Our People

Director, Westpac Scholars Trust

Carolyn has been part of the Westpac Group Executive team since 2018 and is currently Chief Executive, Consumer.

The Consumer bank provides a range of banking products and services including mortgages, credit cards, personal loans and deposits to customers in Australia.

Previously, Carolyn was Group Executive, Customer & Corporate Services, responsible for operations, customer solutions, fraud prevention, property, procurement and protective services, corporate affairs, brand and marketing, HR and Finance Services. Carolyn has more than 27 years’ experience in financial services.

Carolyn joined Westpac in 2013, as General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability. Prior to joining Westpac, Carolyn spent 13 years at Insurance Australia Group in various positions, including Group General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations. She began her career in consulting in financial services.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Queensland, a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and Chief Executive Women (CEW).

Director, Westpac Scholars Trust & Chair NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Jon is an experienced company director. He is currently director and chair of the Risk Committee of Insurance Australia Group, Australia’s largest general insurer. He is also the director of Cape York Partnership, an indigenous company focused on economic development in Cape York. He chairs QuintessenceLabs, a highly innovative quantum encryption company, and is a Director of Westpac Scholars Trust.

In executive life, he was the Chief Strategy Officer for Westpac Group for nearly eight years. He played an important role in the establishment of Westpac Scholars Trust. Before joining Westpac in 2006, Jon was a Senior Vice President at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

During his 18 years at BCG, Jon built and led BCG’s Asian financial services practice. Earlier in his career, Jon was the Senior Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of Australia (Bob Hawke), during a period of major economic and social reform in Australia.

Director, Westpac Scholars Trust

Professor Deborah Terry AC is Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland (UQ). Prior to commencing this role in August 2020, she served as Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University, in Western Australia (from February 2014 to July 2020).

Professor Terry was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in June 2015, and in 2024 received the prestigious Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), in recognition of her distinguished service to education in the tertiary sector.

She is a former Chair of the Board of Universities Australia; a Fellow and past President of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia; an appointed member of the Australian Research Council Advisory Council; and serves on the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Board and Australia's Academic and Research Network Board (AARNET).

Having grown up in Perth and Canberra, Professor Terry completed her PhD in Social Psychology at the Australian National University in Canberra. From there, she commenced her distinguished career at UQ in 1990, initially as an internationally recognised scholar in psychology. During her 24 years at UQ, Professor Terry progressed through a number of senior leadership roles to become Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, before leaving for her role as Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University in early 2014.

Director, Westpac Scholars Trust & NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Margie has more than 25 years’ experience in senior executive roles in Australia and overseas, including in consumer goods, global publishing, sales and marketing, and the successful transition of traditional business models to digital environments.

Prior to her non-executive career, Margie was the Managing Director of Random House Australia and New Zealand and President, Asia Development for Random House Inc. Margie was a Director and then Chair of Penguin Random House Australia Pty Limited, and a Director of Ramsay Health Care Limited, Bank of Queensland Limited and the Australian Publishers’ Association. She also served on the Boards of Chief Executive Women (chairing its Scholarship Committee), the Powerhouse Museum, and the Sydney Writers Festival.

Director, Westpac Scholars Trust & NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Jagose is Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Sydney. Professor Jagose is an internationally renowned scholar, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales, the author of four scholarly monographs and an award-winning novelist and short story writer.

As Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Jagose plays a pivotal role within the University of Sydney working to ensure a focus on outstanding academic performance and scholarship and strategic planning across the five faculties (Arts and Social Sciences; Business; Engineering; Medicine and Health; and Science) and three University schools (Architecture, Design and Planning; the Conservatorium of Music and Law).

Professor Jagose previously held positions at the University of Melbourne and the University of Auckland before joining the University of Sydney in 2011.

Professor Jagose was appointed as a Director of the Westpac Scholars Trust in May 2025.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship 

Karyn has led a distinguished business career in Australia and internationally, having held a range of senior management and C-suite executive roles in multinational businesses including at Optus (2004 – 2008), Insurance Australia Group (2002 – 2004) and Senior Vice President The Americas at Qantas Airways (1998 – 2001). In 2009 she was appointed CEO of Jawun and spent 12 years working with some of the leading Indigenous reform voices in the country along with outstanding organisations. She retired from Jawun in January 2022.

