leasing & Agreements reporting to the Commercial Director. An experienced Asset and Property executive, Trudi worked in the UK for eight years and Australia for ten, primarily in Centre Management. She worked with agencies and developers such as Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, CBRE, Dexus and most recently, spent 2 years in Facilities Management. Trudi completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Estate Management and an Agents’ Representative Certificate.

Dindas Australia was started more than 60 years ago and has grown into a true leader in the Engineered Wood Products industry. Being the first EWP business to bring LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) to Australia, they have continued to develop and improve their strategic partnerships worldwide.

Martin joined Dindas as Chief Financial Officer in September 2021. A finance executive with expertise in managing change in dynamic corporate environments and delivering strategies that have commercially re-focused organisations, delivered value to shareholders and driven growth. Martin holds a Bachelor of Economics and is a Chartered Accountant. 

Rob joined icare NSW in August 2021 and is responsible for the leadership of icare's Reform Strategy and program of work, including governance structures, key policies, core processes, communication and change strategy to ensure effective implementation across the organisation.

Prior to joining icare NSW, Rob was employed as Chief Commercial Officer with Achmea and was also previously employed with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for 11 years in various executive roles including large people leadership and Program Directorship positions, specifically leading business and customer reform post the Banking Royal Commission. Rob holds a Bachelor of Business degree and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Professor Emma Redding has been appointed as Director of the Victorian College of the Arts. Originally trained as a dancer, Professor Redding has been Head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the UK’s only conservatoire of music and contemporary dance, since 2005. She wrote the first Master’s degree in Dance Science and has since played a key role in developing dance science as a recognised field of study through her research and teaching internationally, as a founding partner of the National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science and as member of the Board of Directors and Past President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.

Gavin joined the Scalabrini team as CEO in August 2021 with over 12 years Aged Care executive leadership experience and a passion to enrich and empower older people, staff and the community.
Gavin has a proven background in achieving transformation, growth and high levels of client and staff satisfaction. During his most recent role at RSL LifeCare as General Manager - HomeCare, his leadership supported significant growth across 23 communities and provided innovative services centred on the aspirations of the client. Gavin has a Master of Business Administration degree and is a graduate of the Company Directors Course with the AICD.

Gavin Gusling joined Ambulance Victoria in September 2021 as Chief Information Officer following a review into ICT’s role in facilitating outstanding emergency health care. He brings 30 years of ICT and commercial management knowledge including working in highly regulated environments. Gavin’s early career included 12 years with the Australian Navy, followed by periods in resources, pharmaceuticals and transport.  Since 2013 he has been at CSL subsidiary, Seqirus, adopting and integrating leading edge Internet of Things technology. He is a Senior member of ACS, a Graduate member of the AICD as well as ITIL qualified.

Lisa Singh has been appointed as the new Director of the Australia India Institute (AII), the University’s centre dedicated to promoting support for and understanding of the Australia-India relationship.

Ms Singh is a former Australian Senator and was the first female MP of South Asian descent. She is the Deputy Chair of the Australia India Council and also sits on the advisory committees of the University of Melbourne’s Asialink and the University of New South Wales’ Australian Human Rights Institute.

Since opening in 1996, the MCEC has grown to be the principal convention and exhibition venue in Australia. Prior to the impact of COVID, the MCEC hosted some 1500 events a year, and contributed over $1b in annual economic impact to the state of Victoria. 

Melissa Sweetland commenced with MCEC in July 2021 as Chief Commercial Officer reporting to CEO, Peter King. A broadly experienced executive who has led transformation, new product development and driven revenue growth, she qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC Melbourne. She spent 16 years in financial services between GE Money and Hume Bank, followed by 2 years as CEO of the Riverina Dairy. Most recently she was Deputy Vice Chancellor Engagement at RMIT.

Professor Firuz Zare joins QUT from University of Queensland where he was discipline leader of Power, Energy and Control Engineering in the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (ITEE). He has spent over 20 years in academia and industry both within Australia and overseas and has been collaborating with international research centres and industry in Australia, Europe, the USA and Japan in the fields of Energy Conversion Systems and Nanosecond Pulsed Power Technology.

Professor Firuz completed his PhD at QUT and is a Fellow of IEEE - the world’s largest association of technical professionals.

Established in 1964, the Australian Ballet School provides highly specialised training in ballet and allied theatre arts to selected students aged 9-19, and aims to produce graduates capable of integrating into The Australian Ballet and professional dance companies in Australia and overseas.  

Kirsty Ritchie joined ABS in August 2021 as Executive Director reporting to the Board. An arts administrator with senior management and organisational development experience over 30 years, Kirsty was most recently at Arts Centre Melbourne responsible for the Arts Wellbeing Collective initiative covering performing arts nationally. She has an honours degree in vocational education from Melbourne University and trained at the ABS under Dame Maggie Scott.

Joining Asialink in October, Leigh is currently the Deputy Commissioner to South East Asia for the State Government of Victoria, based in Malaysia. The role is responsible for assisting exporters and investors connect with opportunities in the region. Before joining the Victorian Government, Leigh was a Board member and Executive Director for TradingPost.com.au, one of Australia’s biggest online classified portals. Leigh has also had an extensive career in HR consulting and HR outsourcing businesses.

Leigh is also a Foundation Board Director of AustCham ASEAN and a long-standing committee member of the Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC). He was elected as its Chairman from 2014 to 2018. Leigh has a BA from the University of Newcastle, a Graduate Diploma in Commerce from the University of Wollongong and is a graduate of the ASEAN Senior Management Program, Harvard Business School.

Quest is a member of The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a Singapore company that has grown to become one of the leading international lodging owner-operators. 

Dennis Tuan-Mu joins Quest from Delaware North Companies Australia where he was Regional General Counsel, Director and Company Secretary for more than ten years. He has previously held roles with Blake Dawson (now Ashurst), Mitsui & Co, AWB Limited and Mills Oakley Lawyers. Dennis has a Bachelor of Law/Business from Monash University and Postgraduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Skills and Ethics from Monash University. He was admitted as a Solicitor and Barrister in 2002.

Dr Douglas Proctor joins Swinburne University in this new position responsible for internationalisation strategy development and deployment in addition to global engagement.  Dr Proctor is currently Director, UCD Global at University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland, Ireland’s leader in international education.  Prior to this he held a number of senior international education roles in Australian universities, specifically at the University of Melbourne and at Deakin University.  He is a Senior Fellow of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and Chair of the Publications Committee for the European Association of International Education (EAIE).  Douglas completed his PhD at The University of Melbourne at the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

Deakin is Australia’s sixth largest university, ranking first in Victoria for both student satisfaction and graduate employment with a reputation for digital innovation, new and emerging technologies in research and teaching. A three-year transformation of systems and processes that will underpin Deakin’s research enterprise commenced late 2020. To help drive implementation and a customer centric approach across the research enterprise, the new role of Program Director Research Transformation was created.

Dorothy Nuess was appointed Program Director RTP in March 2020. Having emigrated from the US in 2004, Dorothy worked as a professional Project Manager in a range of public and private organisations. She has a Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University, an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, PMI Professional and PRINCE2 qualified.

In November 2020, the Victorian Government announced that public pathology laboratories in Victoria will be reformed into three pathology entities coordinated as a Victoria Pathology Network – West Network, South East Network and North East Network.

Mahtab Minai has been appointed as Transformation Director for the West Network after a five year period as Strategy and Operations Manager – Laboratory at The Royal Children’s Hospital. Mahtab has an extensive career history in the pathology space having previously held roles with PathLab, Roche Diagnostics Australia, Pathology One and St John of God’s Pathology. Mahtab holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Laboratory Science), Graduate Certificate of Management, Graduate Diploma of Management and Master of Business Administration.

Pedestrian Door Solutions is a Business Unit within Assa Abloy Entrance Systems and focuses on optimising pedestrian entrances that improve accessibility, safety and energy consumption in any building. There are three major product areas - sliding doors, automatic swing doors and revolving doors.

Gavin joined Pedestrian Door Solutions in March 2021 as Business Unit Manager. Previously Gavin has held roles such as Commercial Operations Manager ANZ for ABB Australia and Chief Executive Officer for Control Logic Pty Ltd. Gavin has an MBA from Swinburne University and an Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Electronics) from RMIT University.

Richard joins Bapcor as Group Risk and Internal Audit Manager with a career in risk and IA spanning some 20 plus years. He has previously held roles with Asahi Beverages, Murray Goulburn and Telstra. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Birmingham.

PACFA is Australia’s peak body and professional association for counsellors and psychotherapists with a mission to represent the profession to communities and government, and to develop the evidence-base for counselling and psychotherapy.

