Meet our Council members
Front Row (L to R): Ms Helena Qian, Professor Mark Jones (term ended 31 Dec 2019), Dr Kylie Twyford (term ended 31 August 2020), Professor Peter Coaldrake AO (until 3 June 2020), The Deputy Chancellor, Mrs Michelle McPherson (from 26 June 2020), Ms Jann Gardner
Second Row (L to R): Ms Julie Phillips, Conjoint Professor Geoff Lilliss, Ms Dianne Allen (Deputy Chancellor until 26 June 2020, current University Secretary), Chancellor Mr P.E. (Paul) Jeans, Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, Mr Bob Kennedy AM
Third Row (L to R): Mr John Bowers, Assoc Prof Brendan Boyle, Dr Roslyn Larkin (term ended 31 August 2020), Mr Doug Dean AM
Not Shown: President of Academic Senate Professor Victoria Haskins (from 1 Jan 2020), Dr Eileen Doyle (from 27 June 2020), Ms Natalie Downing (from 1 September 2020), Professor Jennifer Martin (from 1 September 2020).
Official Members
The Chancellor, Mr Paul Jeans
BE(UNSW), FRSN, FIEAust, FAICD
Paul Jeans was appointed as the University of Newcastle's seventh Chancellor on 1 July 2013.Mr Jeans is also a non-executive director of the Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre Ltd.
Mr Jeans was brought up at Teralba on Lake Macquarie and had his secondary schooling at Newcastle Boys High School. Mr Jeans completed a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the Newcastle University College at Tighes Hill, the antecedent institution to the University of Newcastle.
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO
BMathSc(Hons), PhD, Hon DSc(UOW), GradDip(AICD), FAA, FTSE, FIEEE, Hon FIEAust, FAICD
Professor Alex Zelinsky AO is the University of Newcastle’s 8th Vice-Chancellor and President and commenced in the role on 19 November 2018. Prior to joining the University, Professor Zelinsky was Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist and leader of Defence Science and Technology within the Department of Defence.
President of Academic Senate, Professor Victoria Haskins
BA(Hons), PhD(Sydney)
Victoria Haskins is a Professor of History in the School of Humanities and Social Science in the Faculty of Education and Arts, and Director of the Purai Global Indigenous History Centre.
External members appointed by the Minister
Conjoint Professor Geoff Lilliss
BE(Hons), MBA(Merit)(Newcastle), Hon FIEAust, MAICD
Geoff Lilliss’ career spans senior executive positions in Australia’s electrical power and manufacturing industries. He is recognised for managing large utility networks, delivering billion dollar investment programmes, his leadership in policy development, renewables and industry regulation, leadership of organisational change and developing key markets.
Mr Robert (Bob) Kennedy AM
BEc(ANU), FCPA
With an extensive career as a global business leader in the food technology industry, Mr Bob Kennedy AM began his career in industrial engineering at Port Kembla before moving to the United Kingdom to work for British Insulated Callender's Cables (BICC), the largest non-ferrous cables manufacturer in the world.
External members appointed by Council
The Deputy Chancellor, Mrs Michelle McPherson
BBus(Accounting)(UTS), CA, GAICD
After joining nib in 2003 as the company's Chief Financial Officer, Michelle was Group Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer as well as Company Secretary of nib holdings limited until 2020.
Ms Jann Gardner
BA/LLB(Sydney), MBA(Newcastle), GAICD
Ms Jann Gardner is the Chair of Hunter United Employees Credit Union Ltd (HUECU), the largest credit union in the Hunter Region, and a non executive director of StateCover Mutual Ltd, an insurer of local government instrumentalities and Arch LMI Ltd, a mortgage insurer.
Mr John Bowers
BCom(Hons1), MCom(Newcastle), AM(Harvard), CFA
John Bowers’ career is divided into four phases. First, he was an accountant with Tubemakers of Australia, Newcastle Works, who provided the cadetship that allowed John to become one of the initial 1965 group of undergraduates at the University of Newcastle. While with Tubemakers John initiated and
managed electronic data processing at the Newcastle Works.
Mr Doug Dean AM
BCom(Newcastle), FCPA, FIML
Doug Dean is Chairman, Veolia Australia and New Zealand. Joining Veolia, then Collex in 1991, Doug Dean is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the Veolia Group Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Julie Phillips
BPharm, DHP, MSc(Sydney), MBA(Macq)
Ms Julie Phillips has a strong background in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, having worked as the CEO and Director of start-up Australian biotechnology companies operating in the life sciences sector.
Dr Eileen Doyle
FAICD, FTSE
Dr Eileen Doyle was born in Newcastle and studied at the University of Newcastle and Columbia University in New York. Her career spans decades as a senior executive, Non-Executive Director and Chairman across a number of industries.
Elected academic staff members
Associate Professor Brendan Boyle
BBus(DkIT, Ireland), MBS(UCD, Ireland), PhD(Sydney)
Associate Professor Brendan Boyle is currently a lecturer of international management in Newcastle Business School. Brendan completed his Masters of Business Studies Degree in University College Dublin’s Graduate School of Business and completed his PhD within the Discipline of International Business
at the University of Sydney.
Professor Jennifer Martin
PhD(Monash), MB ChB(Otago, NZ), MA (Oxford, UK)
Professor Martin is a physician and academic healthcare leader with skillsets and experience in complex regulatory and performance environments in both health and education.
Elected non-academic staff member
Ms Natalie Downing
BA, DipEd, MMktg(Newcastle), AMusA
Natalie’s experience at the University of Newcastle is extensive spanning almost 30 years across all University of Newcastle faculties and a number of divisions.
Elected student member
Miss Helena Qian
B.Med, MAICD
With a penchant for keeping busy, Helena Qian is a Bachelor of Medicine and Diploma in Languages student with a passion for global health, meaningful youth engagement and effective altruism.