Company Directors
The current Directors of Equity Trustees are as follows:
JA (Tony) Killen (Chairman)
Robin Burns (Managing Director)
David F Groves (Deputy Chairman)
John R McConnell
Barry J Jackson
Alice JM Williams
The Hon Jeffrey G Kennett AC
JA (Tony) Killen
BA, FAICD, FAIM
Chairman – Appointed 30 August 2007
Non-Executive Director – Appointed September 2002
Member of Equity Trustees’ Remuneration & HR Committee
Tony is a non-executive director of listed companies, IRESS Market Technology Ltd and Templeton Global Growth Fund Ltd. He is also a non-executive director of Catholic Church Insurances Ltd and Catholic Church Insurances Investment Management Ltd.
Tony is a former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd, having had a 36 year career with the National Mutual/AXA group. He was also Chairman of Australia’s largest not-for-profit health services provider, Sisters of Charity Health Service Ltd.
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Robin Burns
Managing Director – Appointed March 2010
Robin Burns became Managing Director of Equity Trustees in March 2010. Before joining Equity Trustees he was, from 2002, Chief Executive Officer of Equipsuper Pty Ltd, the trustee company for the Equipsuper multi-employer superannuation fund.
Robin previously worked for AXA Asia Pacific, where he held the positions of General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Chief Executive, Risk Insurance and for the stockbroking firm Prudential-Bache Securities (Australia), where he was Managing Director, having joined the firm as Chief Financial Officer.
Robin has nearly 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He gained his initial professional qualification as a chartered accountant in the UK in 1981.
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David F Groves
B.Com, M.Com, CA, FAICD
Deputy Chairman – Appointed December 2007
Non-Executive Director – Appointed November 2000
Chairman of Audit & Compliance Committee – Appointed January 2003
David is a director of Tassal Group Ltd and Kambala, a leading Australian girls' school in Sydney. He is a member of MIR Management Limited Advisory Council and also an executive director of a number of private companies involved in viticulture and investment.
David is a former director of GrainCorp Limited, Mason Stewart Publishing, and Camelot Resources NL, and a former executive with Macquarie Bank Limited and its antecedent, Hill Samuel Australia.
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John R McConnell
B.Com, FAICD, FAIM, F Fin
Non-Executive Director – Appointed January 2002
Member of Equity Trustees’ Audit & Compliance Committee – Appointed January 2003
John has had more than 35 years’ experience in banking and finance with the ANZ Banking Group in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where his roles included Managing Director of Corporate Banking and Retail Banking, and Deputy Managing Director of Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd.
John is director of ASG Group Ltd and Kew East Financial Services Ltd. John was previously a chairman of Guilford Investments Ltd and director of Housewares International Ltd. He was a founding director of Family Business Australia Ltd and the Melbourne Community Foundation, and is a past member of the Epworth Medical Foundation.
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Barry J Jackson
B.Com (Hons), MAICD
Non-Executive Director – Appointed September 2002
Chairman of Equity Trustees’ Remuneration & HR Committee
Barry is a former Managing Director of Pacifica Group Limited and Chief Executive of BTR Nylex’s Building Products Group, with more than 30 years’ experience in manufacturing and industrial marketing.
He is a director of Paperlinx Limited. Barry was previously a director of St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, CSR Limited and Alesco Corporation Limited.
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Alice JM Williams
B.Com, FCPA, FAICD, CFA
Non-Executive Director – Appointed September 2007
Member of Equity Trustees’ Audit & Compliance Committee
Alice has over 20 years senior management and Board level experience in the corporate and Government sectors specialising in investment management, corporate advisory and equity fundraising. Alice was formerly a director of NM Rothschild and Sons (Australia) Limited, Director of Strategy and Planning for Ansett Australia Holdings Limited and a Vice President at JP Morgan Australia.
Other non-executive directorships include The Cancer Council of Victoria (Council Member), Air Services Australia, Guild Group Holdings Limited and Victorian Funds Management Corporation.
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The Hon. Jeffrey Kennett AC
Hon. DBus (Ballarat)
Non-Executive Director – Appointed September 2008
Member of Equity Trustees’ Remuneration & HR Committee
The Hon Jeffrey Kennett AC was an Officer in the Royal Australian Regiment, serving at home and overseas. He was a Member of the Victorian Parliament for 23 years, and was Premier of the State from 1992 to 1999.
Mr Kennett is currently Chairman of Open Windows Australia Proprietary Limited and Amtek Corporation Pty Ltd, and Chairman of the Board of Management of PFD Food Services Pty Ltd.
He is a Director of Equity Trustees Limited and Jumbuck Entertainment Limited.
Mr Kennett is Chairman of beyondblue: the national depression initiative.
He is President of the Hawthorn Football Club.
Mr Kennett is Patron of a number of community organisations.
In 2005, Mr Kennett was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia.
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Past directors
Read the names of some our distinguished past directors.