Karyn’s changing perspectives throughout her 25-year Commercial career have not only been heavily influenced by the diverse sectors she has worked across but have also been enriched by the understanding formed about our Nation during her years working with Indigenous communities and leaders.

Karyn has received a number of awards, notably a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the Indigenous community in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours and The Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Award in Diversity in 2015. Karyn is also a current member of Chief Executive Women (CEW) and Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Her previous Board positions include Care Australia, Cure Cancer, Grocon Holdings Ltd, NRMA Financial Management and Life Nominees. Karyn is now Non-Executive Director, Elanor Investors Group, broadening her industry expertise across the real estate funds management sector.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship 

Lalitha is the General Manager of Customer Service & Technology’s Transformation Office at Westpac. In her current role she is responsible for managing the prioritisation, progression and execution of investments including associated multi-year programs. Lalitha also manages the learning & development and emerging talent pipelines for her division.

Lalitha has spent most of her global technology-focused career operating across large-scale, complex environments. Lalitha has held senior roles in American Express, Commonwealth Bank and Telstra where she managed large technology portfolios. Immediately prior to Westpac, Lalitha spent 5 years with JP Morgan Chase as Head of Technology for APAC.

Lalitha is an advocate in promoting diversity in the corporate world and participates in mentoring and supporting programs that build diversity in future leader pipelines. Outside work, Lalitha enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, reading, music, cooking and eating!

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship

Lisa’s career has focused on supporting the development of sustainable organisations. Her focus and passion lie with organisations that have a strong social impact.

Her early experience was in management consulting with the Strategy Group in Accenture which provided exposure across consumer products, industrial products, retail, utilities and the arts sectors. She worked throughout Australia as well as parts of Asia and Eastern Europe.

Following this, Lisa focused her consulting efforts on the community and social enterprise sectors in Australia where she supported numerous boards and management teams with the development of strategy, including the merger of two not-for-profit organisations.

Lisa held the position of Executive Director at Social Traders, where she worked for 10 years helping to grow and develop the social enterprise sector in Australia. Over this time, Lisa led many aspects of social enterprise development including: The Crunch (social enterprise incubator program), social enterprise advisory and training services, and social enterprise certification.

Lisa is currently the Chair of Covidence.org, a ‘SaaS’ (software as a service) social enterprise in the scientific evidence sector. She is also providing advice and mentorship to several social enterprise boards. Lisa previously held board positions with Ormond College and Goodcompany.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne (Hons. Economics) and a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School. She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship

Cindy is Chair of The Bread & Butter Project, Australia’s first social enterprise artisan bakery, investing 100% of profits to provide training and employment pathways for refugees and asylum seekers.

Cindy also Chairs the advisory groups supporting three other refugee-focused social enterprises, Aunty’s Ginger Tonics, CommUnity Construction, and FoodLab, and convenes a knowledge-sharing group of about fifteen refugee-focused social enterprises. She is a member of the Work Integrated Social Enterprise Hub to promote payment for outcomes models, and a member of the Steering Committee for the RISE program that connects business mentors to social enterprises.

She is also a Board Director for Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, and a member of the Governance Group for Settlement Council of Australia’s ‘Road to Belonging’ national strategy.

Cindy was a Principal and then General Manager Aust/NZ for the Boston Consulting Group before co-founding the consulting firm, Cast, 12 years ago. She thrives on helping organisations achieve their boldest aspirations and has advised many corporates as well as not-for-profit and public sector organisations.

She has an MBA from AGSM where she was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship, with an exchange to the Wharton School of Finance in the University of Pennsylvania.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship

Michael Combs is the Founder of CareerTrackers and CareerSeekers. In 2009, Michael established CareerTrackers as a non-profit social enterprise seeking to enable more First Nations university students the opportunity to explore careers in the private sector. After 10 years serving as the organisation’s CEO, Michael handed over the leadership of CareerTrackers to a First Nations CEO and majority First Nations led Board.

Michael also established the largest professional employment program for Asylum Seekers and Refugees - CareerSeekers. A first of its kind in the world, CareerSeekers provides large scale employment opportunities for Asylum Seekers enabling participants to restart their professional careers in Australia.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship & Chair, Westpac Scholars Trust

Dave was the Chief Information Officer of the Westpac Group from 2014 to 2018, where he was responsible for technology strategy and its implementation across the Group. Dave has 30 years of global experience, including proven expertise in IT and financial services and the implementation of large, complex projects. 

