Board of Directors
A new Board of Directors has been appointed by the Minister of Education, Training and the Arts to take Southbank into the new governance arrangements of a Statutory Authority.
Members of this Board were selected to provide the leadership and drive for transitional change to a new governance model consistent with key recommendations of the Queensland Skills Plan.
Meet our Board Members
- John Puttick, Chairman GBST Holdings Limited (Chair)
- Ray Heffernan, Principal, Aston House Consulting Services
- Peter Sullivan, Former Executive Director Finance and Resource Planning QUT
- Cheryl Macnaught, Company Director, Whittaker Macnaught
- Ann Garms, Proprietor, Ann Garms Consultants, Interior Design & Furnishing
- Chris Burgess, Company Director, Allen & Buckeridge Ventre Fund Company
- Kate Seed, Industrial Advocate, Queensland Teachers’ Union
John Puttick, Chairman GBST Holdings Limited
John Puttick has enjoyed a multifaceted 42-year career in information technology, education and community service.
He founded Global Banking and Securities Transactions (GBST), guiding this innovative leader in IT for the financial services sector from embryonic idea to its listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2005.
Committed to student and industry mentorship, John serves on IT Faculty Advisory Committees for the Queensland University of Technology as Chair; the University of Queensland as Adjunct Professor; along with his responsibilities as Chair of the Southbank’s Board of Directors.
John’s achievements and support of the IT industry in Queensland were acknowledged in 2006 with his appointment as Chairman of Software Queensland.
A long-standing community advocate, John was Founding Chair of the Royal Blind Foundation in Queensland.
John is a Past-president of the Rotary Club of Brisbane and served as Host Committee Chair for the Rotary International Convention in 2003, an event that attracted more than 17,000 delegates to the city. Additionally, John has participated in several international business development forums for the State of Queensland and has been appointed to the ICT Ministerial Advisory Group.
Ray Heffernan,
Principal, Aston House Consulting Services
Ray Heffernan is a highly regarded Contractor for the Communications Industry. Ray has contracts with the Queensland Department of State Development, local government, commercial organisation and not-for-profit organisations. These contact activities assist organisations in commercial, structural and policy development to drive optional outcomes as a result of their ICT investments.
Ray's interests relate to ICT as an economic/commercial enabler, delivering competitive advantage for sustainable business development and management of the impact of external interventions through numerous government policy and programs and commercial initiatives.
Ray is well known for his previous appointment as the Commercial Manager for the Cape York Digital Network (CYDN), which involved developing market collateral, pricing structures, product development and establishing market priorities in remote far north Queensland where economic activity is limited. Ray successfully facilitated telco agreements beneficial to Cape York communities, under the Queensland State Government procurement contracts. Ray has also led processes to source and outsource high value telecommunications facilities.
Ray is a continuing member of the Southbank Institute Board of Directors and provides invaluable industry experience and business and market development expertise.
Peter Sullivan Mr Peter Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and is a Fellow of CPA Australia. He has built a career in the education industry at the University of Queensland and Griffith University, and culminating as Executive Director Finance and Resource Planning at QUT prior to his retirement in March 2007.
In his role as QUT’s Executive Director Finance and Resource Planning, Mr Sullivan had responsibility for the finance, budgeting, accounting and planning functions for an educational organisation with an annual turnover of $550M, net assets of $850M and an annual capital programme of $40-$50M covering three campuses. He achieved complete integration of the previously separate planning and budgeting functions and introduced a system of KPI’s to measure the University’s performance against predetermined targets.
Mr Sullivan had primary responsibility for negotiation and management of the $70M Centre for Physical Activity, Health and Clinical Education at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village which included Baulderstone Hornibrook as the main partner. He was also instrumental in the formation of QUT Innovations; a body which leads the commercialisation of the university’s intellectual property to secure financial returns while transferring commercial risk to private sector partners. Peter sees the role with the Southbank Board of Directors as an opportunity to utilise his financial and education industry expertise and executive network in a field for which he feels a strong affinity.
Cheryl Macnaught,
Company Director — Whittaker Macnaught
Cheryl Macnaught is a Director and co-founder of Whittaker Macnaught. Cheryl has practised as an investment consultant and financial adviser in Brisbane for over twenty years.
Cheryl regularly appears on finance programmes for both ABC and 4BC radio stations, writes newspaper and magazine articles, and is in demand on television as a finance commentator. She has always been fully committed to promoting education on money management.
Cheryl is actively involved with community affairs, being a member of, or serving on, the boards of various professional and government bodies, investment industry associations and other community groups. Cheryl is very eager to commence her work with the Southbank Institute Board of Directors.
