The Mentors
The WOB mentors have been sourced to provide a diverse range of experience as company directors and in executive roles across various industry sectors. Most have professional expertise in corporate governance and people management. All mentors are women and active members of the WOB network. WOB has provided a recommendation to potential mentees at the bottom of each biography. These are a guide only.
- Mentor 1: Experienced executive & director, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 2: Senior executive & ASX director, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 3: Senior markeing & communications professional, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 4: Energy, water & innovation director, Brisbane Qld
- Mentor 5: Business owner & experienced government & rural NED, SW Qld
- Mentor 6: Experienced executive, corporate lawyer & director, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 7: Resources and mining executive/director, Adelaide SA
- Mentor 8: Director & professional mentor, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 9: Experienced retail marketer & director, Perth WA
- Mentor 10: Experienced director and chair, Adelaide SA
- Mentor 11: Experienced CEO and NED, Newcastle district, NSW
- Mentor 12: Banking executive & diversity advocate, Melbourne Vic
- Mentor 13: Experienced NED & consultant, Adelaide SA
- Mentor 14: NED and chair, Perth WA
- Mentor 15: NED & corporate advisor, Brisbane Qld
- Mentor 16: Professional mentor and strategist, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 17: Change management specialist & NFP director, Melbourne Vic
- Mentor 18: NED & Mentor, Sydney NSW
- Mentor 19: Experienced lawyer and public servant, Canberra ACT
- Mentor 20: Experienced CEO and Company Director, Brisbane QLD
Mentor 1: Experienced executive and director, Sydney NSW
Mentor 1 is a non executive director and chair who holds a variety of board and committee positions. She runs her own business delivering practical solutions to individuals and businesses in the areas of governance and leadership. She has extensive business experience, including at CEO level, in both large and small enterprises in financial services, international consulting, retail and professional services.
Mentor 1 has worked for many years in the International Finance Corporation which is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group where she facilitated public, private and civil society sector partnerships to build sustainable commercial business.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese language and a Master of Business Administration in International Business, Marketing and Human Resources Management.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those looking to move from senior executive to board roles and/or someone who wants a mentor with a good Sydney and Asia Pacific regional network.
Mentor 2: Experienced senior executive and ASX director, Sydney NSW
Mentor 2 is an experienced senior executive and non-executive director. She is the director of an ASX listed company in health sector.
Mentor 2 has extensive business experience in the pharmaceutical industry across all general management disciplines including strategy, P&L, HR/organization development and design, sales and marketing, government relations, manufacturing and distribution. Also has in depth understanding of the health sector. Mentor 2 was previously Vice President, Asia, so can provide guidance on operating in Asia and in global businesses.
Graduate AICD, M.Pharm,B.Pharm, Dip.Hosp.Pharm.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees who are looking for guidance in building a board or senior management career, particularly those in global companies or in the health sector.
Mentor 3: Experienced marketing communications professional, Sydney NSW
This mentor is the Managing Director of a successful Sydney-based marketing services consultancy working with small and medium-sized businesses to help them market themselves more effectively.
She has held positions including National Marketing Manager, Australia and NZ, and Industry Relations Manager, Asia–Pacific Region, for 3Com; National Marketing Manager, Australia and NZ, for Netscape Communications; and Marketing Director and member of the Executive Management Team for the Trading Post Group.
She has successfully mentored many individuals, helping them to realise their own potential and to make positive contributions in the workplace. She has recently mentored several women for a major international IT company, finding the experience challenging but also extremely rewarding.
As well as being a director of her own business, she is a director of a small family investment company.
She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Philosophy from the University of Nottingham (UK) and is an Affiliate Member of the Australian Marketing Institute. She has also completed the Company Directors course from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees wanting to focus on their career development or particularly need to understand how to market themselves.
Mentor 4: Energy, water and innovation director, Brisbane, Qld
Mentor 3 divides her time between board roles in energy, water and innovation, her own advisory firm and a young child. Her advisory firm provides strategic consulting to engineering, resources and infrastructure industry. She has extensive senior management experience in the energy and resources industries.
She established and grew the Queensland operations of a now global engineering services company, from three personnel in 1996 to 600 in 2006. As the operations and management team developed her roles changed from engineering design, project management and marketing through to general management and corporate strategy.
She is a former Queensland Division President of Engineers Australia and the recipient of a number of professional engineering awards. She has a Bachelor in Engineering from the University of Queensland
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those interested in ASX, government and not for profit sectors wanting guidance from a director with a background in engineering and science.
Mentor 5: Business owner and experienced government and rural director, South - West Qld
Mentor 5 is taking a break from the program in 2011 due to pressure of ASX100 work.
This mentor has developed her skills and passion for assisting people to perform at their best through a diverse career spanning the public, private and not for profit sectors. Through this experience she has developed a sound understanding of the work environment and challenges facing people in leadership roles across these sectors.
Many of her leadership roles have been positions without decision making authority in important areas of public policy such as natural resource management and water. Because of this she has had to develop exceptional negotiation, influencing, communication and relationship building skills in order to effect change.
