Conference Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Sector Showcase I: Financial Services

Session Chair, Ruth Medd, Chair Australian Ethical Investments Superannunation Fund

  • Peter Wilson AO - National President, Australian Human Resources Institute
  • Victoria Weekes - Chair Women in Financial Services Institute of Australasia
  • Fiona Reynolds - Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees

Sector Showcase II: Sport

Session Chair, Simone Thurtell, host ABC Grandstand

In the Chair: Session 1

Session Chair, Catherine Fox, author and deputy editor BOSS

In the Chair: Session 1I

Session Chair, Helen McCombie, partner Citadel

Keynote Speakers

Theresa Gattung

Theresa Gattung is a leading New Zealand business personality and author of her best-selling autobiography Bird on a Wire. Named in Fortune magazine’s list of the 50 most powerful women in international business several times since 2002, she was also included in Forbes’ list of the world’s 50 most powerful women across any sphere in 2006.

Theresa is the Chair of AIA Australia and a former Chair of Wool Partners International. She is a leading player in the drive to reinvigorate the international market for New Zealand’s strong wools, applying her leadership skills, international business experience and marketing and branding expertise.

From October 1999 to June 2007 Theresa was CEO and Managing Director of Telecom New Zealand, a telecommunications business operating in New Zealand and Australia and listed on the NZX, ASX and NYSE. She was the first woman to become CEO of a publicly listed company in New Zealand and during her tenure led the business through a period of unprecedented change to become the number one IT provider in New Zealand.

Before becoming CEO of Telecom, Theresa held roles there as Group General Manager, accountable for revenues of NZ$3 billion and responsibility for over 3,500 staff, and General Manager, Marketing. Prior to joining Telecom, Theresa held a number of marketing roles in the financial services sector.

Theresa’s personal interests include horse riding, fashion, swimming and collecting contemporary art. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

Elizabeth Bryan

Chair, Caltex Australia Limited and UniSuper Limited and a director of Westpac & related entities and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Elizabeth Bryan has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry, government policy and administration and on the boards of companies and statutory organisations. Prior to becoming a professional director she served for six years as Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management and its predecessor organization, NSW State Superannuation Investment and Management Corporation.

Ralph Norris

CEO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Ralph Norris joined the Commonwealth Bank as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in September 2005 after three years at the helm of Air New Zealand. Prior to this he was with ASB Bank, the Commonwealth Bank’s New Zealand subsidiary, for 10 years. During his tenure the organisation expanded nationally, grew its profitability six-fold and increased market share by 60 per cent whilst being consistently rated the best financial services provider in New Zealand.  

Ralph was credited with leading a turnaround at Air New Zealand by returning the company to profitability and introducing a more customer-focussed culture, for which he was honoured with New Zealand’s Executive of the Year Award in 2004. He was previously New Zealand’s Executive of the Year in his role at ASB Bank.

He was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2006, is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, the New Zealand Computer Society, the Australian Institute of Management and Chair of the Commonwealth Bank Foundation. He is former Chairman of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association and Business Roundtable. Ralph is Chairman of the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) and a Director of the Business Council of Australia.

John Porter

Chief Executive Officer & director AUSTAR

John Porter has been the Chief Executive Officer of AUSTAR, which has provided subscription television services to over 740,000 customers in regional and rural Australia, including Hobart and Darwin, since 1995. He was Managing Director of Austar Entertainment Pty Limited from July 1997 to December 1999. From January 1997 to August 1999, he also served as the Chief Operating Officer of United Asia Pacific, Inc. (“UAP”).

John led the establishment of AUSTAR in 1995, and by doing so also played an integral role in the development of Australia’s subscription television industry. He was responsible for the design and deployment of the company’s multi-channel/multi-point distribution system/satellite/cable television network. In April 2005 John won his industry’s highest accolade when he was voted by his peers to receive the award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Subscription Television by the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association.

Prior to joining AUSTAR, John  spent 10 years in various senior management capacities for Time Warner Cable, a subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc. He has more than 20 years of management experience in the US and Australian subscription television industries and serves as a director on AUSTAR and the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association. John is married, with four children.

Mai-Lill Ibsen

Non Executive Director of Norwegian public, private and government companies

Mai-Lill Ibsen is a professional Non Executive Director on the boards of three public limited companies (plc/ASA) and three government entities that are subject to Norway’s quota law. She also sits on the boards of three private companies

In addition, Mai-Lill, who holds an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and who is highly respected in European financial circles is on the board of four limited companies (ltd/AS) and three non-profit foundations that are not subject to the law. She is also a director on a Danish company.

