AICD announces four new Life Fellows

The AICD has only ever awarded 42 individuals with Life Fellow Status. This honour exemplifies the highest calibre of integrity and dedication to the promotion of good governance across Australia. It is an acknowledgement of the extensive work of these members’ careers and also of a deep and long-lasting connection with the Institute.

Patricia Cross FAICD

Patricia has significant experience as an executive and non-executive director across a wide range of financial services and other regulated industries in the US, Europe and Australia.

She is currently Chair of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, a non-executive director of Aviva plc, and senior independent director of Aviva Investors Holdings Limited (UK), a non-executive director of Macquarie Group Limited and Macquarie Bank Limited.

Patricia has contributed significantly to the advancement of women in corporate Australia particularly through her role as the founding Country Lead for 30% Club Australia. During her three-year tenure in the role, membership has grown to over 90 past and present ASX 200 Chairs; numerous hard-hitting research papers have been published; and fund managers and asset owners representing $150 billion of funds under management have publically expressed their support of the 30% goal by signing a letter of intent – an initiative adopted by 30% Club chapters in other countries, including the UK and Canada. Her energy, passion and drive has contributed greatly to the AICD’s board diversity efforts.

Patricia is an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and was formerly a non-executive director of Qantas Airways Limited and National Australia Bank Limited (NAB).

She has also served on a number of not-for-profit organisations’ boards, including as founding director of The Grattan Institute and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Graham Reynolds OAM FAICD

Graham has over 40 years’ experience working in senior executive and directorial roles in the financial, risk management and insurance broking industry.

His depth of knowledge and experience spans multiple industries, having served many of the largest corporations in Australia including those in oil & gas, mining, construction, manufacturing and professional services.

Importantly, he has been a member of the AICD and its predecessor institutions for 43 years, and an active member in support of AICD initiatives over three decades.

Indeed, Graham was chairman of one of the merging entities of the AICD in the late 1970s and was an inaugural committee member of the merged AICD in 1990. He has been in a unique position to see the role of directors, as well as the expectations, opportunities and challenges that, evolve over time.

He has also over that time participated in panels on various risk management and insurance issues, helped organise sponsorships with associated companies and been an active member in support of AICD functions over the past 30 years.

He has also played a significant role in achieving good governance in the not-for-profit sector over many decades.

Bill Scales AO FAICD

Bill Scales has held governance and executive positions in business, industry, government and the not for profit sectors for over 50 years.

He is currently Chair of Villa Maria Catholic Homes, a member of the Veolia Australia and New Zealand Advisory Board and Chair of Lean Enterprise Australia. Bill also consults to Australian governments on a range of public policy and public administration matters, including 13 major national and state inquiries and reviews including the ‘Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry’ and the ‘Gonski Review’.

Bill was a Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Victoria and has previously served as Chair of the AICD’s National Education Advisory Committee and as President and Council Member of the AICD’s Victorian Division.

In 2016 Bill was the recipient of AICD’s Victorian Division’s Distinguished Fellow Award and he is a recipient of the Centenary Medal for outstanding service to business and commerce.

He has also made a great contribution toward excellence in governance through a wide variety of other roles including as Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology; Chairman of the Port of Melbourne Corporation and of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council; Commissioner of the Australian Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission; and as Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Melbourne 2005 Deaflympic Games.

Lindsay Yelland FAICD

Following an executive career culminating as Vice President of Asia Pacific for a major US computer company and seven and a half years at Telstra as a Group Managing Director, Lindsay Yelland became a full-time company director in 2000.

Lindsay has served on the boards of multi-national corporations in Australia, Asia and the USA in a combination of listed, private and subsidiary boards including ASX 100 companies. He has also consulted to Australian companies mainly in the areas of Asian marketing, technology and governance.

His family has also established a charitable foundation that has introduced new resistant rice varieties to Cambodia, and introduced measures to increase both financial returns and health outcomes for local farmers.

A passionate advocate for good governance, Lindsay has been a member of the AICD for 17 years. Throughout that time he has contributed to the Institute through his involvement in various initiatives and events.

He has been a member of the AICD’s NSW Division Council for seven years, and has served on the AICD Reporting Committee for almost ten years. Lindsay was an active member of the “Director Assist” corporate governance panel through which he offered his governance expertise to other members of the institute. Lindsay continues to offer his services and expertise to the AICD, promoting the values and benefits of good governance at every opportunity.