Ann Garms, Proprietor—Ann Garms Consultants - Interior Design & Furnishing
Ann Garms has been intricately involved in the tourism and hospitality sector for over 30 years and is an internationally regarded industry expert. Having, owned, operated and restored 6 establishments, Ann manages her business responsibilities concurrently with her work as a consultant to the tourism and hospitality sector in addition to her Interior Design and Furnishing business.
Ann has demonstrated a long commitment to the community, having held the positions of Chairman Queensland Government Heritage Advisory Council (1985-1990); Board Member Warana Festival (1985-1996); President and Board Member (Awarded Life Membership) Arthritis Foundation of Queensland (1985-1995); Board Member Tourism and Hospitality Consortium Board (1985-1996); Chair of Hospitality Training Association (1984-1993); Board Member Royal Children’s Hospital Board (1984-1988); Member of the Faculty of Medicine, UQ (representing the Royal Children’s Hospital); Brisbane Polo Club Board Member (1989-2002) & President (2002-2006); Patron of QUT Brisbane Graduate School of Business (BGSB) Fostering Executive Women – FEW- programme; Member of QUT BGSB Advisory Board; Chair Naldham House Heritage Trust (2006—present).
Importantly, Ann has been involved with the COTAH Community Council followed by the Southbank Institute Board of Directors since 1984 (including the position of Chair from 1996-1999 and Deputy-Chair from 1999-present); and has played a key role in COTAH’s Industry Advisory Executive since 2004.
Additionally, Ann was appointed a Member of HARVARD University Board, John F Kennedy School of Government and Women’s Leadership Board in November 2001; and was appointed as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (FAIM) in 2003.
Chris Burgess,
Company Director - Allen & Buckeridge Ventre Fund Company
Mr Chris Burgess holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Tasmania and is currently a non-executive director of Allen & Buckeridge Venture Fund Co Pty Ltd (venture capitalists) and GPpartners (an organisation which assists general practitioners to develop their clinical, business and workforce capabilities).
Chris has been a professional company director since 2002, following his retirement from a career in higher education, including roles such as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Finance & Development/Administration), Australian National University (ANU); Deputy Principal (Planning), University of Sydney and Business Manager/ Director Finance and Planning, Griffith University. Chris' previous directorships have included Acton Semiconductors Pty Ltd, Acton Lasers Pty Ltd, UniSuper Ltd, Australian Photonics Pty Ltd and ANUtech Pty Ltd. He has been a member of several Ministerial Advisory Councils in education and technology commercialisation and a member of the Commonwealth Review of Accounting Discipline in Higher Education.
In his role as Business Manager/Director Finance & Planning at Griffith University, Chris was instrumental in the amalgamation of Griffith with four other educational bodies within two years, including three Colleges of Advanced Education and a TAFE college, leading to a quadrupling of turnover during this period. In this role, he oversaw the complete integration of the planning and budgeting functions within the expanded university and was also involved in the planning and negotiations for Griffith’s bid to buy Bond University from EIE Ltd in 1991/2.
Kate Seed, Industrial Advocate - Queensland Teachers’ Union
Kate Seed holds a Bachelor of Arts, Economics and English, from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma of Education from the Queensland University of Technology.
Kate has been employed as an Industrial Advocate with the Queensland Teachers’ Union since January 2007 and has been employed with the Queensland Teachers’ Union since August 2000. In her various roles with the Queensland Teachers’ Union, Kate has had functional responsibility for the areas of the Implementation and Review of Awards governing the working conditions of teachers in Queensland schools and TAFE Institutes, Workplace Reform, Remote Area Incentives, Teacher Transfers and TAFE Industrial matters.
Kate represents the Queensland Teachers’ Union on a number of bodies including the Queensland Council of Unions and the Australian Education Union.
Previous employment experience includes Head of Economics and Business Studies, Hasmonean High School, London; Women’s Industrial Officer, Queensland Council of Unions; Organiser, Queensland Teacher’s Union; and Teacher.
Kate has been involved in a variety of associated bodies throughout her career, including the Industrial Relations Society of Queensland, Queensland Council of Unions, Sunnybank Anglican Childcare Centre, Teachers’ Union Health, TAFE Industrial Committee and the ACTU Youth Committee.
Through involvement as a Director of the Teachers’ Union Health, Kate developed a good understanding of the role of a Board of Directors and the important role that Directors have in the Corporate Governance of a company. Kate was a member of the Audit and Finance Committee, the Board of Healthtrac Australia and the Policy, Planning and Co-ordinating Committee. These committees were responsible for approving the accounts of the fund and developing policies in accordance with Corporate Governance and Legislative requirements.
Through her experience Kate has developed strong skills in negotiation, advocacy, written and oral communication, meeting procedure and has gained a thorough understand of Queensland legislation pertaining to the public sector.
Last updated 9 May, 2008