NBLF Roll of Honour

Dr Peter Fritz  AM– TCG Group

Peter Fritz AM is Managing Director of Global Access Partners and Group Managing Director of TCG® - a network of private, independent and mutually supportive companies which over the last three decades has produced many breakthrough discoveries in computer and communication technologies.

In 1993, some of the 65 companies in the TCG Group were publicly floated on the Australian Stock Exchange as TechComm Group Limited (now called Utility Computer Services UXC), with great success. Another former TCG company floated on the New York Stock Exchange in November 1997 for US$600m, making it the largest technology company to be established in Australia until that time.

Peter's innovative management style and corporate structuring has lead to the creation of a business model which is being copied by many successful entrepreneurs, and has become part of university undergraduate and masters programs in business management in Australia and around the world.

Peter Fritz chairs a number of influential government and private enterprise boards and is active in the international arena, including having represented Australia on the OECD Small and Medium Size Enterprise Committee. He is the holder of six degrees and professional qualifications, is a recipient of the Order of Australia, and has received many other honours.

Dr John Hewson AM

Dr Hewson has had virtually four careers as an academic and economist , businessman , political advisor and politician and in the media as a columnist and commentator. In economics he has worked for the Treasury, the RBA ,the IMF and as a Professor and Dean/Head of School.

In business he is best known as a Founder of Macquarie Bank, Chairman ABN AMRO Australia and as Chairman/Director of a host of public/private companies and charities.In politics, he worked as an advisor in the Fraser Government and was Leader of the Federal Opposition. In the media, he has written regularly for the BRW, the AFR and comments regularly on radio and television.

Martyn Myer AO

Mr Myer, is a non-executive director of three publicly listed companies: Cogstate Ltd; SP Ausnet Group (Singapore Power's Australian listed subsidiary which owns electricity and gas transmission and distribution assets) since 2005, and Diversified United Investments Ltd (a listed equity investment company) since 1991. He was also a director of Coles Myer Ltd from 1996 to 2006.

In 2000, Martyn helped establish Cogstate Ltd and he has been the company's chairman since that time. Cogstate is a health software services company focused on the development of its cognitive performance diagnostic testing software product. Its main application is in the clinical trials market involving the world's largest drug companies. 

Martyn was president of the Howard Florey Institute at Melbourne University from 2003 to 2007 and a board member until May 2009. In February 2009, he was appointed to the Council of the University of Melbourne. In June 2008, Martyn was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia for service to business and the community, particularly through contributions to medical research and the establishment of the Florey Neuroscience Institutes, and through executive and philanthropic roles with a range of organisations.

Martyn is a vice-president of the Myer Foundation and a board member of the Myer Family investment companies. He is chairman of the National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development and a founding council member of the Royal Institution of Australia, and was a trustee of the Telematics Trust from 1995 to May 2009.

Martyn gained a Bachelor of Engineering from Swinburne University in 1980, a Masters of Engineering Science from Monash University in 1989 and a Master of Science in Management from the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1990.

John Buttle – captialC

John Buttle has specialised in financial institutions for more than 30 years and during that time led the financial services practices of KPMG in Australia, Arthur Andersen in Asia Pacific and Ernst & Young in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. He also led the independent risk consulting business of Protiviti in Sydney and its financial services practice in Asia Pacific. John spent many years as an active member of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Policy Forum during which time he co-founded the International Emissions Trading Association. His keen interest in the environment and social issues led him to establish a presence in the environment and sustainability services industry for KPMG, Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young in Sydney and Protiviti internationally. He has worked with numerous industry bodies and global organisations to drive the business agenda for corporate social responsibility. John has undertaken volunteer work with numerous not for profit organisations in the areas of the environment, health, culture and the socially and economically disadvantaged. He is presently a member of the board of Clean up Australia.

Ian Dunlop – AICD

A Cambridge educated engineer, with a particular interest in the interaction of corporate governance, corporate responsibility and sustainability. Ian Dunlop was formerly a senior international oil, gas and coal industry executive. He chaired the Australian Coal Association in 1987-88, chaired the Australian Greenhouse Office Experts Group on Emissions Trading from 1998-2000 and was CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors from 1997-2001. He is a member of the Club of Rome, a member of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Climate Change Task Force and a Director of Safe Climate Australia. 