Mai-Lill was the CEO of NOS ASA (Derivatives Clearing House) from 2005 to 2006 and Managing Director in Citibank International plc, Norway and co-head of  Nordics 2002 to 2005. She held various positions, including Deputy CEO and Finance Director, at Eksportfinans ASA (Export Credit Agency) from 1985 to 2002.

Elizabeth Broderick

Sex Discrimination Commissioner

Elizabeth Broderick was appointed Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination in September 2007 for a five year term. Lawyer and businesswoman, Elizabeth was the 2001-02 Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year and Australian Corporate Business Woman of the Year. Prior to her appointment as Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination, Elizabeth was a partner at Blake Dawson and developed the firm’s business case for flexibility in the workplace. Her efforts contributed to creating a workplace where more than 20 percent of the law firm’s workforce now uses flexible work arrangements.

Elizabeth has been a strong advocate for Australia’s national paid parental leave scheme and more recently has championed the changes to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles to increase the number of women at decision making level. She is an advisor on women’s issues to the Australian Chief of the Defence Force, a member of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Advisory Board, the Vic Health Advisory Board and the ANU Centre for Public and International Law.  Elizabeth is married and has two young children.

Josephine Sukkar

Non Executive Director The Trust Company, (director) Principal Buildcorp

Josephine Sukkar was the first female director of ASX Listed Trust Company, one of the largest and oldest trustees in Australia with a market capitalisation of $180 million. A highly successful businesswoman, Josephine is the co-founder and owner of Buildcorp, where she has overall responsibility for executive business development and marketing, human resources and sustainability. She is a keen philanthropist and actively involved with a number of charitable and community organisations including Redkite, Sydney University Football Club, Opera Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art and YWCA NSW, of which she is vice-president. Josephine has a personal interest in mentoring young businessmen and women, and facilitating support and sponsorship of community organisations through her business network.

Christine McLoughlin

Non-Executive Director of nib Holdings and Westpac Life & General Insurance business

Christine McLoughlin has over 20 years executive experience in leading Australian businesses, and is now a non-executive director and corporate adviser. Her diverse career has involved working with iconic brands in a range of industries including financial services (AMP and IAG), telecommunications (Optus) and professional services in Australia, the UK and Asia.
Christine’s key roles as a member of the CEO’s leadership team in major Australian public companies have included accountability for strategy, communications and investor relations, general counsel, governance frameworks, risk management , government affairs and human resources.

Christine started her career as a commercial lawyer and was a Senior Associate with Allens Arthur Robinson in Sydney and in London.

Christine is a Director of Westpac Life & General Insurance business, The Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization (ANSTO) , which is Australia’s nuclear research and development organization and the centre of Australian nuclear expertise; a Director of the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), which provides accident compensation and rehabilitation to Victorian motorists and promotes road safety; a Director on Aon's Australian Advisory Board (Global insurance broking and risk management business).

Christine is also involved in the social enterprises sector and is a Director of the St James Ethics Centre and The Smith Family (a national independent children’s charity committed to helping disadvantaged Australian children ). Christine is also currently a Member of the Council of CEW. Christine was formerly a Director of the AMP Foundation.

Christine was named as Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2000.

Michelle Tredenick

Non Executive Director Bank of Queensland,

Michelle is a former senior executive in large corporates in the financial services industry. She is experienced in the banking, insurance and wealth management industries in both functional roles (CIO) and business roles (CEO, Group General Manager) having had responsibility for corporate strategy, business profit/loss, technology and business operations throughout her career.

Michelle is the former CIO for the National Australia Bank and a member of its Australian executive committee for over five years. She led a team of 2500 people with responsibility for $800 million in technology investments. Coming to role after being CEO for MLC’s Corporate Superannuation business, Michelle had previously run MLC’s wealth management businesses in New Zealand. Prior to this she was Group General Manger, Strategy at Suncorp and CIO for Suncorp-Metway.

Michelle was an executive director of a number of MLC and NAB subsidiary boards as well as a director of the industry body, IFSA.  She served as a trustee director for the National Australia Bank Group Superannuation Fund and was awarded Banking and Finance CIO of the Year in 1998 and again in 2006.

Michelle left NAB in late 2009 to pursue a career as a non executive director. She is a member of the board corporate development committee for UWS as well as an advisor for a number of companies on strategy and technology. She is also an executive coach with Foresight Global Coaching, mentoring and coaching senior executives.

Dr Margaret Byrne

Principal consultant, UGM Consultant

Margaret is a qualified and highly experienced executive coach known for the way she balances intellectual rigour with a passion for practical outcomes.  Clients value her ability to stimulate strategic thinking and change at all levels, resulting in measurable difference to leaders and their organisations.

A member of the Oxford Business Alumni, Margaret has a BA and MA from Oxford, postgraduate qualifications in adult learning from Bristol University and a PhD in exploring how leadership potential is identified in meetings. She is an Honorary Advisor on Leadership and Change at Wollongong University and in 2007 was ACT winner of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards in the Corporate Sector Category and a National Finalist.

Outside Australia, Margaret has worked and consulted in China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, UK, New Zealand, France and Italy, as well as in four Pacific nations. Career highlights include securing $1 million in sponsorship for her research, getting three of her films broadcast on SBS, winning a contract with the PRC Government in Beijing and awards for innovation in the design of executive development and change management programs.

Kate O'Reilly

Founding Director Optmiss Consulting

Kate is the Founding Director of Optimiss Consulting. She works to increase the number of women in the financial services sector in Australia by assisting firms with retention strategies targeting women and providing executive search recruitment services that place women only into senior management roles.
 
Her professional experience includes global public and private sector roles in corporate finance and business and she has expertise in the key skill areas of corporate finance, business strategy and gender balance strategies. While with the Deloitte Corporate Finance team, her work on the Deloitte Inspiring Women program led to her winning finalist for the Deloitte Business Woman of the Year 2008/9 and being appointed to Deloitte’s Emerging Leaders Council. She has also been the Treasurer for UN Women in Australia.
 
Kate and her team have assisted a number of large financial services organisations and other entities to enhance their gender diversity strategies and practices.

Heather Price

CEO Diversity Consulting

Heather began her career in Human Resources in South Africa in 1990, where she established a consultancy specialising in diversity management - recently nominated as one of the leading Human Resource consultancies in Southern Africa. She opened the doors of Diversity Consulting in the Asia Pacific region with its Head office in Australia in 2003 specialising in the provision of a wide range of diversity and equity products and services.

Heather has many publications to her name, was invited as a guest of the Diversity Collegium (a think tank of 100 Diversity experts around the world) to their gathering in Washington 2004, and has presented papers on diversity at international conferences in the USA, Italy and at the World Human Resource Congress in Singapore (2006). Heather also initiated the production of a 21-part TV quiz show series on cross-cultural communication called "What's the Difference?" broadcast on National television throughout South Africa.

She is providing a consulting service on diversity policy and strategy, communication and engagement to numerous clients in both the public and private sector in the Australia. She designs diversity workshops for executives, graduates, managers & Diversity Councils which are being implemented in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chile, and South Africa and has been engaged to conduct Diversity events for the CEO's and their top teams of numerous blue-chip companies such as ANZ, Westpac NZ, IAG, AGL, National Bank, Carter Holt Harvey, Motorola, Shell and others.

Edyta Torpy

Oceania diversity and inclusiveness leader, Ernst & Young

With a deep understanding of the strategic partnering role that HR plays in the overall achievement of organisational goals in an ambiguous and ever changing business environment, Edyta Torpy specialises in championing diversity and inclusiveness at Ernst & Young. Edyta is passionate about, and committed to, helping develop a working environment which attracts
and develops individuals with diverse thinking styles and from diverse backgrounds. The benefits to the individuals are that they reach their full potential both personally and professionally, which in turn provides businesses with a strategic advantage to meet the complex business requirements of present and future clients.

Nareen Young

CEO for Diversity Council Australia

Nareen's appointed as CEO of the Diversity Council acknowledges her role as one of Australia's leading strategic diversity practitioners and thought leaders. 

Nareen was the Director of the NSW Working Women’s Centre, funded by Federal and NSW Governments, from 1998 to 2005. In 2003 she was nominated for a Human Rights Award and Medal for her leadership at the NSW Working Women’s Centre. Prior to this Nareen was a trade union official and during this time served in female affirmative action positions, in both cases elected by her peers, on the executive of Unions NSW and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

In August 2009 Nareen was appointed to the inaugural Community Advisory Group for the AFL. The group will assist in building awareness for the 18th team in Greater Western Sydney and help develop and deliver a business case that validates the capacity for Western Sydney to sustain an AFL team.

