SGCH Group Directors
The Directors of SGCH Group Boards are elected for service based on their expertise in finance, accounting, business, management and corporate governance.
Annette Gallard PSM
Non-executive Director, Chair
B. Soc. Stud., M Comm.
Annette’s professional career was in the NSW Public Sector where she worked for 28 years. Annette held a number of positions in the then Department of Housing including Regional Director Northern NSW, Regional Director Central Sydney and Deputy Director General Public Housing. In 2002 she joined the then NSW Department of Community Services and was Deputy Director General Operations and then Chief Executive. Since her retirement in 2011 she has held non-executive director roles in non-government housing and disability services organisations. In 2012 she was awarded the Public Service Medal for services to disadvantaged communities including Aboriginal communities.
Special responsibilities
Chair of the Board | Chair of People and Culture Committee | Member Audit and Risk Committee I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee from 4 December 2020
Appointment dates
SGCH – 27/08/2013
SGCH Sustainability – 08/07/2015
SGCH Portfolio – 23/04/2013
Victoria Weekes
Non-executive Director & Vice Chair
BComm LLB, FAICD, SFFinsia
A professional Director with over 30 years of experience as a senior executive in the financial services sector, Victoria is currently serving on several boards and has been Vice Chair of SGCH since 2018. Victoria was formerly a director of ASX listed URB Investments Limited and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Urban Growth Development Corporation. Prior to her governance career, she held senior financial services executive positions with Westpac and Citigroup Australia and was formerly the Special Policy Advisor to the Australian Securities Commission.
Special responsibilities
Vice Chair of the Board I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee I Chair of Safety and Sustainability Committee from 4 December 2020 I Member of Property Portfolio and Investment Committee to 27 August 2021 I Member of People and Culture Committee
Appointment dates
SGCH – 27/03/2018
SGCH Sustainability – 28/07/2015
SGCH Portfolio – 23/04/2013
Anna Buduls AO
Non-executive Director
BA, M.Comm
Anna is an experienced Non-Executive Director with business, not-for-profit and government policy experience. She has worked in investment banking and provided consulting services to private and government entities., For over two decades she has been on both Government and public company boards across a broad range of industries and sectors, including not-for-profit. She also has deep knowledge of and expertise in homelessness and with disadvantaged communities, garnered from both her government policy work and personal philanthropy. In 2003 Anna received a Centenary Medal for her community contributions. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 for distinguished service to the business and finance sectors through her advisory roles, and as a supporter and advocate for policy development to reduce homelessness, as well as her contributions to the welfare and charity sectors.
Special responsibilities
Member of People and Culture Committee I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee to 4 December 2020 I Member of Audit and Risk Committee from 4 December 2020 I Member of the Property Portfolio and Investment Committee from 27 August 2021
Appointment dates
SGCH – 28/11/2019
SGCH Sustainability – 28/11/2019
SGCH Portfolio – 28/11/2019
Simon Shakesheff
M Comm
Simon has over 30 years of analysis, advisory and operational experience in finance and real estate. He spent 19 years as the head of listed real estate analysis at Macquarie Bank and JPMorgan, before becoming a corporate advisor to listed real estate groups at UBS and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He also has operational experience at Stockland Trust Group, where he was responsible for Strategy, Research and Stakeholder Relations, and a member of the Executive Committee. . Simon is now a professional director, serving on the boards of listed, private and NSW Government entities, with a focus on the real estate sector. Hehas had a longstanding interest in housing and is a member of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s research reference group.
Special responsibilities
Member of the Property Portfolio and Investment Committee I Chair of the Property Portfolio and Investment Committee from 4 December 2020 I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee from 4 December 2020, to 27 August 2021 I Member of the Audit and Risk Committee from 27 August 2021.
