Wesfarmers Limited (ASX:WES)

Michael rejoined the Board as a non-executive director in June 2015 and became Chairman in November 2015. Michael graduated with Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from The University of Western Australia in 1972 and 1980 respectively. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1992 and has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from The University of Western Australia.

After obtaining his Science degree, Michael worked for eight years as a petroleum geologist in Australia and the USA. He joined the Australian Industry Development Corporation in 1980 as a corporate finance executive and became Manager for Western Australia in 1981. He joined Wesfarmers in 1983 as Company Secretary and Administration Manager, became Finance Director in 1984 and was appointed Managing Director in July 1992. He retired from that position in July 2005.

Michael is the former Chairman of Woodside Petroleum Limited (retired April 2018), National Australia Bank (retired December 2015) and the National School Resourcing Board (retired October 2023); and a former director of BHP Limited (retired October 2005) and the Centre for Independent Studies (retired July 2022). He is former Chancellor of The University of Western Australia (retired December 2017) and former Governor of the Forrest Research Foundation (resigned December 2020).  Michael is currently Chairman of Northern Star Resources Limited and is also a director of the Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd. 

Rob was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wesfarmers in November 2017 following his appointment as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in February 2017. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of the Wesfarmers Industrials division from August 2015 until August 2017.

Rob started with Wesfarmers in 1993 before moving into investment banking, where he had various roles in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in Australia and Asia. Rob rejoined Wesfarmers in 2004 in a commercial role in business development, before being appointed Managing Director of Wesfarmers Insurance in 2007 and then Finance Director of Coles in February 2013. He was appointed to the role of Managing Director, Financial Services in October 2014.

Rob holds a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Australian National University. He has a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investments, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is a dual Olympian in rowing and a silver medallist from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He is a director of the Brisbane 2032 Board, Gresham Partners and the Business Council of Australia.  Rob is also a member of The University of Western Australia Business School Advisory Board.  He was formerly the Chairman of Rowing Australia and is a past president and director of the Insurance Council of Australia.

Vanessa joined the Board in July 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Business Administration from the IMD Switzerland. Vanessa retired as a Senior Partner and Executive Chairman of Strategy& Japan in July 2015.  Over her almost 30 year career as a strategy management consultant, she held a number of leadership and governance roles, including leader of Booz & Company’s financial services practice in Global Markets, member of Booz & Company’s global Board and director of Booz & Company entities in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia (with varied tenure through to February 2013). She was also actively involved in the firm’s customer, channels and markets activities which focused on areas such as customer experience, offer design and channels to market across a number of industries. Vanessa has hands on experience in mergers and acquisitions and post-merger integration.

Vanessa is Chairman of Ecofibre Limited and a director of SEEK Limited and Palladium Global Holdings Inc.  She is also former Chairman of AMP Capital Holdings Limited (resigned June 2018) and a former director of AMP Limited (resigned May 2018). Vanessa has also established her own advisory company MF Advisory that provides executive coaching and advisory services to executives in Asia and Australia.  Vanessa is a member of the University of NSW Business School Advisory Council, an independent member of NSW Treasury Asset and Liability Committee and is a member of the AICD.

Jennifer joined the Board in April 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales, Graduate Management Certificate from the Monash Mt Eliza Business School and was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics.

Jennifer was Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, the leading forum for the heads of over 100 of Australia's top companies to contribute to public policy debate, from February 2011 until October 2023. Prior to that, she was a board director and lead partner at KPMG, heading its Sustainability, Climate Change and Water practice, and its NSW State Government practice. In July 2024 Jennifer was appointed as a Special Advisor to KPMG.  She has extensive experience in critical leadership positions in the NSW and Victorian governments.

She is Chair of the Western City & Aerotropolis Authority, Studio Schools of Australia and Future Generation Global.  Jennifer is a director of Atco Australia, a board member of Cyber Security Research Centre, a committee member of 2050 Point Parramatta, Patron of The Pinnacle Foundation and Co-Patron of Pride in Diversity.  She is Chancellor of Western Sydney University and an Adjunct Professor at the City Futures Research Centre of the University of New South Wales. In March 2024 Jennifer was appointment by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to be a Business Champion to Indonesia. Previously she was a member of the Prime Minister’s Cyber Security Review Panel and of the Prime Minister’s Expert Advisory Panel on the Reform of the Federation. She was Chair of the Mental Health Council of Australia, and former Co-Chair of the Advisory Board to the Australia Sino One Hundred Year Agricultural and Food Safety Partnership.  Jennifer was also former Co-Chair of the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum Organising Committee and a former member of the Melbourne School of Government Advisory Board. Jennifer is a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, a Fellow of AICD and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, an Honorary Doctorate from UNSW, a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2003 and was a Finalist for the Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 1998. Jennifer was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to policy development and reform, cross sector collaboration, equity and business in 2018.

Bill joined the Board in April 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Victoria University of Wellington and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Otago.

Bill is Chairman of Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, and Chair of Impact Lab Ltd and Manawanui Support Ltd. He is also a director of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, TMG Cloudland, Centre for Independent Studies and The Todd Corporation Limited.

Bill was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand from October 2008 to December 2016 and Prime Minister until the change of government in October 2017. He retired from parliament in March 2018 after guiding the New Zealand economy through the global financial crisis. He initiated tax reforms, capital disciplines for the public balance sheet and financing the rebuild of Christchurch after the 2010 earthquakes. As Minister for Infrastructure he oversaw significant investment in digitalising government and improving customer experience of public services.

