Philanthropy Committee

Ms Sally Bateman is the Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish Australia, one of the country’s most inspirational charities for children.

A former Senior Publishing Executive, Ms Bateman was Penguin Random House’s inaugural Asia Pacific Director of Marketing, Publicity and Digital following the international merger of Penguin and Random House. Previously, she spent 17 years with Penguin Australia where she led marketing and digital strategy during a decade of disruption.

Ms Bateman is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Public Relations and a Graduate Diploma of Psychology.

Ms Bateman’s grandmother passed away from stroke when she was 8.

Ms Janice Thomas is an Executive and Board Member with over 20 years success at the forefront of advancement and engagement strategies in Secondary and Higher Education. Ms Thomas pioneered sustainable funding streams and built new collaborative cross-sector partnerships central to delivering the Teaching, Learning and Research agendas of some of Australia’s most iconic institutions.

Founding her career in education in fighting for the continued provision of K-12 schooling in the community of Bendigo, she built a reputation for transformational leadership with a succession of appointments to roles involving ground-up functional establishment and key strategic contributions.

Ms Thomas has held senior roles in the tertiary education sector including as Inaugural Director of Development at the University of Western Sydney, Senior Director, Advancement & Communications and Senior Director of Engagement in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

An active not-for-profit and NGO Board Member and Advisor, Ms Thomas holds expertise across the ecosystem of fundraising, marketing, communications, external relations, community, philanthropic and corporate engagement. In addition, Ms Thomas brings transferable skills in government relations, multi-party stakeholder management and governance.

Emeritus Professor Linda Kristjanson is non-executive director of Seek Ltd, Education Australia LTD, MinEx CRC Ltd, and Education Services Australia Ltd. She is a member of the Australian Urban Research Institute Network Board and a Trustee of the Bethlehem Griffith Research Foundation.

From 2011-2020, Emeritus Professor Kristjanson served as Vice Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology. Upon her retirement she was awarded an Emeritus Professorship. Prior to this role she was Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Development at Curtin University. She has served as a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council from 2006 to 2009. Emeritus Professor Kristjanson was the Chair of the Board the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (2016-2023) and Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Australian Synchrotron (2007-2016).

In 2002, Emeritus Professor Kristjanson was named Australian Telstra Business Woman of the Year in recognition of her entrepreneurial work in health and science. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, acknowledged for her distinguished service to tertiary education through leadership and governance roles, strategic and innovative university reforms, and contributions to cancer research, palliative care and to women.

Emeritus Professor Kristjanson has a background in nursing and has been a pioneer in palliative care research gaining her doctorate in this field. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

Tony is an experienced Director and C-suite leader in a variety of sectors and industries. In 2014 he was a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and attained the worldwide qualification of Certified Fundraising Executive in 2012. He is an experienced Director with Board experience in education, Indigenous communities, environmental and health positions.

Tony is currently a Director of the Indigenous Arts Foundation and of the Centre for Cancer Wellness in WA. He also has post graduate qualifications in Leadership and Management, and has consulted to leading organisations in education, legal and health sectors.

Tony has led organisations involved in childhood disability and disadvantage, homelessness and education, health and also in the green energy sector. He is a well respected leader with a diverse range of leadership skills and experience. He is an active volunteer in many local community organisations and is a firm believer in using his skills to create better communities.

Nick is a Shareholder & Chief Executive Officer of CII, an Australia conferencing company focused on the institutional investment industry. Through a series of annual tailored investment forums, Nick’s role centres around connecting the leading Australian superannuation funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurers, and ultra high net worth groups with the world’s leading global funds management industry. Under Nick’s leadership since 2019, CII has grown to be the largest provider of institutional investment conferences in the Australian market.

Nick has previously held several roles in the sports media industry including the Essendon Football Club and Tennis Australia where he was responsible for managing media strategy along with key stakeholder relations.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations) from RMIT University and a Graduate Certificate of Management (Finance) from Melbourne Business School (University of Melbourne).