Board profiles

Meet the members of the governing board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

CHAIR & NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Naomi Edwards FAICD

BSc(Hons) FIAA

Appointed: 01/07/2024

Board Committees: Nominations & Governance Committee - member, People & Culture Committee - member and all other board committees - guest

Other: ASX Chairs’ Forum - ex officio member; NFP Chairs’ forum ex officio member, Climate Governance Initiative Australia Advisory Council - member

Naomi has more than 20 years of board experience, including at ASX-listed companies, superannuation funds, government entities and not-for-profits. In 2023 she was President of the Actuaries Institute of Australia, and she was a director of the AICD board from 2018–22. Naomi is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (Australia) and a former partner of Deloitte. Naomi has had an executive career in the life insurance industry and has also worked extensively with fund managers and superannuation funds, in the Industry Super, retail ESG and ethical super spaces. She currently works as a chair and non-executive director across a variety of listed and unlisted companies. Naomi is currently a non-executive director for TAL, Yarra Funds Management and Propel Funeral Partners. She is the former chair of Spirit Super, Accurium Pty Limited and Australian Ethical Investment. She has also served on the boards of Australian Ethical Super, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, the Tasmanian Development Board, Hunter Hall and Nikko AM Ltd.

naomi-edwards

DEPUTY CHAIR & QLD DIVISION DIRECTOR

Anne Cross AM FAICD

BSW, MSW

Appointed second term: 13/09/2022

Appointed deputy chair: 10/06/2022

Board Committees: Nominations & Governance Committee - chair and People & Culture Committee - member

Other: NFP Chairs’ Forum - chair

Anne is a non-executive director of St Vincent’s Health Australia and its subsidiary companies. She is chair of Uniting Church in Australia Redress Ltd and member of the Senate of the University of Queensland. Anne concluded her executive career as chief executive of UnitingCare Queensland in 2017, after a long career working in health, aged care, disability and community services. She is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Queensland. Anne was admitted as a member of the Order of Australia for her services to social welfare organisations and women in 2018. She was named Telstra’s National Business Woman of the Year in 2014.

anne-cross

WA DIVISION DIRECTOR

Maree Arnason FAICD

BA

Appointed: 20/03/2024

Board Committees: Audit & Risk Committee - member and Digital Transformation Committee - member

Maree has over 35 years’ experience across the natural resources, energy and manufacturing sectors with companies including BHP Billiton, Carter Holt Harvey, Svenska Cellulosa AB and Wesfarmers Energy. Maree is an independent non-executive director of ASX-200 Gold Road Resources Limited and is chair of their Risk and ESG Committee, a NED of ASX Ardea Resources Limited, ASX VHM Limited and Macmahon Holdings Limited and a co-founder of Energy Access Services, a digital trading platform for wholesale gas. She also has a significant record of service in the not-for-profit sector. Previously, Maree served on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Corporate Governance Consultative Panel and Director Advisory Panel and the WA State Advisory Council for CEDA. Maree is a National Life member of the Australian China Business Council, a member of Chief Executive Women and, in 2018 she was recognised as one of the Top 100 Global Inspiration Women in Mining.

maree-arnason

NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Marina Go AM MAICD

BA (Communication), MBA

Appointed: 23/01/2023

Board Committees: People & Culture Committee - chair and Digital Transformation Committee - member

Marina Go is an experienced chair and non-executive director of ASX listed, private and not-for-profit organisations, across a range of sectors including energy, infrastructure, technology, retail and sport. She is a member of UNSW’s Business Advisory Council, ANU’s Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership (CAAL) Advisory Board and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR) Advisory Board. Marina is chair of Adore Beauty and a non-executive director of Southern Cross Media Group Ltd, Transurban and Energy Australia. Marina has 30 years of leadership experience in the media industry and is a former chair of The Walkley Foundation, Netball Australia, Super Netball Commission, Ovarian Cancer Australia and The Wests Tigers NRL Club. Marina is a co-founder of Women’s Agenda and has been actively progressing equitable outcomes for women and culturally diverse Australians for more than three decades. In 2023, Marina was admitted as a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to business governance, to sport administration, and to the media industry.

marina-go

NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Ian Hamm MAICD

Appointed: 14/03/2023

Board Committees: Nominations & Governance Committee - member and People & Culture Committee - member

Other: NFP Chairs’ Forum - member

A Yorta Yorta man, Ian has extensive government and community sector experience, particularly at executive and governance levels. In a career spanning more than 32 years, Ian has overseen major policy and strategic reforms for government and community organisations. He works with people from a vast array of backgrounds, managing complex and sensitive relationships to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Ian was CEO of a major Aboriginal community organisation from January to August 2018. Ian chairs and is a member of a number of boards, including the Indigenous Land & Sea Corporation, the Community Broadcast Foundation and Connecting Home. He is also devoting himself to improving the representation of Aboriginal people on boards and other high-level governance, through strategic action, advocacy and mentoring. Ian is a member of the ACNC Advisory Board, the AICD NFP Chairs’ Forum, a former member of the AICD Victorian Division Council and is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.