Bill was Minister of Health from 1996 to 1999 and has also held ministerial roles in education, housing, and revenue since his election to Parliament in 1990. He has long-term interests in economic restructuring, sound microeconomic policy, and social policy reform.

Mike joined the Board in February 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the AICD, is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (London) and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.

Mike has more than 40 years’ experience in the finance sector where he held senior positions firstly as an actuary with National Mutual/AXA and then in investment banking where he provided strategic, financial, merger and acquisition, and capital advice to major corporations, private equity and government clients.  Mike spent more than 20 years with Deutsche Bank including 10 years as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions where he advised on major takeovers and privatisations.  He stepped down as Deutsche Bank’s Chairman of Mergers and Acquisitions (Australia and New Zealand) in 2016, and was a member of the Takeovers Panel for two terms from 2008 to 2014

Mike is a director of Macquarie Group, Macquarie Bank and MaxCap Group Pty Limited.

Mike co-founded the Sally Foundation and established his own advisory company M R Advisory that provides mergers and acquisitions, and capital advice to government and private sector clients.

Sharon joined the Board in August 2019 and was appointed Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee in November 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Business Law) from Curtin University, and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and the AICD.

Sharon has extensive board and executive experience in corporate strategy, business operations, finance, accounting and risk management, particularly in the resources, construction, infrastructure and property sectors, along with significant expertise in governance and remuneration.

She is currently a director of Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation, Northern Star Resources, South32 Limited, Thiess Group Holdings Pty Limited and Worley. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Curtin University’s Faculty of Business and Law.

Sharon’s previous board experience includes as a director of Blackmores Limited, Gold Road Resources, Perth Children's Hospital Foundation, Western Power and NEXTDC, Chairman of the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility, and as a director and Co-Deputy Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group.  She was also a part time member of the Australian Government's Takeovers Panel.

In her executive career, Sharon was previously Executive Director Strategy and Finance, at Brookfield Multiplex, and before that held senior management roles with ALDAR Properties PJSC in the United Arab Emirates, Citigroup in Sydney and Rio Tinto in London and Perth.

In 2014, Sharon was awarded WA Telstra Business Woman of the Year.

Anil joined the Board in February 2021.  He holds an Honors Bachelor of Mathematics in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo.

Anil is Vice President of Product Management at Google and the company’s most senior product and engineering leader in Australia and New Zealand.  He is also an advisor to venture capital firm, AirTree Ventures.  Anil’s 12 years at Google have included leading the strategy and team behind the launch of Google Photos in 2015, which reached more than one billion monthly active users within four years.  He later led product, design and engineering for Google Chrome, one of the world’s most popular web browsers.

Before joining Google, Anil co-founded online learning company Desire2Learn, headquartered in Canada, and was General Manager of the knowledge management division in Australia for human resources company, Talent2.

Alison joined the Board in September 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Tasmania), is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants ANZ, the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Alison is an experienced Chief Executive and Non-executive Director. Her previous roles include Group Managing Director of Coca-Cola Amatil, Chief Executive Officer of GrainCorp Limited and Berri Limited, and Managing Director of Regional Banking at ANZ. Alison spent 10 years at McKinsey & Company from 1989 to 1999 and became a partner of the firm in 1996 before moving to ANZ as Group General Manager, Strategy. She has been a Non-executive Director of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the Business Council of Australia, Just Group Limited and Woolworths Limited. Alison is a former Victorian President and National Board Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Alison is currently a director of CSL Limited, the Centre for Independent Studies, PGA of Australia and The Geoff Ogilvy Foundation. She is also Chancellor of the University of Tasmania and a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board.

Alan joined the Board in October 2021.  He holds an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Western Australia (UWA).

Alan has extensive experience in the mining, resources and manufacturing sectors.  Alan joined Alcoa in 1980 and worked in a variety of assignments and locations across its Australian and international businesses, prior to being appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Alcoa Australia, and President of Alcoa Refining in 2008.

Alan is a director and Lead Investment Committee Chairman of SAS Resources Trust, a member of the UWA Business School Board, Deputy Chairman of Peel Development Commission and Chairman of the Waalitj Foundation.

His board experience includes as a director of John Swire and Sons Pty Ltd, as a director and Deputy Chairman of Black Swan Theatre Company, and as a director and Chairman of the West Coast Eagles Football Club.

Alan was a founding member of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and Their Children, as well as being a founding member of the CEO’s for Gender Equity in Western Australia.  

Kate joined the board in August 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) (University of Technology, Sydney) and a Bachelor of Law (University of New South Wales).

Kate is an experienced senior executive and director.  Her board experience includes a director of Vitrafy Life Sciences Ltd and Ryman Healthcare Limited and Chair of Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre.

Kate’s previous roles include Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Virtus Health Limited, Chief Operating Officer of Ramsay Health Care and a director of Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation.  She spent 10 years at Transfield Services Limited (now Ventia) from 2006 to 2016 as Chief Risk & Legal Officer/Company Secretary and Chief Executive Operations (Logistics, Construction, Consulting).

Kate also practiced as a lawyer for 14 years from 1992 to 2006 including as a Partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Baker McKenzie.  She was also a Registered Nurse for 5 years from 1987 to 1992.