on Competitiveness

AAB

Board Members

Co-Chairpersons, Australian Advisory Board on Competitiveness

Mr Charles Kiefel AM, Chairman, The Principals Funds Management- which is a full Corporate Member of the GFCC; Distinguished Fellow of the GFCC since 2016, 2018 to 2022 Member of the Board of Trustees of the GFCC; and since September 2024 Member of the Board of Trustees of the GFCC.

Dr Larry Marshall is Chair of Fortescue's Innovation Committee, Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AMCHAM) Board and sits on the Boards of ASX:FMG & ASX:NAN, & Australian Government’s Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group. He is the longest serving CEO of CSIRO, & led a turnaround which doubled its value, creating 10B more than any prior strategy, & achieved 83% emissions reduction. He has led six companies in biotechnology, telecommunications, semiconductors, and venture capital. He has 100 publications and conference papers, holds 20 patents, and has served on 20 boards of high-tech companies operating in the US, Australia and China.


Vice-Chair 

(Overseeing youth leadership initiatives; liaison with Australian universities; and medical and healthcare initiatives)

Dr Rachel Swift, GM Strategy Innovation & Ventures at HCF; non-executive director, Innovation & Enterprise Advisory Board, The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, Rhodes Scholar.


Life Members

Dr Jane Wilson AO, Immediate Past Co-Chair; former Guardians of the Future Fund Board, former Director Sonic Healthcare, former Director Transurban.

Professor the Honourable Greg Hunt, former Minister for Health; Honorary Melbourne Enterprise Professor, University of Melbourne, and Chair of the Monash University Turner Institute Advisory Council.


Board Members Australian Advisory Board on Competitiveness

Mr Mark Delaney, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Australian Super, formerly Economist in the Australian Federal Department of Treasury, Director IFM Investor Advisory Board.

Dr Manny Pohl AM, Chairman, Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer of EC Pohl & Co Private Wealth and ECP Asset Management. A Freeman of the City of London, served on the Council of Bond University, Distinguished Fellow GFCC, founder of Hyperion Asset Management, member of the South African delegation to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, philanthropist and sports enthusiast with a black belt in karate.

Mr James Tsiolis, Founder and Chairman of Strategic Capital Management Limited (SCM); Executive Chairman and CEO at Netlinkz Limited, Corporate Member of the GFCC, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Principals Funds Management.

Mr Bill Calcraft, former Managing Director Allianz Capital Partners ( Munich); expert in financing, acquisitions and operation of renewable energy infrastructure across Europe and Australasia; experienced investment banker with Kleinwort Benson ( London) and Union Bank of Switzerland ( Zurich). Represented Australia at Rugby Union and is Wallaby648 and an Oxford Blue.

Ms Brenda Shanahan AO, Chief Investment Officer,  Chair of Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery, Director St Vincents Medical Research Foundation. Ms Shanahan has served in senior executive and board roles in Australia and overseas primarily in stockbroking, funds management and investment consulting.

Dr Sonya Sawtell-Rickson, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Hesta Super fund (from 2017); Director, Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) (from 2019); previously, Investment Director at Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) (2007-2017); General Manager, Investment Services Q Super (2001-2006) and Manager Corporate Finance, QSuper (1999-2001). Sonya has extensive experience in investment markets, including portfolio strategy and design, and has managed exposures across both traditional and alternative asset classes.

Ms Prerana Mehta, MBA, CEO The Board of the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA), former Head of Strategic Partnerships Group CSIRO, former Head of Global Growth, Business Development & Global, CSIRO, former Deputy CEO and Chief of Ecosystem Development at AustCyber, Australia’s Cyber Security Growth Network, and Minister Counsellor, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner in Singapore.

Dr Stella M. Barber, communications specialist with qualifications and experience as a writer (author of 22 publications), research and heritage specialist, historian, archivist, and publicity and project manager, Communications advisor, Principals Funds Management.

Professor Russell Boyce, Chair for Intelligent Space Systems at UNSW Canberra.

Professor Andrew Dzurak, Director of the NSW node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) UNSW.

Mr Ric Gros, METS Ignited, Growth Centre.

Dr James Johnson, CEO, Geoscience Australia.

Mr Lucas Litewka, Board Director, USC Clinical Trials Centre.

Professor Karen Reynolds, Dean (Research) College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University and member of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board.

Mr Phil Scanlan AM, Founder, Australian American Leadership Dialogue.

 

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