Ms Leslie Butterfield

Leslie has worked in the construction and project management industry in the United States and Australia for over twenty years. Her initial experience as a Project Engineer and Project Manager on major capital works in New York City provided her with a thorough understanding of the dynamics of client relationships.

Her experience spans project management, business development, corporate advisory, corporate finance and strategic planning in the property, technology and telecommunications sectors. She was one of a panel of three industry representatives appointed by the nine government ministers to review the progress, strategies and future direction of the National Building Codes Board.

She was the Inaugural NSW President and National Vice President for the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), has been inducted into the Inaugural Businesswomen's Hall of Fame, and was Telstra Businesswoman of the Year. She was a member of the Federal Government Industry Research & Development Board, and was Chair of their Strategic Development Committee.

Leslie is on the Boards of the Queensland Microtechnology Centre, The Australian Business Foundation, and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, is a member of the University of Technology, Sydney’s School of Engineering Industry Advisory Network and the Australian Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators, and is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer in New York.

Professor Trevor Cairney

Trevor is Master of New College at the University of NSW. As an academic, he has built an international reputation as a researcher and writer on education, training and regional development. His current role at UNSW and his previous leadership roles as Pro Vice-chancellor (Research & Development), Dean of Education, and Director of the Centre for Regional Research and Innovation at UWS have also led him to active involvement in the business community.

Trevor has contributed to business and industry in many ways including directorships and chairmanships of various technology-based companies and industry bodies, the judging of industry awards and his work as an advocate for the economic and social development of Greater Western Sydney. He was first elected as a Director of the State Chamber of Commerce (NSW) in 1997 and was appointed President in 2002. He was instrumental in leading the former State Chamber of Commerce (NSW) to merge with ABL and continues as President of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce and as a director of ABL State Chamber.

Mr Stephen Cartwright

Stephen Cartwright was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NSW Business Chamber in July 2009. 

Stephen began his relationship with NSW Business Chamber (formerly Australian Business Limited) in 1986 when he joined the organisation as the Regional Industrial Officer in the Hunter Valley. After moving to the Chamber’s head office in North Sydney, Stephen was subsequently promoted to Deputy Director, Industrial Relations, where, as a member of the senior management team, Stephen was responsible for all aspects of the Chamber’s IR commitments. 

After spending six years with the Chamber, Stephen then co-founded Fisher Cartwright Berriman, a multi-disciplinary legal and consulting firm which specialises in providing corporate clients with expert advice and representation in the areas of Employment, Industrial and Workplace Law. In concert with other Partners, Stephen grew the business from a start-up to a thriving legal and consulting firm, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne and a total staff in excess of 40. 

From 1997 to 2008, Stephen was the Managing Director and CEO of Chandler MacLeod Group Ltd, one of the largest and most diversified publicly listed companies operating in the Australasian Recruitment, Contracting, HR Outsourcing and HR Consulting sectors. Stephen took the organisation from a small private company to a company with annual revenues of $900 million. 

Stephen holds an Associate Diploma of Engineering and a Bachelor of Laws, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Tony Dormer

Tony Dormer is the Managing Director of a multi-discipline business advisory firm that he established over 30 years ago.  Kreston Dormers www.krestondormers.com.au has developed over that period to a point where there are now divisions in business advisory and development, taxation and compliance, IT, law and financial planning. 

Tony’s personal specialist skills are around taxation services, mergers and acquisitions as well as business development issues generally for small and medium sized entrepreneurs.

 He is the current Chairman of Kreston Australia and New Zealand.  Kreston International is ranked as one of the largest associations of experienced, independent accounting business advisory firms in the world.  He is presently one of eight Directors on the international board of this organisation.  With members in 94 countries, over 700 offices and 20,000 staff, the association handles aggregate fee income of US$2.1 billion.  

He was also formally Chairman of one of the largest seminar companies in Australia whose list of speakers included Anthony Robins, General Schwarzkopf, Lee Lacocca, Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Zig Zigler, Wayne Dwyer and many others.   

Tony is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia. 

Ms Narelle Kennedy

Narelle Kennedy is founding Chief Executive of the Australian Business Foundation, an independent organisation undertaking evidence-based research to deliver fresh insights and practical intelligence to boost Australia’s capabilities and global competitiveness.

Narelle has had a working history that spans both the public and private sectors in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, through which she has developed expertise in both economic and social development policies, including on business regulation, regional development, industry clustering and competition policy. She is regularly sought as an expert commentator on emerging business issues, innovation and opportunities from the knowledge economy.