Before joining Westpac, Dave spent ten years in senior roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and 16 years at Accenture, where he was a Partner, primarily consulting on financial services. Dave has a deep commitment to cancer research and education, which is exemplified by his long-term involvement in the Tour de Cure charity organisation. He is also passionate about working with the government, industry and community to inspire the next generation of Australia’s technologists. Dave was appointed as a Trustee of the Westpac Scholars Trust in 2015 and was appointed Chairman in April 2019.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Nicholas Farrelly is a Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Tasmania, currently responsible for Southern Tasmania and for the wide-ranging Arts and Society portfolio. As a researcher, he specialises in the study of political, cultural and strategic issues across Southeast Asia. 

A graduate of the Australian National University and the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, Nicholas is a member of the ASEAN-Australia Centre’s inaugural Advisory Board and Deputy Chair of the Board of Australia’s National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. 

Earlier in his career, Nicholas held academic leadership positions at the ANU, including as Associate Dean in the College of Asia and the Pacific. In 2026 he will lead the University of Tasmania team that will help deliver the new Westpac Australia-Asia Fellowship program, with components in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship

Danny Hui is a 2020 Westpac Social Change Fellow and the founder of sameview, an online platform that makes it easier for people with disabilities and their families to have all of their medical, allied health, education, and disability supports working together on the same page.'

Danny is the father of two children with disabilities and his family’s experiences inspired him to start sameview back in 2016. Over 4,000 people across Australia now use sameview to collaborate and coordinate disability supports. Prior to sameview, Danny’s career was in utilities as an engineer where he specialised in areas such as disaster management, 24/7 operations, and safety. Danny and his family are committed to improving how care and support is delivered to achieve better health, social, and personal outcomes. They believe strongly in advocating for inclusion of people with disabilities across all areas of society.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Gail’s executive banking career spanned 35 years, split equally between South Africa and Australia. 

She served as the Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of St.George Bank from 2002 to 2007 and Westpac from 2008 to 2015.  In 2008, these two banks came together under Gail’s leadership in what was the largest in-market merger in Australian financial services.  At the time of her retirement in February 2015, The Westpac Group was the country’s second largest bank and the twelfth largest bank in the world, in terms of market capitalisation.

One of Gail’s proudest achievements was the launch of this $100 million Westpac Bicentennial Foundation in 2014, in recognition of the bank’s 200-year history with Australia and to help shape its future.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Krause is an experienced university executive who is internationally recognised for her contributions to higher education policy, research and practice. Professor Krause is an Honorary Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, a lifetime fellow of the international Society for Research in Higher Education and is internationally recognised for research on the contemporary student experience.

Her research program spans higher education curriculum renewal, the changing nature of academic work, and factors influencing higher education quality and standards. Professor Krause holds the Ministerial appointment of Deputy Chair, Higher Education Standards Panel and also led the Ministerial Implementation Working Group for the Transparency of Higher Education Admissions. Recent sector-wide leadership roles include Chair, Universities Australia Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Committee and co-Chair, Universities Australia Executive Women’s Committee.

Professor Krause has a track record of leading university-wide strategic change and organisational renewal, underpinned by a deep commitment to engaging students and staff through cultural transformation. Experience includes: systemic improvement of the student experience and outcomes; whole-of-university curriculum renewal; and extensive work on reshaping academic staff promotion policies and processes to recognise and reward contemporary academic work.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Jacqueline Lo is Director of the Indo-Pacific Research Centre (IPRC) at Murdoch University.  An internationally recognised Humanities scholar and pioneer of Asian Australian Studies, Jacqueline's work on multiculturalism, diaspora and cross-cultural studies has influenced academic and policy sectors in Australia and abroad. 

Jacqueline is a highly experienced academic leader in management, academic governance, and research strategy. She serves as the Education Minister’s appointment to the Commonwealth Government's Higher Education Standards Panel. Jacqueline is the Founding Chair of the Asian Australian Studies Research Network and was awarded the Knight of the Academic Palms in 2014 by the French Government. 

She was formerly Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of Adelaide. Prior to this, she spent many years at the ANU including as Chair of Academic Board, Associate Dean (International) for the College of Arts and Social Sciences and Executive Director of the Centre for European Studies. She remains an Honorary Professor at the ANU. 

