Reference Group

Louise Adams is Aurecon’s Chief Executive for Australia and New Zealand, responsible for leading approximately 4000 people, together with the financial and operational performance to meet Aurecon’s strategic and operational business goals across both locations.

Louise became the first female Executive Director on Aurecon’s Global Board in 2013 and is Aurecon’s global spokesperson for Women in Leadership. She has a passion for organisational diversity and the role it plays in innovation, and is an advocate for female leadership and equality within STEM.

In 2018 Louise was awarded a Chief Executive Women (CEW) Scholarship to attend the Wharton Business School and is a member of Australia’s CEW Group. Louise is a committee member for Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s Women’s Infrastructure Network Steering Committee and was most recently appointed to the National Advisory Board of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. She is the Chair to Consult Australia’s Male Champions of Change and appears at many industry events.

As a Chartered Civil Engineer, Louise has over 19 years’ experience managing and designing works in both civil and multi-disciplinary projects in land development as well as technical advisory for project planning. With a background in stormwater management, flood risk assessment and mitigation, Louise has undertaken work in the public and private sectors as well as part of emergency relief efforts.

Travis Auld started his career as a Chartered Accountant in Melbourne, where he enjoyed the opportunity to gain international experience through a secondment to London.

Travis joined the Essendon Football Club in 1997 and in December 2000 was appointed the club’s Chief Operating Officer. Appointed inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Coast Suns in June 2009, Auld led the development and implementation of the strategic plan to establish the club and prepare for its entry into the AFL competition in 2011.
After joining the AFL in September 2014, Auld’s responsibilities are varied, including the industry’s finances, the relationship with the competition’s 18 clubs, the television and radio broadcaster partners, fixturing of both the national men’s and women’s competitions and the $220m redevelopment of Marvel Stadium.
He holds a Bachelor of Business from La Trobe University and is an associate of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Institute of Company Directors.

Dr. Lucia Boxelaar is currently Acting Executive Director and also leads BSL’s portfolio of community programs – Children’s Programs, Youth Services, Work, Economic Security and Social Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships.

Lucia joined BSL in November 2018, after being with World Vision Australia for 11 years where she led teams that managed, researched and developed large-scale programs. She also led two global strategic initiatives for World Vision International to promote evidence capture, utilisation and communication.

Lucia has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Anthropology from Monash University, and a PhD in Community Based Natural Resource Management from the University of Melbourne.

Gary Brown is responsible for directing and overseeing the development and execution of the annual business plan for the Australia, New Zealand and Singapore business at Delaware North.

His role also includes the development of the company’s strategic plan. Working with the senior executive team, Gary is responsible for analysing and assessing new business streams and financial investment strategies for growth. Gary joined Delaware North in 2008 to manage the company's travel hospitality services portfolio. Since his promotion to Managing Director in 2010, the Australian business has expanded to include several resorts, an industry leading retail food and beverage presence at nearly all major capital city airports, and a sports stadia portfolio that includes Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Marvel Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In the past several years, Delaware North has grown its remote services business via the acquisition of Northern Rise Village Services, as well as its gaming & entertainment business, via the acquisition of Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin. The company also proudly delivers its tailored service solutions at tourism and entertainment ce.

Mathew Everitt is a proud Taungurung man of Kulin from Central Victoria. He is a graduate in both Cultural Heritage Management and Indigenous studies.

Together, Matthew and Fatima run Dreamtime Art (est. 2009). Dreamtime Art are trusted advisers for their clients mitigating risks underpinned by cultural appropriation and due diligence through their Indigenous Arts Management company. Matthew is an active Board Member of Kinaway - the Victorian Chamber of Commerce for Indigenous businesses which assists and advocates in developing and steering policy underpinned by social cause and impact triggering procurement targets for State government.

Matthew is currently a board member of the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia (AAAA) which is the national platform for Indigenous artists rights to self-determination through gallery associations and efforts advocating policy change within the arts sector nationally. Matthew also forms part of the AAAA Cultural council which steers decisions reinforced by appropriation and ethics. He is also a member for State Government department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions Victorian Aboriginal Economic and Employment Council, RMIT steering committee on Rethinking Criminal Records Checks and currently completing Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Leadership program.

He has completed a 12-month program as a member of the Observance Committee for the Koorie Heritage Trust. Recently he completed Murra Indigenous Business Master Class at Melbourne Business School. Matthew also completed the Australian Company of Directors (AICD) 12-month program for good governance within not-for profit board structure training. Matthew endeavours to play a positive and impactful role within Indigenous community and aspires to be a great role model for other people and his children.

Professor Allan Fels AO is Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Melbourne and Monash. Former Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and its predecessors, the Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority. Following his role as Professor of Administration and Director of the Graduate School of Management at Monash University from 1984-1991, Professor Fels served as foundation Dean of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (an entity established by Australia, New Zealand, State and Territory Governments and sixteen universities) from 2003-2012.

Professor Fels was former Chair of the National Mental Health Commission and Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Mental Health Victoria and is a patron of numerous mental health bodies, including Mental Health Australia, Mental Health Victoria and the National Mental Health Council.

He continues to play an active role in competition law and economic reform through such roles as Chair of the Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry from 2011-2013, Associate Commissioner for the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Executive Pay in 2009, and Fire Services Levy Monitor Victoria, 2012-2014. Electricity Prices Commissioner NSW until 2020, Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor NSW until 2020 and Chair Migrant Workers Taskforce, Australian Government until 2020. He is Chair of the Haven Foundation, which provides long term care for seriously mentally ill persons and is a member of the Board of Mind Australia.

He is Chair, Visy Australia Governance Board. He is also Chair of Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI).

Andrea Fischer is the Executive Officer of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and has held this role since the inception of the Institute in 2014.

Prior to this role, Andrea worked in international health across the Asia Pacific Region, specializing in the response to infectious diseases.

Andrea is passionate about equity, inclusion and the role communities play in the wellbeing and health of individuals.

Emma Germano is Managing Director of her family mixed farm operation I Love Farms and the President of the Victorian Farmers Federation.

For over 50 years spanning three generations on Gippsland's fertile soils, Emma's family have been growing premium quality fresh vegetables for local and export markets, as well as running sheep and beef cattle. I Love Farms has a firm focus on sustainability and strives to connect consumers with Australian famers to increase community understanding of food and fibre production, through the farm-gate retail shop.

Emma is also a Nuffield Scholar (2014), her research examining global export opportunities for Australian primary producers.

Ultimately, Emma strives to be a strong voice, representing Victorian growers and ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for agriculture in Australia.

Paul Guerra is an internationally experienced leader having held Managing Director/CEO and Chairman level roles across Australia and Asia Pacific, spanning several key industries. He is currently Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and serves as Chair of the Victoria Summit Reference Group.

Paul was previously the Chief Executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), best known for producing the Royal Melbourne Show (attracting half a million people annually), world class food and beverage award programs and venue management and activation of the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Prior to this Paul was Managing Director Asia Pacific for Optum International, a subsidiary of the United Health Group, one of the world’s leading providers of Health services.
Before joining Optum International, Paul was the Victorian State Director for Vodafone, and prior to this, he held an extensive 17-year career with Motorola finishing as the Director and Vice President for Motorola Asia Pacific.

Paul holds an Honours Degree in Electronic Engineering from Swinburne University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management with a major in Marketing and has completed several short management courses in the USA.
Paul is involved in a number of boards, not-for-profits and start-ups. Paul is also an Australia Day Ambassador and a proud Victorian.

Luke Hilakari is the Secretary of Victorian Trades Hall Council, the peak body for unions in Victoria, and the voice of Victorians at work. VTHC is the central organising force of the mighty Victorian Trade Union movement, bringing together working Victorians to campaign in solidarity, under the banner, We Are Union. Under Luke’s leadership, VTHC has campaigned for and won workplace manslaughter laws to save lives as well as Australia’s first wage theft law. VTHC organises and takes action together for a just society, where all Victorians are respected, valued, and safe at work.

