Front row (L-R): Robert Tickner (former CEO), John Pinney, Margaret Piper, Dianne Buckles, Jeni McDonough (Secretary), Michael Legge, The Hon Dr David Hamill, Ross Pinney. Middle: Sam Wong, Jan West, Anne Macarthur, John MacLennan. Top: Lyndal Herbert, Sue Vardon, Charles Burkitt, John D Dorrian. Absent: Pearl Li, Tanya Hosch.
Australian Red Cross/Mark Farrelly
Australian Red Cross Board members
Michael Legge, President
Appointed December 2011
Michael joined Red Cross in 1986 as a young and enthusiastic volunteer ambulance driver with the Red Cross St Marys branch in Tasmania. Since then, his involvement with Red Cross has taken him from rural Tasmania as far afield as Mongolia, Pakistan and the Pacific. Michael was elected President of Australian Red Cross at the Annual General Meeting in December 2011, but his other leadership appointments have been numerous. He has been a member of the Australian Red Cross Tasmanian Division Council and Finance Committee and was Deputy Chair of the Division in 1998, then Chair in 1999. Michael also served on the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Board from 2001 to 2011 and served as Chair of the Board’s International Committee from April 2008 until November 2011. In 2008 Michael was awarded Honorary Life Membership, our peak award for the highest degree of achievement and service by a member. He has represented Australian Red Cross internationally, both as an Australian delegate and speaker at international forums, and as an active participant in decision-making for the Movement.
Ross Pinney, Deputy President
Appointed December 2011
Serving as a Red Cross Divisional Advisory Board member from 2005 to 2007, Ross was elected Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee in 2007. He was elected as a member of the International Federation of Red Cross Finance Commission in 2007 and became Deputy President of Australian Red Cross in December 2011. In addition to chairing the Information Technology Committee and Finance Committee, he is a member of the Governance Committee; the National Awards Committee; the Nominations and Remuneration Committee; and the Services Committee. Ross is also a non-executive director of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, and chair of Rural Bank Limited. Outside of Red Cross, he worked for 15 years as a senior manager at National Australia Bank – as Executive General Manager in the Office of the CEO, CEO Europe, and Executive General Manager of Products and Services.
Jan West AM, Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
Appointed April 2012
Jan has more than 40 years’ finance experience with Australian and international listed and private companies, government agencies and community organisations. Jan was an audit partner of Deloitte and retired from the practice in December 2011. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and of CPA Australia, Jan is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In recognition of her services to the accountancy profession and to the community, Jan was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001 and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007. She is currently a non-executive director of Dairy Australia, Neurosciences Victoria and Melbourne Forum and an independent member of the Audit and Risk Management Committees of the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance. She has been President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a member of the Financial Reporting Council and a non-executive director of a number of commercial and not-for-profit entities. In addition to chairing the Red Cross Audit and Risk Committee, Jan is also a member of our Finance Committee, Governance Committee, Nominations and Remuneration Committee and Blood Service Finance and Audit Committee.
Pearl Li, Youth Member
Appointed November 2014
Pearl was elected Youth Member of the Australian Red Cross Board in 2014. Her involvement with Red Cross began in late 2011, when she became President of the Red Cross Club at the University of Adelaide. She soon joined the South Australian Youth Advisory Committee, going on to become the representative for our National Youth Advisory Committee and making a key contribution to youth engagement within Red Cross. Along with serving on our Board, Pearl studies law and has volunteered with many of our programs across areas as diverse as emergency services, supporting vulnerable migrants, and reaching out to older and socially isolated people. Her vast experience in youth engagement and community service includes mentoring student volunteers for service trips to India and volunteering with the Smith Family and World Vision.