She is an experienced company director with excellent governance, strategic planning, and interpersonal skills. Her board and high level committee roles cover the media, water, research, training and leadership development sectors. She is an experienced leadership (executive) coach working with individuals in senior management positions, executive teams and leadership development groups.
She has a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies and a Bachelor in Rural Science from the University of New England, Australia, 1980
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those seeking rural, regional, not for profit and government boards.
Mentor 6: Experienced executive, corporate lawyer and director, Sydney NSW
This mentor is the director of a smaller ASX listed mining and exploration company and heads their Audit and Risk Committee. She is also a director of a not-for-profit sports body which is the peak affiliated body for the administration of the sport in the Illawarra region.
Mentor 5 came to board work having gained extensive experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer in private practice within a Top 10 Australian law firm. She held Senior Corporate Counsel positions in BHP and Bluescope Steel, before moving into Senior Management and Executive positions. She has had key roles in Merger and Acquisition transactions, leading contract negotiations, and managing corporate restructures.
She holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the University of Sydney.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees who are looking for guidance in building a career in general management, senior management or boards.
Mentor 7: Resources and mining executive with broad corporate governance experience, Adelaide SA
This mentor is an experienced mining executive with more than 25 years of management, commercial and governance experience in the highly cyclical resources industry with both Australian and international listed companies. Working closely with the chair and board of a global mining company she was actively involved in the company’s growth, its corporate activities and its international expansion.
She has served as an executive director, the director of many subsidiary boards and the chair of a corporate superannuation plan. She has served on several SA government bodies and is a member of the South Australian Mining and Petroleum Expert Group (SAMPEG) and the Resources Industry Development Board.
She has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor in Economics from the Australian National University.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentee interested in resources and mining sectors as well those looking for guidance on good corporate governance practices.
Mentor 8: Director and executive coach, Sydney NSW
This mentor has a focus on talented managers in transition to the top level, including those seeking directorships, and executives requiring professional or personal development. She is a psychologist who has developed a deep knowledge of human behaviour and cognition, and the factors that promote personal development, change and growth.
She has worked as an organisational psychologist, HR professional, senior academic and organisational development consultant. Her interests span the full range from individual work behaviour and group dynamics to organisational redesign, culture and strategy. She has a doctorate in organisational change and has published widely in this area and a certified master coach of the Behavioral Coaching Institute (BCI). Through the BCI she trains others in coaching.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those seeking to work on their personal strengths and build their brand to enable a move into senior management and boards.
Mentor 9: Experienced marketer and director in retail sector, Perth WA
This mentor has over 15 years experience in the Shopping Centre Industry. As the Retail Manager of a large shopping centre complex she is responsible for the development and management of retailer relations to ensure earnings stability, the management of existing income and the identification and implementation of opportunities for new income.
She has been Member elected Director of the Fremantle Football Club since December 2008. She has industry involvement through membership and chairperson of several Property Council of Australia policy committees.
She holds a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees who could benefit from a mentor who is an experienced marketer with P&L responsibility.
Mentor 10: Experienced director, Adelaide SA
This mentor is an established company director; serving on the boards of numbers of ASX listed agricultural companies. He has over 30 years experience in the wine sector where he was the CEO and Chairman of a large SA based wine producer.
In addition to his directorships he raises branded beef and branded lamb.
He holds a B.AgSc and a GradDip. Bus. Admin
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees who are looking for guidance in building on their board career and require a very experienced director as a mentor.
Mentor 11: Experienced CEO and NED
This mentor left her CEO role in the fast moving consumer goods (fmcg) sector three years ago, with the aim of being appointed to boards.
She had a background of working for a multi national for 20 years. Her skill set is in procurement, supply chain management, manufacturing, logistics and in running and turning around business. She was the CEO of the food division for five years and led a major change management turn around, working along side Bain consulting for two years.
She is an inaugural member of WOB. She sits on four boards in the agriculture, food and education sectors. She is a role model in how to get from a standing start to a full time NED.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those interested in private companies, start ups, government and not for profit sectors wanting guidance from a director with a background in fmcg.
Mentor 12: Banking executive & diversity advocate, Melbourne Vic
This mentor comes from a strong commercial background. She has sound corporate experience including 12 years with a pre-eminent investment bank and has been a confidential sounding board to CEOs and their direct reports.
This Mentor works as a consultant and coach with a passion to enable talented women to succeed. Usually, this consists of strategies for greater control over their career roadmap. More often, it includes tactics for women to be more competitive in promoting themselves and involves enabling high-potential women to take up their authority.
She has been published in prestigious journals and is known as a diversity leader and an expert at creating a talent pipeline. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Melbourne and is a trained coach through Coach U, recognised by the International Coaching Federation.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those seeking professional growth with insights on strategies and tactics to strengthen the path to a senior appointment, partnership or career portfolio in the Melbourne market.
Mentor 13: Experienced director and consultant, Adelaide SA
Mentor 13 is an experienced company director and management consultant. She works principally with senior executives and boards addressing issues of strategic relevance to the success of their organisations. Typically this includes strategic human resource management, strategic and business planning, organisational development, governance, executive and board performance, coaching, mentoring, and mediation.