Johanna De Wever joined PACFA in March 2021 as Chief Executive Officer reporting to the Board. She has significant experience in communications and advocacy positions with 17 years in allied health and membership-based organisations including the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, the Royal ANZ College of Psychiatrists, and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Her early career was in publishing. Johanna has a BA and Graduate Diploma in Communications and Media. 

Professor Bernard Lanskey has been appointed as Director of the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, a role he will take up mid-2021. Active internationally for over 25 years as an administrator, collaborative pianist, scholar, recording producer and festival director, Professor Lanskey is Dean of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. Before moving to Singapore in 2006, he was a member of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Directorate, as Assistant Director of Music (Ensembles & Postgraduate Studies) from 1994. He is currently President of the Southeast Asian Directors of Music Association (SEADOM), and also a co-opted Council member of the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC).

Originally from North Queensland, he was awarded a First Class degree at the University of Queensland in 1981 before moving to more specialised pianistic studies, first in Paris and then at the Royal College of Music in London.

Ms Denise Hoare joined Deakin University in September 2020 as Group Manager - Finance Business Partnering (Faculty) having had a senior, commercial career across services, telco, manufacturing, resources, FMCG and Agribusiness with a focus on business excellence and transformation. Denise holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Geological), a Graduate Certificate in Change Management, and in 2016 completed an Executive MBA at the Jack Welch Management Institute.

Professor Sally Male has been appointed as the Director of the Teaching and Learning Lab in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne.

With a background in electrical engineering, Professor Male completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia where she is currently the Chair of Engineering Education. She is also Editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of Engineering Education. Professor Male has made a significant contribution to the development of curriculum for engineering programs around Australia and in recognition of this was awarded the Engineers Australia Medal in 2017.  Professor Male will take up her appointment in April.

Garry Button joined Ambulance Victoria in December 2020 as Executive Director, Corporate Services and CFO reporting to CEO, Tony Walker. A seasoned CFO and senior executive, Garry has 30 years of private and public sector experience including Fairfax, Queensland Rail and Stanwell Corporation. Since 2013, Garry has worked in Victoria as Deputy CEO at VicTrack and then the Department of Transport as CEO Freight Victoria. Garry is a Fellow CPA, member of the AICD, with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University NSW.

PBA Transit Planning (formerly known as Phillip Boyle & Associates) is a successful public transport consultancy specialising in global transport scheduling, planning and staffing optimisation.

Russell joins PBA Transit Planning as Chief Executive Officer with over 25 years’ experience in strategic and operational leadership of complex services organisations. Russell was previously Director, Business Performance and Corporate Strategy for Keolis Downer, Chief Operating Officer for Moore Stephens and held multiple roles for GE Capital across eight years. He has an MBA from Deakin University, Graduate Diploma in Computing from Monash University and a Bachelor of Applied Science from RMIT.

Bapcor Limited is Australia’s leading provider of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, automotive equipment and services. The business covers all major aftermarket segments including trade, retail, service and specialist wholesale businesses.

Nick joined Bapcor as Group Category Manager, 4WD from Independent Hardware Group where he was Business Unit Manager – Trade. He has previously held roles with Home Timber and Hardware Group and Dahlsens Building Centres. Nick holds at Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University.

Professor Lori Lockyer has been appointed as Executive Dean of the newly formed Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice at QUT. 

Lori joins QUT from UTS where she was Dean of the Graduate Research School with responsibility for leading the strategic direction and policy development for research training across the University. Prior to joining UTS she held roles as Head of the School of Education and Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Chair in Teacher Education at Macquarie University; Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Education, Director of Educational Development in the Graduate School of Medicine, and Associate Director of the Digital Media Centre at the University of Wollongong and Manager of the Centre for Behaviour Research and Program Evaluation at the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

Lori has been a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts and holds a PhD in Education from the University of Wollongong.

Supporting more than 215 members and 379 independent schools and campuses state-wide, Independent Schools Victoria is committed to the promotion, development and independence of independent schools and innovative thinking on education and issues affecting those schools.

Poonam Anand has joined ISV as Chief Financial Officer having spent the past eight years at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) where she most recently held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.  Poonam commenced her accounting career at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and other roles have included Financial Controller of Save the Children Australia.  Poonam is a graduate of the Institute of Company Directors Australia, a Chartered Accountant and holds Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce qualifications.

Griffith University has appointed Professor Liz Burd as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Education.  Professor Burd is currently PVC Learning and Teaching at the University of Newcastle including responsibilities as Academic Registrar. Prior to relocating to Australia, Liz was Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Computer Science at Durham University (UK) where she led the Technology Enhanced Learning Research Group and also held a personal chair in Computer Science and in Education. She holds dual doctoral qualifications in Software Maintenance (University of Durham) and Risk Management (University of York) and is currently a Director of the IEEE, the largest professional body in the world.

Krueger is a family owned, Australian business servicing the transport industry. They are market leaders in innovative semi trailer design, backed by expert service & parts divisions.

Karen joined Krueger in 2020 as National Manager, People, Culture and Safety. She has a 20 year career in Human Resource Management including her most recent role as Human Resources Operations Manager (ANZ) for Timberlink. Karen holds a Bachelor of Business (Human Resources and Industrial Relations).

The University of Melbourne has appointed Professor Marie Sierra as the new Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, home of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Professor Sierra, who has a 30 year career in the arts, has for the past 6 years served as Deputy Dean of the University NSW Faculty of Art and Design. Professor Sierra is a visual artist and arts writer and a noted researcher. She is a former Chair and current Treasurer of the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools, and is also Treasurer of the Deans and Directors of Creative Arts, a peak body which represents all the creative arts.

Professor Moira O’Bryan has been appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne. She previously held academic leadership positions at Monash University including Head of School of Biological Sciences, Deputy Director of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Program Lead for the Development and Stem Cells program within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Professor O’Bryan is a developmental biologist and reproductive biologist. She is the current President of the Society for Reproductive Biology (Australia and New Zealand).

BaptistCare is a leading not-for-profit Christian based care organisation that has been serving the aged and people living with disadvantage for 75 years. They support thousands of people across NSW and the ACT through more than 160 facilities and programs.

Charles joined BaptistCare NSW and ACT in July 2020. Prior to his appointment, Charles was CEO of Sydney Olympic Park Authority, where one of his many achievements was the creation of the Sydney Olympic Park Master Plan as a sustainable precinct. Charles brings to the role extensive leadership experience in private and government sectors, and a successful track record in property investment and development that will be critical to BaptistCare’s ongoing growth and development in residential aged care, retirement living and community housing projects over the next 10 years.

The Chamber is Victoria’s largest and most influential business organisation. It advocates for Victorian businesses and works with members and government to ensure the  political, regulatory and business environment promotes better operating conditions for business in Victoria. The Chamber supports individual businesses through its range of services across workplace relations, health and safety, training, apprenticeship and international trade.

Fiona MacDonald joined the Chamber in July 2020 as Executive Director, Corporate Services/CFO. A qualified Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, she focused on business systems and finance initially at the ASX listed consulting firm, SMS. From 2006 she became involved in telecommunications logistics, initially at Brightstar and in 2019 at Kingfisher Global as Finance Director ANZ. She has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from Swinburne and is an AICD graduate.  

The Middendorp Group of Companies remains 100% family owned after more than 90 years.  The core trading business, Middy’s, is Australia’s largest independent electrical wholesaler with over 100 branches nationally. The Group employs some 750 staff.

Darren Edgerton was appointed CIO in January 2020. He joins the Group after a long and highly successful IT career at Reece, Australia’s leading plumbing/trade distribution business, where he was the chief architect of the in-house ERP system and lead the development of the e-commerce platform. Darren brings highly relevant knowledge to Middy’s and is now driving the new ERP implementation and the leading the development of Middy’s digital portal.

The Indigenous Knowledge Institute has been established as a focal point for Indigenous research activity and programs at the University of Melbourne, supporting teaching and understanding of cultures that are the oldest on Earth.  Professor Aaron Corn has recently been appointed as the Institute’s Inaugural Director. 

Professor Aaron Corn is an ethnomusicologist with a background in music, curatorial studies and Indigenous studies. He was formerly the Director of both the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) and the National Centre for Aboriginal Language and Music Studies (NCALMS) at the University of Adelaide. He has held multiple grants and fellowships from the Australian Research Council, works closely with Australian Indigenous colleagues in pursuing their own research interests, and serves as Co-Director of the National Recording Project for Indigenous Performance in Australia. He is a past National President of the Musicological Society of Australia and has also served on the Australian Research Council College of Experts.

Christian Super is an ethically responsible, profit for members, industry superannuation fund, with 28,000 members and more than $1.6 billion in funds under management.   Operating since 1984, Christian Super invests members’ retirement funds ethically in line with Christian values.

