International Advisory Board

International Advisory Board

Hon. Ken Wyatt AM JP (Chair)

The Honourable Ken Wyatt AM JP served as the Member for Hasluck in the Federal Parliament from 2010 to 2022. He was the first Indigenous Australian elected to the House of Representatives and first Indigenous Australian appointed to the Executive Council. 

Ken also served as Australia’s first Minister for Indigenous Australians, Minister for Aged Care, Minister for Indigenous Health and Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians.

He has a demonstrated track record of achievement in management and leadership roles across the public, private and political sectors. His key areas of expertise include realising new business opportunities; effectively contributing to international, national policy, program design; strategic planning; measuring and reporting performance; and leading organisations through significant change.

Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar

Dewi Fortuna Anwar straddles the world of academia, political activism and government. She is a research professor at the Center for Political Studies-Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2P-LIPI), and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Habibie Center (THC) in Jakarta.

Dewi was the Kippenberger Visiting Chair at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand from 1 October to 30 November, 2018 and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018.

From 2010 to 2017, Dewi served as a Deputy Secretary to the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia (For Political Affairs, October 2010-May 2015; For Government Policy Support, May 2010-February 2017).

She has written widely on Indonesia’s democratisation, foreign policy, as well as on ASEAN regional political and security issues. Dewi sits and has sat in a number of national and international advisory boards. She is currently a member of the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and a Board Member of Shift Project based in New York.

Dewi obtained her PhD from Monash University, Melbourne, while her MA and BA (Hons) were from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

The Honourable Colin Barnett

Hon. Colin Barnett is the former Premier of Western Australia (September 2008 to March 2017) and former member for Cottesloe. He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Cottesloe in 1990.

Mr Barnett has also served as the State’s Treasurer, as well as holding various other portfolios in Western Australia’s cabinet.

Prior to entering politics, he lectured in economics at the Western Australian Institute of Technology and served as an executive director of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Barnett holds an economics degree from The University of Western Australia.

Eva (Eve) Howell

After obtaining an honours degree in Geology and Mathematics from King’s College, London, Eve entered the resources industry in the UK. Her career continued after migration to Australia in 1981, culminating in roles as Managing Director of Apache Energy Ltd and Executive Vice President (EVP) for the North West Shelf Project at Woodside Energy Ltd and EVP for Health, Safety and Security for all Woodside’s operations and projects worldwide.

During her working career, Eve was involved with energy supply, marine and onshore infrastructure, shipping, the arts, environmental and safety issues, government and community engagement. She obtained an MBA degree from Heriot Watt University (Edinburgh Business School) and served as a Director of Fremantle Ports Authority, the West Australian Ballet and the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi Foundation. 

Since 2011, when she retired from fulltime employment, Eve graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and served on several ASX, private and not-for-profit boards. She is currently the Chair of Ember Connect Ltd, a charity providing an Australian-wide, on-line support program for women of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. 

 

 

Professor Anna Nowak (ex officio)

Professor Anna Nowak (MB BS PhD W.Aust., FRACP) is Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at The University of Western Australia and has responsibility for research policy development and leadership of the University's research activities, postgraduate education, industry liaison, intellectual property and commercialisation. 

Professor Nowak is a medical oncologist and clinician scientist. Anna has been a clinical academic in the UWA Medical School since 2005, and has built a strong research program encompassing laboratory, murine, translational and clinical trials work, with a focus on mesothelioma. Her research has been funded by NHMRC, Cancer Australia, Cancer Council WA, the US Department of Defense, and through industry partnerships and philanthropy.

In 2018, Anna was named Cancer Researcher of the Year by the Cancer Council of WA, and in 2021 received both the International Mesothelioma Interest Group’s prestigious Wagner Medal for her contribution to mesothelioma research, and the Medical Oncology Group of Australia’s inaugural Martin H Tattersall’s Heroes Award for her mentorship, advocacy and contributions to the discipline.

Anna is passionate about mentoring, collaboration, building a positive culture for research staff and students, and women in science.

Ms Maria Osman

Maria Osman M.Ed GAICD has over 30 years’ experience as a senior policy adviser on the intersections of gender equality, multiculturalism and human rights. She has worked in the government, community and university sectors as an advocate, policy adviser and strategist, speaker and mentor.

Maria has held a diverse range of senior State government positions including Executive Director, Office for Women’s Policy,  Executive Director, Office of Multicultural Interests and A/Executive Director, Community Building and Services in the Department for Local Government and Communities. In 2015 she was an official delegate to the United Nations 59th Commission on the Status of Women.

