James allan 2 kevin andrews mp 2

JOHN O’SULLIVAN

John O’Sullivan is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse and Chairman of the Investment Banking Department in Sydney. He was with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia as General Counsel and a Member of CBA’s Executive Committee. He was a partner at Freehills from 1983 to 2003.

As a lawyer, John led the initial public offerings of Telstra and Telstra 2, the sale of Sydney Airport, and CBA’s acquisition of Colonial, among others. At Credit Suisse, he advised on a number of significant Mergers & Acquisitions, including CBA’s acquisition of BankWest and the Aston Resources merger with Whitehaven. John was a long-time Member of the Takeovers Panel, has written extensively on corporate and securities law matters, and heads the Australian M&A Group.
Photo on J Drive

GREG PARAMOR

 

Greg is the Managing Director of Folkestone Ltd, a specialist property funds management group. Greg has been involved in the real estate and funds management industry for more than 35 years. He is a past president of the Property Council of Australia and past president of Investment Funds Association.

Greg is a director of a number of not-for-profit organisations including the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Greg is also a board member of the Sydney Swans and Chairman of LJ Hooker Ltd. 
Greg is attending Consilium with his wife Kerry Paramor.
Photo on J Drive

JAMES PHILIPS

James Philips is the head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Minter Ellison in Sydney. As well as advising on M&A transactions, James advises on equity capital markets transactions and general corporate law. He is the author and updater of Takeovers in Australian Corporation Practice, a LexisNexis/Butterworths publication, and a member of the Adjunct Faculty in Corporate Law, University of Sydney, where he teaches Corporate Fundraising.

He is also an elected member of Minter Ellison’s Board, and Chair of its audit committee. James is a Board Member of The Centre for Independent Studies. He frequently publishes commentary in his areas of professional interest. Other interests include investment, history and public policy.
James’ partner, Julie Claridge, is attending Consilium with him.
Photo on J Drive – No photo of wife

CHRISTIAN PORTER MP

The Hon. Christian Porter MP is a member for Pearce. Prior to this Christian served as a Minister in the State Government variously holding portfolios of Attorney General, Minister for Corrective Services and Treasurer of Western Australia.

Prior to politics, Christian worked as a lawyer in both the commercial and government settings; beginning his career at Clayton Utz and then later working as a Senior State Prosecutor for the Director of Public Prosecutions WA, where he prosecuted criminal trials for the State.
Christian has also lectured at Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia in law, public policy and economics. Most recently, Christian was the Professor of Law at Curtin University.
Christian is joined at Consilium by his wife, Jennifer Porter.
Photo on J Drive

SIMON RANSON

Simon Ranson is currently focused on personal investments and family.

Previously he was a Managing Director at Citigroup where he was head of Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate for more than 10 years. Simon has more than 20 years’ experience in Investment Banking and has also worked at Merrill Lynch. He has completed more than $100 billion in transactions including the largest Real Estate takeovers and IPOs in Australia.
Simon also worked as a lawyer at Baker and McKenzie and holds Bachelor of Commerce and Laws (Honours) degrees from the University of Queensland.
Photo on J Drive

IAN REID

Ian grew up on a sheep and cattle station in Southern NSW.  He studied economics at Sydney University and later obtained an Honours degree in the History and Philosophy of Science. He has a long-standing interest in Perennial Philosophy, yoga and Eastern philosophy.

Ian manages his family investment company, Millenium P/L, which includes a cattle and sheep operation in Southern NSW.  He occupied positions of trustee and Chairman of the Thyne Reid Foundation for many years.
Ian's wife, Jill Reid, is attending Consilium. She has a background in Medical Science, Psychology and English Literature.
Photo on J Drive – no photo of wife

PETER REITH

The Honourable Peter K Reith was a senior Cabinet Minister in the Australian Government from 1996 to 2001 and then a Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2003 to 2009.  In 1996 he was appointed Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the House of Representatives. 

Peter is a regular with the Sydney Morning Herald and Sky News, a lobbyist with 2 international firms. He started a mentoring program for MPs and he is a regular speaker on everything from gas to party reform. Peter also practiced law in Melbourne and rural Victoria. He started Newhaven College at Phillip Island.
Peter is joined at Consilium by his partner, Kerrie Lally-Jolles.
Photo on J Drive – No Photo of wife

RUTH RICHARDSON

Ruth Richardson was the Minister of Finance of New Zealand during 1990 to 1993.  In the years since Ruth left Parliament, she has had an extensive international practice as a public policy consultant. She has advised widely on strategies designed to achieve the practice of good governance and the development of high quality policy frameworks.

In parallel with her work as a public policy consultant, she has established a substantial private sector practice in corporate governance. Her directorships have involved her in a wide spectrum of business activity and the responsibilities she has shouldered on her Boards have contributed to her growing level of expertise in many aspects of corporate governance.

Ruth is joined at Consilium by her husband, Andrew Wright. Andrew is the manager responsible for the administration of Ruth Richardson [NZ] Ltd. He also was a legal policy adviser in the Head Office of the Department of Justice. In 1979 he was appointed as special project officer in charge of implementing a fundamental reform of New Zealand's electoral laws following a failed attempt to computerise the country's electoral rolls in 1978. Andrew was also a part time lecturer in law at Lincoln University.

Photo on J Drive – for both

CHRIS ROBERTS

Chris Roberts is Deputy Chair of the CIS. He is Chairman of Orora Ltd, which demerged in Dec 2013 from Amcor Ltd where he had been chairman for 13 years. He is also a Director of Control Risks Plc and was formerly non execeutive director of Telstra, Australian Agriculture, Petaluma Wines, MLC Life, and Email Ltd. His executive roles included CEO of OrlandoWyndham Wines and Arnotts Ltd. 

He will be accompanied by his wife Frances Roberts.  
Photo on J Drive – no photo of wife

SCOTT RYAN

Senator the Hon Scott Ryan was elected to the Senate in 2007, as the youngest Liberal senator ever elected from Victoria. He was re-elected at the 2013 Federal Election and was appointed to the First Abbott Ministry as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education. Prior to this appointment, Scott was Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition between 2010-2013 and has also served as Chair of the Senate Standing References Committee on Finance & Public Administration.

Immediately before entering the Senate in 2008, Scott worked as a consultant in the health and insurance sectors as well as serving as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne. Scott is a member of the Essendon FC, the Institute of Public Affairs, The Centre for Independent Studies and the Samuel Griffith Society.
Scott Ryan is an alumni of the CIS Liberty & Society student program.
Photo on J Drive

JEREMY SAMMUT

Dr Jeremy Sammut is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies specialising in health and child protection policy. Jeremy has written extensively on adoption as the solution to child welfare problems in underclass families and is a leading advocate of market-based health reform. Some recent papers include: Still Damaging and Disturbing: Australian Child Protection Data and the Need for National Adoption Targets, The New Silence: Family Breakdown and Child Sexual Abuse and Saving Medicare But NOT As We Know It. 

Jeremy has a PhD from Monash University in Australian political and social history. His work has featured in all major Australia newspapers including The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian Financial Review. He also regularly comments on multiculturalism, most recently in an article in Quadrant magazine on the section 18C free speech debate. 
Photo on J Drive

GREG SHERIDAN

Greg Sheridan is The Australian’s foreign editor. After 25 years in the field, he is a veteran of international affairs who has interviewed leaders all over the Asia Pacific and America. He is a frequent foreign affairs commentator on radio and television and is a sought-after speaker at conferences around the region.

He has produced four books on Asia; Cities of the Hot Zone - a Southeast Asian Adventure; Asian Values, Western Dreams, Understanding the New Asia; Tigers, Leaders of the New Asia Pacific; and Living With Dragons, Australia Confronts Its Asian Destiny.
Photo on J Drive

STEVEN SKALA AO

Steven M. Skala AO is Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank AG (Australia and New Zealand). He is Chairman of Wilson HTM Investment Group Ltd, a Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Hexima Ltd; Vice President of the Board of the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research; and Deputy Chairman of the General Sir John Monash Foundation. He is a Board Member of The Centre for Independent Studies.

He is a Member of the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Advisory Council of the Australian Innovation Research Centre, the Global Foundation, and the Grievance Tribunal of Cricket Australia. Steven was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in January 2010 for service to the arts, education, business and commerce.
Photo on J Drive

DEAN SMITH

Dean Smith has been a Senator for WA since May 2012. Senator Smith has been a member of the Liberal Party of WA for over 25 years and is a fervent believer in limited government, promoting personal responsibility and liberty and reforming Australian Federalism by devolving responsibilities to States.

He is Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Chair of the Coalition Backbench Committee on Communications and Industry and Resources. Prior to entering Parliament he held senior executive positions at Australia’s largest general insurer, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), and at Asia’s largest telecommunications company, SingTel Optus.
Photo on J Drive

CHRISTOPHER SNOWDON

Christopher Snowdon is the Director of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA. He is the author of The Art of Suppression, The Spirit Level Delusion and Velvet Glove; Iron Fist. His work focuses on pleasure, prohibition and dodgy statistics. He has authored a number of publications including Sock Puppets, Euro Puppets, The Proof of the Pudding, The Crack Cocaine of Gambling and Free Market Solutions in Health.

