Board member profiles

Sue Hart

BA, MBus, FAICD

Board Chair

Sue's association with CGGS began in 1971 when she joined the School in Year 11 and became School Vice-Captain in 1972. Her two daughters, Madeleine (2000) and Stephanie (2005) joined CGGS in 1996. She currently has three granddaughters enrolled in the School. Sue was appointed to the School Board in 2000. She was previously Deputy President of the Parents & Friends Association and President of the Grammarians' Association. Sue runs her own successful Secretariat and Governance services business, following careers in Federal politics and the Public Service.

Alan Francis

BEc (Hons), BA

Alan has been a member of the School Board since 2008 and on the Gabriel Foundation Limited Board since 2007. Alan's three daughters, Laura (2018), Sarah (2014) and Rebecca (2016), are members of the CGGS community. Alan started his career as a graduate in the Department of the Treasury and has also worked in the Office of Assets Sales and IT Outsourcing, the Department of Defence, the New Zealand Treasury, and as a Manager and Policy Analyst for the Department of Finance.

Melanie Andrews

BComm, FCPA, GAICD, MBA

Melanie joined the Board in June 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, and an MBA and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Melanie has held board positions in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors and has over 25 years of strategic, corporate finance and operational management experience in various sectors. Melanie has strong ties with CGGS, having previously held the role of Chief Operating Officer at the School.

Catherine Stewart

MTeach, LLB (Hons), BA (Hons)

Cat is an experienced lawyer and company administrator. She has more than 15 years of experience in driving major infrastructure and finance projects as well as managing complex risk and compliance issues in both large corporate institutions and small to medium enterprises. Cat is also a qualified and experienced secondary school teacher and is keen to emphasise the importance of mentoring and learning in all settings.

Sachi Wimmer

BSc (Hons), MEL, EMPA, GAICD

Sachi joined the Board in November 2022 having been the independent Chair of the Board’s Risk Management Committee from December 2019. She has been a senior executive in the Commonwealth public service for over 20 years holding policy, governance and regulatory roles in a number of agencies as well as leading high-profile taskforces. Her association with the school began when she joined the school as a Year 9 student, becoming Co-Chair of the School Council in Year 12.

Rod Sutherland

B. Com (Otago), Dip FinPlan (Deakin), MSAA, MAICD, KSJ

Rod joined the School Board in 2013, after previously serving as a member of the Gabriel Foundation Board. He has also been Chairman of both the Anglican Investment and Development Fund and The Diocesan Schools Commission. He has qualifications in accounting, finance and financial planning, and holds a Master of Stockbroking. He has worked as a stockbroker in Canberra for over 37 years, initially at JB Were & Son, before establishing both Macquarie Bank's and Shaw and Partners' Canberra offices. He is married to Ladner and they have two daughters, Jane (2008) and Clare (2012), who both attended CGGS since Year 3.

Jennifer Lynch

BComm, BEc, CA, GAICD

Jenny joined the Board in August 2023 after having been a member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee since 2016. She is a Chartered Accountant and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with 20 years’ experience in complex finance, commercial and strategic roles across the public and private sectors. Jenny is currently the Chief Financial Officer at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). Jenny joined the school community as a Kindergarten student in 1986 and her daughter is a current student at the Junior School.

Dr Kerrie Wilde

PhD, MBA, MSc (Psychology), B.Ed. (Hons 1), BSc (Chemistry)

Kerrie joined the Board in May 2022. She has extensive experience in the Education sector having worked in universities and schools, with this wealth of knowledge an asset to the CGGS Board. Kerrie is currently a Senior Manager with the ANU Centre for Learning and Teaching.

Kerrie enjoys travel, having cycled solo in 2019 from Basel and across France to the coast. In 2022, starting again from Basel, Kerrie cycled east across Switzerland, Germany and Austria before finishing in Budapest. Her daughter, a senior student at CGGS, was fortunate enough to accompany her on the ride from Passau to Vienna as a post-COVID adventure.

Justice Verity McWilliam

Justice Verity McWilliam is a distinguished alumna of Canberra Girls Grammar School's Class of 1994 and has made significant contributions to the Australian legal community. After completing her secondary education, she pursued higher studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts (Honours I) and a Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University, followed by a Master of International Law from the University of Sydney. Admitted as a solicitor in 2002 and called to the New South Wales Bar in 2006, Justice McWilliam's legal career encompasses a broad range of practice areas.

She has also served as an associate to esteemed judges in the Family Court and the Federal Court of Australia. In academia, she lectured in public law, federal constitutional law, and litigation at the University of New South Wales and in public law at the University of Sydney. Her Honour was appointed as an Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory on 26 June 2017 and elevated to Resident Judge on 2 May 2023.

In April 2024, Justice McWilliam joined the Canberra Girls Grammar School Board, bringing her extensive legal expertise and commitment to education to the school's governance. Her appointment underscores the school's dedication to fostering strong connections with its alumni and benefiting from their diverse experiences. Additionally, she delivered an inspiring keynote address on justice and inclusion during the Senior School's end-of-year celebrations, marking the inaugural event of the Distinguished Speaker Series. In her presentation, Justice McWilliam emphasized the importance of social justice and encouraged students to engage with various community organisations to make a positive impact.