Mark joined Christian Super in August 2020. He was previously Chief Investment Officer at ANZ Wealth and Private Banking. Earlier in his career, Mark was Head of Investment Strategy Australia at UBS Global Asset Management. Between 1987 and 1997, he was an Economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Bapcor Limited is Australia’s leading provider of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, automotive equipment and services. The business covers all major aftermarket segments including trade, retail, service and specialist wholesale businesses.

Scott joined Bapcor in July 2020 as the Executive General Manager Strategic Development and Investor Relations. Prior to taking up his position, Scott had had a highly successful career in investment banking (Lazard and Macquarie Capital) and senior corporate roles in Strategy and M&A with Australian Pacific Airports and Toll Group.

Professor Peter Tregear has been appointed as the inaugural Director of Little Hall.  Little Hall is a new and state of the art hall of residence for students of The University of Melbourne and is due for completion at the end of 2020.

Professor Tregear is a graduate of the University of Melbourne in music and arts, and secured his PhD in Musicology at Cambridge in 1999.  His career spans across Australia and the United Kingdom. He is currently the Dean of St Mark’s College in Adelaide. Prior to that, he was Teaching Fellow and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of London, Professor and Head of the School of Music at the Australian National University and Executive Director, Academy of Performing Arts at Monash University. As a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, from 2000 to 2006, he was college lecturer and Director of Music at Fitzwilliam and Churchill Colleges. He also served as Dean and Deputy Warden of University of Melbourne’s Trinity College between 2006 and 2008.

Professor Rachel Popelka-Filcoff, an internationally recognised expert in radioanalytical chemistry and the scientific analysis of Indigenous Australian natural mineral pigments will lead the University of Melbourne’s Archaeological Science Group as the Kimberley Foundation Minderoo Chair in Archaeological Science. The Kimberley Foundation Minderoo Chair in Archaeological Science is based in the School of Earth Sciences and is funded by an endowment from the Kimberley Foundation Australia (KFA), Allan Myers, the Minderoo Foundation, and the University of Melbourne.

After studying at Washington University in St Louis, Dr Popelka-Filcoff obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Missouri.  Professor Rachel Popelka-Filcoff was most recently an Associate Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University.  Among her honours and achievements, she was named the South Australian Tall Poppy of the Year in 2012 and was president of the Society for Archaeological Sciences from 2016 to 2019. She takes up her position as Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Melbourne in June.

Dutt Transport Pty Ltd (Dutt) have been providing high calibre and efficient express and fragile freight service to customers for more than 30 years. An Australian owned and operated business, the company headquarters are in Kilsyth, Melbourne and there are branch offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth with terminals in Adelaide. As the leading logistics solution provider of Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment, Dutt offer a comprehensive suite of services drawing on their national scale and local insight to deliver value across the supply chain of their clients and relations with regional carriers has resulted in an Australia-wide network of agencies.

A successful CEO in both listed and private companies, Mark brings a wealth of experience in wholesaling, retail, supply chain and logistics. Following the long tenure of Mr Peter Davies, Mark joined Dutt as CEO in February 2020 to lead the business in its next phase of growth and development.

Ambulance Victoria provides pre-hospital treatment and ambulance transport for people in urgent medical emergencies and draws on clinical expertise and experience to help resolve less-urgent medical issues. In 2018/19 they responded to some 618,000 emergency cases state-wide, achieving a Code 1 response time that saw 83.9% of patients reached within 15 minutes.

Ms. Jill Fitzroy joined Ambulance Victoria in November 2019 as Executive Director, Transformation and Strategy reporting to CEO, Tony Walker. With a career focused on business improvement and leading transformational change through stakeholder engagement, she worked previously at VicRoads, Monash University, Telstra, Australia Post and in the mid-2000s for the insurance group, AIG in New York. Jill is a graduate of the AICD, has a BA and a Master of Management from Monash.

Supporting more than 215 members and 379 independent schools and campuses state-wide, Independent Schools Victoria is committed to the promotion, development and independence of independent schools and innovative thinking on education and issues affecting those schools.

David Burton joins ISV from Woodleigh School where he is Deputy/Acting Principal and Head of Senior Campus.  He previously held leadership roles at International School of Paris, France and Australian International School, Singapore. Educated at Monash, Cambridge and Lancaster Universities, David also works with the International Baccalaureate organisation and over the past eight years has led more than 25 professional development workshops for Heads of Schools and IB Coordinators in more than 15 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation Ltd (POWHF) is the established health promotion charity supporting the Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick (POWH). Andrew Giles was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2020 and has long standing and extensive experience in the philanthropic sector with some of Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisations, most recently as CEO at the Garvan Research Foundation. Prior to this he was CEO of The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia where he launched the Movember fundraising campaign in 2004.  He has also held executive leadership roles with UNSW, The Shepherd Centre, The Scots College, The University of Sydney and The Sydney Children’s Hospital. Andrew has also served on industry peak bodies like Fundraising Institute of Australia as NSW Chair and is a Board Member of Research Australia.

Since it was formed in 2007 by a group of like-minded Telstra licensees, the TLA has grown into a national association with more than 90% of independent licensees as members. They cover Telstra Retail Stores and Business Centres across approximately 190 locations nationally and have a collective turnover of approximately $1 billion. The TLA objective is to enhance the viability, sustainability and relevance of their channel and stakeholders.

Cameron Cooper joined TLA as Chief Executive Officer in February 2020 reporting to the Board. His career covers 25 years’ executive experience in leading global organisations (including Telstra, Brightstar, Motorola, Nissan and Ericsson) with commercial success gained through stakeholder engagement, leadership, sales, marketing and customer advocacy across multiple markets.  Cameron has a Bachelor of Business from RMIT and an Executive MBA from the University of NSW. 

The Global Infrastructure Hub is a G20 initiative, seeking to collaborate with governments, the private sector, multilateral development banks and other international organisations to enable the identification and development of infrastructure projects that are high-quality, resilient, sustainable and needed, in a rapidly evolving world.

Srima joined The Global Infrastructure Hub in January 2020 as the Chief Operating Officer. Srima has 15 years’ experience across real estate, construction, consulting and financial services, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer with the Jane Goodall Institute Australia.  Prior to this she was employed with Lendlease (Property Construction and Infrastructure) and The Olson Company (Real Estate Development).

QUT is a dynamic and energetic University with a global outlook and ‘real-world’ focus.  The University’s Power Engineering Discipline is recognised for its world leading expertise across both power systems and equipment, and power electronics areas.  Associate Professor Dezso Sera joins QUT from Aalborg University in Denmark where he heads the Photovoltaic Systems Research Programme.  Professor Sera completed his PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Aalborg and his research interests include modelling, characterization, diagnostics and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of PV arrays, as well as power electronics, and grid integration for PV systems. 

Professor Cindy Shannon, a descendent of the Ngugi people and one of Australia’s foremost higher education Indigenous leaders, has been appointed as Griffith University’s first Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous).  Professor Shannon previously held the position of Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at the University of Queensland as well as other senior appointments at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Melbourne.

In addition to her academic and leadership roles, Professor Shannon has served on numerous health advisory boards, including as Chair of the Brisbane South Primary Health Network. She is currently Chair of the Queensland Ministerial Advisory Committee on Sexual Health, Chair of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation and a member of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Board.

VicTrack is a self-funded state-owned business enterprise operating under an independent Board, providing a range of telecommunications, property management and project delivery services in support of Victoria’s public transport system.

Ms Lee Anne Harris joined VicTrack as Group Manager, Finance reporting to the Executive General Manager, Business Services. Previously she had been with the Department of Treasury & Finance; consulted to Oracle; worked with an ASX listed oil exploration company; the Ian Potter Foundation; after an initial 16-year career with the Commonwealth Bank in Sydney. Lee Anne holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Melbourne and ANZSOG, and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Western Sydney. She is a CPA and a prior Fellow of the Taxation Institute.

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne is one of the world’s leading paediatric hospitals, providing specialist healthcare to thousands of children in Victoria, Australia and internationally.

Prior to joining the RCH in September 2019, Michelle has had a highly successful 15 plus year career within the Higher Education sector. She held senior technology leadership roles at the University of Melbourne and RMIT. These included the development of RMIT Online, the Universities major digital initiative.

Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik, an Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow and Professor of Materials Science in QUT’s Faculty of Science and Engineering has been appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Innovation) following an extensive international search.

Professor Barner-Kowollik, an internationally renowned chemist, joined QUT in 2017 after a period as an Adjunct Professor and research collaborator.

His research focuses on complex polymer reactions and harnessing the power of light to control and program the shape of materials. He established the university’s Soft Matter Materials laboratory, which is recognised as one of the world’s premier macromolecular laboratories.

