Fellowships honour exceptional citizens
Monash University recognised leaders in law, business, government, the arts, health, sport and the media at a gala ceremony held in Melbourne last night.
The University acknowledged extraordinary contributions and achievements with awards of 12 Fellowships to outstanding alumni and three Honorary Fellowships to non-Monash graduates.
The fellowships were presented to the Honourable Justice Jennifer Coate, Family Court of Australia; the Honourable Justice Pamela Tate, Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria; Dr Helen Light AM, academic and consultant; Gillian Callister, secretary of Victoria’s Department of Human Services; Mary Hemming, former CEO of Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd; Annette Kimmitt, Global Middle Market Leader at Ernst & Young; Karen Wood, company executive; Graham Allan, Group Chief Executive of the Dairy Farm Group; Ian Henderson, newsreader; Lai Guanglin, Chairman of Agria Corporation; Ross Oakley OAM, former Chairman and CEO of the VFL/AFL; and Graeme Wise, founder of The Big Issue.
Honorary Fellowships were bestowed on Betty Amsden AO, philanthropist; Debra Stirling, non-executive director of Federation Ltd; and Marcus Westbury, founder of Renew Newcastle and Renew Australia.
The Monash University Fellowship is an award of the Council of the University made in recognition of alumni who have made, and continue to make, a significant contribution to the life of the community through their professional distinction and their outstanding service. Honorary Fellowships are awarded to those who are not Monash graduates.
Monash University Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel AO congratulated the recipients.
“Our Fellows exemplify our hope for our alumni, as graduates of the university who have achieved at the highest level of their field of enterprise. Our Honorary Fellows, by their outstanding contribution to public life, have earned the highest regard of the University community, into which we induct them,” Dr Finkel said.
President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner AO said she was delighted the University was able to acknowledge the distinguished contribution the Fellows and Honorary Fellows had made.
“The success of our alumni is part of the University’s ability to make a difference in our society. They have benefitted from the University's excellent research and teaching and we are proud of the way they give to others,” Professor Gardner said.
2014 Monash University Honorary Fellowships
Betty Amsden is a philanthropist whose 30-year contribution has been instrumental in changing attitudes about private support for the arts.
Debra Stirling is a highly-experienced senior executive and company director. Since December 2011 she has been a non-executive director of Federation Limited, an ASX Top 70 company and leading real estate investment trust, Centro, focused on the ownership and management of shopping centres.
Marcus Westbury is the founder of Renew Newcastle and Renew Australia. His background is a broadcaster, writer, media maker and festival director who has been responsible for some of Australia’s more innovative, unconventional and successful cultural projects and events.
2014 Monash University Fellowships
Graham Allan (BEc 1975, LLB(Hons) 1978)
Graham Allan has been Group Chief Executive of Dairy Farm since January 2013, having served as Chief Operating Officer from June 2012. Prior to joining Dairy Farm, Mr Allan was President and CEO at Yum! Restaurant International and was responsible for global brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in all markets except the US and China.
Gillian Callister (BA 1981, BSocWk(Hons) 1982)
Gillian Callister is Secretary of Victoria’s Department of Human Services and is responsible for the delivery of child protection, disability, youth, housing and family violence services, including to some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
The Honourable Justice Jennifer Coate QC (BA 1979, LLB 1984)
Justice Jennifer Coate is a judge of the Family Court of Australia and one of the six royal commissioners appointed by the Australian government Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Mary Hemming (PhC 1967, BPharm 1971)
Mary Hemming trained as both a pharmacist and an epidemiologist. She commenced her professional life as a hospital pharmacist working in major teaching hospitals. The focus of her career has been to optimise the use of medicines.
Ian Henderson (BA(Hons) 1976, DipEd 1989)
Ian Henderson is an Australian television news presenter and the current weeknight presenter of ABC News in Victoria.
Annette Kimmitt (BBus(Acc) 1998)
Antoinette (Annette) Kimmitt is the Global Middle Market Leader and the Asia-Pacific Accounts Leader at Ernst & Young, one of the world’s largest professional services firms with 190,000 employees in over 700 offices covering more than 150 countries.
Lai Guanglin (Alan Lai) (BBus(Acc) 1993)
Alan Lai is the founder, the largest shareholder and the Chairman of Agria Corporation, an international agriculture company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Dr Helen Light AM (BA(Hons) 1971, PhDArts 1975)
Dr Helen Light AM was the director of the Jewish Museum of Australia from 1991 to 2010. Under her leadership the museum received many awards and was regarded as one of the best museums in Australia and one of the most outstanding Jewish museums internationally.
Ross Oakley OAM (BEc 1967)
Ross Oakley is the current CEO of both the Victorian Rugby Union and the only professional rugby team in Victoria, the Melbourne Rebels. Mr Oakley is best remembered for presiding over the transformation of the Victorian Football League into the Australian Football League.
Honourable Justice Pamela Tate (LLB(Hons) 1988)
Justice Pamela Tate was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2010. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and Patron of the Australasian Association of Philosophy.
Graham Wise (BEc 1967)
Graham Wise is the Founder and Patron of The Big Issue street newspaper, a director of MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, and past board member of Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Prahran Mission and Philanthropy Australia.
Karen Wood (LLB(Hons) 1985)
Karen Wood is an advisor to the Chief Executive of BHP Billiton after previously having held senior executive roles within the company. She is also a member of the Committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club and a member of Chief Executive Women.