Monash Industry Council of Advisers

Sir Rod Eddington AO - Chair

Sir Rod Eddington is Chairman of J.P. Morgan’s Asia Pacific Advisory Council, non-executive Chairman of Lion and also serves on the board of its Japanese parent company, Kirin. He is a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and is President of the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee. Sir Rod also holds non-executive directorships with 21st Century Fox, China Light & Power Holdings, John Swire and Sons (Aust), and is also a member of the Advisory Boards of Visy Industries Australia Pty Ltd and Pratt Industries (USA) Inc. He also served as the inaugural Chair of Infrastructure Australia from 2008 to 2014. Sir Rod was educated as an engineer at the University of Western Australia, and then Oxford University as Western Australia’s 1974 Rhodes Scholar before going on to become CEO of Cathay Pacific, Ansett Airlines and British Airways. In 2005, Sir Rod was awarded a Knighthood by the British Government, in 2012 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to business and commerce and in 2015 was honoured by the Japanese Government with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun for his contribution to strengthening the economic relations between Australia and Japan.

David Carbon

David Carbon is the Vice President and General Manager of Amazon Prime Air where he is responsible for creating a global, drone based, “30min click to delivery” customer experience. Prior to joining Amazon in March 2020, he worked at the Boeing Company for almost 20 years, holding senior executive roles including General Manager Hawker de Havilland, VP Operations 747 Program and VP, Chief Operating Officer 787 Program. In 1996 he joined the Ford Australia where he worked in manufacturing, R&D and the Office of President. David serves on the Boards of the Flight Safety Foundation and the Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee which is a US Federal advisory committee that provides independent advice and recommendations to the FAA on uncrewed aircraft system’s (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM). Since 2020, David has served as the Hon Maltese Consulate to the Carolina’s and in 2021 was named an honorary Professor of Engineering and Operations at both Melbourne and Monash Universities where he serves as a faculty advisor.  David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Politics and a Diploma of Education (Sec) from LaTrobe University, a Masters of Business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and an Advanced Management Degree from Harvard University.

Peter Coleman

Peter is currently the Chair of Infinite Blue Energy, DIRECT Infrastructure, H2EX Pty Ltd and a Director at Schlumberger. Prior to this, Peter was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Woodside from 2011 to 2021 and has over 37 years of experience in the global oil and gas industry, covering Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australasia. Peter is Chairman of the Australia Korea Foundation and advisor to the Asia Society. He is also a member of the University of Western Australia Business School Board, the Executive Committee of the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Council, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australia-India Chief Executive Officers' CEO Forum, Advisory Group Australia-Africa Relations and Monash Engineering Foundation. Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from Monash University and holds honorary doctorates from both Monash University and Curtin University.

Ahmed Fahour AO

Ahmed Fahour AO is currently the Group CEO of GURNER™️ Group, Chairman at Invest Victoria, and a Non-Executive Director at the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. With over 35 years of experience, he has held executive roles in banking, financial services, consulting, and postal services. Notable positions include CEO at Latitude financial, Australia Post & nab, and Partner at Boston Consulting Group. Ahmed has chaired various organisations including the Council of Australian-Arab Relations, ASX-listed company Pro-Pac Packaging, Ripcurl and Nasdaq Dubai. He's also involved in diplomatic affairs, serving as Australia’s Special Envoy to the OIC and founding the Islamic Museum of Australia. Ahmed was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017 and holds degrees from La Trobe University and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Peter Fox AM

Peter is the Executive Chairman of Fox Group Holdings, Executive Chairman of Linfox Pty Ltd and Executive Chairman of Armaguard. He held a wide range of roles across the Linfox business in operational and management positions before his appointment as Executive Chairman in 1994. Peter accepted an appointment to the Australian Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council in 2013. His current involvements are as the Chairman of the Prime Minister's Olympic Dinner, a Board Member of the MacNaughton Group Advisory Board, and a member of the Australian Logistics Council.

Annette Kimmitt AM

Annette is the Chief Executive Officer for the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission and Non Executive Director at Trawalla Group and Mirrabooka Investments. Her executive career has included being the former global CEO and Managing Partner at MinterEllison, as well as a range of senior global roles with Ernst & Young and, prior to EY, the International Accounting Standards Board.  Annette has been a Director of the Melbourne Business School since 2010. She is a member of the Business Council of Australia's Economic Policy and Competitiveness Committee, and was appointed in 2019 as 'Pay Equity Ambassador' by the Australian Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency. She is a Monash University Fellow, and has served as a Director for a wide range of government and NGO Boards, including Airservices Australia, The Committee for Melbourne, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand.  Annette was Victorian Chair of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2009.

Alan Oppenheim AM

Alan Oppenheim has been the Managing Director of Ego Pharmaceuticals since 1990 and prior to that was Scientific Director for a decade.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree with first class honours from Monash University, is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists and is a past President of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists, an organisation with 15,000 members in more than 40 nations.  Alan is very involved as a director of Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, the organisation that represents the non-prescription pharmaceutical industry. Alan was recognised for his community support in providing nursing fellowships to dermatology nurses in Australia and the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia by being made an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Dermatology Nurses Association.  He is an Entrepreneur of the Year and was presented with an Export Hero Award by the Governor-General of Australia.