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Elizabeth New OAM studied and worked in Australia, the UK and the USA before taking up an academic position at the University of Sydney in 2012, holding an ARC DECRA from 2012-2014, and a Westpac Research Fellowship from 2016-2019. Her research focusses on the development of small molecule chemical sensors, based on fluorescence or MRI. 

Her awards for research and teaching including the 2018 Edgeworth David Medal, 2018 Eureka 3M Emerging Leader Prize, and the 2016 RACI Chemistry Educator of the Year.  Liz also won the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2019), one of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, which are Australia’s most prestigious awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research and research-based innovation. In 2024 she received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to science as a researcher.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships & Director, Westpac Scholars Trust 

Jon chairs QuintessenceLabs, a highly innovative quantum encryption company, and is a Director of Westpac Scholars Trust.  He is also the Director of Cape York Partnership, an indigenous company focused on the economic and social development of Cape York.

In executive life, he was the Chief Strategy Officer for Westpac Group for nearly eight years. He played an important role in the establishment of Westpac Scholars Trust. Before joining Westpac in 2006, Jon was a Senior Vice President at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his 18 years at BCG, Jon built and led BCG’s Asian financial services practice.

Earlier in his career, Jon was the Senior Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of Australia (Bob Hawke), during a period of major economic and social reform in Australia.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship 

Keith has been a corporate, finance and projects partner at MinterEllison since 1990 and has extensive experience in the real estate and infrastructure sectors, including mixed use developments (King Street Wharf, Central Barangaroo and Melbourne Convention Centre), social and affordable housing and specialist disability accommodation projects. He has been involved in numerous Social Impact Bond and Payment by Outcomes projects for Governments and issuers, as well as working on social finance and impact funds.

Keith brings this commercial expertise and a passion for social justice together as the firm’s National Pro Bono & Community Investments Partner and in this role, advises over 100+ social enterprises, Indigenous businesses, for-purpose businesses and charities sponsored by the likes of Westpac Foundation, AMP Foundation, Paul Ramsay Foundation, Social Ventures Australia, Social Traders, First Australians Capital, Many Rivers and White Box Enterprises. Keith and his team have been involved in the formation of social enterprise peak bodies, including National body, Social Enterprise Australia and SECNA (NSW&ACT), SENVIC and SENTAS, as well as the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute.

Keith heads up the firm’s Sustainable Finance team and is part of its Climate Risk Governance team, advising on sustainable finance, impact investment, climate risk and ESG issues, including impact and greenwashing claims. He is a member of Standards Australia and ISOs Technical Committees on environmental management and investment, financing and climate change. Keith recently acted on the establishment of the Climate Measurement Standards Initiative (a cross sector initiative auspiced by Climate KIC and involving CSIRO, Universities, finance industry participants, IGCC and regulators to develop accounting and disclosure standards for climate related risks). He is supporting Infrastructure Sustainability Council and other peak bodies and CEFC on the Infrastructure Net Zero Initiative.

Keith is a founding director and chair of White Box Enterprises and has a number of board positions, including director of events ticketing platform and charity, Humanitix - trustee of the Westpac Foundation, director of The Constellation Project – seeking to end homelessness in a generation and he chairs, MothersBabies, a health promotion charity educating and empowering families, including research into the microbiome and impacts on the health of mothers and babies. Keith is a member of Social Trader’s Expert Advisory Group.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Dr Heather Smith PSM was appointed as a Professor at the ANU National Security College in June 2021. Prior to this Heather served as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science from 2017 – 2020. Heather has had 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service at senior levels covering economic, foreign affairs and intelligence matters. She has previously served as Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts, Deputy Secretary in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and as Deputy Director General of the Office of National Assessments.

Heather has also held positions in the Australian Treasury and Reserve Bank. She was the G20 Sherpa in 2014 during Australia’s Presidency. Before joining the public service Heather was an academic specialising on North Asia at the Australian National University.

Heather is a non-executive director of financial services firm Challenger Limited and deputy chair of the United States Studies Centre. She is also chair of the independent panel undertaking a review into the Australian Public Service Hierarchy and Classification System.

Heather holds a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University, has been a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. She is a proud member of Chief Executive Women.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

David Thodey AO is an Australian business leader and investor whose career spans a diverse range of sectors, including business, healthcare, public policy, technology, innovation and research, tertiary education, environmental initiatives, and corporate governance. He is recognised for his contributions to both the private and public sectors.

