Australian Museum Trust

Our 11 Trustees play a valuable role in monitoring the performance of the Australian Museum (AM), assisting with strategic planning processes and acting as advocates for the institution. They are appointed for three year terms with a maximum of nine consecutive years of service. The Governor of NSW, in consultation with the Minister for the Arts, appoints our Trustees.

Brian Hartzer

Brian was appointed President of the Australian Museum Trust in January 2023 after appointment as a Trustee in January 2021.

Brian is an experienced executive, leadership mentor, and investor who served as CEO of the Westpac Banking Group from 2015 to 2019.

Brian is currently Chairman of Beforepay, a Sydney-based Fintech startup, and Reejig, and HR technology startup. He is also an angel investor in and advisor to several other early-stage companies. He is also a senior advisor to Quantium, a Sydney-based data science company.

Prior to his time as Westpac’s CEO, Brian spent 15 years in senior executive roles at major banks in Australia and the UK. Prior to his banking roles, Brian spent ten years as a financial services strategy consultant at First Manhattan Consulting Group in New York, Melbourne, and San Francisco.

He has previously served as Chairman of Save the Children Australia, Director of the Financial Markets Foundation for Children, and Chair of the Business Advisory Committee of the Australian National University.

He graduated with a degree in European History from Princeton University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Brian served as Chair of the Australian Museum Foundation from December 2020 to December 2022.

Professor Shirley Alexander AM

Professor Shirley Alexander AM has more than 30 years experience in the education sector, spanning K-12, TAFE and higher education with a particular focus on STEM. Previous role held for 15 years was as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education and Students) at UTS with overall responsibility for the university’s key priorities in teaching and learning, the student experience, and the use of data analytics in all aspects of the university's work.

Shirley is an experienced board director having served three terms as a Trustee of the Powerhouse Museum with particular contributions in learning and technology, a member of three successive Australian Government teaching and learning committees, and currently a board member of the GROK Academy.

Shirley was appointed to the Trust in January 2023 and serves as the Trustee appointed for her knowledge of, and experience in education.

Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO

Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt is a Eualayai/Gamillaroi woman and the Director of Research and Academic Programs at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is a graduate of the UNSW Law School and has a Masters and SJD from Harvard Law School. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and a founding member of the Australian Academy of Law.

She has published numerous textbooks on Indigenous legal issues. Larissa is an award-winning filmmaker and novelist. She is a board member of the Sydney Community Fund and Chair of the Cathy Freeman Foundation, now the Community Spirit Foundation. Larissa was awarded the 2009 NAIDOC Person of the Year Award, 2011 NSW Australian of the Year and an Order of Australia in 2020 for her work in the law, education and the arts. She is the host of Speaking Out on ABC Radio.

Larissa was appointed to the AM Trust in August 2019.

Professor Kathy Belov AO

Professor Kathy Belov is Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global and Research Engagement and a Professor of Comparative Genomics in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. Kathy’s research expertise is in comparative genomics and immunogenetics of Australian wildlife and she has played a leading role in deciphering the genomes of the iconic koala, platypus, echidna, wallaby and opossum.

For the last 15 years her research team has played a pivotal role in bringing the Tasmanian devil back from the brink of extinction through its work on devil immunity, genetics and population management. Kathy co-edited the book “Saving the Tasmanian Devil: Recovery through Science-based Management” and has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers, including in Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and PLoS Biology.

Kathy has received two Eureka Prizes, the Crozier Medal and the Fenner Medal from the Australian Academy of Science for her research. She is a scientific advisory board member of the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia, a member of the NSW Koala expert advisory committee, a past president of the Genetics Society of Australasia and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. Kathy joined the AM Trust in January 2021.

Jennifer Bott AO

Jennifer Bott is a Board Director, consultant, professional mentor and cultural leader. She is currently a director of the Australian National Academy of Music, the Southern Highlands Community Foundation and the Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute. She has served as a Trustee of the AM since 2015.

Jenny was previously Chairman of the Bundanon Trust, Chair and CEO of NIDA, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts, the UNSW Foundation and Musica Viva Australia.

Jenny received an AO in 2012 for her service to the arts. She has an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New England.

Maile Carnegie

Maile Carnegie is Group Executive Australia Retail, ANZ’s largest business which serves around five million retail customers through an extensive network of branches, ATMs and leading online and mobile banking applications and digital solutions. Since joining ANZ, she has been developing enterprise-wide digital capability, including the transformation of the Australia Business which aims to improve the financial wellbeing of ANZ customers. Maile also holds Group accountability for design and marketing which includes ANZ’s brand, advertising and sponsorships.

Maile is keenly focused on customer centric innovation and design. She joined ANZ in 2016 from Google where she was Managing Director Australia and New Zealand. She also spent over 20 years with Proctor and Gamble in roles including Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, General Manager for Asia Strategy, Marketing and Design based in Singapore and a number of senior commercial roles in the United States.

With a passion for helping future generations, Maile contributed as one of six members on the independent review of the Australian public service, was previously Vice-Chair of the ASIC External Advisory Panel and a board member of Innovation and Science Australia. She is currently a member of the Board at University of Technology, Sydney and a Trustee of the Australian Museum.

Maile holds a degree in Business Administration in Finance, Economics and Marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Brett Clegg

Brett Clegg is the Founding Partner and joint Managing Director at Citadel-MAGNUS. His career has spanned professional services, investment banking, publishing and the technology sectors. Brett spent more than two decades in senior executive and editorial roles in the media industry, responsible for some of Australia’s leading news brands including The Australian Financial Review, where he rose from cadet journalist to the position of CEO and Publisher, as well as The Australian and The Daily Telegraph.

He is a Patron and former Chair of Sydney Dance Company, one of Australia’s premier performing arts organisations. In his role at Sydney Dance Company, Brett led the capital campaign to fundraise support for its contribution to the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct and helped steward the organisation through the challenges of COVID-19 with an acclaimed return to the local and international stage.

Brett specialises in strategic communication, issues management, business innovation and capital markets transactions. He has extensive Board and governance experience, including in the technology and education sectors.

Brett has a Bachelor of Business with Distinction from the University of Technology Sydney and a Masters in Advanced Finance from the University of NSW. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Brett was appointed to the Trust in January 2023.

Jennifer Dalitz

Jennifer Dalitz is an experienced board director and CPA qualified finance professional. She brings deep strategic and operational expertise in line roles and as a management consultant within top tier firms, working predominantly across banking and financial services, professional services, and membership associations. With a focus on delivering sustainable change, Jen has led major strategic transformations through to governance and remediation programs, involving multiple stakeholder groups and geographies.

An internationally recognised champion of inclusion and diversity, Jen served for four years as the CEO of a leading industry association focused on increasing gender diversity, and prior to that advised major corporations on their inclusion and diversity initiatives. Outside of her corporate experience, Jen founded three businesses in the online, consulting and agricultural sectors and, with this, brings an ownership mindset to the organisations she works with.

Media and PR savvy, Jen has been the spokesperson for various public campaigns, and has built a respected profile and presence in both traditional and social media channels. Jen is a keen equestrian and divides her time between Sydney and her farm in the NSW Southern Highlands. When not at her desk, she’s usually outdoors riding a horse, walking a dog, or with her son at weekend sports.

Jen was appointed to the Trust in January 2023 and also serves as the Chair of the Australian Museum’s Audit & Risk Committee.

David Feetham

David is Deputy Chairman of Gresham's corporate advisory business, Gresham Advisory Partners Limited and was previously CEO of that business for 19 years.

He has a BEcon and LLB from Sydney University and has worked as a solicitor and investment banker. He has 37 years' experience in mergers and acquisitions with leadership of a wide range of large and complex transactions.

He has served on not-for-profit boards for 20 years including as a director of a girl’s school and on the board of CARE Australia.

David was appointed to the Trust in January 2023 is also serves as the Chair of the Australian Museum Foundation Board.

Shauna Jarrett

Shauna is an experienced senior executive, and non-executive director and lawyer with a skill set in strategic design and execution across the educational, legal, arts and community sectors. Her passion and commitment to the sustainability of community and social justice organisations is evident in her dedication to many community projects.

Shauna has over 20 years of experience at board level of promoting and implementing governance reforms as a platform for organisational sustainability, integrity and generational change, including chairing the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Vice President of the NSW Law Society.

Shauna was the University of Sydney’s Foundations’ Director and Assistant Group Secretary from July 2008 to April 2015 where she was responsible for developing the strategic direction of a diverse range of 41 University Foundations. Shauna has had the privilege of sitting on the boards of PIAC , NSW Law Society, Arts Law Centre, Force Majeure, Australian Museum Foundation and Seton Villa. Shauna is also a Councillor on the City of Sydney Council. Shauna was appointed to the AM Trust in January 2018.

Josephine Sukkar AM

Josephine is co-owner and Principal of construction company Buildcorp which she founded 33 years ago with her husband Tony.

She serves on a number of private, public, government and not-for-profit boards, including Washington H. Soul Pattinson, Growthpoint Properties Australia, the Green Building Council of Australia, the Centenary Institute of Medical Research. She is Chair of the Australian Sports Commission and the Buildcorp Foundation.

In 2021 Josephine was appointed Chair of the Australian Sports Commission.

Josephine was formerly President of Australian Women’s Rugby Union and a Non-Executive Director of The Trust Company, the Property Council of Australia, Opera Australia and the YWCA NSW.

She is a Fellow of the University of Sydney and in 2017 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.