BUSHFIRE CRC - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• CRC Independent Director
• Director of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre

Jo-Anne Bloch is a Director of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre and is Chair of the Compliance and Audit Committee.has extensive experience in the financial services sector in Australia, having worked in the areas of superannuation, financial planning, funds management and life insurance. She took up her position as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the FPA in June 2006. Previously, Ms. Bloch was a Principal with Mercer HR Services for whom she established a new pension service in the U.K. Prior to that she held roles with the Investment and Financial Services Association, NSP Buck/Mellon, Macquarie Bank, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes and Mercer, National Mutual and the NSW Government. Ms Bloch has also served on the Boards of Pillar and the NSW Premiers Council for Women. She has a university degree in business with a major in marketing.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• Independent Chairman

Mr Foster is the Independent Chairman of the Bushfire CRC Governing Board. He was appointed to this position in April 2007. He is formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council, the peak body representing Australia's fire agencies, including bushfire and structural fire services. Mr Foster was also Chairman of the Country Fire Authority of Victoria (CFA), Chairman of the Australian Government's Bushfire Advisory Committee and a Director of the Australian National Aerial Fire Fighting Centre (NAFC). Prior to his association with the fire industry Mr Foster was Director General of the Department Conservation, Forest and Lands in Victoria, which encompassed all firefighting activities in State Forests and National Parks. He was responsible for the amalgamation of formerly independent areas of forestry, the National Parks Service, Lands Department, Soil Conservation Commission and Department of Fisheries.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• Chairman of the Gardiner Foundation
• CRC Independent Director
• Member of the Melbourne University - Melbourne Business School Board of Directors

Mike Taylor is the current Chair of the Gardiner Foundation and was previously the part time Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority. Prior to this appointment Mike has had more than 15 years of extensive experience at chief executive level. This included that of Secretary to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, regional services and Local Government (2007-09), Secretary to the Department of Transport and Regional Services - Australia (2004-07) and Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry - Australia (2000-04). Prior to 2000 he was Secretary for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (1996-2000) and before that, he was responsible for the leadership and management of two other Departments for the Government of Victoria(1992-1996). He was also Chief Executive of the Australian Dairy Industry Council (1991-92). Mike is a member of the Melbourne University-Melbourne Business School Board of Directors (2008-), a Member, of the Crawford Fund Board of Directors (2001- ) supporting international agricultural research, and a Member, of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (2004- ) providing support to rural communities.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council
• Ex SAS Officer

Stuart Ellis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC). Stuart Ellis is an ex SAS Officer who served with the Australian Defence Force for 22 years. During this time he gained significant operational experience. On leaving the Defence Force he was appointed CEO and Chief Officer of the Country Fire Service in South Australia from 1996-2001. During that period he became Deputy President of the AFAC. He has been involved in a number of major inquiries including, The Black Hawk Disaster in 1996 and the Operational Review into the Canberra Bushfires in 2003 Stuart Chaired and co-authored the COAG National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management in 2004 and recently consulted to the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission 2009 - 2010. He was also involved in the Major Incident Review for FESA WA into the Lake Clifton, Red Hill and Roleystone Fires 2011 and the Independant Review of the Operational Response into the Christchurch Earthquake 2012. Has provided independent emergency management advice and services to all Australian jurisdictions and New Zealand over the last 10 years. He has gained extensive knowledge observing and analysing Incident Management at all levels.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• Officer for the National Rural Fire Authority

Murray Dudfield is the National Rural Fire Officer for the National Rural Fire Authority in New Zealand. Murray was appointed to this position in 1990. His role is to ensure the effective and efficient administration of fire management over the 27 million hectares of forested and rural lands of New Zealand. This includes the national administration and co-ordination of the 97 Rural Fire Authorities. He also has a forest management background holding a number of management position for the New Zealand Forest Service from 1973 through until 1987. He is a current member of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council and is the Chairperson of the Rural Land Management Strategic Group. He was elected to the Board of the Bushfire CRC in May 2007.

Job Titles:

• Media Enquiries

Job Titles:

• Commissioner
• Member of the Governing Board

Job Titles:

• Member of the Governing Board
• Professional Non - Executive Company Director

Yvonne is a professional non-executive company Director, with fifteen years experience on unlisted public company and government boards and has chaired a number of audit, finance, governance and risk committees. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and available for listed and unlisted national and international directorships. Until 2004 Yvonne was a Partner in Deloitte in Adelaide, after a term as a Partner at Ferrier Hodgson, Chartered Accountants. She is Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, with over thirty years experience providing financial services and business advice across a wide range of industries including engineering, legal, health, water, insurance and finance.