In the chapters
FuturaBoard is organised by chapter, each led by a director who convenes the gatherings in their state, curates who is in the room, and makes the connections that widen a board career. Four chapters are running now.
People in a room at one time
Chapter heads
Victoria · Founder
Founder and Executive Chair, Spektrum Development
Katherine founded FuturaBoard in 2023 and leads the Victorian chapter. Over a thirty-year career she has advised business on social licence, risk and development across energy, agriculture and technology, and has spent more than two decades in board and multi-stakeholder work. She sets the standard for how the gatherings are run.
New South Wales
Chapter director, NSW
Nisha leads the New South Wales chapter, convening the Sydney gatherings and curating who sits at the table. Her career spans financial services, higher education and the not-for-profit sector, and she brings that discipline to how a FuturaBoard room is put together.
Australian Capital Territory
Former Chief Executive, Australian Academy of Science
Anna-Maria leads the ACT chapter, where the network sits closest to the institutions that set the rules. She spent nearly a decade as Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science, and before that led Science & Technology Australia.
Queensland
Non-executive director, QIC
Jane convenes the Queensland chapter, opening rooms in Brisbane and connecting aspiring directors with the senior non-executives already in those rooms.
07 · Coming up
Melbourne · 2 September
Co-founder, Intrepid Travel
Co-founded Intrepid Travel in 1989 and built it into a global small-group operator majority-owned by its own staff, with a career-long focus on responsible, low-impact tourism.
Melbourne · 17 November
Non-executive director, Telstra and Lendlease
A 25-year career leading Accenture’s Asia Pacific business, followed by a listed-company board career including the Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Santos, Tabcorp and Lendlease.
Melbourne · Date TBC
Founder and Chief Executive, endota
Opened the first endota spa in 2000 with $5,000 and built it into Australia’s largest wellness network, now more than 100 locations strong.
Melbourne · Date TBC
President, National Gallery of Victoria
A leading litigator turned arts and governance leader, the first woman to head the NGV’s Council of Trustees, with director roles spanning tourism, health and the law.
08 · Who has sat at the table
Chairs, chief executives, regulators and advocates — each in dialogue with the table, under Chatham House Rule.
Non-executive director, listed companies
A career in technology and operations leadership. She has spoken with the room about how boards oversee transformation, then stayed for the questions.
Legal and Policy Director, Inclusive Development International
A human rights lawyer and co-founder of Inclusive Development International. She has opened a view of how boards sit with community, land and corporate accountability.
Member, PwC Australia Independent Governance Board
A lawyer and former managing partner. She has shared her experience of governance and taken the questions in the room.
Non-executive director, CSL
A geologist and former CSIRO chief executive who has spoken with the network about science, industry and the board table.
Chair, Australian Institute of Company Directors
An actuary and company director. She has spoken with the network about how boards are composed, and how that composition does its work.
Chair, Boral
An engineer and company director who has taken the questions after speaking about public leadership and the work of a chair.
Chair, VicHealth
A Yorta Yorta man and public leader. He has opened an Indigenous lens on how institutions are governed, and who they are for.
Chair, PayPal Australia and the Melbourne Fashion Festival
A retail chief executive — Target and Billabong — turned chair, with a board career spanning payments, consumer brands and the arts.
Chair, Export Finance Australia
A career built in Japanese banking, then Australian boardrooms. She has shared what chairing looks like in practice, then stayed for the discussion.
Non-executive director
Has shared her board practice with the room and taken the questions that followed.
Non-executive director
A non-executive director across listed companies. She has sat with the network and taken the questions that follow.
Chair, Cabrini Health; non-executive director, Suncorp Group and Premier Investments
A career in funds management before a substantial listed and health-sector board portfolio, and a member of the Federal Government’s Takeovers Panel.
Former President, BP Australasia
Has shared a chair’s view of the room and how it is built, from a career in energy and industrial leadership.
Non-executive director, Vicinity Centres and Tabcorp
A marketing and digital executive before a listed-company board career across property, gaming and consumer businesses, with a focus on brand, customer and transformation.
Non-executive director
Former chief executive of The Prince’s Trust Australia. She has spoken with the network about leadership, philanthropy and the work of a director.
Non-executive director, Macquarie Group
Led Mirvac for a decade. She has spoken with the network about leadership, housing and the long view from the chair.
Non-executive director, Macquarie Group
Chaired OZ Minerals. She has shared her board practice and taken the questions that followed.
Managing Partner and Chief Executive, Blackhall & Pearl
Leads the firm that conducts board reviews. He has spoken with the network about how rooms are put together, and how they are judged.
Chief Executive, Directors Australia
Advises on board composition. She has opened that work to the table, and taken the questions.
Non-executive director, AGL Energy and Brown Brothers
A manufacturing and consumer-goods chief executive who has sat as a guest and taken the questions after speaking.
Executive Director, Inclusive Development International
Co-founded the organisation. He has spoken with the network about how boards sit with human rights, land and the communities their decisions reach.
Non-executive director, National Australia Bank
Ran Carnival Australia, then brought that operator’s view of culture, customers and risk to the table.
Founder, RedBalloon and the Big Red Group
Built RedBalloon, then spoke with the network about founding, directing, and how a brand is governed as it grows.
Non-executive director, Coles Group
Spent a career in technology leadership before joining listed boards, and has taken the questions on how a board reads digital risk.
Chair, Xero and Ramsay Health Care
Led Telstra, then spoke with the room about chairing, culture and judgement.
Executive Chairman, Kay & Burton
A banking and financial services career — including chief executive roles — before taking the executive chair of one of Melbourne’s best-known property businesses.
Independent member, Audit and Risk
A chartered accountant who has shared a finance director’s view of the board table, and how audit and risk work is done.
Network coordinator
Honeyeel Magallanes coordinates the network across all four chapters — invitations, hosts, sponsors, and the follow-through after the table is cleared. If you have not been to FuturaBoard, Honeyeel is who replies. She is the first point of contact for anyone wanting to join, host or support an event.
Coordinator, FuturaBoard Network
09 · Get in touch
Four ways in. Tell us which one, and your chapter head will be in touch. Gatherings are small by design, so we work through them in order.
One guest in conversation, then discussion over the table.
Board-curious through to seasoned NEDs. Both are the point.
A private house changes a conversation. Candour gets easier.
Underwrite a gathering, or a chapter's year.