BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steven Skala AO has a distinguished career of service including on the boards of public and private companies, and government-related and not-for-profit organizations. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the law, business and banking.

Steven is Vice Chairman, Australia of Deutsche Bank AG, a position he has held since 2004 and is Chairman of the Commonwealth Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Among public companies, he is a former Chairman of Wilson Group Limited, Hexima Limited and the Island Food Company Limited, and is a former Director of the Channel TEN Group of companies and Max Capital Group Limited. Between 1982 and 2004, he was a Partner of Australian law firms, Morris Fletcher & Cross (now Minter Ellison) and Arnold Bloch Leibler

Active beyond banking and commerce, Steven is Chairman of the Heide Museum of Modern Art, a Director of the Centre for Independent Studies and a Member of the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. He was previously Chairman of Film Australia Limited, Chairman of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Vice President (Deputy Chairman) of The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, a Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and a Director of the Australian Ballet.

Mr Steven Skala AO

Deputy Chairman

Stephen is Chancellor of Flinders University of South Australia. He is the Convenor of the University Chancellors Council, a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Trustee of Australian Cancer Research Foundation, Chairman of AML3D Limited, Chair of Psychosis Australia Trust, Chairman of Adelaide Capital Partners Pty Ltd and Gerlach Asset Development Pty Ltd, Chairman of Ebony Energy Ltd, Director of Beston Global Foods Ltd, Director of Beston Pacific Asset Management Pty Limited and Chair of South Australian Cricket Association Nominations Committee.  

Stephen was a partner of the Adelaide legal firm Finlaysons for 23 years and its Managing Partner from 1985 to 1991. He was formerly the Chairman of Santos Ltd, Futuris Corporation Ltd (now called Elders Ltd), Equatorial Mining Ltd, Elders Australia Ltd, Challenger Listed Investments Ltd, Amdel Ltd and Penrice Ltd and formerly a Director of Southcorp Ltd, Brunner Mond Holdings Ltd (UK) and Elders Rural Bank. 

He was a Director and an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Red Cross Society, a Director of the Flinders Medical Research Foundation and Inaugural Chairman of Foodbank SA from 1999-2014 and a director of Foodbank Australia.

Mr Stephen Gerlach AM

Investment, Audit and Risk
Committee Member

Ms Carolyn Kay has had more than 30 years of experience in the finance sector as an executive and non-executive director.  In addition, she has been and remains a non-executive director of enterprises across a broad range of industries. She is currently a member of The Future Fund Board of Guardians;  a Director of Scentre Group and a Director of Myer Family Investments. As an executive Ms Kay worked as a banker and lawyer at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Linklaters & Paines in London, New York and Australia. She holds Bachelor Degrees in Law and Arts (University of Melbourne), a Graduate Diploma in Management (AGSM) and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  She was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to Australian society in business leadership.  She is married with 3 children.

Ms Carolyn Kay

Investment, Audit and Risk
Committee Co-Chair

Dr Mark Schembri was appointed to the Board in 2016. He is a graduate from The University of Sydney with Honours degrees in Veterinary Science and Science (Veterinary) and also of Harvard University with a Master in Public Health. He also has a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Sydney and works as a Senior Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. He is presently lecturer at the Veterinary School at the University of Sydney and was previously the Sub-Warden of St. Paul’s College.

Mark has a distinguished record as an equine veterinarian where he also serves as a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons in Theriogenology.

In 2007 he was elected the youngest-ever Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society and presently serves as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and served on its Veterinary Committee. In 2008 he was appointed veterinarian to the Australian Equine Olympic team for the Beijing Games.

He serves as Veterinary Surgeon Director of Theriogenology at the Agnes Banks Equine Clinic in Sydney. He is presently a veterinarian for the Australian Turf Club and veterinarian for the Spring and Autumn Racing Carnivals at Randwick Racecourse. Mark is a Board Member of the University of Sydney Rugby Club and Liaison Member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney.

He was the Crown Prince of Dubai scholar in 2001, and the Australian Equine Veterinary Association scholar in 2004 when he completed sabbatical study at Texas A&M University.

In 2009 he was awarded the General Sir John Monash Scholarship for study in the United States and spent two years at Harvard. At Harvard he lived at Kirkland House, where he was academic and music tutor. He also rowed for Dudley House, and he was veterinarian to the Harvard horse polo team.

He is Chairman and Musical Conductor of the Governors Christmas Orchestra and led the World Youth Day Sydney bid to Pope John Paul II on behalf of the youth organising committee in 2001. He has also been vice-captain of the Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club Patrol where he served as a race announcer and commentator at the Surf Life Saving Australian Championships. He was recognised as Educator Partner of the Year by the Veterinary Faculty at the University of Sydney for his teaching.

Dr Mark Schembri

Scholars Advisory Committee Chair

Wendy Simpson is chairman of Wengeo Group a private investment group, which invests in industrial and commercial property developments. Wendy has been the Chair of the General Sir John Monash Scholarship NSW selection panel and a member of the panel for over 7 years. Her pioneering achievements include – Founding Chairman of Springboard Enterprises Australia, a community-driven accelerator program that recruits, coaches, supports, and promotes investment-ready, high-growth companies led by women. She was the first woman appointed as a Senior Vice President of Alcatel Asia Pacific based in Shanghai, implementing sales of major mobile and broadband services to 17 countries. At this time, she was part of the team who negotiated with the Chinese government to bring the internet to China.

Other pioneering roles are being the first woman appointed by the Victorian government as the Chief Representative and Trade Commissioner for North Asia, she was also the first woman appointed to a freight operations role in the TNT International network and established the first QBE women’s group whilst in a senior role at QBE insurance.

She has been a 3 times finalist in Telstra Businesswomen’s Awards and in 2006, she was a finalist in the Shanghai Business Women of the Year Awards.

In the 2013 Australia Day honours list she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her work with disadvantaged young people and a range of women’s groups. She has been inducted into the Australian Businesswoman’s Hall of Fame and in 2013 was listed as one of Australia’s 100 women of influence by the Australian Financial Review.

Mrs Wendy Simpson OAM