Lara Poloni

Lara is the President of AECOM, the world’s premier infrastructure consulting firm delivering professional services across the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. A longstanding member of the AECOM team, Lara has served in several key leadership roles, including as Chief Executive of AECOM’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from 2017 to 2020, and as Chief Executive of the Australia New Zealand business from 2014 to 2017. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Lara has predominantly worked in the planning, assessment and development of major infrastructure projects for both public and private sector clients, across key transportation and property sectors. Lara is passionate about AECOM’s equity diversity and inclusion strategy and leadership development initiatives and the firm’s client service excellence programs.

Samantha Read

Samantha is CEO of Chemistry Australia, the peak body representing Australia's $40B chemistry industry. A passionate advocate for Australian industry and manufacturing, Samantha is a former Chief Executive of the Biofuels Association of Australia, senior executive and Board member at GM Holden and General Motors Australia, Non-Executive Director (NED) of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and NED of Manufacturing Skills Australia. Samantha is a member of the Federal Government’s International Trade Remedies Forum, CSIRO's Manufacturing Advisory Committee and Worksafe Victoria’s OHS Advisory Committee. In her local community, Samantha was Deputy Chair of Cobaw Community Health from 2015 to 2020. Awarded Monash University’s 2015 Distinguished Alumni (Engineering), Samantha was also a finalist in the 2014 Telstra Business Women's Awards. Samantha holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) from Monash, is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), serving as a member of the Bendigo Regional Committee.

Chris Roberts AO

Chris is Chair of OncoSil Medical Limited and TEDI-London, a non-executive director of Clarity Pharmaceuticals Limited, HealthCo (Healthcare and Wellness REIT), HMC Capital Partners Fund I, AtmoBiosciences Limited and O’Connell Street Associates Pty Ltd and sits on the board of the Centenary Institute of Medical Research and Cochlear Foundation. Chris was CEO/President of Cochlear Ltd from 2004 to 2015 and was a non-executive director of ResMed Inc. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, The Australian Institute of Company Directors and The Institution of Engineers Australia. Chris holds a BE (Honours) in Chemical Engineering (UNSW), an MBA (Macq) and a PhD (UNSW).

Innes Willox AM

Innes is Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, a leading industry organisation representing businesses in a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, transport, defence, ICT and labour hire. Innes was appointed Chief Executive in May 2012. Amongst other appointments, Innes is also a Director of Australian Super, Chair of the Migration Council of Australia and a Board member of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. Innes also serves as Convener of the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce. Prior to joining AiGroup in 2008 he served as the Australian Consul General to Los Angeles from 2006 to 2008, Chief of Staff to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, from 2004 to 2006 and earlier was Manager of Global Public Affairs for Singapore Airlines based in Singapore (2000-04). Innes began his career as a journalist.  His positions included Chief of Staff at The Age newspaper in Melbourne and Chief Political Correspondent for The Age in Canberra.

Professor Sharon Pickering (ex-officio)

Professor Sharon Pickering is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University, appointed 29 January 2024. Professor Pickering is a leading international scholar in the field of criminology with global expertise on border crossings, migration and trafficking. Her work across criminology and higher education has attracted numerous awards including an Australian Human Rights Commission Award, the Leon Radzinowicz Prize, the CM Alder Prize, the International Education Association of Australia Best Practice Award and the Australian Financial Review International Education Award. Professor Pickering previously served as Acting Provost and Senior Vice-President, providing leadership of the ten Monash Faculties, as well as the University’s international campuses: Monash University, Malaysia, Monash University, Indonesia, Monash Suzhou in China, the IITB-Monash Research Academy in India and the Monash University Prato Centre in Italy. Professor Pickering has also served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Senior Vice-President with responsibility for education strategy, student experience, teaching and learning, scholarships, executive education, online education and related functions for the University.

---

Professor Andrew Dyer (ex-officio)

Andrew is a Professorial Fellow at Monash University, where he serves on a number of advisory boards, including Chair of the Monash Energy Institute Advisory Council, an 'Ambassador' for the University's Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, as well as serving on the Dean's advisory boards to the Engineering and Information Technology Faculties at Monash.  Andrew also chairs the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music Advisory Board at the University of Melbourne. He has been a member of MICA since it was established in 2014.

He recently retired from his role as the inaugural Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, reporting to the Federal Parliament. Andrew has chaired and served on boards in the listed, private, public, arts, university and other not-for-profit sectors, many of these roles being voluntary . His professional career includes operational and executive roles in the energy, telecommunications, information technology and professional services industries.

Andrew's career has been based primarily in Australia and the Americas. He was the Victorian Government's Commissioner to the Americas, based in San Francisco, and has worked in industry and trade roles based in Washington DC, Miami, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Singapore and Melbourne.  Andrew holds a Bachelor of Engineering with first class honours from Monash University and an MBA from Georgetown University.