Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams joined ACCAN as the Director of Operations in 2019, was appointed Deputy CEO in July 2021, and became CEO in March 2022.

Andrew is an experienced executive with extensive operations, management and commercial experience and a demonstrated track record in achieving planned outcomes, enhancing customer focus and driving process improvement. His experience base spans a wide range of commercial disciplines in both private and public sector industries.

He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds tertiary qualifications in Arts, Business Administration, and Law.

Christiane Gillespie-Jones

Director – Program Management, Communications Alliance

As the Director – Program Management, Christiane has overseen the execution of Communications Alliance’s works program since 2015. Prior to rejoining Comms Alliance, Christiane was the Executive Director of Communications Compliance, and Senior Manager – Policy and Regulation at Communications Alliance. Before relocating to Australia, she held management positions with mobile and fixed-line operators in Germany and the UK in the areas of interconnection and regulation.

David Epstein FAICD

David Epstein FAICD is Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, Chair of Communications Compliance Ltd and an Adjunct Professor at Deakin Business School, Deakin University.

Educated at The ANU and Wharton (UPenn), David is an experienced senior executive and non-executive director.

A former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, he led group public affairs & communications at Qantas and BHP, legal, regulatory & corporate affairs at Optus (Singtel), and was Head of Ministerial Media for both the Hawke and Keating Governments.

David is currently a non-executive director of Communications Compliance Ltd, The Asia Society-Australia, and the European Australian Business Council. He also served on the Nominations Committee and is a Governing Member, of .au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA), Australia’s internet domain administrator.

David is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was awarded the National Emergency Medal in 2022.

Deena Shiff

Since leaving Telstra, Deena Shiff has served on the board of Australia’s export credit agency, Efic, as Deputy Chair, and as a non executive director on a number of growth stage global technology companies. She was Chair of the Government’s Regional Telecommunications Review in 2015 and also chaired the Australian Broadband Advisory Council from 2020 to 2022. Deena is currently the Chair of the Supervisory Board of Marley Spoon AG(asx:MMM) and is a non executive director on the boards of ProMedicus (asx:PME), Opera Australia, and the global multilateral organisation GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) which is based in Geneva.

Fiona Reynolds

Chair, UN Global Compact Australia

Fiona Reynolds is an independent director and advisory board member working across the business and investor sectors on ESG and sustainability issues. Fiona served as the CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) for over nine years, stepping down at the beginning of 2022.

Fiona is the Chair of the UN Global Compact Australia, she also serves on the Board of Frontier Advisors and Client Earth Asia Pacific, the Advisory Boards of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, and Affirmative Investment Management. She chairs the ESG Advisory Board for Qualitas is on the think tanks Climate Catalyst, and the Sustainability and Impact Forum. She is also on the ESG advisory board of BASF.

Fiona has 25 years’ experience in the financial services, superannuation and pension sector. She joined the PRI from the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), where she spent seven years as CEO.

Fiona was named one of the 20 most influential people in sustainability globally by Barron’s magazine and has twice been named one of Australia’s one hundred women of influence by the Australian Financial Review.

Garry Hausfeld

Satcom Engineer, Hausfeld Consulting/Gunamoi Software

Garry Hausfeld is an independent consulting engineer in satellite communications, and principle of Hausfeld Consulting since 2002.

With over 40 years of experience in the international telecommunications industry, Garry has been providing independent technical advice and engineering consultancy services to Telcos in the Asia Pacific region for the last 16 years.

Since forming Hausfeld Consulting in 2002, Garry has provided satcom engineering consultancy services to a wide range of clients in Australia, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands.

Garry has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from Newcastle University, a Master of Engineering Science degree from the University of New South Wales, and a Graduate Certificate in Management from the University of Southern Queensland.

Garry is a current member of the Institute of Engineers Australia, and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Gary Smith

Gary was involved in the co-regulatory regime applying to telecommunications and the internet since its beginning in 1997. As a director of Communications Alliance for more than 15 years, Gary chaired and participated in numerous code working groups and industry representations to Government, and was CA’s 2021 Communications Ambassador. He also contributed to the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association and was engaged in the governance of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman scheme for a decade.