Maria currently serves on multiple national, state and community boards and committees including, Chair of the Humanitarian Group; the National Harmony Alliance for Migrant and Refugee Women; the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Advisory Board: The Premier’s Supporting Communities Forum; the National Education Toolkit for FGM/C Awareness Project, and the Somali Women’s Association.

Professor Peter Robertson

Peter Robertson is a Professor of Economics at the University of Western Australia.

He has previously held positions at The Productivity Commission in Australia and The University of New South Wales and has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Otago, The University of British Columbia, Rutgers University and St Anthony’s College, Oxford.

His research mainly involves economic growth, and international trade, but also developing economies, economic modelling, defence economics, human capital and environmental trade disputes. Peter was educated at the University of Otago, New Zealand, the University of New England, Australia, and Simon Fraser University, Canada.

He is currently Dean of The UWA Business School and a Fellow of the UWA Public Policy Institute.

 

Linda Savage

Linda Savage has a BA (Hons) in Politics (UWA) and a law degree from Cambridge. Throughout her working life she has focused on law reform and the rights of women and children.   

She is a former Director of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal, Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Member of Parliament, and was the Inaugural Convener of the Valuing Children Initiative. She has co-authored two books, written numerous opinion pieces and academic articles and served on a wide range of advisory committees and boards. 

She is currently on the Boards of the National Drug Research Institute, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Board, the Australian Council on Children & the Media and Upswell Publishing.

In October 2018 she was appointed as an Ambassador for Children and Young People. In 1997 she was awarded the Law Society of Western Australia’s annual award for Outstanding Service to the Community. In 2010 she was named Woman Lawyer of the Year.

 

Mr Ross B. Taylor AM

Ross Taylor is a former WA Government Commissioner to Indonesia and has held numerous senior industry positions, including National Vice-President & WA State Chair of the Australia-Indonesia Business Council, with Wesfarmers Ltd and Phosphate Resources Limited. He also operated his own business in Medan, Sumatra for three years.

Ross is involved in philanthropy and cancer-charity work throughout the region and is one of Australia’s leading commentators on Indonesia-Australia relations writing ‘Opinion’ articles for The Australian, The West Australian and The Jakarta Post newspapers & The Diplomat based in Washington DC, and also for the Lowy Institute on a regular basis. & commentates on SkyNews, and ABC Radio programs.

Ross is also the author of three published books. In 2013 Ross was appointed by the Governor-General of Australia as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to Australia-Indonesia relations and to the (philanthropic) community. Ross was also selected, in July 2013, by the Indonesian Government as Australia’s “Presidential Friend of Indonesia – 2013.”

Mr Tim Lo Surdo

Tim is the Founder of Democracy in Colour, Australia's first racial and economic justice organisation led by people of colour. Before starting Democracy in Colour, he worked with low-paid workers to set up Hospo Voice, a new union in hospitality. Previously, Tim was the Head of Campaigns at Oaktree, a senior adviser to two Senators, the Campaigns Director at Jhatkaa, the National Communications Director at UN Youth Australia, and co-founded Open Sky.

Tim has served on 19 community and government Boards. He is currently the Chairperson of No to Violence and the Jane Goodall Institute Australia and a Non-Executive Director of Plan International Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Environment Victoria, the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Inner Melbourne Community Legal, the Cultural Facilities Corporation, the Consumer Policy Research Centre, the Funders Initiative for Civil Society, and the Victorian Government's Sustainability Fund. He is also a member of the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council and Australia's Open Government Forum.

For his work, Tim was named an Asia-Pacific Obama Leader, the 2021 Victorian Young Achiever of the Year, a Commonwealth Young Person of the Year finalist, one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians, and one of 17 UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Associate Professor Paul J. Maginn (ex officio)

Associate Professor Paul Maginn is the Interim Director of the UWA Public Policy Institute and is also Programme

Co-ordinator of the Masters of Public Policy (Admin/Governance stream) at UWA.

Paul is an urban planner/geographer and has been at UWA since February 2007. He previously held positions at the University of South Australia and Edith Cowan University, having migrated to Australia in 2003.

