STATE TRUSTEES - Key Persons


Andrew Tennant

Job Titles:
  • General Manager, Professional Services
Andrew is responsible for the Professional Services division, which provides a range of specialised services to safeguard and improve State Trustees clients financial wellbeing. These services cover the areas of client cashflow, protection and wealth enhancement. Andrew comes to State Trustees from the financial services industry after a career at NAB and ANZ, where he undertook a variety of roles including district manager of three branch networks, national sales effectiveness and sales development manager, product manager and senior internal audit director. Andrew has a BA (Honours) in Accounting, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council.

Angela Emslie - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Developer
  • Non - Executive Director
  • Chairman of Suicide Prevention Australia
  • MBus, FAIST
Experience: Angela is a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Angela is an experienced non-executive director and has a wealth of expertise in governance, strategy, superannuation and investments having served on a range of superannuation fund and related boards for over 25 years. Angela is Chair of affordable housing developer Assemble Communities, Chair of Frontier Advisors and a Non-executive Director at RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia. As Chair of Suicide Prevention Australia, Angela is an advocate for national leadership in suicide prevention. She also extensive experience as a management consultant to the health and community services sector. Angela is a former Independent Chair of HESTA Super Fund, where she actively fostered a strong member focused culture and a commitment to responsible investment, and a past Director of the UN supported global investor group Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). She holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Business. In 2021 she was honoured with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her contribution to the superannuation sector.

Brett Comer

Job Titles:
  • Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, Corporate Services
Brett is a values-driven leader who has held executive roles in organisations in the health and human services, financial services, and education sectors. He has a focus on delivering relevant and commercially sustainable outcomes in collaboration with his team and stakeholders for the benefit of customers, the community, and the organisation. Brett has led significant transformation and change programs at both a functional and enterprise-wide level. Over a fifteen-year career at Bupa Australia and New Zealand, he led various finance, strategy and operational functions, playing key roles in acquisitions, mergers and the launch of new health services. Following Bupa, he held chief operating officer roles at Monash IVF Group (fertility) and Camp Australia (early childhood education and care), driving enterprise-wide improvement in customer experience, stakeholder engagement and financial performance. Brett has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He most recently completed the Oxford Platforms and Digital Disruption Program at Said Business School, University of Oxford, on disruptive digital transformation through platforms, artificial intelligence, and block-chain.

Helen Hambling

Job Titles:
  • Non - Executive Director
  • Senior Executive for the Australian Government
Experience: Helen is a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Helen has worked as a senior executive for the Australian Government in areas including disability, housing, homelessness, Indigenous affairs, childcare, gambling, child protection and family services Helen has also worked as Chief of Staff for several Commonwealth Ministers and has extensive experience in Australian public policy. More recently Helen has provided policy and communications advice as an independent consultant to governments and not for profit organisations. From 2013 until 2016 Helen was the independent advisor to the inaugural Chair of the Board of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Dr Bruce Bonyhady AM.

Jennifer Acton - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
Experience: The Honourable Jennifer Acton is the Chair and a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Jennifer is also the Chair of the Port of Hastings Development Authority, a member of the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal and a consultant. She has previously been a Director in the transport, water and education industries. Jennifer is a leading proponent of ethical and evidenced-based decision making underpinned by sound corporate culture. She has demonstrated expertise in strategic development, continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, collaborative conflict resolution, workplace relations and sound governance. She has been a leader in many areas, with more than 20 years' experience as a Presidential member of industrial tribunals and in the area of national economic policy. In her work she has championed State Trustees public benefit strategy and sustainable fee reductions, overseen contracts for port growth, instituted technological solutions to operations, lectured in employment law, facilitated major industrial outcomes and productivity improvements for the infrastructure, services and manufacturing sectors and conducted peer review of decision making. Jennifer was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for her significant contribution to Australian society.

John Velegrinis - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
An experienced CEO with substantial experience in Funds Management, commercial and corporate banking, John led several divisions of the ANZ Group, including Risk for International, ANZ Fiji, Regional Markets - Pacific, and Credit, Commercial and Wealth, Australia. More recently, John was CEO of the Australian Scholarships Group, the largest specialist education benefits provider in Australia and New Zealand. John is a Fellow the Financial Services Institute of Australia, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed post-graduate studies in Banking and Finance.

Josie Brown

Job Titles:
  • General Manager, Financial Administration
Josie Brown is responsible for the Financial Administration division. Prior to her appointment in this role, she was the Acting Executive General Manager for Client Services. She has experience across a diverse range of banking and finance areas, as a result of over 28 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry. This includes 14 years service with NAB, where she held a variety of senior roles including Area Manager for Retail banking, National Sales and Marketing, and Workplace Relations. Josie has been employed with State Trustees since 2007 and has held a variety of Senior Manager and Executive roles in this time, including having led areas such as Deceased Estates, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Taxation, Property, Client Legal and Financial Planning. In 2015, Josie was recognised for her excellence in leadership, having been a State Finalist for both the Australian Institute of Management excellence awards and the annual SACS Leadership awards. Josie is an alumnus of Leadership Victoria's, Folio Community Leadership Program and volunteers as a mentor for their ongoing programs.

Mark Toohey

Job Titles:
  • Non - Executive Director
Mark was previously Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary for ANZ Terminals Pty Limited, Chief Financial Officer for Chandler Macleod, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for GE Capital in Asia and Australia, and held executive finance roles at ANZ Banking Group. He is currently a Councillor and the Finance and Investment Committee Chair for Victoria University, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at V/Line Corporation and the Department of Treasury and Finance, and member of the Department of Health Audit and Risk Management Committee. He was a Director of OC Connections, a not for profit provider supporting individuals with intellectual disability.

Melissa Reynolds

Job Titles:
  • Senior Executive
  • General Manager, Trustee Services
Melissa is an experienced senior executive passionate about improving outcomes for customers. She has led significant change, transformation and digitisation programs in highly regulated sectors in financial services and utilities. Melissa has a breadth of leadership experience across a range of functions with deep expertise in customer management, customer operations, brand, sales and marketing. Melissa is an inclusive and open leader who encourages teams to collaborate and achieve for the greater good of customers. In her most recent executive role, Melissa was Chief Customer Officer at AGL and has previously held executive positions at NAB, Sensis, Esanda Finance and Westpac. She holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Commerce and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tony Clark

Job Titles:
  • Non - Executive Director and Chair of International Association of Public Participation
Experience: Tony brings extensive communication and stakeholder experience across a range of sectors including not for profit, disability, government and the community. As an executive within the State Government Tony has worked with community to deliver complex and challenging major infra-structure in the health, education, and public housing sectors. Within the disability sector Tony led major reform in service delivery, integrating accessibility in major government projects and services, including electoral authorities across Australia, IPO programs, and digital delivery of information. Tony is a non-executive director and Chair of International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) and has been a non-executive director of Blind Citizens Australia and Senswide Employment. Tony has contributed to the community through a lifetime of voluntary service. Significant achievements include the merging of two schools as president, and 34 years as a leader in the Scout Association. Living in regional Victoria Tony also brings the value of lived experience of disability and is a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity.

Vivienne Nguyen

Job Titles:
  • Chairman at the Victorian Multicultural Commission
Experience: Vivienne is the Chair at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, is an established business executive and community leader, having previously held roles as Group Head of Diversity at the ANZ Banking Group, President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia's Victorian Chapter and non-executive director at City West Water.