Ian Govey AM
Independent Chairperson
Current term: February 2023 – February 2026
Ian is a lawyer by training and occupied a number of senior positions with the Commonwealth Government before leaving in 2016. These roles included the position of Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) and AGS chief executive between 2010 and 2016, and Deputy Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department from 2000 to 2010. His work in the Attorney-General’s Department and The Treasury focused significantly on commercial law reform, including the Corporations Act 2001.
Ian is Chair of the Audit Committee of the Federal Court of Australia and Deputy Chair of the Audit Committee of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and of the ACT Community Services Directorate. His other current roles include director of AustLII (Australasian Legal information Institute) and director, and member of the executive of, ACICA (Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration).
Ian’s former roles include membership of NADRAC (National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council) and representing Australia as a delegate at international forums, including as the elected Australian member of the Governing Council of UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law).
Ian was awarded an AM (member of the Order of Australia in the General Division) in the Australian Honours in 2015 for ‘significant service to public administration and to the law, as a leader in the provision of government services, and to professional organisations’. He is also a member of the Australian Academy of Law.
Ian has degrees in law from Adelaide University and in Economics from the ANU.
Rob Lomdahl
Industry Representative
Current term: January 2024 – January 2027
Rob Lomdahl is a former senior manager of ANZ with broad experience in banking services, regulation and policy.
At ANZ, he led public policy, government relations and regulatory affairs functions from 2013 to 2020. In these roles, he worked on a wide range of matters affecting consumers and small business. These include lending practices, banking in regional areas and for primary producers, small business banking services, dispute resolution practices and performance, payment systems and credit cards, retail banking services and credit reporting.
Prior to joining ANZ, Rob held senior roles in public affairs and regulation, and operations at Telstra. His work at Telstra focused on services to regional, rural and remote Australia, including extensive work with stakeholders and community leaders to improve telecommunications and address service issues.
He has also held positions in the Australian and Victorian governments, and in private consulting.
Rob holds engineering and business degrees from the University of Melbourne.
Lody Stewart
Consumer Representative
Current term: January 2024 – January 2027
Lody is a seasoned financial counsellor with a wealth of experience as a consumer advocate and strong commitment to supporting vulnerable clients.
Currently, Lody is the Financial Counselling, Knowledge Management and Advocacy Lead at Financial Counselling Australia, the peak body for financial counsellors, where her work includes leading the strata levy payment difficulty reform project and content writer for the financial counselling sector Toolkit and National Debt Helpline websites.
Lody has previously worked as a Senior Financial Counsellor with Financial Rights Legal Centre, assisting disadvantaged consumers with complex problems, Women’s Legal Service NSW, delivering specialist family violence financial counselling, and as a specialist small business financial counsellor at the Small Business Debt Helpline.
Before transitioning to financial counselling, Lody held senior-level roles in the investment, insurance, and financial services sector for over 25 years.
Passionate about amplifying consumer voices, Lody is dedicated to ensuring compliance with, and strengthening of, consumer protections.
Lody holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Technology Sydney, a Diploma of Financial Counselling and Financial Counselling Accreditation.