Narelle is a founding member of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business, a member of Chief Executive Women, a Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre, member of the Institute of Public Administration Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Narelle was a member of the Federal Government’s expert panel reviewing Australia’s Innovation System and was one of the top 1000 individuals chosen to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit convened by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in April 2008.

She holds positions on various Boards and Advisory Councils including MTC Work Solutions and the Standards Australia Advisory Board and has represented Australia at the Business Advisory Committee to the OECD.

Narelle has a first class Honours Degree in Social Studies from the University of Sydney, where she won the Frances Mary Gillespie Prize for the top student in her graduating class. Narelle was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001.

Mr David Malloch

David is Managing Director of Malloch Digital Design Pty Ltd of Canberra, specialising in the design and manufacture of microprocessor-based security-related equipment which meet ASIO specifications for high security applications and are installed in Australian Embassies, Kirribilli House and defence related establishments in Australia the USA and Asia.

Previously, David was Managing Director of Endurance Electronics whose security products are used by NASA, the World Bank and major corporations. David is a Director and Councillor with Australian Business Limited, Chair of the Canberra Region Employment Council Area Consultative Committee, a Member of the ANUTECH Management Group, and the ACT Export Awards Judging Panel. He has represented industry on a variety of advisory boards and international delegations and has been recognised with awards for innovation and export.

Mr Stephen Mills

Stephen is a corporate affairs and issues management specialist with more than 10 years experience in managing external relationships for leading financial services companies including ASX Ltd, Citigroup and Bankers Trust. He previously worked as a speechwriter to Prime Minister RJL Hawke (1986-91) and as a journalist and editor in the Fairfax newspaper group.  He has a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a BA (Hons) from University of Melbourne. He is the author of The New Machine Men (1986) and The Hawke Years (1993). He joined the Foundation Board in 2004.

Stephen is attached as a lecturer to the Graduate School of Government and the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. He also serves on the board of ShareGift Australia, a non-profit group dedicated to promoting the no-cost sale of shares to benefit Australian charities.

Professor Mary O'Kane

Mary O’Kane is a company director and Executive Chairman of Mary O’Kane & Associates Pty Ltd, a company that advises governments, universities and the private sector on innovation, research, education and development.

Professor O’Kane was Vice-Chancellor and President of Adelaide University from 1996-2001 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) from 1994-96.  Before that, she was Dean of the Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering at the University of Canberra.  She is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.

She serves on several boards and committees in the public and private sectors.  She specialises in high technology commercialisation, national research strategies and higher education policy.  She is Vice-Chair of the Development Gateway Chair Foundation.  She is a director of QPSX Ltd and several private companies.  She is a member of the Australian Aid Advisory Council, the Tax Concession Committee and is Senior Advisor to the Australian Government on the Virtual Colombo Plan.  She was Chair of Sienna Capital Ltd, a director of FH Faulding & Co Ltd and a member of the Australian Research Council, the Cooperative Research Centres Committee and the CSIRO Board.

Ms Janine Ricketts

Janine has been responsible for devising and delivering business development and innovation programs and policies for over twenty years, for both State and Commonwealth Governments. She has extensive experience in industry analysis and government policy development, with particular knowledge of issues affecting small and medium enterprises, and of programs to promote internationalisation and innovation.

She has worked on industry development for governments on both sides of politics, and participated in many industry consultative bodies including with the State Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Property Council of Australia and the NSW Enterprise Workshop. Janine has professional responsibilities for NSW industry policy and corporate governance and serves on the NSW State Contracts Control Board, a statutory body responsible for NSW Government procurement.

Janine holds a BA (Hons) from Macquarie University and a Graduate Diploma in Information Management from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Mr Frank Wyatt

Frank is Managing Director of Enterprising Partnerships Pty Ltd, a consulting company in Melbourne which helps organisations and individuals to improve performance through skills and capabilities in partnerships and alliances, using modelling, profiling, mentoring and world's best practice tools and resources. He has worked extensively with private enterprise and government, and his consulting and coaching has taken him on assignments throughout Europe and Asia, as well as Australia.

The focus of Frank's work is developing enterprising and collaborative cultures in communities and companies. Recent examples include clients in the defence and IT industries. Frank is an Associate Researcher with the Centre for Research in Education, Equity & Work, University of South Australia, and has a series of national research publications to his name through the Institute of Criminology and National Centre for Vocational Education & Research.

He holds a BA and Dip.Education from La Trobe University.