Home > About the Forum > Forum Steering Committee > Forum Steering Committee Members

Forum Steering Committee Members

Chairman:

Mr Graham Kraehe AO

Graham Kraehe is one of Australia’s most experienced company directors. He is Chairman of Bluescope Steel Ltd, a position he has held since its public listing in July 2002. He is also a non executive Director of Brambles and Djerriwarh Investments. He recently retired as Chairman and Director of National Australia Bank and was previously a Director of News Corporation. He has an extensive background in manufacturing and the wine industry and was Chief Executive of Southcorp from 1994 till his retirement in February 2001. He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2002 for services to industry and the environment.

Mr D R (Don) Argus AO

Mr Don Argus is Chairman of BHP Billiton, Chairman of Brambles Industries and a Board Member of the Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited. In addition, he is a Member of the International Advisory Council of Allianz Aktiengesellschaft; and is co-Patron of Vision Australia.

Former appointments include: Managing Director and CEO of National Australia Bank Limited; Chairman of Australian Bankers Association; Chairman of Australian Institute of Bankers; Board Member of International Monetary Conference; Director of Southcorp Limited; Director of Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Pty Ltd; Member of Advisory Committee to Australian Securities Commission; Member of Financial Sector Advisory Council; Chair of the Advisory Council to the CEPA Trust; a Member of the Management Committee Trust Fund of the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, and the Australian Institute of Bankers.

Mr Argus has been awarded honorary degrees from Monash University (Doctor of Laws) and Griffiths University (Doctor of the University).

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1998 in recognition of his services to banking and finance industries and his contribution to community and sporting organisations.   Mr Argus was further awarded the Centenary Medal in April 2003 for service to Australian society through business.

Ms Margaret Jackson AC
Chairman - Qantas Airways Limited

Ms Margaret Jackson was appointed to the Qantas Board in July 1992 and as Chairman in August 2000.

Margaret is a Director of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and Billabong International Limited. She is a Member of the Business Council of Australia Chairman's Panel, a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a Member of the Foreign Affairs Council. In addition, Ms Jackson is an Executive Committee Member of the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee and a Director of the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine.

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Economics Degree from Monash University and completed an MBA with distinction at Melbourne University. Margaret has had an extensive career with major firms Price Waterhouse, BDO Nelson Parkhill and KPMG.

Margaret received an Honorary Doctorate in Laws from Monash University in 2002 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in the General Division (AC) in 2003.

Margaret resides in Melbourne and is married with two children.

Mr Graeme Thomas John AO

Mr Graeme John was appointed Australia Post's Managing Director in August 1993. He had been the Corporation's Chief Manager, National Operations since 1990.

Previously he was Deputy General Manager, TNT Australia Ltd., and has over 30 years experience in line management for road, rail and sea transport operations.

Mr John is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, Chairman of Star Track Express Holdings Pty Ltd, Director and Alternate Chairman of Australian air Express, and a Director of the Road Transport Forum.

He is a member of the Business Council of Australia, the Committee for Melbourne, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Council for the Encouragement of Philanthropy in Australia and a councillor of the Australian Business Arts Foundation.

Mr John takes an active role in international postal affairs. Over the past decade Mr John has spoken on postal reform and the future of the Post in the new millennium at several international forums. He has addressed a Joint session of the US Congress' House and Senate Committees in Washington on postal matters, and Australia's reform experiences. As Managing Director, Mr John has been a plenary speaker at the Universal Postal Union's five-yearly Congresses in Seoul, Beijing and Bucharest. He has played a key role in establishing a business centre in Singapore which is now working on the development of postal services in the Asia-Pacific region. Mr John is Vice-Chairman of Sai Cheng Logistics International, a joint venture with China Post.

In June 2003 Mr John was recognised with an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Award in the Queen's Birthday Honours. The Award was for service to business through the introduction of competitive initiatives and strategic leadership as Managing Director of Australia Post and to the community, particularly by fostering corporate support for charitable organisations.

In May 2004 Mr John received the international industry leadership award at the prestigious World Mail Awards in Germany.

Mr John played and coached Australian Rules Football at the elite level and is now a Commissioner of football's peak body - The Australian Football League.

Mr Donald G McGauchie AO

Mr Donald McGauchie joined Telstra as a non-executive Director in September 1998 and was appointed as Chairman in July 2004. He is Chairman of the Nomination Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Experience:
Mr McGauchie has wide commercial experience within the food processing, commodity trading, finance and telecommunication sectors. He also has extensive public policy experience, having previously held several high-level advisory positions to government including the Prime Minister’s Supermarket to Asia Council, the Foreign Affairs Council and the Trade Policy Advisory Council.

Directorships of Other Listed Companies - Current:
Director, James Hardie Industries NV (2003-) and Nufarm Limited (2003-).

Directorships of Listed Companies - past three years:
Deputy Chairman, Ridley Corporation Limited (1998-2004); Director, National Foods Limited (2000-2005) and Graincorp Limited (1999-2002).

Other:
Director, Reserve Bank of Australia; Partner, C&E McGauchie - Terrick West Estate; President of the National Farmers Federation (1994-1998); Chairman, Rural Finance Corporation (2003-2004). Awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through agriculture and business in 2003.

Mr John Stewart
Managing Director and Group Chief Executive, National Australia Bank

Mr John Stewart is Managing Director and Group Chief Executive of National Australia Bank. Mr Stewart joined the National Group in August 2003 as Chief Executive, Europe and Principal Board Member.

Before joining the National, Mr Stewart was Deputy Chief Executive of Barclays PLC, a position he gained following the acquisition of Woolwich plc by Barclays in October 2000. His responsibilities included management of the Personal Financial Services and Private Client divisions, the Wealth Management business, and the successful delivery of the Barclays/Woolwich integration program, which delivered ongoing benefits of £400 million per annum to the group.

Mr Stewart joined the Woolwich in 1977, working in a wide variety of roles in the retail network. His achievements included the development of a financial services strategy for the business, which culminated in the establishment of a number of new successful new ventures for the Group. These included an IFA company (now one of the largest in the UK), a life assurance company and a general insurance business (both joint ventures with leading UK insurers), and a unit trust business which introduced a unique in-branch dealing service to the UK market. Other roles involved responsibility for the retail operations of the business, the lending and credit functions, and the negotiations and subsequent successful takeover of the Town and Country Building Society.

Mr Stewart was appointed to the Board of the Woolwich in 1995 as Group Operations Director and became Chief Executive in 1996. As Chief Executive he led the successful conversion of the business from building society to a bank, culminating in listing in the UK FTSE 100 in 1977. Mr Stewart also drove major cultural change in the business, which resulted in portfolio reappraisal, a strong focus on shareholder value and the launch of the ground-breaking Open Plan integrated banking solution, which helped the bank achieve one of the highest PE ratios in its sector. He also negotiated the merger with Barclays, which saw the Woolwich acquired for £5.8billion, a premium of more than 30% over its share price.