Photo on J Drive

PHILIPPA STONE

Philippa Stone is Global Co-Head of Herbert Smith Freehills’ Capital Markets group. Philippa has been involved in many major public company and infrastructure asset acquisitions (including AGLs’ recent successful bid for Macquarie Generation) and landmark capital raisings (including the Telstra and Healthscope IPOs and many others), and is currently leading the Herbert Smith Freehills team advising the Australian Government on its preparations for the Medibank Private IPO.

Philippa is the only Australian lawyer to have received the ‘Australian Deal Maker of the Year’ award four times at the ALB Australasian Law Awards (2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013).
Photo on J Drive

MICHAEL TRAILL AM

Michael Traill AM joined Social Ventures Australia as founding CEO in 2002 after 15 years as a co-founder and Executive Director of Macquarie Group’s private equity arm, Macquarie Direct Investment. Michael is Chair of GoodStart Early Learning, Chairman of the Opera Australia Capital Fund, Assetic Pty Ltd, and a Director of M H Carnegie & Co.
Photo on J Drive

ALISON WATKINS

Alison Watkins joined Coca-Cola Amatil as Group Managing Director in March 2014. Alison is a Board Member of The Centre for Independent Studies. Alison’s previous roles include CEO of GrainCorp Limited and of Berri Limited, and Managing Director of Regional Banking at ANZ.

Alison spent 10 years at McKinsey & Company from 1989-1999 and became a partner of the firm in 1996 before moving to ANZ as Group General Manager Strategy, reporting to the CEO. Alison has been a non-executive director of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Woolworths Limited and Just Group Limited. She is a former Victorian President and National Board Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the AICD.
Alison is attending Consilium with her daughter, Grace Watkins.
Photo on J Drive

MAX WALSH AM

Max Walsh AM has for many years been one of Australia’s top economic and political commentators, highly regarded as a journalist, author and broadcaster. From 1974 to 1981 he was the editor and managing editor of The Australian Financial Review and then established Nine Network’s Sunday program.
In 1983 he was made a member of the Order of Australia for his services to journalism. Max then became co-presenter of the Carleton-Walsh Report on the ABC before moving to Channel 10 as anchor for The Walsh Report.  From 1983 to 1998 Max was also a columnist and correspondent with The Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age, in 1998 he became the Editor-in-Chief of The Bulletin. He worked at the Bulletin until his retirement from the Editor at Large position in June 2007. 
Photo on J Drive

JENNIFER WESTACOTT

Jennifer Westacott has been Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia since 2011.

For over 20 years Jennifer occupied critical leadership positions in the New South Wales and Victorian governments. She was the Director of Housing and the Secretary of Education in Victoria, and most recently was the Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources.

From 2005 to 2011 Jennifer was senior partner and board director at KPMG. Since 2013, Jennifer has been a Non-Executive Director of Wesfarmers Limited and Chair of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

Photo on J Drive

CASSANDRA WILKINSON

Cassandra Wilkinson is the External Engagement Manager at The Centre for Independent Studies. She works with the Directors and Executive to develop our community of supporters.
Her background is diverse covering the not for profit sector, politics and the media. She has also held executive roles in the state and federal public sector and undertaken external affairs roles in business. Cassandra has also authored two books Don’t Panic – Nearly Everything is Better Than You Think and The Kids are Alright.
Photo on J Drive

STEVEN WILSON AM

Steven Wilson AM, was with JP Morgan Cazenove in London for 5 years and Wilson HTM and Pinnacle Investment Management in Brisbane for 30 years. He is a Board Member of WHTM Investment Group, Pinnacle, and The Centre for Independent Studies. Past roles include Chair of Southbank Corporation, St John’s Cathedral Completion Fund, Deputy Chair/Chair of Queensland Rugby Union, Director of Telstra Corporation, Councillor of Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and Director/Deputy Chair of Tourism Queensland.

 

Steven is joined at Consilium by his wife, Dr Jane Wilson. Jane is an independent non-executive director with a background in finance, banking and medicine. She is currently a director of Sonic Healthcare Ltd, Deputy Chancellor of the University of Queensland, Finance director of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a director of the General Sir John Monash Foundation. She is a Member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council and a Member of the Arts Investment Advisory Board in Queensland.

She was the Queensland President and Director of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) from 2002 to 2004, and named in the inaugural 2012 AFR/Westpac Top 100 Women Awards in the Board/Management category.
Photo on J Drive