CCMC - Key Persons
Matthew obtained a PhD in economics from the University of Sydney in 2005 and subsequently worked as a senior policy adviser for industry associations in the areas of mining, superannuation, small business and manufacturing. Matthew also served as a senior adviser to a Federal Leader of the Opposition. Dr Matthew Steen joined ASBFEO as Executive Director of Policy & Advocacy in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Federal Court of Australia
- Independent Chairperson
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 focused 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.
Job Titles:
- Financial Counsellor
- Consumer Representative
Lody is a seasoned financial counsellor with a wealth of experience as a consumer advocate and strong commitment to supporting vulnerable clients.
Currently, Lody is the Financial Counselling, Knowledge Management and Advocacy Lead at Financial Counselling Australia, the peak body for financial counsellors, where her work includes leading the strata levy payment difficulty reform project and content writer for the financial counselling sector Toolkit and National Debt Helpline websites.
Lody has previously worked as a Senior Financial Counsellor with Financial Rights Legal Centre, assisting disadvantaged consumers with complex problems, Women's Legal Service NSW, delivering specialist family violence financial counselling, and as a specialist small business financial counsellor at the Small Business Debt Helpline.
Before transitioning to financial counselling, Lody held senior-level roles in the investment, insurance, and financial services sector for over 25 years.
Passionate about amplifying consumer voices, Lody is dedicated to ensuring compliance with, and strengthening of, consumer protections.
Lody holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Technology Sydney, a Diploma of Financial Counselling and Financial Counselling Accreditation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Panel
- Senior Solicitor for the Farm & Rural Legal Service
Denis is the Senior Solicitor for the Farm & Rural Legal Service, part of Civil Justice Services at Legal Aid Queensland, where he joined in 2003.
Denis provides assistance to farmers and primary producers experiencing financial hardship related to their business, including those with severe debt problems or those in dispute with their lenders. Farm debt mediation is now a large part of this work.
Denis was admitted as a solicitor in Qld in 1979. He has worked as a partner in law firms in regional Queensland, while being actively involved in maintaining the family farm.
Denis was mainly involved in rural type work as most clients were farmers or had rural based businesses. He became a mediator in 1992, completing the course at Bond University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Panel
- Chief Executive Officer of the Rural
Ross is the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural and Small Business Financial Counselling Service, Southern Queensland. Ross leads the delivery of financial counselling support to rural and small business owners who are either experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, financial hardship.
Ross commenced his career in the banking industry, prior to moving into non-bank finance, and then the Queensland Government to deliver financial assistance programs. Throughout, Ross has focussed his efforts on the agricultural and small business sectors, industries about which he is most passionate.
Outside of work, Ross runs a small cattle enterprise in the South Burnett region of Queensland.
Ross holds a Bachelor of Agricultural and Resource Economics (Hons) and an Executive Master of Public Administration, and has also completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Panel
- General Manager of the Small Business Debt Helpline
Helen is General Manager of the Small Business Debt Helpline operated by Financial Counselling Australia. The Helpline provides financial counselling support to small business owners experiencing financial difficulty.
Helen is an experienced executive with a strong track record of delivering product and service improvements, leading significant organisation growth and navigating changing legislative and competitive landscapes. Prior to joining the Small Business Debt Helpline, Helen was Chairperson of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal. Helen has a background in accounting and superannuation and has worked in private, public and not for profit organisations.
Prue Monument has extensive regulatory experience and a strong focus on practice improvement and public benefit. Prue is currently the General Manager Codes and CEO Banking Code Compliance with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). In this role, Prue supports the work of five independent Committees overseeing code monitoring activities, investigations of alleged code breaches and promoting industry best-practice across Australia's financial services sector.
Prior to joining AFCA, Prue was the Executive Director of Regulatory Operations at Australia's higher education regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. She was previously Director of Compliance at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). This included responsibility for the ACNC's Compliance directorate focused on identifying and investigating abuse and mismanagement in Australia's charity sector and helping charities build their governance capabilities.
She has also held senior roles in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, including as the National Manager of the Allegations Assessment Team and overseas postings in Shanghai and Beirut focused on program integrity, compliance, and fraud prevention.
Prue holds an Executive Master of Public Administration.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chief Executive Officer
- Deputy General Manager of the AFCA Code Compliance
René van de Rijdt is the Deputy General Manager of the AFCA Code Compliance and Monitoring team and Deputy CEO of the BCCC. In these roles, René leads the strategic direction and operational management of the BCCC, ensuring delivery of its compliance and monitoring obligations.
René has worked in the AFCA Code team since 2017, initially as the Code Compliance Investigations Manager, and at AFCA and its predecessor schemes since 2011. René has a background in law and external dispute resolution and holds a Bachelor of Law from Monash University and a Bachelor of Planning and Design from the University of Melbourne.
Rob Lomdahl is a former senior manager of ANZ with broad experience in banking services, regulation and policy.