Vanessa Katsanevakis is the Director of Sussex Taps, an Australian tap manufacturer that produces high-end, sustainably-made tapware. For 10 years, Vanessa has championed the values of craftsmanship, design excellence and sustainability to lead Sussex to become favoured by Australia's leading architects and interior designers, including Elenberg Fraser and Biasol, and by the industry-leading sustainable built environment group Nightingale.

Vanessa's achievements speak of her ability to lead under pressure; transforming a tapware business she took over from her father into one of Australia's biggest local manufacturing success stories. In 2018, Vanessa was named Young Manufacturer of the Year by the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame, and was nominated by CEO Magazine's Executive of the Year awards for manufacturing. She has spoken at the Victorian Manufacturing Showcase, National Manufacturing Week, Denfair and Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Emma King joined the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) as Chief Executive Officer in 2013, providing a strong voice of leadership and advocacy on social justice issues for the community sector.

Emma was previously Chief Executive Officer of the Early Learning Association Australia. Emma has an extensive background in the public sector and in workforce and education issues, having worked as a Victorian policy adviser, a teacher, and in a range of industrial relations and training roles. Emma’s qualifications include a Masters in Industrial and Employee Relations, a Graduate Diploma of Education and a Bachelor of Arts.
Emma represents VCOSS on a range of ministerial advisory groups and committees. She is also the President of the Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre and a Board Member of Mental Health Victoria and the Portable Long Service Authority. Emma is a regular commentator on social affairs and justice issues.

Jono La Nauze is the CEO of Environment Victoria, Victoria’s peak environment organisation first established in 1969. At Environment Victoria his focus is on building alliances between workers, business, communities, First Nations and government, to ensure Victoria prospers in the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

Jono has been an environmental justice activist for two decades and was the inaugural recipient of the Jill Reichstein Social Change Award. He grew up near the border town of Albury-Wodonga and spent the first decade of his career focused on the rivers, wetlands and forests of the Murray-Darling. At Friends of the Earth and the Australian Conservation Foundation he became a prominent voice in the national water reform debate and the creation of Victoria’s river red gum national park estate. He was previously Executive Director of the Climate Action Network Australia.

Professor Duncan Maskell became the 20th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne in October 2018.

He took his undergraduate and PhD degrees at the University of Cambridge, then did post-doctoral research at Wellcome Biotech and the University of Oxford, before becoming a Lecturer at Imperial College London, and then returning to Cambridge as a full Professor.
Professor Maskell’s distinguished academic career is centred on leading a large research group studying infectious bacterial diseases of people and livestock, resulting in well over 250 research papers on the topic, and election as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He also co-founded four biotech companies, was a member of the University of Cambridge seed fund investment committee and the Board of Cambridge Innovation Capital, and was a non-executive Director on the Board of Genus plc, a FTSE250-listed global company. Professor Maskell has been a member, and Chair, of a range of Institute and company Scientific Advisory Boards, and UK Government and International research grant and review committees.
At Cambridge he also took on leadership roles, as Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, then Head of the School of the Biological Sciences, and finally Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Maskell contends that universities are key institutions in society. Universities should play a leading role in public discussion and debate, fostering critical reflection across all knowledge areas. He is of the view that curiosity-driven research is the primary concern of universities, while arguing that there is also an obligation to translate, and where appropriate commercialise, new knowledge thus generated. All of these things must be fostered in the context of a strong commitment to international collaboration.

Debra is Chief of Staff for Aware Super, a key leadership role supporting the Chief Executive to deliver on the Fund’s strong change and growth agenda, and other strategic priorities.

Debra’s association with the Fund began in 2010 when she joined Health Super to manage its merger with First State Super (now Aware Super). Following the merger, Debra has held a range of senior and executive roles at Aware Super including leading operations strategy, service centre, corporate strategy, product development, research, business intelligence, policy and the program management office. Debra led the inaugural staff Diversity and Inclusion Council and is currently the Sponsor for Aware Super’s Community and Sustainability tribe.

Before joining Aware Super, Debra worked in senior executive roles within a variety of financial service organisations including UniSuper, SuperPartners and Jardine CMG Life Ltd. Debra holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Debra is a Director of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) and a Director and Deputy Chair of the not-for-profit organisation Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI). As a women-specific, Australian Registered Housing Provider, WPI holds a mission to build a secure future for disadvantaged women and their children. WPI works with the private, public and non-government sectors to develop high-quality, safe and affordable housing.

Paddy O’Sullivan became Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) in July 2016. Prior to this he served as Deputy CEO.

Paddy has overall responsibility for the management of the Association. Externally, this focusses on the coordination of government, media and hotel industry stakeholder relations.

This role also involves industry policy development and implementation, as well as facilitating the provision of advice to hoteliers on matters such as liquor, gaming, industrial relations, wagering and other regulatory requirements affecting hotel businesses.

Professor Quester is the Vice Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology, a role she took on in August 2020. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Business Administration from her native France, a Master of Arts (Marketing) from Ohio State University and a PhD from Massey University (New Zealand).

Her career has taken her from France to the US, New Zealand before she came to Australia. A full Professor at the University of Adelaide since 2002, she was Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of the Professions in 2004, Executive Dean from 2007 before taking on the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Academic) in 2011.

An active researcher in the areas of consumer behaviour, she is the author of two leading textbooks (as well as one in French). Her work comprises over 200 research publications in the leading journals in her field. She remains a leading expert on the area of sponsorship and country of origin effects and in 2020, was awarded a career award by the American Marketing Association for her contribution to the field of sports marketing and sponsorship.

Pascale has held several appointments as visiting professor including at La Sorbonne. In 2007, she received the highest academic recognition by the French National Academic Committee to become Professeur des Universities. In 2009, she was awarded the of Distinguished Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy. In 2012, Professor Quester received the Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit), one of France's highest honours, in recognition of her contribution to higher education in both France and Australia.

Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 2013, Pascale was appointed in 2016 to Defence SA, an advisory board aimed at fostering industry and education collaboration around the submarine project. She is also a governor of AmCham and makes regular appearances as panel member at CEDA events. In 2015, Pascale won the SA Telstra Business Women’s Award in the Government and Academic category.

After completing a Bachelor of Commerce at Melbourne University, I joined advisory and investment firm KordaMentha commencing in 2010 in their restructuring practice. Focusing now of business turnarounds, I work with companies in times of distress to diagnose complex problems and implement transformation plans which reset the direction of the business on a sustainable course. Over my ten year career at KordaMentha, I have worked with medium and large sized organisations in a diverse range of industries including healthcare, retail, higher education, manufacturing and professional services. Over the last five years our team’s efforts have been recognised with three excellence awards from the Turnaround Management Association.

My post graduate qualifications include graduate membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association. In addition, I am a committee member of the Turnaround Management Association.

Jim Walsh is a chartered accountant with extensive experience as a company director having served as an executive and non-executive director and chair of various small and mid-sized listed, private and not for profit organisations.

Jim previously served as NED and chair, GMHBA Ltd (Health Insurer), President and NED, Geelong Chamber of Commerce, Finance Director, Godfrey Hirst Carpets, and Finance Director, AUSDOC Group Ltd.

Jim served on the Victorian COVID-19 Advisory Group during 2020 which was chaired by Paul Little and reported into Treasurer Tim Pallas. His current roles include: Chair, KM Property Funds (Property Fund manager); NED, SECOS Group Ltd (ASX listed manufacturer and wholesaler of compostable resin, film and bags); NED, A.G. Coombs Group Pty Ltd (Property Services engineers, HVAC, mechanical etc.)