TAS DIVISION DIRECTOR

Graeme Lynch AM FAICD

BCom (Melb), LLB Hons (Tas), GradDipLS (Tas); FCPA; PIA (Hon Fellow)

Appointed: 30/11/2022

Board Committees: Audit & Risk Committee - chair and Nominations & Governance Committee - member

Other: Law Committee - member

Graeme is currently chair of Primary Health Tasmania, The Hobart Clinic and President of the AICD Tasmania Division Council. He is also engaged with several coalitions, collaborations and government advisory councils in the Tasmanian health and business sector. Graeme is also a life member of Wine Tasmania. He has served on several public company boards as chair and director, in both paid and voluntary capacities in the wine and tourism sectors. Graeme has a background in business with professional legal, accountancy, company director and commerce experience.

graeme-lynch

NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Heith Mackay-Cruise FAICD

BEc

Appointed: 10/06/2022

Board Committees: Audit & Risk Committee - member and Digital Transformation Committee - chair

Other: Governance of Innovation & Technology Panel - member

Heith has been involved in the media, education and technology sectors over the past 25 years. Heith is chair of Southern Cross Media Group Limited and Orro Pty Ltd and a non-executive director of Codan Limited. Heith is a previous non-executive chair of Straker Limited, UP Education Pty Ltd, hipages Group Holdings Limited, LiteracyPlanet and the Vision Australia Foundation, as well as a previous non-executive director of LifeHealthcare and Bailador Technology Investments Limited. In Heith’s prior executive career, he was the founding CEO of Sterling Early Education, the global CEO and managing director of Study Group, and CEO of PBL Media New Zealand. Heith also held senior positions with Australian Consolidated Press and worked in sales and marketing roles for PepsiCo around Australia. Heith is a Kilfinan Australia mentor and a member of the Young Presidents Organisation.


SA DIVISION DIRECTOR

Tim Sarah FAICD

BEc MBA ACA

Appointed: 29/01/2024

Board Committees: Audit & Risk Committee - member and Nominations & Governance Committee - guest

Other: NFP Chairs’ Forum - member

Tim has extensive experience as a board member and chair in community and for-purpose sectors. He is an experienced business executive and executive chair of the Sarah Group, operating businesses in the South Australia’s construction industry. He is chair of Anglicare SA Ltd and non-executive director of Believe Housing Australia Ltd (formerly Anglicare SA Housing Ltd). Tim is a Chartered Accountant with an Economics Degree and an MBA and has been involved in business for 30 years. He has been an AICD Division Councillor for SA since 2022 and SA Division President since September 2023. He is a past council member of the Master Builders Association of South Australia and the Small Business Development Council.

Tim-Sarah

ACT DIVISION DIRECTOR

Dr Michael Schaper FAICD

BA, MComm, PhD

Appointed second term: 06/11/2024

Board Committees: Audit & Risk Committee - member and People & Culture Committee - member

Other: National Education Advisory Committee - chair

Michael is chair of the federal government’s Shadow Economy Advisory Forum, Energy Consumers Australia, the Energy & Water Ombudsman of WA and the University of Canberra Business School advisory board. He is a member of the Small Business Development Corporation of WA (board) and University of Canberra Council (governing board). Michael was previously full-time deputy chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, as well as ACT Small Business Commissioner, dean of Murdoch University Business School in WA, head of the School of Business at Bond University in Queensland, chair of the ACT Minister’s Small & Micro-Business advisory council and CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber. He is an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University.

Michael Schaper

NSW DIVISION DIRECTOR

Paul Vorbach FAICD

MCom, LLM, MBA, FAICD, FGIA

Appointed: 09/09/2024

Paul is Managing Director of AcademyGlobal Pty Limited, a firm he founded in 2004. He is currently Adjunct Faculty at the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales; National Councillor and NSW Chair, Institute of Strategic Risk Management, and previously Honorary Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney. Since 2022, Paul has been a member of the AICD NSW Division Council. Paul has 25 years’ experience across corporate and advisory boards, including as Executive Director - Citicorp Investments Ltd and Citicorp Life Insurance Ltd, Treasurer and Non-Executive director, Australian Institute of Training and Development Ltd, Advisory Board Member, UTS Business School - Industry Advisory Board, and the Australian Institute of Management, Academic Advisory Board. Paul’s early career was in the financial services sector with Deloitte and Citi. Since 2002, Paul has worked in academia and professional education, including with universities, professional associations and management consultancies in over twenty countries across five continents. Paul completed the Company Directors Course from the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2010. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance (FGIA) from the Governance Institute of Australia and has completed the Oxford Advanced Management Program at Oxford University. Paul is currently due to complete the Public Leadership Credential at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in early 2025.

paul-vorbach

MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Mark Rigotti

BA, LLB Hons, LLM

Commenced: 06/09/2022

Board Committees: All board committees - attendee

Other: ASX Chairs’ Forum - member and NFP Chairs’ Forum - member

Mark joined the AICD as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in 2022. His previous roles included Partner and Senior Adviser of Global law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF). Mark served as the Global CEO at HSF for two terms over 2014-2020. He was also chair of the firm’s Global Executive, chair of the Global Diversity & Inclusion Group and a member of the HSF Global Partnership Council. He was responsible for developing and implementing the “Beyond 2020” strategy. Prior to becoming the Global CEO of HSF, he was a member of the management team having led a number of practice groups including the Banking and Finance Group as well as the Corporate Group. Mark was the chair of the Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce, whose members include the CEOs of the Law Council of Australia, PwC Australia, Settlement Services International, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and academics from The University of Sydney. The taskforce was established in late 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark is the chair of Redkite Children’s Charity, director of Smartgroup Corporation and is a board member of the European Australian Business Council. Additionally, Mark is a member of the Financial Services Institute of Australia.

Mark Rigotti

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