Professor Barry Judd has been appointed as Director, Indigenous Studies Program at The University of Melbourne. He was previously Professor of Indigenous Social Research, Charles Darwin University and Honorary Fellow, University of Western Australia, School of Humanities. He is a descendant of the Pitjantjatjara people of north-west South Australia, British immigrants and Afghan cameleers. A leading Australian scholar on the subject of Aboriginal participation in Australian sports, Barry’s research focuses mainly on issues of identity.

Barry is a member of the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN). He holds a PhD, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, Master of Arts (Public Policy), Graduate Diploma of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts.

Craig Murphy was appointed as Operations Manager in July 2019. He has had 18 years’ experience in pharmaceutical and FMCG leadership roles having previously held roles for Felton, Grimwade, Bosisto’s (FGB), Coca-Cola Amatil and Ego Pharmaceuticals.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Physical Science with Honours (Chemistry) from Latrobe University and a Masters of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School.

Located in Brisbane, Queensland University of Technology is a major Australian university with a global outlook and a real-world focus.  Professor Nic Smith has been appointed as Provost and will commence in this role in March 2020.

Professor Smith is Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland and prior to that was Head of Biomedical Engineering at Kings College, London, and Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford.

Professor Smith has a degree in Engineering Science with First Class Honours and a PhD in Engineering Science from the University of Auckland, in addition to a Master of Philosophy from the University of Oxford.

Mentholatum is a global leader in the sale of Topical Pain Relief products with Deep Heat sold in over 140 countries. In Australia, as well as topical pain relief the business also provides a range of specialised Health and Beauty products in the following categories: Lip Care, Skin Care, Nail Care, Laxatives and Pregnancy Testing kits.

Peter was appointed as Marketing and Product Innovation manager in August 2019. Peter has a strong history of success within the pharmaceutical and OTC markets. Prior to joining Mentholatum he has held senior marketing and product development positions for Mylan Health Australia, CSL Biotherapies, GlaxoSmithKline

Peter is a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).

Jeff joins Bapcor as Chief Operating Officer from Coates Hire where he was Executive General Manager, Markets and Products. He has previously held senior roles with Marbletrend and as General Manager, Trade with Bunnings. Jeff has an MBA from the University of New England.

Frank comes to Bapcor as the Zone manager for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia in Bapcor’s major trade store business - Burson. He previously had a 15 year career with Blackwoods in various roles including Regional Operations Manager, National Inside Sales Manager and Head of Customer Service – East Coast. Frank holds a Bachelor of Business.

Professor Richard Kurth has been appointed as Director, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music – one of the world’s leading music conservatoriums.  He previously served as Director of the University of British Columbia School of Music from 2007 to 2018. Richard earned his PhD in music theory at Harvard University (1993).  He has been a faculty member at McGill University (1992-1993), the University of Ontario (1993-1994) and at UBC since 1994.

Richard’s research interests include theory and analysis of 19th and 20th century repertoires, connections between music and poetry in vocal music and relations between performance and analysis.

The Insight Group conducted an Executive Search project to secure additional technical staff for the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), both independent agencies of the Australian Government. The AASB has responsibility to make accounting standards under section 334 of the Corporations Act; the AUASB is responsible for developing, issuing and maintaining auditing and assurance standards.

This project entailed sourcing and appointment of a variety of technical accounting roles including - at the AASB, reporting to Technical Director, Ms Kala Kandiah, Senior Project Manager, Project Manager and a Research Principal; and at the AUASB, reporting to Technical Director, Mr Matthew Zappulla, Project Manager.

Bapcor Limited is Australia’s leading provider of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, automotive equipment and services. The business covers all major aftermarket segments including trade, retail, service and specialist wholesale businesses.

Steve joined Bapcor in February 2019 as Executive General Manager, Engine Management. Steve has over 25 years experience in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial, wholesale, retail and health sectors. He has previously held EGM and CFO roles in businesses including Australian Unity, Sonepar, Hagemeye, Blackwoods and News Limited.

The Head of International Recruitment is a key executive position at Swinburne University, responsible for all strategic and operational activities associated with the recruitment of international students.  Mr Jogvan Klein has recently been appointed and will take up this position in July.   For the last 10+ years, Jogvan has worked in leadership positions in international recruitment in Australia, Europe and Asia.  Originally from Denmark, Jogvan is currently responsible for developing and implementing recruitment and student mobility strategies to support global activities at RMIT Vietnam and based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Millennium Services Group Limited is an industrial services business started in 2003. They listed on the ASX in 2015.  In October 2018, there were significant Board changes and organisational restructure that led to the appointment of a new CFO and CEO. 

Darren Boyd was appointed Managing Director/CEO in February 2019. Previously he had a long career at G4S Plc in multiple roles, concluding as Regional MD (ANZ & PNG) with 7000+ staff and turnover more than A$400m. Since, he held a senior role at Spotless and has consulted to a number of government and non-government organisations, most recently at OCS. His early career was in trade operations, freight logistics and supply chain. Darren has an MBA Technology Management from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Accounting from Charles Sturt University, is a CPA and a graduate of the AICD.

Murdoch University is one of Western Australia’s leading universities with campuses in Australia and overseas.  Ms Joanne Perkins joins the University as Director, People and Culture from the Commonwealth Bank where she was General Manager, Strategy and Organisational Development and located in Sydney.  Originally from the UK, Joe was previously based in Perth where she was Head of Strategy, Planning and Operations at Bankwest.

Professor Mia Lindgren has been appointed as the Dean of the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at Swinburne University.  ASSH is one of the largest and most diverse School’s at the University with a strong reputation for both teaching and research.  Professor Lindgren joins Swinburne from Monash University where she was the founding Head of School of Media, Film and Journalism.  Mia is a journalism academic combining practice-led research in audio documentary and podcast formats with traditional scholarship. Mia is the winner of the 2015 Anne Dunn Research Excellence Award (ANZCA/JERAA). She is co-editor of the Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media and associate editor of the RadioDoc Review.  Mia started her career in journalism in Sweden working in broadcast news, current affairs, live radio and documentary reporting.

Lifestart is a not for profit organisation and registered charity that supports children and young people aged 0-24 years living with disability or developmental delay, and their families and carers.

Loretta joined Lifestart in January 2019 and is responsible for Finance, HR, IT, Data, Operations and Quality. She is an experienced Chief Financial Officer and Board Director with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital, manufacturing, financial services, sporting, and health care industry. Prior to joining Lifestart, Loretta was employed with Odyssey House NSW as Chief Financial Officer / Company Secretary / HR Manager / IT Coordinator.

Romlie was appointed a full-time Commissioner with the Productivity Commission in December 2018, and will take up his position in April 2019. Romlie is a Djugun man and a member of the Yawuru people. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Lowitja Institute, Australia’s national institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research since 2014. Prior to joining the Lowitja Institute, Romlie was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association for almost a decade. 

Romlie has chaired and has been a member for a range of policy, research and evaluation bodies at the national and state government levels. He is a past chair for the National Health Leadership Forum, the collective of national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing organisations. He also convened the first Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, and delivered the 2016 Cranlana Program Medicine and Society Oration.

QUT is a major Australian university with a global outlook and a real-world focus.  A new appointment, the PVC Indigenous Strategy will play a critical role in engaging within the university, external stakeholders and Indigenous communities and  to establish effective and productive relationships.

Angela Leitch is a Woppaburra woman from the Keppel Islands off the coast of Queensland.  She has extensive experience at senior level in the areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education policy and project development and has led significant teams and budgets.  Angela was most recently Director, Indigenous Policy for the Queensland Department of Education, with responsibility for leading strategic Departmental policy on Indigenous issues.

CNS Precision Assembly is a contract electronic manufacturing company offering a range of services including through hole and SMT PCB assembly, inventory management, sourcing and procurement of components, mechanical assembly, cable assemblies and turnkey production. 

Richard joined CNS Precision Assembly in February 2019. He has more than 15 years’ experience running businesses up to $125 million sales and 350 employees. Prior to his current role, Richard was employed in the following roles: General Manager with Millform Products, General Manager – Accent Air and Rheem Pool Heating with Rheem Australia and as Managing Director – ANZ with The Lincoln Electric Company.

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne is one of the world’s leading paediatric hospitals, providing specialist healthcare to thousands of children in Victoria, Australia and internationally.

Filomena has had a 20 year career of growth and success within the health sector, beginning her career in medical imaging. Over the past 15 years Filomena has developed a proven track record in leading and implementing successful and strategic, quality, safety and improvement programs firstly at the Austin and subsequently, Mercy Health. Filomena was appointed to the Executive Director position at the RCH in November 2018.

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne is one of the world’s leading paediatric hospitals, providing specialist healthcare to thousands of children in Victoria, Australia and internationally.