Appointment dates
SGCH – 28/11/2019
SGCH Sustainability – 28/11/2019
SGCH Portfolio – 28/11/2019
Karen Orvad
Non-executive Director (appointed 5 October 2020)
GAICD, CAANZ, MBA(Exec), BComm (Accounting)
Karen is a former KPMG Partner with a speciality in Governance, Risk Management and Internal Audit. She brings over 25 years experience working with some of the worlds’ most recognised brands in governance, risk, internal audit, board advisory and strategic human resources. Karen has worked with corporate, government and NFP clients across sectors including Health and Human Services, Energy and Natural Resources, Transport, Retail and Financial Services. She has held senior executive internal audit and risk roles in both the financial services and aviation sectors.
Special responsibilities
Member of Audit and Risk Committee from 4 December I Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee from 1 January 2021 I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee from 4 December 2020
Appointment dates
SGCH – 05/10/2020
SGCH Sustainability – 05/10/2020
SGCH Portfolio – 05/10/2020
Barry Mann
Non-executive Director (appointed 27 November 2020)
BA Civil Engineering, Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment (FINSIA), AICD
Barry has over 30 years experience as a senior executive in the property industry. His experience includes over 20 years in listed Australian property companies (Lendlease and Stockland) including six years in international postings. He has local and state government experience including as the Chief Executive of the NSW Government urban renewal organisation. Barry brings extensive and diverse experience in urban renewal, property development, housing, major transactions, design and construction, infrastructure delivery, international business, joint venture management and government enterprises. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of NSWALC Housing Ltd, Non-Executive Director of Auckland Real Estate (AKL.ASX and AKL.NZX), an Independent Advisor to the Board of Ingham Property Group and the Independent Chair of the Building Regulation Advisory Panel for the Urban Development Institute of Australia, NSW.
Special responsibilities
Member of People and Culture Committee from 4 December 2020, to 27 August 2021 I Member of Property Portfolio and Investment Committee from 4 December 2020 I Member of Safety and Sustainability Committee from 30 April 2021.
Appointment dates
SGCH – 27/11/2020
SGCH Sustainability – 27/11/2020
SGCH Portfolio – 27/11/2020
Rajiv Viswanathan
Non-executive Director (appointed to the Board on 25 August 2021)
BA LLB
Rajiv has over 20 years experience across the public, private and community sectors, gained in diverse roles in New York, London and Sydney. Most recently he was the Chief Executive Officer of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), a commercially focused statutory corporation that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to own their own homes, start and grow businesses, and make investments. He previously worked in various roles with the Macquarie Group in New York and Sydney, in business development and risk management. Prior to this, he worked as a corporate lawyer in London and Sydney.Rajiv has extensive experience across a range of commercial transactions, including establishing new businesses, acquisitions, joint ventures, investment funds and capital raising, including in cross-border contexts. He is passionate about developing and applying commercial solutions to create social impact. He is also a non-executive Director of the First Nations Foundation, which works to create financial literacy in Indigenous communities.
Special responsibilities
Member of Property Portfolio and Investment Committee from 27 August 2021 I Member of Audit and Risk Committee from 27 August 2021
Appointment Dates
SGCH – 25/08/2021
SGCH Sustainability – 25/08/2021
SGCH Portfolio – 25/08/2021
Philip Fagan-Schmidt
Non-executive Director (appointed to the Board on 25 August 2021)
M Policy and Admin, BA
Philip has had an illustrious career in social housing, having held the position of Executive Director of Housing SA for almost a decade with responsibility for 40,000 social housing properties. He offers insights from his leadership of a large organisation in Housing SA, overseeing 1,000 staff, a $10 billion asset base and an annual operational budget of $400 million.Philip is experienced in policy and strategy, natural and urban resources; and the disability, community services and aged care sectors. He has served on significant national and local Boards and Committees and has worked widely across Government agencies including the Premiers Department, Health, Community Services, and Housing.
He is nationally recognised as an industry leader and was awarded a Queens Birthday Public Service Medal for outstanding service in social housing policy and practice in 2015. Since leaving the South Australian public service in 2018, he has worked as a consultant and independent director and advisor.
Special responsibilities
Member of Property Portfolio and Investment Committee from 27 August 2021 I Member of People and Culture Committee from 27 August 2021.
Appointment dates
SGCH – 25/08/2021
SGCH Portfolio – 25/08/2021
SGCH Sustainability – 25/08/2021