Sector Showcase: Financial Services

Ruth Medd

Chair Australian Ethical Investments & Women on Boards

Ruth is a member of the audit, compliance and risk committee of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd, and chairs  Australian Ethical Superannuation Pty Ltd. Ruth started in IT in the 1970s. Since then she has been a senior public servant, a broadcasting regulator, the inaugural company secretary at Telstra and the executive director of an industry association.currently. She is on the board of the National Foundation for Australian Women and Women on Boards and a past member of the NSW Casino Control Authority, and the Infants Home, Ashfield.

Peter Wilson AO

National President Australian Human Resource Institute

Peter Wilson was the Executive General Manager of Human Resources and Operating Risk at Amcor for seven years until his retirement in December 2005. Previous executive positions include CEO of Energy 21 Group, Managing Director, Asia Pacific for the ANZ Banking Group, Director General of the Department of Industry, Technology and Resources and a Commissioner of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria.

He is President of the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management, chair of Yarra Valley Water Limited and a non-executive director on the Board of the World Federation of People Management Associations. In 2009, Peter took up a senior research role on climate change under a partnership between Victoria University and the Energy Research Institute of China and is independent adviser to the board of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation on Ethical Leadership.

Peter was director and chair of the Melbourne Tigers Basketball Club, a director of the 1997 World Men's Basketball Championships, Dalgety Farmers Ltd and Kimberley-Clark Australia Ltd. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005 for services to workplace relations and safety, and community service and was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2004.

Victoria Weekes

Chair, Women in Financial Services Institute of Australasia

Victoria Weekes is a leading risk and compliance adviser with experience in investment banking and corporate advice, regulatory policy, legal, compliance and risk management. She has held senior executive positions at Citigroup Australia, as Co-General Counsel for the Corporate & Investment Bank, and Westpac as the General Manager responsible for Compliance and Operational Risk group-wide.

Victoria is a Non Executive Director of the Cure For Life Foundation and the NSW Livestock Health & Pest Authority, a member of the Audit & Risk Committee of the Redfern Waterloo Authority/Australian Technology Park and FINSIA Regional Council and chair of the Women in Finsia Committee.

She runs a risk and compliance advisory business, is an executive coach and a part-time farmer on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Fiona Reynolds

Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees

Fiona Reynolds is one of the main players in the not-for-profit super sector, representing industry and public sector funds as well as corporate not-for-profit funds. AIST's role is to train the super trustees responsible for about half a billion dollars of Australians' superannuation savings, help improve super services and conduct policy research and advocacy on behalf of its member funds.

Fiona did not go to university until her 30s, having worked from the time she was 21 with three small children. Her first job, as a junior office administrator at the Business Law Education Centre, started her on a career in professional-development education. After working her way up to educational-events management for lawyers, she switched her focus in to superannuation, joining the Conference of Major Superannuation Funds in 1994 (which later merged with AIST).

There is an excellent article about Fiona at: http://thebigchair.com.au/news/radar/profile-fiona-reynolds

Sector Showcase: Sport

Simone Thurtell

Host ABC Local Radio's Grandstand program

After completing a Bachelor of Arts (Communication) at Charles Sturt University, Simone Thurtell became a news journalist for Prime TV in Canberra and then freelanced throughout New South Wales before linking up with her passion of sports broadcasting.

Simone commentated a variety of sports for ABC TV, including netball and basketball before moving to Radio Sport to work on the Sydney Olympic Games, where she called the women's beach volleyball gold medal won by Natalie Cook and Kerry Pottharst.

Since 2000 Simone has been a part of Grandstand's coverage of the Athens and Beijing Olympics, as well as the Manchester and Melbourne Commonwealth Games. At the beginning of 2007  She took a break from sport and moved up the New South Wales coast to become a Drive presenter on 1233 ABC Newcastle. During her time there she a was a part of the Walkley Award-winning team that covered the beaching of the Pasha Bulker and the June long weekend floods.

After returning to Grandstand to co-host the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Simone recognised sports broadcasting was her first love and so returned to the department in February 2009.

Danni Roche OAM

Director Hokcy Australia

Danni Roche holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Bond University, is a Board member of Hockey Australia, a member of the extremely successful Australian Hockey Squad from 1989-1996 and a gold medallist at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. She was awarded an Order of Australia in recognition of her services to Sport.