Prior to his telecommunication career, Gary worked in public policy and research roles, including with the Victorian Parliament, Victorian Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia. He studied economics and econometrics at honours level.

Jo Ucukalo

CEO, Handle My Complaint

Jo Ucukalo is on a mission to perfect the consumer experience.

The lifeblood of business is a fantastic consumer experience. For the last 10 years, Jo Ucukalo has been helping companies and consumers alike improve their bottom lines. Jo works with consumers and companies themselves, to champion customer service done the right way, whether online, brick and mortar or in-service businesses. Through her businesses, Handle My Complaint and Two Hoots, Jo has helped resolve over 15,000 complaints and counting.

Jo advocates on behalf of consumers and brings thought-leadership to a variety of industry panels where she provides unique insights into the shifting relationships between consumers and organisations enabled by technology.

With more than 600 Media stories, Jo is called upon to critique B2C offerings and provide advice for consumers. An accomplished presenter and panelist, she has built a reputation as an industry expert & social commentator.

Her background with excellent service providers such as Virgin Airlines, along with being a qualified Civil Engineer allow her to analyse the consumer experience from design through to delivery.

John Stanton

CEO, Communications Alliance

John Stanton is a seasoned communications industry executive with over 20 years of experience.

John is also Chairman of the Executive Council of the IoT Alliance Australia (IoTAA) – a collaboration of more than 150 companies and stakeholders from academia, Government and the consumer sector, dedicated to harnessing the opportunities of the Internet of Things for the Australian economy.

From 2006-2009 John was CEO of ASX and NZX-listed telecommunications carrier, People Telecom. Under his leadership, People Telecom became profitable and was recognised as Australia’s Best Regional Service Provider in the Australian Telecom Awards 2007. In early 2009 the Company was sold to M2 Telecommunications.

Prior to that John was an executive with Intelsat, the largest provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. Based in the UK from 2001-2005, he was President and Director of Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing and of the Data, Carrier and Internet Business Unit. John also spent two years in the US with Intelsat as Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 1999-2001.

John joined Telstra in 1992 as a result of the merger with OTC where he was Manager of Public Affairs. From 1992-1999 John held a number of roles with Telstra including Managing Director of Payphones and Card Services. From 1996-1997 he was also Chairman of the Intelsat Board.

In his early career, John worked as a journalist and as a press secretary with the Australian Government.

Levi Watters

Partner, KPMG

Levi Watters, is a Partner with KPMG based in Melbourne. Levi has been with KPMG for 10 years specialising in Technology delivery in the Telecommunications sector. Levi leads KPMG’s Data Insights product team and is KPMG’s national Telco sector lead. Prior to working in telecommunications, Levi was a Submariner in the Royal Australian Navy.

Malcolm Alder

Malcolm Alder works on strategy projects around the world with GHD Digital, a global consulting firm that focuses on providing digital solutions in asset-intensive industries. He was previously a consulting partner at KPMG and started his career with Deloitte. During his career, Malcolm has worked with clients across all points of the business life cycle in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, China, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK as an adviser and investor. He has been a Board member of an ASX-listed media company and was listed on The Australian IT’s, ‘Top 50 Most Influential People in Technology’.

Mark McDonnell

Chairman, McDonnell Communications Research Pty Ltd

Mark McDonnell has an extensive background in the telecommunications, IT and media industries with a career encompassing government policy advice, business analysis, management consultancy, investment banking and stockbroking. For the past 40 years he has been actively involved in assessing trends and developments in the communications industry, and valuing listed companies in this sector. Currently Executive Chairman of Advanced Fire and Electrical, Sydney based electrical contractors specialising in building re-wiring including both electrical and telecommunications connections, and leading new services such as electric vehicle charging.

Between 2000 and 2014, Mark was Senior Analyst in Telecommunications, Media and Technology at BBY Limited and also worked in the investment banking operations of the firm on various M&A and equity market listings for companies in the TMT sector.

In the 1990s Mark was an industry consultant. His clients included Telstra, Optus, Telecom New Zealand, IBM, Ericsson, GE Information Services and many others. Mark was also the founding CEO of ASTRA, the pay television industry association.

In the 1980s Mark was employed in the policy division of the then Department of Posts and Telecommunications, and later gained regulatory and public inquiry experience in the then Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. He saw out that decade as a business analyst and manager of policy development for Aussat, the national satellite carrier.

Mark has a Master’s degree in Applied Finance and Investment and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Matt Healy

LLB/BA, Member AICD

Matt has over 25 years’ experience in technology, communications, regulation and law. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of au Domain Administration Ltd, Director and Trustee of the McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park and Board Member of The Macfarlane Fund and leads projects as principal of Healy Advisory. Matt has held executive positions at Macquarie Telecom Group and leadership roles at the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, United Energy and the airline sector. His previous board positions include CommsAlliance Ltd, Competitive Carriers Coalition Ltd and OzHub Ltd.

Michael Malone

Non-Executive Director nbnco, Seven West Media, WiseTech Global

Michael Malone founded iiNet Limited, an ASX listed telecommunications company in 1993 and continued as CEO until his retirement in 2014. Michael’s former directorships include Autism West (as founder and Vice Chairman) and .au Domain Administration (as a founder and Chairman). Michael has received a number of prestigious industry recognitions including 2012 Australian Entrepreneur of the Year, Communications Alliance Ambassador and is a holder of the Telecommunications Society Charles Todd Medal. He is also a past Advisory Council Member of the Australian Institute of Management (WA) and a past member of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council and the WA State Training Board. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Computer Society. Michael has a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) and a post graduate Diploma in Education both from the University of Western Australia.

Paul McCann

Managing Director, McCann Consulting International Pty Ltd

Paul McCann is Managing Director of McCann Consulting International Pty Ltd. He has over 40 years network planning & development experience in telecommunications both in international and domestic arenas. Prior to returning to consulting in 2012, Paul spent over 8 years with Verizon in Asia Pacific, driving growth of Verizon’s network across Asia by developing & implementing plans delivering major operational cost reductions and improved service performance. Paul is now managing his own consulting business, specialising in development in the Pacific Region, where the core business focus is on “connectivity” with expertise spanning all aspects of planning and development for Satellite, Submarine cable and Domestic access technologies and business. Paul is well known for his personable nature, his rapport with customers and his ability to deliver on time.

Renee Bowker

Renee Bowker co-founded Telco Together Foundation in 2012. Renee leads the organisation in creating collaborative industry-wide initiatives to address some of the social challenges of living in an increasingly connected world. With two main streams – Small Change Big Change focuses on building resilience in young Australians, whilst the Industry Impact Hub helps develop industry responses to issues like modern slavery in telco supply chains and domestic violence.

Renee has a passion for giving back to the community and creating greater social impact wherever possible. She supports her local community as a Board member of the Southern Mornington Peninsula Bendigo Community Bank – and recently co-founded Seed + Spark Retreats, running transformational breathwork and meditation retreats locally and in Nepal.

Robin Mellon

CEO, Better Sydney

Robin Mellon has combined his love of the environment, passion for sustainability, experience with supply chains, and qualifications in finance to become one of Australia’s experts on sustainable supply chains. The former Chief Operating Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia, and founding CEO of Australia’s Supply Chain Sustainability School, Robin is now CEO of Better Sydney, the Project Manager for the Property Council of Australia’s Modern Slavery Working Group and Supplier Platform, a Director of the UN Global Compact Network Australia, and one of the International WELL Building Institute’s Global Advisory. Robin was a member of the Australian Government’s first Modern Slavery Advisory Committee and is currently a member of Waverley Council’s Sustainability Expert Advisory Panel, as well as Chair of Judging for the NSW Sustainability Awards and National Banksia Awards.

Sabiene Heindl

Director, The Energy Charter

Sabiene Heindl is an experienced executive, director and lawyer in the telecommunications, energy and technology sectors. Returning to Australia with an Executive MBA from Brown University in the U.S. and IE Business School in Spain, she formerly managed Stakeholder Relations for NBN Co and a high profile industry body in the music industry. Sabiene is currently the Director of The Energy Charter, a CEO led initiative from the gas and electricity supply chains to deliver energy in line with community expectations.