Paul’s research expertise/interests are in: (i) urban policy; (ii) housing; (iii) strategic spatial planning; (iv) planning reform; (v) Australian and global suburbanisms; (vi) multiculturalism and sectarianism; (vii) local government; (viii) geographies of sex(uality) and the sex industry; and, (ix)

He is co-editor/author of 9 books, including:

1. Phelps, N., Keil, R. and Maginn, P.J. (eds.) (forthcoming) Peripheral Centralities: The Lost and Past Urbanity of the Suburbs, London: Routledge.
2. Maginn, P. J. and Anacker, K. (Eds.) (2022) Suburbia in the 21st Century: From Dreamscape to Nightmare, London: Routledge.
3. Gurran, N., Maginn, P.J., Burton, P., Legacy, C., Curtis, C., Kent, A. & Binder, G. (2020) Disruptive Urbanism: Implications of the ‘Sharing Economy’ for Cities, Regions, and Urban Policy, London: Routledge.
4. Maginn, P. J. and Steinmetz (2015) (eds.) (Sub)Urban Sexscapes: Geographies and Regulation of the Sex Industry, London: Routledge.

Paul is the current Editor-in-Chief of Urban Policy and Research, Australasia’s leading urban studies journal. He served as co-convenor of the Australasian Cities Research Network from 2017-2021 and was lead co-chair of the 2009 and 2019 State of Australasian Cities conference – Australasia’s pre-eminent urban studies conference.

Tim Hammond

Tim has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Laws from Murdoch University. Tim specialises in representing victims of asbestos disease and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

Tim also has expertise acting for Plaintiffs and Defendants in medical negligence claims, as well as workplace, motor vehicle and catastrophic injury cases. He also advises and appears regularly in employment & industrial relations matters.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Tim worked at Slater & Gordon Lawyers from 2000 until 2010. During that time, he was the Managing Partner / State Practice Leader for the Queensland operations of the firm from 2006 to 2009. From 2002 to 2006, Tim was a Partner at Slater & Gordon in Perth, specialising in asbestos litigation.

From 2010 to 2016 Tim practiced as a Barrister at Francis Burt Chambers.

In 2011 Tim was awarded the West Australian Bar Association’s Chief Justice’s prize for the most outstanding bar reader and the best performing reader at the Australian Bar Association essential trial advocacy course.

From 2016 to 2018 Tim was the Federal Member for Perth, as well as the Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs and Shadow Minister Assisting in Resources.

In addition to his practice as a barrister, Tim volunteers as a board member on a number of boards, including the Western Australian Bar Association and The Fathering Project. He is also a member of the Murdoch University Strategic Advisory Board.

Robin McClellan

Robin McClellan brings decades of experience in diplomacy, corporate relations, and leadership development to the Advisory Board. She has worked in public and corporate policy roles in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Singapore, as well as the United States and Australia, and has also held leadership positions in the academic and not for profit sectors. Her primary areas of influence have been in investment and trade policy, financial counter-terrorism efforts, and extractive industry regulatory policy.

Robin has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in Economic History from the University of Exeter, UK, and an MBA from Duke University. She has served on corporate boards in the resources sector in Indonesia and Australia, and holds a number of not-for-profit advisory board roles. She speaks Indonesian, French, Spanish, and German, and has studied Noongar.

Dr David (Russ) Russell-Weisz PSM

Dr David (Russ) Russell-Weisz PSM is the former Director General of Western Australia’s Department of Health, a position he has held from 2015 to 2024.

Dr Russell-Weisz graduated as a doctor in Scotland but has spent the best part of his professional life in Western Australia.

After moving to Australia in 1993, he joined the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Broken Hill, and then moved to Western Australia, where, as a procedural General Practitioner and then Director of Medical Services, he served communities in regional and remote parts of Western Australia. The work gave him a special appreciation of the challenges faced by those delivering services in rural/remote parts of Western Australia and the unique responsibilities of our State’s health system in achieving equitable health outcomes.

Later, as Chief Executive of the North Metropolitan Health Service, he led the $1billion dollar redevelopment of the QEII Medical Centre while also overseeing the operations of three tertiary and three outer-metropolitan hospitals. Dr Russell-Weisz also led the commissioning of the State’s flagship $2 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital, which opened its doors to its first patients in late 2014.

As Director General, Dr Russell-Weisz steered the public health system through a period of significant reform, which included the commissioning and opening of the Perth Children’s Hospital. Along with the WA Health Executive team, Dr Russell-Weisz was responsible for delivering on the State Government’s Sustainable Health Review, which provides an ambitious blueprint for the delivery of high quality, safe and sustainable health care services for Western Australians over the next 10 years.

Along with the Chief Health Officer, Dr Russell-Weisz has led & guided the WA health system’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continuous quality of care for patients and the progression of key health infrastructure strategic projects.