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Our People and Leadership
We welcome nominations for chairs who reflect our commitment to diversity.
Our Chairs are former CEOs and Executives who remain active in non-executive and mentoring roles. They are some of the most accomplished and respected business leaders in Australia.
Their focus and passion are to support our Members to overcome complexity, drive tangible change and be the catalyst for positive, long-term growth.
John Roberts
Founder & CEO
John has 20 years experience operating in the professional development industry. He is widely regarded as a leading talent in the peer learning sector, cultivating and driving strategic relationships.
John holds a Bachelor of Science/Psychology and an MBA in Marketing.
Mark Laidlaw
Chair Key Executive Roundtable
Melbourne
Mark is an experienced company director, CEO and leader of business success.
Mark Laidlaw joined Mitre 10 in 2010 with a brief to turn the company around. He has over a decade of experience across the Metcash group, plus 16 years with major fuel company Exxon Mobil.
Sue Bruce
Chair Chief People Officer Roundtable Brisbane
Sue has 30 years of experience in Senior Leadership roles. Her last Executive role was Executive Director People, Culture & Communications at Western Health. Hospitals are among the most complex of human organizations ever created by man. Sue has demonstrated leadership excellence during her career, including the unprecedented period of the COVID pandemic.
Catherine Drury-Fox
Senior HR Roundtable Melbourne
Catherine Drury-Fox is a highly experienced global HR Executive with a proven international track record of delivering strong commercially driven HR solutions to ensure strategic business outcomes.
Catherine has headed HR functions, provided strategic HR support and is currently leading an Organizational Development function across 12,000 plus people and 14 countries at GHD.
Murray Smith
Chair Chief People Officer Roundtable Sydney
Murray Smiths’ 35 years of corporate experience includes Senior Executive roles in Human Resources and line functions for international companies.
His experience includes working with international organisations such as Ecolab, BHP, SC Johnson, and Kimberly-Clark.
Nick Kimberly
Chair Chief People Officer Roundtable Melbourne
Nick has held a number of senior Human Resource Director roles for the past 20 years in the UK and Australia with Associated British Foods. He has worked with Don smallgoods and Jasol.
Nick's career has incorporated designing and implementing a wide range of human resource solutions to business problems.
Bradley Birchall
Chair CTO Roundtable
Melbourne
Brad has 29-years experience in the technology sector. Roles include Entrepreneur, Founder, CEO, Board Member & Chief Technology Officer of companies.
Brad was instrumental in developing Seek’s first technology solution, which drove Seek to achieve market leadership within 12 months.
Mimi Kwa
Advisory Board
Mimi has worked in television for twenty years as a newsreader and journalist. She's a public speaking and communication expert, a brand ambassador, and presenter for organisations such as BMW, NAB, CPA, HESTA and The Victorian Parliament. Mimi is a master facilitator, MC and Keynote speaker, and her memoir, House of Kwa, is published by Harper Collins.
Rhyll Gardener
Chair Key Executive Roundtable & COO – GM Roundtable
Brisbane
Rhyll is an experienced company director, CEO and leader of business success. Rhyll had a 35-year career in banking and financial services with St. George, Suncorp, Bank of Queensland and Westpac. Today Rhyll sits on several boards.
Joan Fitzpatrick
Chair COO – GM Roundtable
Melbourne
Joan is a professional non-executive director who has 40 years of commercial business experience and more than 20 years of director experience. Her executive and director experience covers the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors and she has a strong track record of working collaboratively across different stakeholders.
David Nash
Chair CFO Roundtable Brisbane
David is a seasoned professional, executive mentor and Certified Chair of advisory boards (FABC) and a member of Global Faculty for the Advisory Board Centre. David had an extensive career with Collins Food Ltd as Head of Business Transformation & CFO.
Cara Reil
Chair Chief People Officer Roundtable Sydney
Cara has 25 years of experience in executive HR roles in global organizations and has lived in the US, Asia and Australia. She has won numerous HR awards for her work in talent management, leadership development and engagement. She has worked in CPO & HR Director roles with GWA Group Limited Group, SAI Global, Singtel & AMP.
She is now a business advisor, part-time CO with VBreathe and mentor to the next generation of HR talent.
John Pittard
Chair CIO Roundtable Sydney
During an extensive executive career in technology related roles, John has served as CIO for NewsCorp Australia, Telstra and Pioneer International, leading major organisational transformation in business & technology.
Sam McIntyre
Chair CIO Roundtable
Melbourne
Sam has worked for 30+ years in technology for some of the largest retailers and manufacturers in Australia, the UK, Asia and America including Tesco, Coles and Woolworths. She intimately understands the critical business processes for manufacturing and retailing and worked to continuously improve these through technology. Today she is passionate about helping women excel in their careers and helping organisations support and empower women.
Andrew Roberts
Advisory Board
Andrew has 29 years experience in senior roles, including CEO of ASX 100 company, Arrium. He has worked at both national and international levels and is currently CEO of the ABN Group, Australia's leading construction, property and finance company.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce and studied Advanced Business management at Harvard Business School.
Michael Vanderhiede
Chair CIO Roundtable Melbourne
Michael has more than 30 years of Senior Executive leadership experience across public, private and tertiary education sectors. He's been a CIO, COO and CEO and most recently successfully led large IT based APAC transformation programs for RMIT University and SEEK. He has also served 8 years as a Board member for Yooralla, one of Victoria's largest providers of disability services.
Paul Quinlan
Chair - Modern Executive Roundtable Melbourne
Paul is an experienced Executive Director and Non-Executive Director with 30 years experience driving companies to achieve outstanding results. He has held Director roles with a number of organisations including Urbis and Ferrier Hodgson.
Today Paul is a non-Executive Director, and provides consulting and advisory services to growing enterprises, focusing on strategy and commercial performance.
Megan Corfield
Chair COO -GM Roundtable
Brisbane
Megan is a strategic businesswoman and leadership coach with 25 years of executive and governance roles across utilities, sustainability, professional services, government and major events. Her past Executive role was EGM at ERM Power (now Shell Energy). Today Megan sits on a number of boards.
Mike Ribot
Chair COO - GM Roundtable
Sydney
Mike is an experienced executive and director in the Medtech and Biotech business sectors. He worked as a senior executive for two multinational businesses before co-founding and later selling an Australian orthopaedic manufacturing business - Global Orthopaedic Technology.
Today Mike assists other SMEs to reach their full potential. He advises and coaches owners, and executives, in several business sectors.
Tim Hart
Chair CEO, CFO & Key Executive Roundtables Melbourne
Tim has had extensive career in agribusiness & manufacturing. Tim was the Managing Director & CEO of Ridley Corporation Ltd. and CEO of Sugar Australia prior. Today Tim is Chair of the Board for the National Stock Exchange & ISignthis Ltd.
He is also an Ambassador for the National Association of Women in Operations.
Kerry Osborne
Chair CFO & COO - GM Roundtables Melbourne
Kerry has a 25-year track record of improving business performance, as a CEO, Board Member & Executive Mentor across private, government and not for profit sectors. Kerry was CEO of Court Services Victoria and MD of Citywide Service Solutions.
Brian Bates
Advisory Board
Brian has 20 years of experience in stockbroking, investment and superannuation management. As Executive Director of Euroz Securities, Brian provides wealth management services to high net worth individuals.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UWA, and was previously a chartered accountant.
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