Her key areas of expertise include the ability to identify and focus on the critical issues, the ability to find innovative and creative solutions, outstanding communication skills and established business networks. She is a strategic thinker and has the confidence to challenge conventional wisdom.
She is the chairman or director of a number of high profile SA and national enterprises and a former CEO. She has an Associate Diploma in Business from the University of SA. She is also a Fellow of AICD, AIM and AHRI.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those looking to start a board career, those interested in tourism and hospitality sector and those who need particular guidance on good corporate governance practice.
Mentor 14: Full-time non-executive director and chair, Perth WA
Mentor 14 is a full-time non-executive director. She has a portfolio of boards across ASX listed, government, not for profit and private companies in energy, R&D, media and health. She is an experienced chairman, curently chairing a mining company and a media company.
She is an entrepreneur with startup businesses in services and products for female travellers and an innovative product which guards and protects finger and toe rings from dirt, finger shrinkage and scratching.
She has a Bachelor of Science from UWA 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. She is keen to assist women who aspire to directorship.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for the more experienced mentee who is looking to build a board career with a focus on WA and nationally.
Mentor 15: Non-executive director and corporate advisor, Brisbane Qld
Mentor 15 is a full-time non-executive director and corporate advisor. She has a portfolio of boards across ASX listed, government owned corporations, and not-for-profit structures, in the industries of transport infrastructure, childcare and health. She is an advisor to various SMEs in strategy, risk and governance, a CEO Mentor, and a guest lecturer at the Bond University Business School.
She formerly worked in the airline industry in Australia and the United States at CEO and General Management levels.
She has an MBA majoring in Finance from the University of Michigan in Detroit, US and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for the more experienced mentee who is looking to build a board career with a national focus.
Mentor 16: Mentor, coach and strategist, Sydney NSW
Mentor 16 is an experienced Mentor & Strategist. He is NATO’s Management Coach in Luxembourg, Co-Host of The Sydney Business Network Group, a national award-winning former small business owner and has significant public, private and NFP sector experience.
He specialises in helping mentees to answer questions such as:
- What's real about the glass ceiling?
- In what ways might you be limiting your own potential, consciously or unconsciously? (Do you have a sticky floor issue?)
- Do you really know your own strengths, and can you express these with confidence?
- Could you become a more effective self manager?
- Which leadership skills and attributes should you pay most attention to developing?
- What do you need to change if you are going to succeed?
He has a MSc in Human Resource Management, BA(Open University), Diploma in Youth & Community Work, Master NLP Practitioner, Certified Interactive Coach, Chartered MCIPD.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for a mentee who is looking to better manage their career and think about the future.
Mentor 17: Change management specialist and NFP director, Melbourne, Vic
Mentor 17 is the founder and managing director of a successful boutique company specialising in strategy, change and communications. She has an impressive corporate track record in both industrial and consumer environments based on strategic marketing and an ability to successfully drive change in teams facing uncertain conditions.
She is also a fellow of the exclusive Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program and sits on a number of not for profit boards. She has a Masters of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School and a Bachelor of Business in Agribusiness from Monash University.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those seeking to leverage their skills onto not for profit and government boards.
Mentor 18: Non executive director and mentor, Sydney NSW
Mentor 18 is an experienced not for profit director and chair who is an accomplished executive coach, mentor and public speaker.
She is a chartered accountant who has provided advice to a broad range of public and private sector, domestic and multinational corporate groups. She recently retired from the partnership of a large accounting firm to concentrate on her NED career.
As a mentor she brings her experience and knowledge of the public and private sector, financial and business development expertise, and an understanding of HR, people and welfare related issues.
She has a Bachelor (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Southern Queensland and Bachelor (Hons.) in European Studies, from the University of Manchester.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those seeking to leverage their skills onto not for profit boards.
Mentor 19: Experienced lawyer and public servant
Mentor 19 is a lawyer with extensive experience in legal and corporate areas in the public sector. She also runs her own small farming business and is director of a number of private companies. She worked for a time as the company secretary of a government company.
She has worked across government in a range of roles and has experience in legal, corporate governance, government liaison, audit, program management, policy development, HR and strategic planning.
She was awarded a BA/LLB from the Australian National University as well as a Graduate Diploma in Counseling.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for those who are interested in developing a career in or an understanding of the public sector and/or corporate governance.
Mentor 20: Experienced CEO and company director
This mentor is a professional company director, having made the transition from a CEO role to a full time portfolio career in 2010 which comprises 4 diverse company boards and a strategic consulting position with one of Australia's leading governance firms.
Originally trained as a banking and finance lawyer, this Mentor possesses more than 20 years of commercial experience in the legal, governance and HR areas, spanning the public and private sectors. This experience was gathered whilst in executive management roles in corporate treasury and professional services firms (legal, consulting and architecture) during which time she completed an EMBA specialising in change management and strategy.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the University of Queensland. She has an EMBA from Melbourne Business School and was awarded an Order Of Merit on completion of the Company Directors Course with the AICD.
Mentee recommendation: Suitable for mentees who are looking for guidance in building a career in general management or boards.
Register
