Board

AMPAG’s Board is elected from the Chairs of the member companies.

Derek Young, Melbourne Theatre Company [AMPAG Chair]

Derek joined the AMPAG board in June 2005 and was appointed Chair the following year. He has been Chair of the Melbourne Theatre Company since May 2005 and a Board member since 1994. In 2003 Derek retired from Accenture Australia after 30 years with the firm. Prior to his retirement he was the Managing Director of Accenture Australia Ltd and the Managing Partner of Accenture’s Financial Services business in Asia. Derek is a director of a number of private companies, member of Council at RMIT University, Chair of Accenture Australia Foundation, a member of the Orcadia Foundation and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK).

John C. Conde AO, Sydney Symphony Orchestra

John joined the AMPAG board in October 2007, the same year as he was appointed Chair of Sydney Symphony. He is Chairman of EnergyAustralia and of BUPA Australia, President of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal and Chairman of Whitehaven Coal Limited and Homebush Motor Racing Authority, Advisory Board. He is a Director of DEXUS Property Group, Chairman of the Australian Olympic Committee (NSW) Fundraising Committee and a member of Bond University’s Board of Trustee Members. Positions previously held by John include: Director of BHP Billiton and Excel Coal Limited, Managing Director of Broadcast Investment Holdings Pty Limited, Director of Lumley Corporation and President of the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Louise Herron, Company B Belvoir 

Louise rejoined the AMPAG board in March 2009 having previously been a member between 2004 and 2007. She has been a director of Company B (Belvoir St Theatre) since February 2001 and Chair since 2002. Louise has been a corporate adviser for 10 years, in a range of different contexts. Before co-founding Ironbark, Strategy & Transactions in 2007, Louise advised on takeovers, sales and acquisitions, IPOs and other capital raisings at Carnegie Wylie; with Investec, she focused on private equity transactions and for Macquarie Bank, she managed a new technology company. Previously, Louise was a partner at Minter Ellison for over 10 years. She is currently a Trustee of Sydney Grammar School.

Rowan Ross, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra 

Rowan was the founding Chair of AMPAG in 1999 and was reappointed to the Board in January 2008. He is Chair of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, a position he’s held since September 2006. He is an executive director of Macquarie Bank and has more than 30 years experience in investment banking. Rowan is a director of Insurance Australia Group Limited, Chairman of Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and Chairman of Sydney IVF Limited. He was former Chairman of Sydney Dance Company.

Joan M. Sheldon AM, Queensland Ballet

Joan has been a board member of AMPAG since 2007 and is the Chair of the Queensland Ballet, having been appointed to that Board in 2005. Joan ran her own physiotherapy practice before becoming a Member of Parliament (1990 – 2004). She held a range of senior positions including Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for the Arts. From 1991 to 1998 she was Leader of the Liberal Party. Joan is a Licentiate of Trinity College, London, in speech and drama; a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors; Adjunct Professor at the Sunshine Coast University; an Executive in Residence at the Australian Institute of Management and a member of various company boards.

Ziggy Switkowski, Opera Australia 

Ziggy was appointed to the AMPAG Board in 2009, the same year he was appointed Chair of Opera Australia. He is a former Chief Executive of Telstra, Optus and Kodak (Australasia) and currently a Non-Executive Director of Suncorp, Tabcorp, and Healthscope. He is also Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, a graduate of the University of Melbourne with a PhD in nuclear physics, and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Janet Holmes à Court AC, West Australian Symphony Orchestra 

Janet has been Chair of West Australian Symphony Orchestra since 1998 and is the owner of one of Australia's largest private companies, Heytesbury Pty Ltd. She is also Chairman of The John Holland Group, Urban Design Centre of WA, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and a Director of the Australian National Academy of Music and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She is the Venice Architecture Biennale Commissioner and established The Holmes à Court Gallery in Perth. 

John Irving, State Theatre Company of South Australia

John joined the AMPAG board in October 2007, the same year as he was appointed Chair of Sydney Symphony. He is Chairman of EnergyAustralia and of BUPA Australia, President of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal, Chairman of Whitehaven Coal Limited and Homebush Motor Racing Authority, Advisory Board. He is a Director of DEXUS Property Group, Chairman of the Australian Olympic Committee (NSW) Fundraising Committee and a member of Bond University’s Board of Trustee Members. Positions previously held include: Director of BHP Billiton and Excel Coal Limited, Managing Director of Broadcast Investment Holdings Pty Limited, Director of Lumley Corporation and President of the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Susan Donnelly, Executive Director

Sue was appointed Executive Director in February 2009. She has extensive experience in arts and cultural development, health and social policy. Sue was previously Director, UNSW Foundation and has held senior management positions at Arts NSW, South East Arts (UK), Company B (Belvoir St Theatre) and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She has consulted and lectured in arts management, served on a range of Government advisory boards and tribunals, as well as the Boards of numerous arts and community organisations. She is currently a director of Performance Space.