Fellow of the Centre for Policy Development and Director of Safe Climate Australia he advises internationally on climate, energy and sustainability.

Liam Forde – Baulderstone

Mr. Liam Forde was the Chief Executive Officer at Baulderstone Hornibrook. He has held senior executive positions in a variety of industries including Ford Motor Company in the UK and Simpson Holdings Limited. Mr. Forde is an experienced executive who has operated as the Chief Executive Officer and in cross-functional roles across a diversity of industries operating in both domestic and international markets including Europe, Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam, Panama, and Thailand. He is an Independent Director of Hastings Funds Management Ltd. Mr. Forde is a Member of Advisory Board of Rosecorp Pty Ltd and Crescendo Partners. He was a Director at Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd. Mr. Forde served as the Interim Executive Chairman of Hastings Funds Management Limited since June 2007. He was appointed Independent Director and a Member of the Audit and Compliance Committees in January 2006. Mr. Forde’s industry experience covers retailing, domestic appliance manufacture and distribution, electronics, automotive, and the development, financing, and construction of major infrastructure.

Dr Rhonda Galbally AO – Our Community

Dr Galbally is an Australian working in health development and social and health policy in Australia. Galbally was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991, holds honorary degrees in health and social science from RMIT and La Trobe universities, and was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 in recognition of her service to the community.

Galbally began her career in the early 70s as a teacher at secondary and tertiary levels. In the late 70s she was senior policy analyst for the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS). in the early 80s Rhonda was CEO of the Sidney Myer Fund and the Myer Foundation, Australia's progressive philanthropic grantmakers. Since the mid 80s, Rhonda has been the founding CEO of five new Australian organizations, including in the mid 80s the Australian Commission for the Future, in the late 80s and for 10 years as CEO the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation[1] ,in the late 90s the Australian International Health Institute - now the Nossal Institute at the University of Melbourne and from 2000 to 2010 she was CEO of the community resource directory Our Community. As of 2011, Galbally has been appointed as transitional CEO of the newly created Australian National Preventive Health Agency, the Chair of the International Evaluation Committee for the Thai Health Promtotion Foundation, the Chair of the National People with Disability and Carer's Council, and the Royal Women’s Hospital. Rhonda is a member of the independent Advisory Panel for the Productivity Commission Inquiry into a lifetime care and support scheme for people with a disability and chronic illness. Rhonda is Patron of the National Disability and Carer's Alliance and Compassionate Friends.

Raphael Geminder – VISY

Raphael (Ruffy) Geminder is Executive Chairman of Pact Group, a leading Australasian packaging business in a broad range of rigid plastic and metal packaging. Pact Group is wholly owned by the Geminder Family.

Since acquiring the business in 2002, he has transformed Pact Group from a largely industrial packaging based supplier to a fast growing, energetic regional packaging leader. This has been achieved through business improvement and over 20 acquisitions during this period.

Prior to acquiring Pact Group, Mr Germinder was the co-founder and Chairman of Visy Recycling, growing it into the largest recycling company in Australia. He holds a MBA in Finance and was previously a funds broker in New York before immigrating to Australia.

Mr Germinder was appointed Victoria's first Honorary Consul to the Republic of South Africa in July 2006. He also holds a number of other advisory and Board positions.

Ralph Garland – Pacific Power

Ralph Garland completed a 40-year career with pacific power (formerly Australia’s largest power generation and transmission utility) as its executive chairman. He has extensive experience in major structural change and the commercialisation of government businesses.

Mr Garland serves on the board of Advice for a proprietary limited company and was formerly a director of ceramic fuel cells Ltd, a director (and chief General Manager) of pacific powe International pty Ltd, chairman of pacific Solar pty Ltd, chairman of pacific Western pty Ltd and a director of powercoal pty Ltd.

Don Henry – ACF

Don is the Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). Henry has led the ACF since 1998, helping it to become a strong advocate for the environment by promoting solutions through research, consultation, education and partnerships. In 2008, Henry won the Equity Trustees Not For Profit CEO of the Year award. 