Jane has had a thirty year career of success and continuing development in the hospital sector. Clinically trained in speech pathology, Jane moved into hospital management as the Quality Manager at Monash Health and this was followed by leadership roles in allied health and strategic planning. She joined the RCH in late 2009 as Director Strategy and moved to the role of Executive Director Strategy and Organisational Improvement in early 2014. Jane was appointed to the COO position at RCH in May 2018.

Deakin University is ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide, and in the top 50 young universities  in the world, with some 60,000 students and 4500 staff, and a strong reputation for digital innovation, new and emerging technologies in research and teaching.

The Director, SIPU leads a team of analytical and business intelligence specialists, is a direct report to the CFO and acts as an advisor to senior University executives including the Vice Chancellor.

Thomas Eastwood has worked in universities for ten years, most recently at RMIT as Head Market Intelligence accountable for domestic and international market strategy analytics. Previously in the UK, he worked at Reading and Southampton universities and he has a MSc in Management from Lancaster University.

Glen Dimplex Australia Pty Ltd is part of the Glen Dimplex Group which was founded in 1973 and is considered the world's largest electrical heating business and also holds significant market positions in the domestic appliance industry worldwide.  

Glen Dimplex Australia Pty Ltd as part of this group is proud to bring consumers some of the most innovative and stylish home appliances ever seen in Australia.

Bradley Young is an experienced Supply Chain professional with significant exposure to the consumer goods sector. Prior to joining Glen Dimplex Australia he held leadership roles at Kao, L’Oreal and Newell Rubbermaid and will lead a major integration and transformation program at Glen Dimplex Australia.

Bradley began his career in the Australian Army and holds an MBA from RMIT.

Established in Melbourne in 1895, Rogerseller quickly became renowned as premium retailers, manufacturers and importers of mantelpieces, grates, sanitaryware, tiles and door furniture.

Today, their focus is on supplying the finest bathware and kitchen cabinetry solutions in the market. Rogerseller design and manufacture its own premium collections alongside a core line-up of exclusively imported brands including Catalano, Fantini, Falper and Valcucine.

Simon joined Rogerseller in November 2018 following a long and highly successful career with Miele, where his roles included Head of Electrical Retail and Head of Project Sales. In that role he played a key leadership role in the development and implementation of Miele’s Commercial strategy focusing on architects, builders and developers.

Simon holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

A subsidiary of Quanta Services Inc. a US listed Fortune 500 company, Quanta Services Australia performs energy infrastructure construction across Australia through stand-alone operating entities working in Renewables, Power and Oil & Gas.

Matthew Forwood joined Quanta in October 2018. Previously, as a commercial civil engineer he focused on renewables and project management including eight years at Pacific Hydro in Chile and Australia, two years with Envision Energy and two years at Transurban. His early career was with SKM, Maunsell, and Civil & Civic/Lendlease. Matthew has a Bachelor Civil Engineering (Hons) from Melbourne University together with an MBA from AGSM.

Cath joined the HIA in November 2018 and leads the key region of Western Australia. Her responsibilities include: representing and promoting industry issues and policies to government, maintaining a high level of visibility for HIA, promotion of the ‘HIA brand’ and leadership of the office and dedicated team.

Prior to joining the HIA, Cath was employed with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia as Director of Advocacy and General Manager, Corporate Affairs. She was also previously employed as a Director with strategic communications consultancy, Rubicon Communications.

Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) is a not for profit organisation funded by the Commonwealth government to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the primary health care system. 

Heather joined HNECC PHN in October 2018. She has an extensive background both in the social services and health fields, with over 25 years of gathered experience delivering services within regional, rural and remote communities, both in Australia and overseas. She has experience in coaching, mentoring and teaching inexperienced and new Graduates, both in formal and informal settings. 

Heather’s educational background is in the area of health and social sciences, with further qualifications in rural and remote development and business management. 

Professor Ashford-Rowe has been appointed as QUT’s Inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor, Digital Learning.  Professor Ashford-Rowe is currently Director of Australian Catholic University's Learning and Teaching Centre. The Centre is responsible for improvements to the student experience with better pedagogy and increased use of information and communication technology.  He is also a member of the University's Academic Board.  Prior to ACU he was the Director, Information Services (Learning and Teaching) at Griffith University.  Professor Ashford Rowe is also Vice-President of the Executive of the Council of Directors of Academic Development (CADAD) and a former member of the Executive of the Australasian Council of Open, Distance and E Learning (ACODE).

Dr William Locke will become Professor and Director of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education in February. He will move from University College London where he is now Director of the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Higher Education.  William was formerly Head of Learning and Teaching policy at HEFCE and has held positions at the Open University (OU) where he led the UK part of an International study of the Changing Academic Profession, and Universities UK.  He is a member of the Governing Council and Governance and Appointments Committee of the Society for Research into Higher Education, and an Associate Editor of the London Review of Education journal.

Professor Cameron has been appointed to the position of Head of School of Historical and Philosophical studies within the Faculty of Arts at The University of Melbourne. Professor Cameron will take up this position in early 2019. A Philosopher and Canada Research Chair, Professor Cameron is currently Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Humanities at The University of Victoria, Canada. Prior to The University of Victoria, Professor Cameron was a Research Fellow at Cambridge University and received her PhD from The University of Toronto.

Professor Russell Goulbourne has been appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at The University of Melbourne and will take up the position in January 2019.

Professor Goulbourne is Professor of French Literature at King’s College London, where he has just completed a five-year term as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, which has grown under his leadership to become one of the largest faculties of its kind in the UK.

Professor Goulbourne was an undergraduate and postgraduate at the University of Oxford and taught for thirteen years at the University of Leeds, including a three-year term as Head of the Department of French, before being appointed to King’s in 2013. He is a specialist in eighteenth-century French literature. 

Bombora Advice is one of Australia’s leading dealer groups within the risk advice and protection sector. Established in July 2013, Bombora provides a framework for risk advisers to provide independent risk advice, free of institutional influence, for their clients.

Lisa Maddocks is a highly experienced General Manager covering both corporate and not-for-profit organisations. Prior to joining Bombora, Lisa was the National General Manager for a significant architectural practice for nearly eight years. In this role she played a major part in the practices growth and success by establishing and developing key systems and processes including quality accreditation.

Professor Niki Frantzeskaki has been appointed Director, Centre for Urban Transitions and will join Swinburne in March 2019. The Centre is one of Swinburne’s most successful research centres/institutes with an international reputation and focussing on innovative planning and governance strategies for creating more liveable, sustainable, equitable, healthy and productive cities. Professor Frantzeskaki is currently an Associate Professor at DRIFT (Dutch Research Insitute for Transitions) in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Niki Frantzeskaki holds a PhD on ‘Dynamics of Sustainability transitions’ from Delft University of Technology and has been working at DRIFT since 2010 where she researches contemporary sustainability transitions and their governance across Europe, USA, Brazil and in developing countries like Vanuatu, and Ghana.

Cryosite Limited (CTE) is an Australian biotech and biologics logistics company. Prior to joining Cryosite Limited as Senior Operations Manager in July 2018, John Hogg was employed as a Principal Consultant with Supply Today. Supply Today provides  Healthcare Logistics and Warehouse Consulting services to companies needing operational excellence in their healthcare logistics and warehouse processes. As the Principal Consultant, John led a team of skilled healthcare logistics and warehouse specialist. 

John  was also previously employed as Managing Director with STL Warehousing Pty Ltd, Supply Chain Manager with Boots Healthcare ANZ, General Manager Logistics with UTi (Australia), and National Operations Manager with Philips.

Australia Medic Alert Foundation is Australia’s only not-for –profit organisation dedicated to providing a 24/7 personal medical emergency information and identification service. The Foundation began in California in 1953 and was introduced into Australia in 1971 by Rotary and St John Council.  Since then, Australia Medic Alert Foundation has provided protection and peace of mind to almost 300,000 Australians. 

Tom Moore joined Medic Alert as Chief Executive Officer in June 2018. Prior to this Tom was employed (until August 2017) as Chief Executive Officer with HAMB Systems Limited, a not-for-profit Company owned by 23 private health insurance funds. Tom joined HAMB in July 2010, as General Manager Operations and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. Tom has also previously worked for SMS Management and Technology (an Australia’s leading consulting, technology and systems Integration Company), Babcock and Brown Power (a power generation business) and Fujitsu Australia Limited.

Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School is a single-campus Anglican day school strongly committed to education for girls. Catering for students from Early Learning Centre to Year 12 with a current total enrolment of almost 1,000 students, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School seeks to provide excellence in education within a caring Christian community and to prepare young women for a personally and professionally fulfilling life. 