In her professional life Danni works with Evans and Partners in Melbourne,moving from UBS where she was a Director of Wealth Management. Prior to this she held finance and commercial positions with Telstra primarily conducting reviews of subsidiary companies. Earlier roles included management consulting specialising in small and medium sized businesses and the financial director of a privately owned fraud and risk management business.

Lynn Ralph

Director Sydney Swans

For the past 30 years, Lynn Ralph has worked in leadership roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. She is a director of the Sydney Swans Limited and The Sydney Institute. She was recently appoited as chair of the health fund regulator PHIAC. Previous board positions include Chair Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, Chair AMP Foundation, director of the AFL (NSW/ACT) Commission Pty Ltd, NRMA Limited, NRMA Insurance, Financial Industry Complaints Service and Chunky Move Ltd.
 
In the private sector, Lynn spent 20 years in funds management with Bankers Trust Australia, CRA Limited, and McIntosh Securities and as inaugural CEO of the Investment and Financial Services Association. In the public sector, she was deputy chairman of the Australian Securities & Investments Commission from 1993–97. In the not-for-profit sector, she spent 6 years as General Manager of the Sydney Dance Company.

She is co-founder of Cameron Ralph Pty Ltd, a firm which assists boards to improve their effectiveness.  She has over 40 cumulative years of boardroom experience and lectures and writes on corporate governance. Lynn is a Fellow of the AICD, and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Damian Irvine

Chair Cronulla Sharks

Damian Irvine came to the chairmanship of the Cronulla Sharks Football Club and Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club in July 2009. He promptly brought two highly qualified WOB members (Denise Aldous and Jenny Reynolds) onto the board to assist with the revitalisation of the club - the first time women had been appointed as director in the history of the club.

Damien is a company director and businessman with nearly 20 years experience running diverse businesses in hospitality management & consulting, fashion retail & supply chain, racing industry bloodstock agent, breeding and industry consultant. He the Premiers Award for Services to NSW Tourism and sits on the board of the Cambodian Childrens’ Painting Project.

Paula Ward

Director, Know The Game
 
Paula Ward is the founder and director of Know The Game, an innovative sports education business focused on enabling participants to learn the fundamentals of particular Australian sports so they are able to confidently talk about the game with senior executives, colleagues and friends, and host clients at corporate sporting events.
 
Prior to launching Know The Game in 2010, Paula was the Director of Sustainability & Change Initiatives with Goldman Sachs JBWere and, more recently, the National HR Director for PKF Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers. She has 16 years experience in professional services, investment banking and financial services, is a registered psychologist and a certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Paula is a member of the Australian Davis Cup Tennis Foundation, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club and Yachting NSW, as well as a Foundation Member of Victorian Rugby Union.

In the Chair

Catherine Fox

Author and Deputy Editor AFR BOSS magazine

An award-winning journalist, Catherine is deputy editor of AFR BOSS magazine. Before she joined the newspaper in 1989, Catherine worked in financial marketing and consulting in Sydney and London. She has worked for a range of large and small organisations, including two of Australia's largest banks, a university and an advertising agency.

Catherine has written two books: Better than Sex: How a whole generation got hooked on work, co-authored with former AFR BOSS editor Helen Trinca; and The F-word: How we learned to swear by feminism, co-authored with social commentator Jane Caro. Catherine often speaks on the topic at seminars and conferences. She writes a weekly column for the AFR newspaper on Tuesdays called Corporate Woman, and has a BA Communications (University of Technology, Sydney) and an MA Hons (University of New South Wales). She lives in Sydney with her husband and three daughters.

Dr Erica Smyth

Chair Toro Energy

Dr Erica Smyth has over 30 years experience in the mineral and petroleum industries.  She had a 30 year career in minerals exploration and project development and petroleum industry gas business development and Corporate Affairs with BHP and later Woodside. She has a Bachelor of Science from University of Western Australia and an Applied Master of  Science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. In 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Western Australia. The Chamber of Mines & Energy (WA) awarded Dr Smyth a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for her contribution to the industry and as part of the Women in Resources Award 2010

Erica is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management. She is the Chair of Toro Energy Limited, the WA interactive science centre Scitech; the WA Government's film screen industry funding body ScreenWest, the Diabetes Research Foundation of WA and private company Ochre Energy Ltd.  She is also a Director of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO); The Australia Korea Foundation and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations.