As Director of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and the editor of Wildlife Australia, he succeeded in generating grassroots support for conservation among both rural and city people. 

He has served as a Commissioner with the Australian Heritage Commission, President of the Australian Committee for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Moreton Island Protection Committee.  In 1991 he was awarded a Global 500 Environment Award from the United Nations Environment Program.

Sally Herman – Westpac

Sally Herman is the General Manager of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability for the Westpac Group, with direct responsibility for all media, Government and community relations, as well as the Westpac Group corporate reputation Multi- Brand Strategy and internal communications.

Sally first joined Westpac in 1994 as Chief Manager, Corporate Relationships. In 1997, she moved to New York with the Bank to be the Country Head, Americas, the first time a woman had held a country manager role for the Bank.

Sally returned to Australia in 1999 to lead the Private Bank. She left the bank briefly in 2000 to start up an Internet business, returning later that year to Westpac, as General Manager eBusiness, responsible for the development of Internet Banking. She then joined the BT Executive Team in July 2005, heading up the Advice business before moving into her current role.

Her experience before joining Westpac includes four years at Macquarie Bank as an Associate Director in the capital markets and private banking groups, three years at Colonial State Bank in the Corporate and Financial Institutions banking group and three years at Bain & Co (now Deutsche Bank) in the corporate advisory group.

Sally is on the Board of the Australian Employers Network on Disability as well as the Society for Knowledge Economics and is the banks representative on the President’s Council at the Art Gallery of NSW. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in history.

Gerry Hueston  - BP

Gerry Hueston is a prominent businessman who recently retired as President of BP Australasia, after a career with BP spanning 34 years in a variety of management and senior executive roles in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

Mr Hueston’s previous roles include Chairman of the Business Council Sustainable Growth Taskforce, Chairman and Board Member of the Australian Institute of Petroleum, Board Member of the Business Council of Australia, and Member of the Chairman’s Panel of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Chris Leptos AM  - KPMG

Chris Leptos is a Partner in the Melbourne office of KPMG. His earlier management roles include Head of Corporate Development for Western Mining Corporation and Chief of Staff to Senator John Button. He has undertaken numerous government reviews for both State and Federal governments; he is a Governor of The Smith Family; a Director of the Asia Society/Asialink; and a volunteer CFA fire-fighter. Mr Leptos graduated from the University of Melbourne with a BCom (1980) and an MBA (1990), and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants and of CPA Australia. In 1997 he was designated a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in the June 2000 Queen’s Birthday Honours Mr Leptos was designated a Member of the Order of Australia for his work on the sustainability of the global mining sector.

Michael McAllum – Global Foresight Network

Michael McAllum is an internationally recognized speaker, author and facilitator / consultant. He works predominantly with organisations and cities to develop strategies, innovative thinking and new business models that make them resilient in a fast changing world. He is the founder of the Global Foresight Network which specializes in the practice of strategic foresight and designing better futures.

A New Zealander, now based in Melbourne, Michael has worked with a broad spectrum of companies and public sector organisations across the Asia Pacific for over fifteen years. This work has included projects as diverse as the development of a global strategy for an international food company, Talent Planet; a Hong Kong based initiative used by some of the world’s largest companies to prepare their senior managers to lead unthinkable change, the development of future business models in transport and logistics that will be forever changed with the reality of more expensive energy, the New Zealand Foresight Project which involved every major sector in that economy in a discussion about their future, and the strategic repositioning of organisations and regions exploring how they might turn sustainability thinking into a post carbon reality.

Michael is a distinguished fellow of the Asian Foresight Institute, based in Bangkok, has been a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian institute of Company Directors and is a foundation member of the Association of Professional Futurists. He is also a member of an exclusive international speakers bureau Future Voices and was one of only nine global expert commentators in the recently released British Government report; The shape of jobs to come. Michael is also on the steering committee of the National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development and is active in the establishment of a pan Asian business forum dedicated to networking leaders in post carbon competitiveness. Michael previously occupied leadership positions in the New Zealand Dairy Industry. He was also an executive member of the global council of the World YMCAs and a leading member of the Asian YMCA executive.

Michael is well recognized globally for his writings on 21st century strategy. This has included his latest book Designing Better Futures  rethinking strategy for a sustainable world, co-authorship of Strategic Foresight: the power of standing in the future and many critically acclaimed essays including Rewire Your head, Getting ahead of the curve, Future cities and Managing uncertainty.

Dr Steve Morton – CSIRO

Dr Morton took up the role of Group Executive, Manufacturing, Materials & Minerals Group in 2008 after returning from long service leave as a Visiting Scientist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystem, Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, Australia.

After completing university, Dr Morton worked as a biologist for the Office of the Supervising Scientist at Jabiru in the Northern Territory. He joined CSIRO in 1984 at our Alice Springs laboratory and transferred to Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, a decade later. Prior to his appointment as Group Executive, Sustainable Energy and Environment, Dr Morton was Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Sustainable Ecosystems. Dr Morton is one of the country's foremost thinkers on issues facing conservation, land management and ecological sustainability.

Dr Morton has been awarded a Bachelor of Science with Honours, as well as a Doctorate in animal ecology, both from University of Melbourne. He completed post-doctoral studies at University of California, Irvine and The University of Sydney Dr Morton is Chair of the Steering Committee for CSIRO’s Indigenous Engagement Strategy. He is also a Director of Bush Heritage Australia.

Paul J Perkins AM

Mr Perkins has played a leading role in public utility reform in Australia in the Electricity, Water and Health Services sectors. In recent times Mr Perkins has been involved in industry and export development activities at a local, industry and national level. He is involved in eleven company boards and Government committees and is Chairman, Australian Science Festival Ltd, Chairman, Environment Industry Action Agenda and Barton Group, and Director and Immediate Past Chairman Environment Management Industry Association of Australia Ltd (EMIAA), now Environment Business Australia. Mr Perkins is also a Companion of the Australian Institution of Engineers and an Honorary Ambassador for Canberra

Dr Noel Purcell – Westpac

Dr Purcell retired from Westpac Banking Corporation in September 2008 after 23 years in the senior executive ranks. His achievements included developing and leading Westpac’s globally recognised corporate governance, responsibility and sustainability initiatives, managing the north Asian businesses, and leading its marketing and government, investor and other stakeholder communications functions.Prior to joining Westpac, he served at senior executive levels within the Federal Public Service within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Office of National Assessments, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Noel now devotes his time to a range of non-executive director and advisory roles and to strategic consultancy in the areas of corporate governance, responsibility and sustainability. He currently sits on several boards and is the Chair of the Global Governing Board of the Caux Round Table. Noel’s sustainability and corporate governance achievements were recognised when he was included in Ethical Corporation’s 2007 Best of the Best as one of the top 15 ethical leaders globally.

Noel gained his PhD. and MSc from the University of Michigan.

Sean Rooney  - Foundation for Development Cooperation.

Sean is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Griffith Business School and Executive Director at the Foundation for Development Cooperation. He is a leading sustainability practitioner having worked as an advisor and consultant to a range of organisations and communities in the areas of strategy, stakeholder engagement and cross sector partnerships. Prior to his current role he was the Sustainability Services Leader at Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), where he lead the development and inmplementation of SKMs sustainable enterprise strategy and various sustainability focused services for clients. He is the Founder and former Director of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Sustainable Communities Initiative where he partnered public, private and civil society organisations together to develop sustainable solutions for local communities.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Australian National University, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Melbourne, and Graduate Certificate in Cross Sector Partnering for Sustainable Development from Cambridge University (UK).

Michael Roux – Citigroup

Mr Roux is Chairman, Asian Markets, KPMG, Roux International Pty Ltd, RI Group, Victorian Opera and a Director of VicUrban, Asialink, St James Ethics Centre and the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation.  He is also Chairman of the ADC and senior advisor to the World Economic Forum and the Government of Rwanda. 

Previously, he was Vice-Chairman of Citigroup, Director of Deutsche Bank, Director of Deutsche Asset Management, Deputy Secretary of the Victorian Treasury, Director of the Office of State Owned Enterprises and Director of the Office of Trade and Investment. 

He has also been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Transport Accident Commission, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accident Compensation Commission, Chairman and Managing Director of the Road Traffic Authority, Executive Chairman of the Victorian Government Housing Authority and Director General of the Department of Employment and Training. 