Matthew will commence with Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School in November 2018. Matthew has had a diverse career to date, initially undertaking work in the not for profit sector and also as a political staffer.  Matthew completed a PhD in History at University of Melbourne. Most recently Matthew was Deputy Head of Senior School (Wellbeing) at Carey Grammar and prior to this, held several leadership positions since commencing in 2013.

Listed on the Frankfurt exchange, the JOST Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of vehicle connection systems, modules and components for truck & trailer with sales and production facilities in 18 countries. JOST-Australia gears its operations to the needs of the local market, sourcing product from facilities around the world.

Dionne Heafield joined JOST-Australia as Director Finance in May 2018 following a 20 year career in commercial finance roles. Most recently, Dionne spent 5 years at the Costa Group as Financial Controller for the Grapes and Citrus division and 3 years at Pacific Hydro. Previously, Dionne qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Pitcher Partners.

The Middendorp Group of Companies remains 100% family owned and the core trading business, Middy’s, is Australia’s largest independent electrical wholesaler with 96 branches nationally. The Group itself employs some 600 staff with a turnover more than $300m.

John Horan joined Middy’s as Chief Financial Officer in May 2018 after a 25-year career with commercial and industrial focused companies. Most recently he was CFO for 9 years at Premier Fruits Group leading to the merger with LaManna; and Group Financial Controller at the industrial distribution business, Hagemeyer Australia for 5 years. John is a CPA with a Bachelor of Economics.

The Insight Group conducted an Executive Search project as part of a major organisational change program for the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB).

This project entailed sourcing and appointing a new National Director of both the AASB and the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), a Research Director for the AASB and one Senior Project Manager and three Project Managers for the AASB.

The project utilised a significant Australia wide and international search program including South Africa, India, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Damian Paull was appointed as the National Director of the Office of both the AASB and AUASB, where he is tasked with implementing the ‘One team, two identities, no surprises’ strategic direction for both organisations.

Damian has a successful and diverse background, including teaching, law enforcement, working as a regulator, working in small and large businesses in risk, compliance and operations, and building capability within the not-for-profit sector to lead and bring about positive change.

TLA Australia has a membership representing some 97% of the 235 Telstra branded Retail Stores and Business Centre Licensees nationally, outlets owned by individual licensees, many with multiple sites. TLA liaises with members on business improvement opportunities, acts as an advocate for members, and maintains a very close commercial relationship with Telstra and its key suppliers.

Andrew qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Pitcher Partners. Leaving the profession, he bought and built a Marine services business in Williamstown. After 15 years, he sold and moved into general management of the leading marine accessory buying association with 36 independent stores. He has a Bachelor Business (Accounting) from RMIT.

Medical Deans is the peak national and cross-Tasman professional body representing entry-level medical education, clinical training and research in the 22 Australian and New Zealand universities with medical schools. It is committed to improving the health of Australians and New Zealanders through the continual development of medical education and research leading to high quality, work ready medical graduates and excellence in research.

Helen Craig joined Medical Deans in February 2018. Before  joining Medical Deans, Helen was Manager, Strategic Policy and Advocacy with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Prior to this she was employed as Chief Executive Officer with Rural Health Education Fund, a small non-profit health education organisation focused on supporting rural and remote healthcare professionals.

MTC Recruitment provides tailored recruitment services to public and private sector organisations and candidates throughout Sydney. Services include short term labour hire, volume labour hire – special projects and events, long term hire, temp-to-permanent placements and permanent recruitment. As a not-for-profit organisation, MTC Recruitment redirect all profits back into MTC Australia’s social impact initiatives. Through employment, education, youth and community programs, they  empower people to unlock their potential and create new opportunities.

Prior to joining MTC Recruitment as General Manager, Dale Smith was employed in a number of senior roles with Kelly Services.  Dale holds a Bachelor of Business – Human Resource Management from the University of Southern Queensland.

Professor Tom Johnstone has been appointed as Professor and Director of Neuroimaging at Swinburne University of Technology and will join Swinburne in mid 2018.  Professor Johnstone is currently Director of Reading Functional Imaging Facility and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Reading. Prior to joining the University of Reading in 2007 he held roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Geneva and University of Western Australia.

Professor Johnstone’s research interests include the neural basis of Cognition and Emotion, Emotional Disorders, Emotion Regulation and critical analysis of new brain imaging methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia, Postgraduate Diploma in Science (Cognitive Science) from the University of Western Australia and a PhD from the University of Western Australia and University of Geneva.

Professor Mark Cassidy has been appointed as the next Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering.

Professor Cassidy was previously Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems at the University of Western Australia. He holds substantive roles as an ARC Laureate Fellow, the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair in Offshore Foundations, and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering.

Professor Cassidy’s research interests are in offshore geotechnics and engineering, predominantly in developing models for the analysis of oil and gas platforms, mobile drilling rigs, anchors and pipelines and renewable wind and wave turbines.

Dr Zheng Lei has been appointed as Professor and Chair of Aviation at Swinburne University of Technology. He was previously the Director of Centre for Aviation Research at the University of Surrey, and Visiting Professor to Civil Aviation University of China.

Prior to joining Surrey in July 2014, he worked as an Aviation Lecturer in the Department of Air Transport at Cranfield University from 2006 to 2014, where he was responsible for Cranfield’s renowned Executive MSc in Air Transport Management programme.

Zheng holds a PhD in Air Transport and Tourism Management from the University of Surrey.  He advises airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, aviation service providers, and civil aviation authorities around the world on strategic issues through research, consultancy and executive training courses.  Born and raised in China, Zheng is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

The Chamber is Victoria’s largest and most influential business organisation. It has a dual focus: - policy and advocacy aimed at ensuring the political, regulatory and business environment is conducive to attracting investment and running a successful business in Victoria; and supporting individual businesses through a range of services across workplace relations, Health & Safety, training, apprenticeship and international trade.

Dugald Murray joined the Chamber in January 2018 after a career of policy, government, advocacy and most recently, consulting at The Nous Group. Previously Dugald had worked as a Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to Victorian and Federal government ministers and been Chief Economist at the Australian Conservation Foundation. He has a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University.

Landcare NSW is the representative body (peak body) of the Landcare movement in NSW and the voice of community Landcare. Their member Council represents around 60,000 Landcarers and 3,000 groups and meets four times a year. 

Adrian Zammit will join Landcare NSW as Chief Executive Officer in February 2018.  Prior to joining Landcare NSW, Adrian was employed as Chief Operating Officer with Healthy Land and Water, an independent NFP responsible for protecting natural resources in SE Queensland. Adrian has also previously worked for Pacific Environment Limited, URS Australia Pty Ltd and Simmonds & Bristow Pty Ltd. Adrian holds a PhD in Agriculture, a MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.

Established for social purpose in 1981, Big Fat Smile (BFS) is the largest provider of services for children and families in the Illawarra region. BFS plays an important part in the lives of thousands of children and families through a network of Community Preschools, Fun Clubs and a portfolio of community and inclusion programs across Australia.

Prior to joining Big Fat Smile, Ben was Business Manager and Company Secretary with Malek Fahd Islamic School (MFIS), the 9th largest school in NSW. Prior to this he was employed as Business Manager with The Illawarra Grammar School and Fairfax Media for 17 years where he held various roles including, General Manager (Illawarra Newspapers), Business Manager (Fairfax Business Media) and Business Manager (Asia).

Ben’s qualifications include Global Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Sydney, a Financial Analysis Certificate from the University of Technology Sydney, a Masters of Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.

VicTrack is a State-owned organisation with an independent Board.

Alan Hall was appointed to the Property, Environment, and Heritage Committee in March 2018 and the VicTrack Board in April 2018.

Sally McLean joined the Property, Environment, and Heritage Committee in March 2018.

Professor Hermione Parsons joined the Projects & Freight Committee in March 2018.

Ingilby Dickson joined the Projects & Freight Committee in March 2018.

Paul White joined the Audit and Risk Management Committee in July 2018.

Professor Langford joined Swinburne in October 2017 as Associate Dean Research and Development.  Previous to this, he held Faculty executive appointments at Monash University including Deputy Dean; Associate Dean (Research); Head, School of Chemistry; Director, Green Chemical Futures; Associate Dean (International), and Head School of Sciences in Malaysia.   He is an alumni of The University of Sydney where he undertook both a BSc with first class Honours  and a PhD  in molecular device development.

Professor Langford currently sits on the board of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute as Hon. Gen. Treasurer, and Mater Christi College in Belgrave, and was a member of the working group that delivered the 2016 AAS Decadal Plan for Chemistry. He has sat on a number of scientific advisory boards and management committees, including the $20m Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy.

Dr Jim Watterston has been appointed the new Dean of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE).  MGSE is ranked as one of the top 5 schools of education globally.

