Board of Directors & Management

Role of The Board

The Board of Directors, who are appointed by the Minister for Water, operate under the provisions of the Water Act 1989 and have responsibility for the governance of the Corporation, to provide strategic direction and accountability for the performance of South Gippsland Water. Responsibility for ongoing operation and implementation of strategy is delegated to the Managing Director and Senior Management Team.

The Board meets on the fourth Thursday of each month and on other occasions as required. 

The Board

 

Philip Clark, Chair

Appointed 1 October 2021

Philip Clark is an Engineer with a Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also Chair of Inverloch & Districts Financial Enterprises Ltd – Inverloch’s Community Bank.

Philip was previously Chair at Westernport Water, ATEC Australia-International Limited and Engineers Without Borders Australia and a Director at City West Water.

His earlier engineering and executive management career was with BHP, including extensive international experience.

 

 

Diana Nestorovska

Appointed 1 October 2021

Diana Nestorovska is an experienced commercial and government lawyer. Her experience includes private and in-house practice with a focus on commercial and consumer law, intellectual property and privacy, and government practice with a focus on regulatory law and litigation.

In addition to her legal experience, Diana is a former Australian diplomat, having gained extensive experience in trade policy and international relations through various roles in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Diana is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently working towards a Master of Business Administration at Melbourne Business School. She is currently an Independent Adviser to the Governance Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She has previously served on the University of Wollongong’s University Council and as a Non-Executive Director of Sexual Health Victoria and Melba Support Services.

 

Sumi Prabhakaran – BSc(Eng)(Hons), GDipMgt (Tech. Mgt), FIEAust, MAICD

Appointed 1 October 2021

Sumi Prabhakaran is a Civil Engineer with more than 30 years senior management and consulting experience in the water, municipal and government sectors.  As a management consultant for over 20 years, she has worked with several government agencies and municipal councils across Australia, providing expert advice on strategic service reviews, asset management strategies and systems procurement to achieve sustainable and improved business outcomes. Prior to establishing her own consulting business, Sumi had executive management experience at City West Water as General Manager Engineering Services.

Sumi is currently a Board member on the Boroondara Cemetery Trust in Kew and Chair of its Maintenance and Horticulture Committee.  She is also on the governing committee of the Engineers Charity Foundation, involved in implementing overseas community development projects.

Sumi holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), post graduate qualifications in Technology Management and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.

 

 

Carly Moore – BBus (Accountancy), CPA, GAICD

Appointed 1 October 2021

Carly Moore was appointed to the Board on 1 October 2021.

Ms Moore is a Certified Practising Accountant with over 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors.  She is the founder of a consultancy business that provides strategic advice and support to encourage and promote small business success.

In 2016 Ms Moore was elected to Hume City Council and served as its Deputy Mayor in 2017/2018 and Mayor in 2018/2019 and again in 2019/2020.

Ms Moore is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has served on the Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board and community-based boards including the Salvation Army 3064 Advisory Board.

 

 

 

 

Christopher Rose

Appointed 1st October 2017

Christopher Rose is a Director and Founder of Three Pipe Consulting Pty Ltd, a small consulting firm specialising in delivering economic development through sustainable tourism. He has more than 30 years’ experience in public land management, 11 years’ executive management experience and

acted as Chief Executive Officer of Parks Victoria for one year. He is currently a Director of the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Game Management Authority, and has previously held directorships of Alpine Tourism (Deputy Chair), Destination Gippsland, the Gippsland Coastal Board, and the Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council. Chris holds a Bachelor of Forest Science. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

 

Nicola Hepenstall

Appointed 1st October 2019

Nicola Hepenstall is a highly skilled strategist with extensive experience in C-suite leadership roles, holding Executive Director and Non-executive Director positions spanning marketing services,

research, education and member organisations. With over 25 years experience in evidence-based consulting, she has worked with State and Federal Government departments and many of

Australia’s largest companies helping them navigate the complexity of the communications environment and develop strategies to enhance business and social outcomes.

Nicola is currently a Director of The Front Project and has previously held directorships of Haileybury College, Clemenger Group Limited and Chair of the Association of Market & Social Research Organisations.

Nicola holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Psychology) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was the Australian Marketing Institute’s Certified Practising Marketer of the Year 2018.

 

Jennifer Ryan – BEng(Civil), MBA, GAICD

Appointed 1st October 2019

Jennifer Ryan is a Civil Engineer and has more than 25 years’ experience in the water and civil infrastructure industries.

She has held senior leadership positions in both government utility and private construction sectors, delivering multi-million dollar capital works programs throughout Victoria and ACT.

Jennifer has achieved project and industry awards during her career, including the Civil Contractors Federation Training Awards 2017 Women in Civil, Excellence Award, and the NAWIC Awards 2012 (Vic & Tas) for Outstanding Achievement in Construction.

She holds a Master of Business Administration (Technology Management), a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Computing, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Our Management Team

 

Managing Director – Robert Murphy 

Robert is responsible for direction of the Management Team and the corporate and strategic functions of South Gippsland Water. These include strategic relationships, strategic marketing, the Corporation’s performance and image, information technology, OH&S, awareness of future trends in the water industry and contact with the Corporation’s key stakeholders.

 

 

 

 

General Manager Infrastructure and Planning – Mark Lynch
Mark is responsible for the planning, direction and management of the Corporation’s Capital Works Program covering a broad range of projects. Other functions under this role include asset planning, managing the Corporation’s Urban Water Strategy including the Drought Response Program, and engineering and technical services.

 

 

 

 

General Manager Operations – Clare Gibson 

Clare manages service delivery to our customers. She manages the operational and maintenance functions of water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants and water and wastewater networks.  Responsibilities include compliance with water and wastewater quality guidelines, site safety, environment and catchment management, and specialist services to major customers.

 

 

 

 

Executive Manager People, Safety and Culture – Ian Mewburn

Ian is responsible for the people and culture functions including our Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Strategy. Ian’s role extends to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing functions, supporting capability, safety and wellbeing across the business. Ian’s responsibilities also include providing strategic advice and overseeing training programs, organisational development and payroll.

 

 

 

 

General Manager Business Transformation – Liz Rowland

Liz is responsible for managing the communication and customer service
functions. This includes leading our customer-centric culture including customer service and call centre, customer accounts and revenue, and the Customer Support Program.

Liz is responsible for community relations, education and communication including our print and social media. Leading our short and long-term strategic planning, the business transformation program, price submission and customer outcomes are within this portfolio.

 

 

General Manager Corporate Services – Tira Jones

Tira manages the finance, strategy, risk, governance, and ICT functions. The key responsibility of the General Manager Corporate Services is that of custodian of the Corporation’s assets and financial resources on behalf of all stakeholders