Diane Smith-Gander AO FAICD

Diane Smith-Gander AO is a professional company director with an accomplished business career 40 years in the making. She is Chair of Zip Co, Perenti Limited and private health insurer HBF. And is also outgoing National Chair of CEDA, Committee for the Economic Development of Australia. On 1st January 2025 Diane became the 16th & first female, Chancellor of the University of Western Australia.

Diane enjoyed a successful executive career ending in the C-Suite at Westpac Banking Corporation and with a period as a partner of McKinsey & Company in the United States serving global clients in diverse industries.

A keen advocate for gender equity Diane is past President of Chief Executive Women, Australia’s pre-eminent women’s advocacy group. In 2019 Diane was made an officer in the Order of Australia for services to business, women’s engagement in executive roles, gender equality and the community.

A former representative basketball player, Diane is a past chair of Basketball Australia and Australia's national anti-doping organisation. She now chairs the independent Nominations Committee of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). Diane has completed independent reviews of high performance management and governance in sports.

Diane is a regular speaker on business topics including leadership, strategy and gender equity. For a period she hosted a panel show on Sky Business. She also lectures in the MBA program at UWA.

Diane holds an MBA from the University of Sydney and a BEc and Honorary Doctorate of Economics from UWA. A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Governance Institute of Australia, in 2019 Diane was made an officer in the Order of Australia for services to business, women’s engagement in executive roles, gender equality and the community.