Mike Horabin
Mike Horabin was a Divisional Councillor of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) from 1997 to 2006, retiring from that position recently after serving the maximum term allowed under their constitution. His listed company board experience includes a period as Non-Executive Chairman of a Telecommunications company and Managing Director of an IT consulting services business, followed by a period as Non-Executive Director of an unlisted company with a "greenfields" project.
From 1991 to 2000 Mike acted for a national company which sources non-executive directors. In 2000 he established his own firm under the name "Board Advice" to better service the WA market in its search for directors and to encourage boards to review their performance. He has been an AICD tutor on the Company Directors Diploma Course since 1998 and for a range of their other governance programs in more recent years helping over 200 people a year better understand the importance of good governance
Justin Harris
Justin Harris, GAICD, is a partner of the recently established boutique law firm, Cochrane Lishman, where he provides corporate advice with an emphasis on public company takeovers, schemes of arrangement, private business purchases and sales, ASX listings, capital raisings and corporate governance. Justin has over ten years experience with major national law firms and an international law firm based in London.
Justin holds a Master of Laws degree (in corporate and commercial law) from the University of London, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and is a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course.
Justin has been a regular presenter for the AICD since 2001 in the area of directors’ duties and responsibilities.
Ian Hobson
Ian Hobson is a chartered accountant with in excess of 20 years experience working with major accounting firms in Perth, London and Toronto. Ian has specialised in the reconstruction of public companies and substantial private group entities as well as insolvency administrations, due diligence, valuations, loss quantification, independent accounting reports and transactional services. Ian’s experience encompassed various industries including technology, mining, manufacturing, retail, professional services and financial services. Ian has been a CDC tutor for over 10 years.
Trish Ridsdale
Trish Ridsdale, MAICD is the Principal of Board Business, a consultancy dedicated to assisting Company Boards and Executive Management Teams review and improve their governance and management practices. Board Business works extensively with public and private corporations and co-operatives across all industry sectors and specialises in Business Risk management, Corporate Governance, and Strategic Advisory services
Trish Ridsdale and Board Business have been advising some of Australia’s largest organisations on how to improve their performance and governance standards for many years. She has led a national Business Risk Management practice for KPMG, held senior corporate roles with multinational companies and holds a number of director positions.
She has been a regular presenter for the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 1997 in the areas of corporate governance, strategy and business risk management.
Michael Gething
Michael Gething is the Principal Registrar of the District Court of Western Australia, a position he has held since November 2004. In this role he spends a significant part of his time mediating personal injury claims and commercial disputes. He is also responsible for the Court’s case management program for civil claims brought in the Court.
Michael commenced his legal career with Freehill Hollingdale and Page, as they were then known, before joining the Australian Securities Commission in 1994. He held a number of positions within the ASC and its successor, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, culminating in 4 years as its Regional Commissioner in Western Australia.
Michael holds a Masters Degree in Law, and is currently in the process of completing an Executive MBA through the Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education.
Nigel Hunt
Nigel is a partner of Mallesons where he works in the M&A team on fund raising, mergers, acquisitions and disposals, stock exchange and Corporations Act advice matters. Nigel also advises on joint ventures, intellectual property related matters including software, IT support services and other technology related matters. Nigel has lead a number of recent high profile transactions, including acting for Foodland Associated Limited on its $3.8bn demerger and agreed acquisition by Metcash and Woolworths; HBOS plc's acquisition of the minorites in BankWest by way of schemes of arrangement (which valued BankWest at $2.4bn) and was part of the team acting on the sale of Epic Energy's pipeline interests in Australia. Nigel has provided advice on directors' duties to numerous listed and unlisted companies and not for profit organisations.
Adam Levine
Adam Levine is a senior associate in the Perth office of Mallesons Stephen Jaques, a national law firm. Adam practices in the corporate advisory group. He advises corporate clients, including public listed companies and their directors, on mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, fundraising, corporate governance, stock exchange and corporations law issues.
Adam is a graduate of Manchester University in the United Kingdom and is admitted to practice in England and Wales, Israel and various Australian jurisdictions.