BOARD

David Mortimer AO (Chair)

Mr Mortimer has over 40 years of corporate finance and commercial experience. He was a senior executive of TNT Limited Group from 1973, serving as Finance Director and then as Chief Executive Officer. He is presently Chairman of Crescent Capital Partners, Director of Petsec Energy Limited and involved with a number of government initiatives. Mr Mortimer has chaired several publicly listed companies in addition to his current directorships; he has also served on boards and not-for-profit organisations. He has a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney and was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005. He joined the Board of Opera Australia in January 2013.

Lesley Alway

Ms Alway, BEd, BA (Hons), MBA, is currently Director, Asialink Arts, University of Melbourne, and Member of the Board of Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). She was formerly Managing Director, Sotheby's Australia, Director, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Director, Arts Victoria, Director, Artbank, Chair, Visual Arts Board, Council Member, Australia Council, and Chair, Public Art Committee, City of Melbourne. She joined the Board of Opera Australia in December 2009.

Anson Austin OAM

Mr Austin joined the Board in August 2005 as the staff-nominated Director. He was a resident principal artist with Opera Australia for 34 years until his retirement in 2004. Mr Austin has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal.

Virginia Braden OAM

Ms Braden, BA, is Director, National Institute of Dramatic Art, and Hon Life Member, Australian Music Centre and International Artist Managers' Association. She established Arts Management in 1979 and ran it until 2008. She has served on the boards of The Song Company, Australian Music Centre, Craft Australia, International Artist Managers’ Association, and Australasian Classical Music Managers' Association. Ms Braden was awarded an OAM for service to arts administration in 2011. She joined the Board of Opera Australia in December 2009.

David Epstein

David Epstein is Director, Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Affairs for Singtel Optus.  He joined the Board of Opera Australia in June 2010.  David is an experienced corporate affairs executive, with a background in regulatory and public affairs, both internationally and in Australia.  Before joining Optus, he managed public affairs functions globally at BHP Billiton and Qantas. David’s career includes work as a corporate adviser, in the telecommunications industry as well as in Federal Government as a senior ministerial adviser to three Prime Ministers, culminating as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.  He is involved in a number of community bodies other than Opera Australia, including  the Board of the European Australian Business Council, as well as being a participant in the Australian American Leadership Dialogue and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.

Tim McFarlane

Mr McFarlane, BEc, is Managing Director, The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific, and Life Member, Live Performance Australia.  From 1997 to 2005 he was a Trustee of the Sydney Opera House and from 1986 to 1994 he was General Manager, Adelaide Festival Centre Trust.  He joined the Board of Opera Australia in August 2006 and was elected Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee in April 2009.

Judith Stewart

Ms Stewart, a lawyer, was most recently the Managing Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, a leading Australian not for profit. She has been a director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, was Executive Chairman of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and has completed a term as a member of the Australia Council’s Major Performing Arts Board. She joined the Board of Opera Australia in March 2011.

Josephine Sukkar

Ms Sukkar, BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Ed, is a co-owner and Principal of construction company Buildcorp. She is a non-executive director of The Trust Company Limited (ASX:TRU), Co-President of the YWCA NSW, a director of the Sydney University Football Club Foundation and The Centenary Institute. She also works with the Museum of Contemporary Art on their annual Bella Dinner, is a National Judging Panel of the General Sir John Monash Scholarship Foundation, and is a member of the Women and Diversity in Property Committee of the Property Council of Australia. Through Buildcorp, she sponsors the Sydney University Football Club, the Queensland University Rugby Club, the Melbourne University Rugby Club and the University of Sydney Cricket Club. In 2010 she was awarded a University Gold from The University of Sydney for services to rugby football. She joined the board of Opera Australia in March 2011.