The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury, has announced the appointment of six new members and the reappointment of eight members to the Takeovers Panel.
The purpose of the Takeovers Panel is to provide a mechanism for peer review of takeovers activity, with the aim of being more efficient, less formal and more expeditious than the courts.
The functions and powers of the Panel are conferred by the Corporations Act 2001 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001.
"I would like to acknowledge the work of the current and previous members of the Panel and welcome those new and reappointed members," said Mr Bradbury. "They bring a wide range of important skills and experience that will help ensure that the Panel continues to provide a fair, informal and timely means of dispute resolution of takeovers activity."
The following six new members were appointed:
- Ms Elizabeth Bryan is a professional director and brings management, strategic and financial expertise to the Caltex Board. She has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, government policy and administration, and on the boards of companies and statutory organisations. Prior to becoming a professional director, she served for six years as Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management and its predecessor organisation, NSW State Superannuation Investment and Management Corporation.
- Mr Mark Darras is Special Counsel, Sparke Helmore Lawyers. He is a commercial, corporate and employment lawyer, with expertise in organisational restructuring, directors duties, corporate governance and infrastructure projects. His current role exposes him to advisory on international blue-chip companies on corporate law compliance, reconstruction and restructuring strategies, mergers and acquisitions and high-level employment law strategies.
- Mr Justin Gleeson SC has been head of Banco Chambers in Sydney since 2005. His main focus of practice is now appellate advocacy, across a broad range of areas, including international law and commerce, constitutional law, intellectual property and competition law, equity, commercial and corporations tax. He was nominated by the O’Farrell Government this year and by the Keneally Government last year.
- Mr Richard Hunt is a Principal of Fort Street Advisers. Prior to establishing Fort Street Advisers he worked for UBS Australia for 16 years where he held a number of senior roles including Co-Head of Investment Banking Australasia, Head of Real Estate Australasia and was a member of the UBS Global Investment Bank Board and Talent Development Board. With 20 years of investment banking experience, he is a market leader in mergers and acquisitions, equity capital market and debt capital market transactions.
- Mr Andrew Low is the Founder and Chairman of RedBridge Grant Samuel, a leading independent Advisory business in Asia and Australia and has more than 20 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, capital markets and principal investment. Immediately prior to establishing RedBridge Grant Samuel, he chaired the Global Operating Committee of Macquarie Capital Advisers and was Co-Head of the global Financial Institutions Group.
- Mr Ron Malek is Co-Chief Executive, Greenhill Caliburn. He has been advising local and international companies for 15 years. He was previously Australasian Head of the Consumer Sector at BZW and ABN AMRO. He has also advised many of Australia's leading private equity groups on recent transactions including Catalyst, CVC, AMP, GS Private Equity, Pacific Equity Partners and Quadrant. He is currently the Chairman of the Securities Institute Taskforce for the Mergers and Acquisitions graduate diploma course.
All members have been appointed until 7 March 2015.
These appointments continue the high level of skills and experience available to the Takeovers Panel, ensuring that the Panel has appropriately qualified members to deal with the differing issues which are raised in applications.
The panel now has a President and 52 members, all of whom are appointed on a part-time basis.
10 February 2012