Anne Macarthur OAM, Chair, VIC Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed October 2014
Anne joined Junior Red Cross in 1952 and has been an active member of the Lindenow & District Unit for 40 years. She was appointed Chair of the Victorian Divisional Advisory Board in October 2014 and currently chairs the Board’s National Emergency Services Advisory Committee. During her time with Red Cross Anne has been heavily involved in unit and regional governance, fundraising and many other Red Cross activities. She is a trained emergency services volunteer and was involved in the Red Cross response during the Black Saturday bushfires. Anne has been the Victorian Advisory Board representative on the Victorian International Humanitarian Law Committee for over 10 years, and a committee member of the Victorian Overseas Support Group since it started in 1997. For Anne’s extraordinary work with Red Cross she has been awarded honorary life membership. In 2007 she was also awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her work in the wider community.
Charles Burkitt, Chair, NT Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed October 2014
Charles was elected as Chair of the Northern Territory Divisional Advisory Board in October 2014, after having served as a Board Member for numerous years. His affiliation with Australian Red Cross dates back to a very early age, growing up with family members actively involved in the organisation. Charles has consistently contributed to Red Cross as a volunteer and continues to contribute significantly to his community and the broader Northern Territory. He began his career as an Investment Adviser specialising in financial markets, having worked in that industry for more than 15 years. Based in Darwin, he now works in the property development industry and serves as an active board member of several local organisations.
The Hon Dr David Hamill AM, Chair, Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Appointed November 2007
David served on our Queensland Divisional Board from 2003 to 2007, and has been a member of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Board since 2004. He served in the Queensland Parliament as the Member for Ipswich from 1983 to 2001, and was a Minister in the Goss and Beattie governments. He received a Centenary Medal in 2001 and became a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2009. David is also a member of Australian Red Cross’ Nominations and Remuneration Committee.
Dianne Buckles, Chair, WA Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed October 2013
Di was appointed Chair of our WA Divisional Advisory Board in October 2013 and has been a member of the Divisional Board since 2006, taking up the position of Vice President in 2007 and Deputy Chair in 2009. Di originally joined Red Cross in 1999 as a member and volunteer, and continues to volunteer in various areas such as emergency services, helping out both in WA and around Australia. She is trained in the Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System and has completed several Australian Emergency Management Institute courses, is a volunteer trainer, a facilitator and presenter of our emergency preparedness resources, a team convenor and represents Australian Red Cross on the City of Stirling Local Emergency Management Committee. Di is currently Chair of the WA Awards Committee and the fundraising ‘Flower Committee’ Unit, Co-Chair of the WA Volunteer Reference Group, and a member of the National Services Committee, National Emergency Services Advisory Committee and WA International Humanitarian Law Committee. For her service, dedication and exceptional leadership to Red Cross, Di was awarded a Distinguished Service Award in 2010. Now retired, Di worked in the corporate information technology sector for many years, and then in computer software consulting.
John D Dorrian, Additional Board Member
Appointed August 2012
John is a member of our Audit and Risk Committee and Finance Committee, Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee, and was a previously a member of the National Asset and Investment Strategy Committee. He has had extensive experience as a non-executive director of a number of significant listed and unlisted public and private companies, including the ASX-listed Spark Infrastructure Group, Melbourne Airport, electricity distribution businesses Powercor and CitiPower in Victoria and SA Power Networks in South Australia, and Deutsche Asset Management (Australia) Limited. He is currently Chairman and Independent Non-Executive Director of Colonial First State Infrastructure Managers (Australia) Limited and First State Infrastructure Managers (International) Limited. John is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lyndal Herbert, Chair, TAS Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed December 2012
Lyndal originally joined Red Cross as the Treasurer of the Tasmanian Divisional Advisory Board in 2003, before being elected Deputy Chair in November 2006 and Chair in November 2012. During this time Lyndal has been involved in a number of committees, including the National Asset and Investment Strategy Committee (2008-2013) and National Awards Committee (2009-2012), and is a current member of the Finance Committee and Investment Sub-Committee. Lyndal commenced her career in Melbourne with Arthur Andersen & Co, and moved to Hobart where she has worked with KPMG since 2001 and is currently a Director in KPMG’s tax practice. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Tanya Hosch, Additional Board Member
Appointed August 2012 – Resigned from the Board June 2015
As a social policy advisor with more than 15 years’ experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, Tanya holds a number of board directorships and committee positions, including with Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute. Instrumental in designing the consultative processes and model of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Tanya provides advice to a range of organisations specialising in program design and Indigenous engagement. Tanya is also the Deputy National Campaign Director for Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
John MacLennan, Chair, NSW Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed August 2009
John joined the NSW Divisional Advisory Board in July 1998, was elected as a member of the National Council and became Deputy Chair in NSW in 2007. He has been Chair of the NSW Divisional Advisory Board since 2009. John is currently Chair of the Migration Programs Advisory Committee and the Governance Committee. He is also a member of the International Committee, Services Committee and NSW International Humanitarian Law Committee. Beyond Red Cross, John practiced as a solicitor from 1977 to 2012.
