2024/25 ARITA Board announcement

27/05/2024

At our recent AGM we were delighted to welcome three new Board members.

Melissa Jeremiah, Special Counsel at Maddocks and the current Vic/Tas Division Committee chair, was appointed to the Board by her Division Committee. Melissa is the first Board member to have come up through the ranks of our Young Professionals movement. This is a significant achievement and shows the incredible value of our YP network in ensuring our future leadership.

The Board also moved to directly appoint Neil McLean, Director at Rodgers Reidy, Victoria, to the Board, particularly for his ability to reflect the insights of those in small-medium practice. Neil has been a long-term member of the Vic/Tas Division Committee.

We also welcomed the direct appointment of Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance in Queensland. Michael is a long-term member of the Qld Division Committee, and the Board was very keen to have Michael’s expertise in pure restructuring and turnaround to help guide and shape future policy, particularly as we move to the next stage of law reform and our advocacy work.

In welcoming three new Board members, we also said farewell to two very significant contributors to the Board with the retirement of Leanne Chesser, Partner at KordaMentha and Mathew Gollant, Principal at CJQ Advisory. Both have been incredible contributors to the Board and will be sorely missed. Their contribution to not just our strategic direction and policy making but also their practical input has been invaluable, and we thank them profoundly for their service.

Mike Hayes was also appointed the Deputy President, which will see him move to become ARITA’s next President at the conclusion of Rachel Burdett’s term in office next year.

Danielle Funston moves to Vice President with Kathy Sozou also continuing as Vice President.

The Board will also reshape some of our major committees, forming a new Education/Expert Committee to help guide our substantial investment in education products and initiatives.

In addition, we have created a special stakeholder engagement committee to work more closely with our Divisions, Young Professionals and other key organisations at a Board level. This is important for us to have a more external view to our strategic thinking.

This all reflects our efforts to keep ARITA as a global leader that is continually improving and always striving to be invaluable and indispensable to our members and their firms.

The 2024/25 ARITA Board is:

  • Rachel Burdett, Cor Cordis, President
  • Mike Hayes, Piper Alderman, Deputy President
  • Danielle Funston, Maddocks, Vice President, s 20.3 appointee
  • Kathy Sozou, McGrathNicol, Vice President, s 20.3 appointee
  • Jason Porter, SV Partner, Elected – NSW/ACT
  • Kelly Trenfield, FTI Consulting, Elected – Qld
  • Melissa Jeremiah, Maddocks, Elected – Vic/Tas
  • Matt Donnelly, Deloitte, Elected – WA
  • Bruce Gleeson, Jones Partners, s 20.3 appointee
  • Neil McLean, Rodgers Reidy, s 20.3 appointee
  • Michael Fingland, Vantage Performance, s 20.3 appointee

(Note – as a result of the promotion of Mike Hayes to Deputy President, there is a casual vacancy for the SA/NT elected position to be filled in due course.)

Click here to view the biographies of the ARITA Board members.