Our Board

A key role of the Board is to ensure high standards of corporate governance exist within our organisation.

To achieve this, the Board focuses on:

developing a culture of accountability across all areas of the business;
developing strategies for implementation by our management team;
ensuring appropriate policies are in place for all areas of the organisation; and
providing effective guidance and leadership for staff.

The Board is able to achieve this through:

a high level of reporting to the Board and stakeholders;
fostering a culture of corporate governance, compliance and accountability; and
identifying and pursuing opportunities for improvement.

Our Board

Richard McDowell - DBus. (Accounting), FCA, FTIA, Reg. Tax Agent and Reg. Company Auditor (Chairman)

Richard has for the past 31 years been a Director of Duesbury's Gippsland Accountants and also holds directorships and is involved with the financial management in a number of private companies.

Richard has over 12 years' experience in the water industry through his previous role as Deputy Chair of East Gippsland Regional Water Corporation and his membership of the Audit Committees of both East Gippsland and Gippsland Water corporations. He has also been involved with local government, hospitals and Gippsland Ports Authority.

Richard lives in Maffra, has two adult daughters and is an active member of many community groups.

Peter Day - LLB, M Admin., FCPA, FCA, GAICD

Peter has a background in finance and general management in mining, manufacturing, food and financial services industries, as well as a number of public interest areas. His last executive role was as Chief Financial Officer for the global packaging group Amcor. He is a former Chairman of the Australian Accounting Standards Board and was Deputy Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. He is currently a director of a number of ASX-listed companies.

Duncan Malcolm (Deputy Chairman)

Duncan has recently retired as the Chair of the Gippsland Coastal Board and as a member of the Victorian Coastal Council. He is a former member of East Gippsland Water (1997-2000) and a former member of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.

Duncan is the Chair of the Victorian Environment Assessment Council, East Gippsland Recreational Fisheries Management Plan Steering Committee, Mildura Planning Taskforce and Watermark Inc. Duncan is also a trustee for both the Australian Landscape Trust and McPherson Smith Rural Scholarship.

Kevin McKenzie - CoT(elec) BBus, MBA, DBA, GAICD

Kevin has extensive experience in regulated businesses in strategic, operational and senior executive roles. He has worked in senior IT, change management, project management and consulting roles over the past 20 years, and has supplemented industry experience with academic contributions through teaching at TAFE, university graduate and post graduate levels.

He holds a Certificate of Technology in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor of Business (Monash), a Master of Business Administration (RMIT) and a Doctor of Business Administration (AGSE) and has completed the Masters program at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kevin currently leads the development of Smart Network Strategy at SP AusNet and holds additional directorship in the child and family services, recreation and education sectors.

Janice van Reyk - M Environment (Hons), M Comm, LLB (Hons), BA, FAICD

Safety Health and Environment Committee Chairperson, Janice has a background as a senior executive in listed industrial companies as well as consulting experience in environmental and stakeholder management, public policy and urban infrastructure projects. She is a Non-Executive Director of Citywide and Chairperson of its Finance and Operations Committee and a member of its Audit Committee. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Port of Melbourne Corporation and a member of its Audit Committee and its Planning and Investment Committee.

Sarah Cumming - B.A., LLB (Hons), EMBA

Sarah works for the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), where she has had a range of Senior Management positions across the areas of Compliance, Public Information Management (Companies database) and Business Development Projects (2003–current). She is currently the Business Lead for Data Migration in ASIC’s Registry Transformation Project. Sarah was previously a Litigation Lawyer with Slater & Gordon with expertise in Personal Injuries and Employment Law (1997 – 2003). Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts (ANU), Bachelor of Laws (Honours)(ANU), and a Master of Business Administration (Executive) (Mt Eliza - Melbourne Business School). Sarah lives in Gippsland and has a strong interest in the local community.

Malcolm Eccles, MSc, CEng, MIET, MAICD, MCMI

Malcolm Eccles is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Basslink Pty Ltd (2007-current) and was previously Basslink's Assets and Operations Director (2005-2007). Malcolm was formerly the Service Delivery Manager with Siemens Power Services in the United Kingdom (2002- 2005) and prior to this held various senior roles with British Nuclear Fuels (1986-2002). He is a Director of the International Cable Protection Committee (2007-current). Malcolm has international management experience having worked in Europe, USA, Asia and Australia.Malcolm is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and has a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Management Studies. Malcolm has also completed an Advanced Management Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.

David Mawer, Managing Director. MSM, MBA, Dip.M, Dip. Bus. MAICD

David has extensive international private and public sector experience in senior executive roles in electricity, gas and water utilities, including national industry deregulation.

Previously the Managing Director of Westernport Water, he is a former State Manager for BHP Billiton. A metallurgist, David is also a former director of the NSW gas market regulator.