The Hon Warwick Smith AM

Chair Australian Sports Commission

Warwick Smith is Chairman of ANZ Bank, NSW & ACT and Chairman, E*TRADE Australia Ltd. Within ANZ, Warwick is also Chairman of the Institutional Government Consultative Group and is an Executive Committee Member for the Institutional Leadership team. Prior to joining ANZ, he was Executive Director of Macquarie Bank where he chaired the Investment Bank’s Telecommunications, Media, Entertainment and Technology (TMET) Group and was Global Head of Corporate Communications.

Following a legal career in Tasmania, Warwick spent 15 years in Federal Parliament as Minister for Family Services, Sport, Territories and Local Government, and Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Shadow Portfolios in Communications, Energy, Science and Aboriginal Affairs, Privatisation and Leader of the House of Representatives.

Warwick is also Chairman of the Advisory Board of Australian Capital Equity Pty Ltd (ACE), the private holding company of Seven Holding Groups Ltd. He is the Deputy Chair of the Asia Society of Australia, the inaugural Australian Business Member for BOAO Forum for Asia. He has previously served as Australia’s first Telecommunications Ombudsman and as National President of the Australia China Business Council and Chairman of The Global Foundation.

Warwick was awarded the Order of Australia in January 2008 in recognition of his service to the Parliament of Australia, to the telecommunications industry as a contributor to reform and debate within the sector, to the promotion of international trade and tourism, and to philanthropy through a range of charitable and community organisations.

Peter Andrews

Chair UFS Limited

Peter Andrews is an independent business adviser, chair of Uniting Financial Services and two companies in the financial services industry. He is a member of several Uniting Church finance, property and business committees in NSW as well as being Chairperson of the Church’s Australia wide Finance and Audit Committee. Peter has a wealth of experience and an impressive background of more than 37 years in the retail banking and funds management industry, holding d senior positions with the Commonwealth Bank.

Helen McCombie

Partner Citadel

Helen has been providing strategic advice to senior management and boards for the last five years, after 25 years of experience in Australian journalism. Recent projects include advising Kathmandu and Mastermyne on their successful listings, investor and media repositioning of Infigen Energy as a leading wind energy generator post its separation from Babcock and Brown, assisting with the Harvey Norman annual report, successful rebranding of ABN Amro Morgans to RBS Morgans, providing strategic and communications advice to ASIC, and a global product launch for Ansell.

Formerly a senior finance and business journalist, Helen reported for Channel Nine's Business Sunday, ABC News finance and Lateline Business and Sky News as Business Editor. For the last two decades, Helen has worked on the major business news stories and with leading Australian corporate figures.

Malcolm Broomhead

Chair Asciano

Malcolm is a professional Non-Executive Director.  His Directorships include BHP Billiton Limited and Plc, Asciano Limited (where he is also Chairman) and the Coates Hire Group.

Malcolm was formerly Managing Director and CEO of Orica Limited from 2001 until September 2005 where he led a global business controlling interests in more than 45 countries.  Under Malcolm`s leadership the strong performance of the company saw a five-fold increase in the Orica share price, reflecting a major focus on efficiency and a performance-based culture as well as an acquisition and divestment program centred around strict financial criteria.

Prior to Orica, Malcolm was Managing Director and CEO of the diversified resources company North Limited.  He has had extensive experience in the resources industry,as well as in finance, investment and construction activities.  He has worked in management positions with Halcrow (UK), MIM Holdings, Peko Wallsend and Industrial Equity.

Malcolm holds degrees in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Queensland.  His interests are family, golf, skiing and involvement with various charity groups.  He has four children and lives in Melbourne.

Elizabeth Crouch

Deputy Chancellor Macquarie University

Elizabeth Crouch, BEc, FAICD, is a company director and consultant to government and the private sector. Elizabeth spent 16 years with the Federal government before moving into the private sector, where she held various positions including the role of Chief Executive of the Housing Industry Association.

Elizabeth now chairs a range of boards and government advisory bodies including in the areas of higher education, transport and health. She is the Deputy Chancellor of Macquarie University and the Fair Trading Council. She is the former chairperson of the Public Transport Ticketing Corporation and Deputy Chair of the City of Sydney Planning Committee. She also holds a number of positions with community and sporting bodies including as Registrar of the Redfield Lions Football Club.

Elizabeth is the former chair of Railcorp in NSW 

Dr Eileen Doyle

Chair Hunter Valley Research Foundation

Click here for Eileens full biography.

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