He currently serves as Chair of Xero, a global leader in cloud-based accounting software, and Ramsay Health Care, a prominent international hospital group. In July 2024, he was appointed as the 19th Chancellor of the University of Sydney. He also co-chairs the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving one of Australia's most important natural assets and is a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Governance Board.

David has held numerous board positions throughout his career. He served as Chair of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), supporting advancements in scientific research and innovation. He also chaired Tyro, Australia's largest independent payments company and a number of other companies. 

Mr Thodey has played an active role in public policy in Australia. In 2019, he led an Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS). He also chaired a New South Wales Government-appointed panel tasked with an independent review of Federal Financial Relations and led a user audit of the myGov digital portal, enhancing government services. In 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as Deputy Chair of the Federal Government’s National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCC) Advisory Board.

Prior to his focus on non-executive roles, David enjoyed a successful executive career. He was CEO of Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications provider, and earlier held the position of CEO at IBM Australia and New Zealand.

He has been honoured for his achievements and ethical leadership. He holds an Honorary Doctorate in Science and Technology from Deakin University, as well as Honorary Doctor of Business degrees from both the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney. In recognition of his ethical business leadership, he was appointed an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Dr Shelley Wickham is a Westpac Research Fellow and Professor in the Schools of Chemistry and Physics at the University of Sydney.

She received her PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Oxford, UK, and following this was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, USA, based in the Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Professor Wickham has research interests in self-assembling nanotechnology and molecular robotics. In particular, in the design and assembly of programmable nanostructures out of DNA, with applications in cell biology, materials science and nanomedicine.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Asmi Wood teaches at the ANU College of Law and is a Professor at the ANU Law School. He is a Barrister and Solicitor. He was previously Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies. He runs the ANU College of Law Indigenous Programme and works closely with the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre.

His areas of research and teaching interest include legal ethics, constitutional law, humanitarian law, International law and the treatment of Indigenous peoples within legal frameworks other than their own normative systems.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Aidan Byrne was Provost at the University of Queensland from 2016 to 2024. Prior to this, he was the Dean of Science and the Director of the Australian National University (ANU) College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Aidan completed a BSc and MSc degrees at the University of Auckland before commencing a PhD degree at the ANU in 1981. Following the completion of his degree at the Department of Nuclear Physics, he held positions with the University of Melbourne and spent over two years in Bonn, Germany as a von Humboldt fellow.

Aidan returned to the ANU in 1989 as a Research Fellow and in 1991 commenced a joint appointment between the Department of Physics, in the Faculty of Science and the Department of Nuclear Physics, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering. He was Head of the Department of Physics from 2003 to 2007.

Aidan’s research interests involve the use of gamma-rays as probes to determine the structure of heavy nuclei and the examination of the atomic level structure of materials (especially semiconductors). He has published over 200 papers.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Jagose is an internationally renowned scholar, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. She is also the author of a number of monographs and an award-winning novelist and short story writer.

Professor Jagose joined the University of Sydney in 2011 as the Head of the School of Literature, Art and Media. From 2017 to 2021, Professor Jagose was Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). In this role, she led the development and implementation of a number of the Faculty’s key initiatives including its 2017–2021 Strategic Plan, comprehensive reviews of curriculum and coursework programs, and FutureFix, a suite of multidisciplinary flagship research projects partnering humanities and social sciences researchers with industry and community on issues of global importance. Professor Jagose has also contributed to a number of University-wide committees, boards and initiatives, including the strategy towards massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the Parramatta/Westmead Campus.

Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Professor Jagose held positions at the University of Melbourne and the University of Auckland.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships & Director, Westpac Scholars Trust

Margie has more than 25 years’ experience in senior executive roles in Australia and overseas, including in consumer goods, global publishing, sales and marketing, and the successful transition of traditional business models to digital environments.

Prior to her non-executive career, Margie was the Managing Director of Random House Australia and New Zealand and President, Asia Development for Random House Inc.

Margie was a Director and then Chair of Penguin Random House Australia Pty Limited, and a Director of Ramsay Health Care Limited, Bank of Queensland Limited and the Australian Publishers’ Association. Margie has also served as non-executive Director of Scentre Group, Telstra Corporation Limited and Australian Pacific (Holdings) Pty Limited and on the Boards of Chief Executive Women (chairing its Scholarship Committee), the Powerhouse Museum and the Sydney Writers Festival.

