Ian Govey AM
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 focussed 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.
Anne O’Donnell
Industry Representative
Current term: October 2021 – October 2024
Anne is a non-executive director with extensive work experience in the banking, funds management and superannuation sectors.
Anne is a director of Equity Trustees Holdings Ltd, an ASX-listed company providing specialist Corporate Trustee and Wealth Services and a director of the Sprit Superannuation Fund. Other current non-executive roles include director of The Churchill Memorial Trust, director of Agricultural Innovation Australia Ltd, member of the UBS Compliance Committee, chair of IP Australia’s Audit Committee and member of the National Capital Authority Audit Committee.
Her past roles include Chair of Beyond Bank, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd and twenty years with the ANZ Bank. Anne holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts, Banking and Finance. She is a Senior Fellow of the FINSIA and a Fellow of the AICD.
Cat Newton
Consumer Representative
Current term: May 2021 – May 2024
Cat is an experienced consumer advocate. Her advocacy is informed by experience working directly with and for people impacted by misconduct, and in collaboration with other advocates, to achieve fairer outcomes, resolve systemic issues and improve practice in the banking and financial services sector.
Most recently, Cat has worked as the Assistant Director of Policy & Campaigns at Consumer Action Law Centre, an independent, not-for-profit consumer organisation that provides free legal and financial counselling services. Cat has led reform campaigns across banking and financial services, including implementation of the Financial Services Royal Commission recommendations. Cat previously worked as a community lawyer at Consumer Action, providing legal services directly to consumers on credit, debt, and consumer law matters, and providing secondary legal assistance, training and support to other community workers and financial counsellors who advocate for banking customers.
Cat has represented consumer interests on the ASIC Consumer Consultative Panel, Insurance Council of Australia Consumer Advisory Committee, TAL Consumer Consultation Board, and Super Consumers Australia Policy Reference Committee.
Cat holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne.