AIMSC Board
Leah Armstrong, Director (Chief Executive Officer, Reconciliation Australia)
Appointed as director on 22 December 2008. Born in Mackay, Queensland, Leah is a Torres Strait Islander. On moving to Newcastle in the late 1980s, Leah began working with the Aboriginal community at the Awabakal Newcastle Aboriginal Cooperative before helping to establish Yarnteen— a not for profit company which provides Aboriginal people with training, employment and enterprise opportunities. As Executive Director for 18 years, Leah led Yarnteen’s success and ensured it was an effective organisation with governance, strategic direction and financial accountability. In 2009 she joined Social Ventures Australia where she advised on social enterprise development partnerships. Leah holds several board positions including Indigenous Business Australia, National Policy Commission on Indigenous Housing, AIMSC and Jobs Australia Foundation.
Lani Blanco-Francis, Director (Chief Executive Officer, LBF Consulting)
Appointed as director on 22 December 2008. LBF Consulting Pty Ltd is a Sydney-based company specialising in Indigenous employment, business development, and best practice between Indigenous business, Government and corporate Australia. Lani is a great advocate of women in corporate leadership roles and is a board director of AIMSC and National Indigenous Television (NITV).
Elizabeth Broderick, Director
Appointed as director on 11 August 2011. Elizabeth has been a strong advocate for Australia’s national paid parental leave scheme, workplace diversity, equal pay and changes to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles to increase the number of women at decision making level. Currently leading a major review into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force. Member of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Law Advisory Board, the Vic Health Advisory Board and the ANU Centre for Public and International Law. Lawyer and businesswoman. Elizabeth was the 2001-02 Telstra NSW Business Woman of the Year and Australian Corporate Business Woman of the Year.
John Grant, Director (Head of Procurement, Department of Finance and Deregulation)
Appointed as director on 11 August 2011. Previously the interim head of the Australian Government Information Management Office and head of the Office of Small Business and Australian Building Codes Board. John has a Bachelor of Arts from the ANU with majors in history and accounting.
Anthony Hollis, Director (Principal, Hollis Hochberg)
Appointed as director on 22 December 2008. Anthony has Law degrees from South Africa, Israel and Australia. Work experiences include CEO of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, NSW, Tax at Ernst & Young, Head of Time Warner USA operations Aus/NZ, President CanWest Asia Pacific (Canada) as its representative on the Board of Network Ten.
Dugald Russell, Director (Director, Message Stick Communications)
Appointed as director on 1 June 2009. Dugald's 20 year corporate experience in senior financial and CEO roles, both in Australia and overseas, led to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Australia's leading foodservice business with annual revenues in excess of $560m and employing some 9000 people in Australia and New Zealand.
During his time as CEO, the business doubled in size and was judged to be in the "Top Ten Best Employers in Australia", won the "Prime Minister's Employer of the Year" award and was constantly a finalist in the "Prime Ministers Corporate leaders for Indigenous Employment Awards".
Whilst based in Europe, as CFO within the worlds leading foodservice operator, Dugald played a leading role in establishing multi million dollar businesses in overseas markets such as Germany, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Bosnia, Croatia, and the Republic of Ireland. Dugald is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.
Stephen Roberts, Chairman (Chief Executive Officer, Citi Australia)
Appointed as director on 21 May 2009. Stephen joined Salomon Brothers as an investment banking associate in 1984 and the following year was transferred to Sydney and promoted to Vice President in 1985. In 1989, he was appointed Director with responsibility for opening and heading the firm’s Melbourne office. In 1992 he transferred to London as Director of European Capital Markets. He left Salomon Brothers in August 1995 to work as Regional Head of Capital Markets for Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong. He rejoined Salomon Brothers in August 1996. Prior to his career with Salomon Brothers, Stephen held positions with the Australian Treasury and the Australian Foreign Service as Vice Consul in New York. Born in Australia, Stephen holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Australian National University.
Suzanne Young, Director (Executive General Manager, Group Corporate Services, Commonwealth Bank of Australia)
Appointed as director on 11 August 2011. Suzanne Young has held senior leadership roles at Qantas and Unisys Corporation. In her role at CBA, Suzanne is responsible for the Group’s Property and Procurement strategies and operations. Suzanne has also been appointed to the Group’s Art Committee and is an active supporter of the Group’s Reconciliation Action Plan and Sustainability initiatives. Suzanne also holds directorships of Officer’s Superannuation Fund (OSF) and Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA).