NSP Westpac Social Change Fellowship

Michael Sirmai is an experienced director and advisor across corporate, philanthropic and social impact sectors. 

He chairs 10x10 Philanthropy and serves on the UNSW Law Advisory Council. He has previously chaired Milk Crate Theatre and of the Young Ambassadors Committee of the Museum of Contemporary Art, and served on a range of advisory boards in health, the arts and social innovation.

Michael is Chief Operating Officer of Inviva, a finance business supporting older Australians, and was a Co-Founder of 2Be Finance (acquired by Inviva in 2023). Earlier in his career, he spent more than a decade at Westpac in senior legal and commercial roles.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Amy is Associate Professor in the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre at The Australian National University, and Deputy Director (Research) in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. Her research focuses on China-Japan relations, Chinese foreign and security policy, and the economics-security nexus in Asia.

Through a Westpac Research Fellowship and an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship, she led a team researching China's role in shaping the international economic order.

Amy has undertaken intensive language study and fieldwork in China, Japan and Taiwan over the past two decades, and provides regular expert briefings and executive education to the Australian policy community on China and Japan.

Amy received her D.Phil in International Relations and M.Phil in Modern Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford, where she studied as an Australian Rhodes Scholar. Her doctoral thesis was awarded Oxford's 2013 Dasturzada Dr Jal Pavry Memorial Prize, and in 2017 Amy won the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia's Paul Bourke Award for an early career researcher who has attained outstanding achievements in the social sciences.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Huntington leads the data-focused research, development and digital capability of CSIRO, and is a member of the CSIRO Executive. She has stewardship of a range of business lines including Data61, Space and Astronomy, and National Collections and Marine Infrastructure.

Prior to joining CSIRO in November 2021, Elanor was Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University (ANU) where she helped bring about significant transformation within the College and sector.

Elanor is an established senior leader, with Board appointments to Industry Innovation and Science Australia, Significant Capital Ventures, Questacon, Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering, Pawsey Supercomputing, NCI Australia, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and other government scientific advisory roles. She was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 2020, and sits on the governance taskforce, diversity and inclusion committee and RAP committee for that Academy. Elanor was named an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia and led the extended Group of Eight (Go8+) Engineering Deans as first female Chair up until 2019.

Elanor holds a PhD in experimental quantum optics and a Masters in information technology. She was a Program Manager for nearly 20 years in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computing Technology and her resent research includes the control of quantum systems at the interface between theory and applications. She is a Visiting Professor at the ANU.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Lachlan Blackhall is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) and former Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at The Australian National University. 

Previously, Professor Blackhall led the development of world-first capabilities to monitor, optimise and control residential solar generation and battery storage, as well as the development of virtual power plant technology to aggregate energy storage to deliver services to energy networks, markets and utilities. 

Professor Blackhall holds a BE, BSc and a PhD in engineering and applied mathematics, is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of both the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE).

2020 Westpac Research Fellow, NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Alice Motion is Professor of Science and Culture and leads the Science Communication, Outreach, Participation and Education (SCOPE) Research Group in the School of Chemistry, University of Sydney.  

Alice’s research and practice explore science democratisation through open source drug discovery, citizen science, and exploring intersections between science and culture as creative methods for science communication. 

Alice was awarded the Australian Museum’s Eureka Prize for Promoting Public Understanding of Science in 2020. They have written a monthly column, Citizen Chem, for Chemistry World Magazine since 2019, are the creator of Live From The Lab, founder of the Breaking Good citizen science initiative and regularly produce and host creative science content for the public in live venues and across the media.

Alice was awarded a Westpac Research Fellowship in 2020.

NSP Westpac Future Leaders and Research Fellowships

Professor Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Success at Western Sydney University, is dedicated to leading strategic initiatives that ensure student success from pre-admission through to graduation and employment. 

Alphia’s role involves overseeing programs and policies that support academic achievement, student belonging and well-being, career readiness, and fostering a holistic approach to student success.

Alphia’s career in the higher education sector is dedicated to co-producing solutions to address society’s most pressing challenges. She is the current President of the Australian Sociological Association and the inaugural Chair of the Social Justice Network, where her work focuses on advancing equity and social justice in higher education. 

 A professor of sociology, her recent work includes: The Digital Social: Religion and Belief (deGruyter) and an edited volume on Health Sociology (Pearson).  Alphia is currently involved in ongoing research that focuses on higher education, risk society, religion, digital sociology, and methodologies.