Currently Director-General of the Queensland Department of Education and Training, Dr Watterston has more than 30 years’ experience across all levels of education, including as a teacher, school principal and an academic. He has also held leadership roles within government and educational peak bodies, including Director-General of the Australian Capital Territory Department of Education and Training, Deputy Secretary of the School Education Group in the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and National President for the Australian Council for Education Leaders. Dr Watterson takes up his appointment at the start of 2018.

OptiComm is an independent, licensed Australian Telecommunications carrier specialising in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network solutions for new residential (greenfield estates and apartments) and business developments. The company has been operating for 12 years.

John Phillips joined OptiComm as Chief Financial Officer in late 2017. He has an extensive senior executive background having previously been the Chief Financial Officer for seven years at Oakton Ltd and Chief Executive Officer of Acumen Alliance, a significant mid-size consulting practice eventually acquired by Oakton. John holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Canberra and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Formed in 1972, Doxa Youth Foundation is a member based not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, governed by a Board. Doxa receives no direct Government support and funds programs through contributions from the Doxa Social Club; service fees; donations, bequests and sponsorships.

Steven Clifford joined Doxa as Chief Executive in October 2017. After a career in the Law rising to Partner at Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks, now Allens, Melbourne, he moved into the Not-for-Profit community based sector, working at Whitelion and Save the Children. Always a personal passion, Steve had enjoyed considerable community sector involvement at Allens including as Chair of the Business Council at the NGV and as Chair of the Allens Melbourne Charity Committee. He has Bachelor of Laws/Commerce from The University of Melbourne.

Pitcher Partners is an association of independent Australian accounting firms, located in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth, and an independent member of Baker Tilly International.  It is primarily an accounting and business advisory firm with a strong reputation for providing personal and quality advice to small to medium public companies and privately owned businesses.  Since 1991, Pitcher Partners Melbourne has grown to become the leader in their market segment and the fifth largest Melbourne based accounting firm. 

Liz Joyce commenced at Pitcher Partners in August 2017. Prior to joining the firm Liz has had an extensive and highly successful career in senior marketing and business development positions across the banking, legal and accounting sectors with prestigious organisations such as; MinterEllison, MYOB, KPMG Australia and Bank of Melbourne.

Professor Rónán McDonald has been appointed as the Gerry Higgins Chair in Irish Studies. His research interests span modern Irish literature and culture, the contribution of Irish migrants to Australia and the broad field of cultural value. 

Professor McDonald was born in Dublin, Ireland and took his BA and MA at University College Dublin. He did his postgraduate research in English at the University of Oxford on a National University of Ireland Travelling Studentship and was awarded his D.Phil in 1999.

He is President of the Irish Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand, a member of Modern Language Association, American Conference for Irish Studies, Modernist Studies Association and International Association for Study of Irish Literature.  He is a Board Member of the Australian Ireland Fund.

Established for social purpose in 1981, Big Fat Smile (BFS) is the largest provider of services for children and families in the Illawarra region. BFS plays an important part in the lives of thousands of children and families through a network of Community Preschools, Fun Clubs and a portfolio of community and inclusion programs across Australia.

Jenni Hutchins joined BFS as CEO in February 2017. Prior to joining BFS, she was employed as General Manager – Community and Children’s Services with YMCA NSW. Jenni has also previously worked for Campbell Page Australia, The Benevolent Society and The Department of Community Services. She has a Graduate Diploma in Child and Adolescent Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Welfare Studies) from the University of Western Sydney.

Dr Deborah Priest has been appointed at the 12^th Principal of Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School. Dr Priest if currently Principal and CEO of the Australian International School Malaysia and is an experienced educator who has extensive experience in leadership positions in independent schools for girls, both day and boarding schools and the tertiary education sector. Dr Priest has a PhD, a Master of Education, majoring in Leadership and Management and a Bachelor of Science Education Degree with a double major in Mathematics from The University of Melbourne.

Dr Priest will officially commence her appointment in January 2018.

The Buchan Group is an international design firm. They support clients throughout the world, drawing on their expert architects and designers from permanent bases in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. In 2016 The Buchan Group formed a strategic alliance with the Japanese architectural and urban design firm, Nikken.

Andrea Chapman joined The Buchan Group Melbourne in June 2017 after working with professional services firms in law, most recently at Clayton Utz, as well as engineering and consulting. Andrea has a Master of Business (Marketing) from RMIT and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Monash University.

The Printing Industries Association of Australia (Printing Industries) is the leadership and support organisation for all businesses in the Print, Packaging and Visual Communication industry in Australia. It is an independent, specialist member-based not-for-profit national organisation representing businesses of all size.

Alison has marketing expertise across a range of industries from professional services to FMCG.  Prior to joining PIAA, Alison was employed as  Global Brand & Communications Manager with The a2 Milk Company Limited.

Kasbah Resources Limited is an Australian listed mineral exploration and development company advancing the Achmmach Tin Project in the Kingdom of Morocco to development and production.

Keith Pollocks has been appointed to the position of Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary for Kasbah Resources, effective mid-July, 2017.  Keith has previously held roles as CFO of the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group, General Manager Treasury, Taxation and Business Evaluation at MMG Limited and senior finance/Company Secretary positions with Lyondellbasell (formerly Shell Chemicals). Keith is a qualified accountant (CPA) and Chartered Corporate Treasurer (MCT).

Professor Ian McLean has been appointed as the inaugural Hugh Ramsay Chair of Australian Art History, based in the Art History Program at the University of Melbourne.

Ian has published extensively on Australian art and particularly Indigenous art and was previously Research Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Wollongong.

The Hugh Ramsay Chair of Australian Art History is an endowed Chair, based in the Art History Program, which is supported by a visionary endowment from Faculty of Arts alumna Patricia Fullerton, the grand-niece of the Australian artist Hugh Ramsay (1877-1906). 

The Chamber is Victoria’s largest and most influential business organisation. It has a dual focus: - policy and advocacy aimed at ensuring the political, regulatory and business environment is conducive to attracting investment and running a successful business in Victoria; and supporting individual businesses through a range of services across workplace relations, Health & Safety, training, apprenticeship and international trade.

Nick Edwards joined the Chamber in February 2017 after a commercial career in the private sector. Nick had held roles at UXC Limited and Tolhurst Noall following 3 years in Europe with Shell and the boutique hedge fund, Thames River Capital. Previously, Nick qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG. 

Established in 1994 in Australia, PBN is a fast-growing, global technology company with the majority of hardware and software development as well as manufacturing operations based in China. It supplies innovative products and solutions which enable a range of video, voice, data and special services to run over optical broadband networks. The major markets they are targeting are the Cable TV and broadband operators.

Ross Henricks joined PBN in February 2017. A customer focused Telecommunications and New Media executive, with a track record of successful programme delivery and operations of technology infrastructure projects, Ross comes from a senior role at NBN Co after a long career at Telstra. He has a Bachelor of Electrical & Electronics Engineering.

Established in 1985 the Committee for Melbourne is a private, not for profit, apolitical membership based organisation comprising leaders from the private sector, education, media, arts, community and government. 

Clive Dwyer joined the Committee for Melbourne in March 2017 after three years in Abu Dhabi working on developing Yas Island as a leisure, entertainment and cultural precinct. Previously he held roles at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and Tourism Victoria. He has a Bachelor of Education (Sport, Recreation, Media & Psychology).

Professor Mark Burry has been appointed as the new Foundation Director of Swinburne’s Smart Cities Research Institute.

Professor Burry joins Swinburne from the Melbourne School of Design at The University of Melbourne where he has been Professor of Urban Futures prior to his Swinburne appointment. He is also the executive architect and lead researcher at the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain.

Professor Burry has held an Australian Federation Fellowship and was Founding Director of the Design Research Institute at RMIT University and is internationally recognised as a thought leader in the domain of cities research.

Allpower Industries is a leading supplier of high quality garden power equipment with a rich 40-year history.  They have eight premium brands with over 500 dealers Australia-wide, plus a 150-strong dealer network across New Zealand.

James Wyatt joined Allpower Industries in early 2017 from Netafirm where he was National Sales and Product Offering Manager. He has previously held roles at Pyropanel Group, Mono Pumps and Environment Group Limited.  James has a Master of Business (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Business (Marketing).

Professor Alex Stojcevski joins Swinburne University of Technology from RMIT University, Vietnam where he is Head of the Centre of Technology. Professor Stojcevski was also Deputy Head of Deakin University’s School of Engineering and the Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Over his academic career, Professor Stojcevski has held senior appointments at Swinburne University and Victoria University in Australia. He has also held external positions such as external Professor of Aalborg University and council member of the European Engineering Education Society and is currently on the editorial board of the European Journal of Engineering Education.