He has been a member of the National Training Council, the National Occupational, Health and Safety Commission and the Victorian Public Service Board. He has served on the Boards of the State Library of Victoria, the Victorian Employment Committee, the Victorian Technology Advisory Committee, the Victorian Apprenticeship Commission, the Smith Family Victorian Committee, the McFarlane Burnett Centre, and the Heide Museum of Modern Art and was a member of the Council of the Victorian State Opera and the Opera Australia Council.

Carol Schwartz – Highpoint Property Group

Ms Carol Schwartz is a Director of Highpoint Property Group, responsible for Highpoint Shopping Centre, one of Australia's largest regional shopping centres.

Ms Schwartz has a background in law and business administration. She is the Chairman of Industry Superannuation Property Trust (ISPT), Melbourne International Arts Festival and Our Community, as well as a director on a number of significant boards.

Carol was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honors list in 2006 for her achievements in business and commerce and her contribution to community and the arts; Carol also received the Centenary Medal in 2001 in recognition of her outstanding service as a leading business executive and board participant.

Bruce Thomas – Carbon Trading

Bruce Thomas is an acknowledged expert on climate change risk and has worked as an independent sustainability management and risk management consultant providing climate change risk advice to business and government. Prior to 2006 he spent almost 30 years in the insurance industry as a Member of Senior Management and Group Expert Underwriter of Swiss Reinsurance Company in Australia and Asia.

Bruce has presented papers on sustainability, climate change and risk management to conferences in Japan, Singapore and New Zealand as well as many events in Australia. He has developed and lead workshops and training programs for a wide variety of stakeholders in The Philippines, India, New Zealand and Australia.

Bruce is an Associate of Risk Frontiers at Macquarie University, Finance Director of Environment Business Australia Ltd, a member of the Steering Committee of the National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development and a former member of the United Nations Environment Program Australasian Insurance Advisory Committee and the Federal Minister for the Environment’s Finance and Sustainability Roundtable.

Bruce is a former Chairman of Insurance Statistics Australia Ltd and for more than twenty years served on many insurance industry committees and working parties working with Government, business and policyholders.

Bruce holds a degree of Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and completed an Advanced Executive Education Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a CPA, a Fellow and Certified Insurance Professional of ANZIIF and a member of the AICD.

Dr John White – Ignite Energy Resources

Dr John White commenced as Executive Director of Ignite Energy Resources Pty Ltd (IER) (formerly Victoria Coal Resources) in 2006. IER has the rights to a major brown coal deposit in Gippsland, Victoria. 

IER plans to integrate leading edge low emissions technologies to create high value energy and biological fertiliser products for domestic use and export. 

John was also, until 2008, the Chairman of Global Renewables which was formed in 2000 to pursue greenhouse gas reduction opportunities by providing solutions for waste reduction. Global Renewables has integrated technologies to develop the UR-3R (Urban Resources - Recovery, Reuse and Recycling) Process. 

In September 2005, Global Renewables was selected to design, build, own and operate the Lancashire Waste Partnership PFI project in the United Kingdom. With a revenue of around $6 billion, to process 765,000 tpa of municipal solid waste over 25 years, it is one of the largest waste recycling projects in the world. 

John had extensive involvement with Woodside's North West Shelf Offshore LNG Development, he helped instigate the RAN Submarine Project tenders, and subsequently headed the teams that successfully tendered for the purchase of Williamstown Naval Dockyard from the Australian Government, the completion of the Australian Frigate Project (2 FFGs) and the $5 billion ANZAC Frigate Project (10 ANZACs). He was Chief Executive of Transfield Defence Systems Pty Ltd from 1988 to 1996 and then Global Chief Executive of the recycling and packaging group, Visy Industries. He was subsequently Managing Director of the building products and hardware distribution group, Siddons Ramset, until the successful takeover bid by USA giant, Illinois Tool Works. 

John has been a Director of a number of publicly listed Australian companies, was formerly Chairman of the Federal Government's Uranium Industry Council, was a member of the Defence Procurement Board, and is a founding member of the Nuclear Fuel Leasing Group (NFLG) and a member of the Defence SA Advisory Board.