John Pinney AM, Chair, QLD Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed October 2012
John first began his association with Red Cross volunteering for the Alice Springs Branch in 1981. Since then he has held a number of senior leadership positions, including Chair of the NT Divisional Advisory Board and Vice-Chair of the National Board. He joined the Queensland Divisional Advisory Board in 2007. John also chairs the International Committee and is a member of the Migration Programs Advisory Committee and Finance Committee, where he chairs the Property Sub-Committee. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his work in the Red Cross Movement. John is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute.
Margaret Piper AM, Additional Board Member
Appointed August 2012
Margaret is a consultant with almost 30 years’ experience in the refugee services sector, including as Executive Director of the Refugee Council of Australia (1991-2005) and as a board member of a number of agencies working with refugees and asylum seekers. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of Multicultural NSW and also works as a consultant, primarily in the areas of policy, research and capacity building. Margaret served over many years as the non-government adviser to the Australian Government delegation to the annual meeting of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva and has undertaken field work in many parts of the world. In recognition of her service to the community through leadership and advocacy roles assisting refugees and asylum seekers, Margaret was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 2011. Margaret has been connected to Red Cross throughout her life, and in addition to her current role on the Board, she also chairs the Services Committee and is a member of the Migration Programs Advisory Committee and Audit and Risk Committee.
Sue Vardon AO, Chair, SA Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed December 2011
Before being appointed Chair of SA Divisional Advisory Board, Sue was an independent member of the National Board for two years. She chairs the Members and Volunteers Committee and is on the Information Technology Committee, and she also chaired the National Centenary Committee. Sue was a chief executive for 23 years in a variety of State and Commonwealth agencies, including serving as the inaugural CEO of Centrelink. Her work in public sector governance has continued in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Papua New Guinea, and she also has many years of experience in disaster management. Sue was the inaugural Telstra Business Woman of the Year and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia for community services. She is the Chair of Connecting Up, providing digital services to the not for profit sector, and is a member of the South Australian Local Government Governance Panel.
Sam Wong AM, Chair, ACT Divisional Advisory Board
Appointed June 2013
Sam has been a member of the ACT Divisional Advisory Board since 2008 and was elected Deputy Chair in 2012. He has been involved with Australian Red Cross, Lions Clubs International and many multicultural organisations for three decades. In 1999 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community and to multiculturalism in the ACT region. In early 2012, the Prime Minister announced that Sam would be appointed as a People of Australia Ambassador (representing the Australian Capital Territory) for the promotion of Australian multiculturalism. Sam is also a member of the National Awards Committee and Members and Volunteers Committee.
Jeni McDonough, Secretary
Appointed December 2009
While not a member of the Board, Jeni attends Board meetings. She commenced working with Red Cross in September 2004 as Assistant to the Board and was appointed Secretary in December 2009. Jeni has more than 36 years’ experience in administration, the majority of which have been at a senior level. She holds a Certificate of Governance Practice and Administration, Certificate of Governance for Not-For-Profits and is a Certificated Member of the Governance Institute of Australia (GIA (Cert)).
Mr Chris Kwong resigned from the Board as Youth Member at the 2014 AGM, having served three years. Mr Devendra Patel and Mr John Hood resigned in October 2014 having completed full terms as Chairs of the NT and VIC Divisional Advisory Boards.