Professor Stojcevski’s research interests are in sustainable energy systems including micro grid technologies, energy efficiency and electric vehicles, engineering education including project and problem based learning, educational leadership, and distance education.

The Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT) is a non-profit organisation under the Trusteeship of the University of Canberra. Its purpose is to enrich the teaching and learning of mathematics and informatics for students of all standards. It administers mathematical and informatics enrichment activities for Australian and international students and publishes related materials.  The premier activity of the Trust is the Australian Mathematics Competition which is the original mathematics competition in Australia, dating back to 1978 attracting hundreds of thousands of entries annually from Australia and overseas.

Nathan Ford joins AMT from the Australian Pharmacy Council where he was Deputy Chief Executive Officer.  The APC is the accrediting body for the industry and he has responsibility for all operational activities which includes assessment, accreditation, professional development and credentialing. Nathan bring both leadership experience within the not for profit and association sector as well as a genuine interest in Mathematics. He originally trained as a teacher and musician and will join AMT at the start of 2017.

Appointed to lead Swinburne University of Technology’s world class School of Design, Professor Jane Burry is an architect who previously directed the Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL) and Master of Design Innovation and Technology (MDIT) at RMIT University.

Jane has practised, taught and undertaken research internationally. Her work has included involvement as a project architect in the technical office at Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família church in Barcelona and she’s been involved in the design of many other smaller built works. Her research focuses on mathematics in contemporary design. With over 60 publications to her name she is currently engaged in two research projects supported by the Australian Research Council.

The Hansen Chair in History has been established to position the History Program at The University of Melbourne at the forefront of innovation and excellence in History teaching.  This prestigious position is part of a series of appointments supported by The Hansen Trust.

Professor Mark Edele is a leading historian of the Soviet Union and Germany, previously an ARC Future Fellow based at University of Western Australia. Mark has a PhD from the University of Chicago. 

Professor Edele will join the University in 2017.

Parkinson’s NSW Inc. is a not for profit, community-based organization established in 1979 to provide information, counselling and support to people living with Parkinson’s disease. They work in partnership with a network of support groups throughout the state. They encourage research into Parkinson’s disease and advocate on behalf of the Parkinson’s community and strive to increase community awareness of the disease.

Prior to joining Parkinson’s NSW, Jo-Anne was employed as the General Manager of Communications and Fundraising with Disability Services Australia (DSA).  Jo-Anne has over 30 years’ experience in the not-for- profit sector across health, education and disability.

The Middendorp Group of Companies remains 100% family owned after almost 90 years with current custodians being third generation cousins, Nicholas and Anton Middendorp. The core trading business, Middy’s, is Australia’s largest independent electrical wholesaler with 96 branches nationally. The MEC Group itself employs some 600 staff with a turnover in excess of $300m.

Nick Clark was appointed as Chief Executive in October 2016. After a 25-year career in largely industrial companies - Rio Tinto, Pacific Dunlop, Mayne Group and Boral - he was appointed Managing Director of Cleanaway a division of Transpacific Industries, and then Chief Executive of Transdev Australia leaving in early 2016. Nick has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Professor John Minford is a world-renowned sinologist and literary translator. He is primarily known for his translations of Chinese classics, such as The Story of the Stone (with David Hawkes), The Art of War, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and The Deer and the Cauldron. Professor Minford studied Chinese at Oxford University with David Hawkes, and at the ANU with Liu Ts'un-yan. He has taught in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia.  Professor Minford Joins the University of Melbourne from the Australian National University.

Meredith Parry was appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President Operations at Charles Darwin University in 2016.  Over the past 50 years Charles Darwin University has grown to become an internationally renowned dual sector university offering strong education and training opportunities through its 8 campuses to over 24,000 students in both Higher Education and VET sectors.

Meredith joined CDU from Unitec, New Zealand’s largest Institute of Technology where she was Chief Operating Officer.  In this role she was responsible for Organisational Development (including Audit and Risk Services, HR, Insights and Planning, People and Culture), Conciliation Services, Information Management Services, the International Office, Special Projects, Special Engagement Projects, and Student Services. She held a number of roles previously in Australia including Chief Executive Officer of Wollongong Conservatorium of Music and General Manager of UniCentre, University of Wollongong.

Charles Darwin University recently appointed Anne Coulter as Chief Financial Officer.  Anne joins CDU from the Darwin Port Corporation where she had been a senior executive since 2008.  Anne held the roles of CFO and Head of Commercial.  She has an accounting and financial services background having previously worked for the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and Ernst and Young before operating her own business. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Business from Charles Darwin University and she is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Anthony Pym joins The University of Melbourne from Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain where he is Professor of Translation and Intercultural Studies.  He is also Professor Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Professor Pym has authored, co-authored or edited some 24 books and 170 articles in the general field of translation and intercultural relations. His current work is on the politics of translation solutions.

He has been freelance translator and interpreter since 1981, working for the President of Catalonia, the Barcelona Olympic Committee, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Translation, UNESCO, and many others. He is also President of the European Society for Translation Studies.

Ambulance Victoria was created in 2008 following the consolidation of the three providers: - Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Rural Ambulance Victoria, and the Alexandra District Ambulance Service. Since December 2015 under the direction of a new Board, top priorities have included improved service performance, culture, and links between AV and the broader health system.

Mark Gardiner commenced at Ambulance Victoria following CIO roles at the Red Cross Blood Service, Alfred Health and Eastern Health. His early career was with The Age and Fairfax in Communications and Technology. A graduate of RMIT with a Diploma in Computing and a Masters of Business (Management).

Deakin is ranked in the top 3% of universities worldwide, over 52,000 students and 4000 staff, with a strong reputation for digital innovation, new and emerging technologies in research and teaching. The Director, Strategic and Commercial Finance advises the Portfolio Board regarding Deakin’s portfolio of projects and represents the CFO on a range of working groups, negotiating commercial and business arrangements with internal and external parties.

A Chartered Accountant and Bachelor of Commerce and Laws, Tom Fitzgerald commenced in the role in May 2016. Tom has a commercial finance and business partnering background spending ten years with Deloitte in Corporate Reorganisation, three years with Transfield Services in Capital Management and Business Optimisation, and finally Places Victoria as Financial Planning and Analysis Director.

Glen Dimplex Australia (GDA) is part of the Irish-owned Glen Dimplex Group, one of the world's largest electrical heating business. In early 2016 GDA acquired Real Flame, a private business in the domestic heating sector with offices and showrooms in Melbourne and Sydney complemented by a showroom distribution model across Australia.

David Wain commenced in the role of General Manager, Real Flame in April 2016. For 12 years he had had a senior career in the Stanley, Black & Decker group across the Australia/Asia Pacific region followed by 4 years as Managing Director of the Australian subsidiary of Ames True Temper. He has a Bachelor Commerce (Marketing, Law, Economics) from Monash University.

Professor Keryn Chalmers was appointed Dean, Swinburne Business School in the Faculty of Business and Law at Swinburne University in 2016. Prior to this appointment, she held the positions of Deputy Dean, Monash Business School and Head of Department of Accounting and Finance at Monash University.  Keryn is also Vice President (Education) of the International Association of Accounting Education and Research she sits as an official observer on the International Accounting Education Standards Board.

Keryn’s research interests are in the financial accounting and water accounting area, specifically in relation to reporting standards, accounting policy and disclosure choices and the economic consequences of regulation. She is also the co-author of a number of successful accounting textbooks, including Accounting for Decision Making.

Cement Australia is the leading cement producer in Australia and an integrated provider of building materials and industrial services. It holds a 42% share of the Australian cement market. Operations range from the mining of raw materials to the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of a diverse range of high performance cements and cement related products.

Prior to joining Cement Australia, she developed strategic operating experience at General Manager HR level for Global ASX listed companies, including Rio Tinto and Incitec Pivot Limited.  In addition, Liz has extensive experience leading HR shared services & areas of HR expertise including, Talent, Resourcing and Learning.

Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.  This service (13 11 14) now answers around 1,800 calls each day, with around 50 calls from people at high risk of suicide.

Prior to joining Lifeline, Pete has over 20 years’ experience working at the highest levels of Australian public policy, business and the consulting sector, particularly in social and environmental sustainability.

Programmed Facility Management (PFM), a division of Programmed  (ASX: PRG) is in an alliance with the Water Corporation, a business enterprise owned by the WA government providing operations and maintenance for the Perth metropolitan water and waste water network. 

Garth Walter was appointed General Manager Perth Region Alliance in January 2016. After 20 years at Water Corporation including a five year secondment to Serco Water, Garth joined BHP in 2012 as Manager Ground and Water control for WA Iron Ore spread across six Pilbara sites. Garth has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from the University of WA and an MBA from Curtin University. He is a Board member of the Australian Water Association.