Founding Member, Management and Board of Directors
Set out below are details of the Founding Member, Management and Board of Directors - all of these positions are unpaid voluntary roles.
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The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, Founding Member
Quentin was the Principal and CEO of The Women’s College within The University of Sydney between 1997 and 2003. Quentin formed a close bond with Katrina during her time at The Women’s College, including when Katrina was the Senior Student.
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In 1965, Quentin graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from The University of Queensland and, in the same year, was admitted to the Queensland Bar. She has since enjoyed a rich and distinguished career as an academic, lawyer, community and human rights advocate, senior public officer, university college principal, and vice-regal representative in Queensland and later Australia.
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Ms Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Macquarie University (New South Wales) in 1998, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University (New South Wales) in 2002, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by The University of Queensland in 2006.
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She was conferred with the degrees of Honorary Doctor of the University by Griffith University (Queensland) in 2003, Queensland University of Technology in 2004 and an Honorary Doctorate from James Cook University in 2008.
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In 2010, Ms Bryce received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, The University of Sydney, and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters, University of Western Sydney in 2012. In 2013 she was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, The University of Melbourne.
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Quentin Bryce’s contribution to advancing human rights and equality, the rights of women and children, and the welfare of the family was recognised in her appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2003. Also in 2003, she was invested as a Dame of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
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On 25 March 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that Ms Bryce had become a Dame in the Order of Australia.
On 5 September 2008 Quentin Bryce was sworn in as Australia’s twenty-fifth Governor-General which followed her prior appointment as Governor of Queensland. As the first woman to take up the office, she remains a pioneer in contemporary Australian society, and yet one who brings more than forty years of experience in reform, community building and leadership to the role.
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Some of Quentin’s other roles (many a first for an Australian women) include:
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Convenor, National Women’s Advisory Council, 1982-1984
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Inaugural Director, Queensland Women’s Information Service, Office of the Status of Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 1984-1987
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Director, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Queensland, 1987-1988
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Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1988-1993
Nikki Dawson, Chief Executive Officer
Nikki Dawson, Chief Executive Officer
Nikki is Katrina’s sister-in-law, married to her brother Angus.
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Since 2004 Nikki has worked with Egon Zehnder, a trusted advisor to many of the world’s most respected organisations and a leading Executive Search firm. Nikki specialises in Leadership Assessment and Development. Her experience cuts across multiple sectors including professional services, government, mining, aviation, and banking.
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Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Nikki was Director of Professional Development at McKinsey & Company, based in Sydney. Previous roles include Business Development Manager and Director of Solutions at a start-up in San Francisco (Perks at Work); Associate to Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company (Sydney, London, and San Francisco); Investment Banking Analyst at CS First Boston (Melbourne, Sydney); and Economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia (Sydney).
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Nikki earned a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from The University of Queensland and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, in Sydney. She is on the Board of the Beacon Foundation, a non-profit focused on youth and education.
Paul Smith - Chair of the Board
Paul was Katrina's husband.
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Paul is a partner in the Sydney office of King & Wood Mallesons where he specialises in securitisation and structured finance.
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Paul acts for issuers, managers, originators, servicers and arrangers of transactions in the Australian, Euro and US financial markets. Paul has acted on some of Australia’s most significant securitisation transactions and has a strong client base including major Australian and international bank and non-bank financial institutions.
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Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales and is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales.
Jane Dawson, Director
Jane is Katrina’s mother.
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Jane graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Sydney and also holds a diploma in book editing and publishing (Dip. BEP) from Macleay College. During her time at The University of Sydney, Jane was a resident at The Women’s College. Her strong association with The Women’s College continued after her studies. Jane held various roles including being the Chair of The Women’s College Foundation, Chair of the Centenary Appeal and being Deputy Chair of The Women’s College Council.
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Following University, Jane founded and ran two bicycle shops, Centennial Park Cycles (the first to hire bicycles for use in Centennial Park) and The Red Bike Shop, and Pukka Prints (a design and screen-printing and promotional product studio). Jane has also been a Director of multiple private companies. During 2004 and 2005, Jane was the President of the NSW Division of the Women Chiefs of Enterprises International Australia.
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Jane is an exhibiting sculptor, represented by The Barry Stern Gallery in Sydney. Jane’s sculpture is held in private collections in Australia, the United Kingdom, Jordan, New Zealand, America, France, and Hong Kong. Jane is also a member of the Director’s Circle of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Angus Dawson, Director
Angus is one of Katrina’s brothers.
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Angus is managing partner of McKinsey & Company Australia and New Zealand, focusing on clients in financial services, retail and telecommunications. He is also the leader of McKinsey’s Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice in Asia.
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Angus leads the pro bono support to the Male Champions of Change initiative to improve the representation of women in senior leadership and is also a Member of the Council of Cranbrook School.
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Angus has a Masters of Management, Science and Engineering from Stanford University which focused on computer science and technology-based businesses. He also has a Bachelor of Laws with 1st class honours and a Bachelor of Economics from The University of Sydney.
Jeremy Stoljar, Director
Alexander (Sandy) Sinclair Dawson, Director
Sandy is Katrina’s father.
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A former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arnott’s, one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region, Sandy has also held a number of senior positions at other companies. He was Chairman of United Distillers and a Director of Allied Mills, Goodman Fielder and the Darling Harbour Authority and was a member of the Business Council of Australia.
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For 20 years, Sandy was Chairman of the Sydney-East Area for the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.
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Sandy holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University in New York. Sandy is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
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Sandy is a former Australian Universities Golf Champion. He was the Captain of the Royal Sydney Golf Club from 1988-1993, and served as President from 2010-2014. Sandy was also appointed the Captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (the world’s Governing Body of Golf) for the 2013-2014 year.
Alexander (Sandy) Dawson, Director
Sandy is one of Katrina’s brothers.
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After working as Associate to the Honourable Justice Graham Hill in 1996, and as a solicitor at Minter Ellison and senior associate at Freehills, Sandy was admitted to the Bar in 2003. He has appeared, both led and unled, in all major State and Federal courts and tribunals. He was appointed a Senior Counsel in 2016.
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Sandy is recognised as having particular expertise in media and defamation. He has represented all major media outlets, both in NSW and interstate courts, and is regularly retained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Fairfax Media, Channel Seven and Radio Station 2GB’s Ray Hadley. He also represents high profile plaintiffs, including actors and members of the judiciary. He is regularly retained by Lawcover in relation to professional liability matters and appears for Harness Racing NSW in the Supreme Court and the Racing Appeals Tribunal.
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Sandy holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from The University of Sydney and is a member of the Bar Association of New South Wales, having served as a Bar Councillor in 2008.
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Sandy is the chairman of the Woollahra Zone in the Sydney-East Area for the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal, a position he has held for 15 years. He was a volunteer broadcaster for Radio 2RPH (Radio for the Print Handicapped) for many years.
Jeremy was a mentor to Katrina, her tutor when Katrina was called to the Bar and a close friend of Katrina’s for many years.
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Jeremy was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1996 and was appointed senior counsel in 2008. His areas of practice include commercial law and corporations law property, equity and building and construction.
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In 2014-2015 Jeremy was counsel assisting to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.
Jeremy graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons).