CRCWSC Board Director biographies
Cheryl Batagol, Chairman
Ms Cheryl Batagol is Chair of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities. With more than 40 years of experience in environmental leadership, Ms Batagol brings governance skills through her numerous roles on a range of government and commercial boards including currently, Chairperson of the Environment Protection Authority Victoria and a Board Member of the Fishermans Bend Development Board; and formerly, Chair of Melbourne Water, Deputy Chair of Sustainability Victoria, and member of the Victorian Catchment Management Council. Cheryl is a past recipient of the Centenary Medal (Australian Government) for her services to the water industry (City West Water) and sustainability (EcoRecycle Victoria), and the John Guice award (Australian Waste Management Association) for service to the waste management industry. In 2017, Monash University awarded Cheryl an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (honoris causa) in recognition of her achievements. Cheryl also received a Public Service Medal in the 2018 Australia Day Honours, recognising her outstanding public service to environmental protection and sustainability in Victoria.
Professor Rob Skinner, Deputy Chairman
Professor Rob Skinner is the Director of Monash University’s Water for Liveability Centre. He is also Chair of WaterAid Australia, Chair of WaterAid International, Deputy Chair of Yarra Valley Water, and Director of the International Centre of Excellence for Water Resources Management. Rob was Managing Director of Melbourne Water from 2005 until 2011. Prior to joining Melbourne Water, Rob was Chief Executive Officer of the Kingston Council – a large municipal council in metropolitan Melbourne – during which time he also held a number of other key positions in the water sector, as chairman or member of boards or government advisory committees. Rob has been a Board member of the Water Services Association of Australia, is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Water Association and Chair of the International Water Association's Cities of the Future Program. He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Australian Water Partnership.
Nicholas Apostolidis
Nick Apostolidis has 40 years’ experience in a wide range of water and wastewater engineering projects. Nick is internationally recognised for his leadership, strong strategic planning skills and has been involved in some of the most significant water and wastewater management projects in the world. He has published or presented over 50 papers on this subject.
Nick worked at GHD for 37 years. Prior to his retirement in 2013, he was a director of GHD for 11 years and led its global water business from 2000 to 2010.
Terri Benson
Ms Benson was appointed Managing Director of South East Water on 29 May, 2017. A highly experienced Chief Executive Officer, she has held a range of both executive and non-executive director roles in the government utility and private infrastructure sectors. She is a former CEO of SEQWater, a water wholesale utility in south-east Queensland, a former Managing Director of Essential Energy and also a former Chair of the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW. Prior to joining South East Water, Terri was the Managing Director of Birdon, a diversified engineering and services business providing innovative solutions to the military and marine industries with operations across Australia, USA and Europe.
Peter Betson
Peter Betson is the Deputy Secretary, Resources, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Victorian Government. Former roles include, Executive Director, Employment, Investment and Trade Policy at the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (Victoria), Executive Director for the Biodiversity division at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Executive Director for Urban Water Policy at DELWP, and acting General Manager at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Peter holds a Master of Finance from RMIT University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics from the University of Melbourne.
Professor Simon Biggs
Professor Simon Biggs is the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, taking up this position in March 2018. Simon has academic experience at senior levels in both Australia and the UK. He has expertise in research management, and research expertise in chemistry and chemical engineering in high technology industries involving colloidal and interface science. With more than 200 scientific publications, Simon has won several awards for his work. He has several professional affiliations in the fields of Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. He is currently heavily involved in leading the development and implementation of strategy for his university, Simon was also elected as a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) in 2016.
Greg Claydon
Greg Claydon has extensive water industry knowledge, experience and achievements, built through his roles as a senior executive with Queensland’s and Western Australia’s state government water, environment and natural resources agencies. Greg has contributed significantly to strategic water policy, water related legislation, whole of basin water resource allocation plans, regional water supply strategies, drought and flood response strategies, water infrastructure plans, water information and knowledge strategies, water quality improvement plans, integrated urban water management, and national, trans-boundary and international water policies, plans and programs. He is recognised at state, national and international levels for his work in water and associated natural resources reforms and in whole of river basin planning and management. His previous board experience includes the University of Southern Queensland Council, the International WaterCentre, the SmartWater Research Centre and the CRC for Freshwater Ecology and statutory roles on the Murray-Darling Basin Officials’ Committee, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and the Dumaresq-Barwon Border Rivers Commission. Greg was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) by the Governor-General of Australia in the 2009 Australia Day Honours Awards for outstanding public service in natural resources management and water reform.
Dr Paul Grimes
Dr Paul Grimes has had a diverse public sector career spanning a number of senior appointments at federal, state and territory government levels. He is currently Victoria's Public Sector Commissioner, responsible for strengthening the efficiency, effectiveness and capability of the Victorian Public Sector. His previous public sector roles include Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and, before that, Secretary of the then Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Before joining the environment portfolio, Paul served as Associate Secretary (Domestic Policy) in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, leading the Group responsible for advising the Prime Minister on all aspects of domestic policy. This followed an appointment as Deputy Secretary, Budget Group in the Commonwealth Department of Finance. Paul holds PhD and Masters degrees in economics from the ANU, and an honours degree in economics from Flinders University.
Kerry Stubbs
Kerry Stubbs has undergraduate and postgraduate Arts honours degrees from the University of Sydney majoring in Government and Public Administration. Kerry’s career began in research and teaching at the University of Sydney, and she has also taught at UTS. She worked as a researcher in the NSW Parliament before moving into a career in human resources in the NSW Public Sector and as a private consultant. Kerry was appointed the first Corporate Human Resources Manager of Sydney Water in 1998, and from there moved into a variety of operational roles in the water industry, and then into General Manager roles in Australian Water Technologies PL. In 2001, Kerry moved into health as General Manager Human Resources for St Vincent’s & Mater Health Sydney, and was subsequently was appointed as Executive Director of St Vincent’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospice. During her time at St Vincent’s she was responsible for overseeing significant increases in services, funding, research, new technology and improvements in patient care, as well as the redevelopment of significant new building works on the St Vincent’s site. In 2007, Kerry was the NSW winner of the Community and Government sector Telstra Business Women’s Award. In 2008, Kerry commenced a new role as CEO and Managing Director of Northcott Disability Services, one of the largest disability service providers in NSW, operating from more than 20 sites across NSW and the ACT and providing services to more than 10,000 clients and families. Kerry’s skills in governance and risk management have led her to a number of Board positions, including Chair of the NSW Utilities and Electrotechnology ITAB Ltd; Director of The Eleanor Dark Foundation Ltd; Director of E-Water Ltd; Director and Treasurer of The Health Roundtable Ltd. She is the immediate past Chair of the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd, and a Director of Northcott Innovation, The Spinecare Foundation Ltd. And Ability First Australia Ltd. She is member of the Board of Trustees of Western Sydney University, Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board and a Deputy Chancellor.
Greg Cash
Greg is a senior executive in the Western Australian Department of Communities and is an experienced Company Director. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the leadership, management and development of social and affordable housing across Western Australia. Greg works extensively with the housing and urban development industry, not for profit and public sectors to drive innovation and improve access to the Western Australian housing market. In his current role he is responsible for leadership and delivery of major land and urban development projects, built form and asset management activities for the Department of Communities. Greg has tertiary qualifications in Politics and International Studies and Public Policy and Management.