Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is key to the dynamic culture that drives AmCham, and they reflect the forward-thinking ethos that drives us and our members onward. They are responsible for the policy, direction and governance of the organisational activities in all states.
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Chair
Larry Marshall

Council Member
The Australian National University

Dr Larry Marshall is Chair of AmCham, and sits on the boards of Fortescue, Nanosonics, and ANU. He is the longest serving Chief Executive of CSIRO, and led a transformation which achieved the first growth in 30y, doubling the value delivered to stakeholders, making CSIRO the first Australian entity to achieved Thompson Reuters ranking in the Global Top 20 Innovators. Larry co-founded & led 6 companies in Biotech, Telecom, Semi, & Venture Capital. He has a PhD in Physics & has been honoured for both his business acumen as a Fellow of AICD, but also his Technology & Engineering acumen as a Federation Fellow, & Fellow of AIP & ATSE; & an inaugural Male Champion of Change for STEM. He is the author of the 2023 book, Invention to Innovation: How Scientists Can Drive Our Economy, which charts a course for Australian businesses to disrupt their Market, defeat competition and accelerate economic growth by using science driven innovation. He has 100 publications & conference papers, holds 20 patents, & has served on 20 boards of high-tech companies operating in the US, Australia & China.

Director
Richard Alcock AO

Vice Chairman, Global Banking & Markets
Bank of America

Richard is Bank of America's Vice Chairman, Global Banking and Markets, supporting the sector and product leaders on origination and execution of transactions, both with governments and corporations, and on building banker relationships with the C-Suite. Previously, from 2007 to 2017 Richard was Bank of America (including Merrill Lynch) Managing Director for Transport, Infrastructure, Power & Utilities.Prior to this Richard was with the law firm Allens Arthur Robinson for 20 years as an M&A partner. In 2017 Richard was appointed by the NSW Government as Chairman of Western Sydney Local Health District and continued in the role until July 2023. In 2018 Richard was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community. In 2019 Richard became a Member of the Business Council of Australia Infrastructure, Housing and Construction Committee and continues as an active member of the Committee.In 2021 Richard was appointed Doctor of the University of NSW for his contributions to public health.

Vice Chair
Laura Anderson

Chairman
OneGlobalVenture

Ms Laura Anderson is an International Company Director, Entrepreneur and Global Philanthropist. Ms Anderson has worked extensively across governments and industries locally and globally as a senior adviser on global governance, strategy transformation and risk optimisation. Her professional speciality is harnessing technological advancements and the power of big data leveraging their effect on economic outcomes, global supply chain optimisation, trade, investment and critical infrastructure development. Ms Anderson is Chairman of OneGlobalVenture, SVI Global Pty Ltd, G21 Pty Ltd, and the Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Laura is also a Director of several private investment companies. Laura actively supports economic development and innovation through entrepreneurship. She has been an honoured Judge recognising and fuelling innovation globally through the World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and other future industry development initiatives including Judge of the Global Space Technology Entrepreneur S-Booster Awards and SpaceTide.

Director
Robert Bedwell

Chief Executive Officer
J.P. Morgan Australia Ltd

Robert Bedwell is the CEO of J.P. Morgan ANZ. In this role, Robert has responsibility for growing J.P. Morgan’s business, facilitating local governance, coordinating across the firm’s lines of business and fostering regulator and community engagement. Prior to this, he was the head of Sales and Marketing for the firm’s Markets and Investor Services businesses. Robert joined J.P. Morgan in 2011 as head of Investor Client Management. Robert has 27 years of financial markets experience and has worked extensively with institutional investors and corporate clients around the world. His background extends across all asset classes including derivatives, product development, corporate advisory, public & private markets, and custody & fund services. Robert is a member of J.P. Morgan’s Asia Pacific Management Committee, chair of the ANZ Location Management Committee and a director of J.P. Morgan Securities Australia Limited. He’s the chair of the Australian Financial Markets Association, a member of the Business Council of Australia & the Art Gallery of NSW President’s Council.

Director
Khoa Dao

Chief Executive Officer
Australia Pacific LNG Pty Ltd

Khoa Dao is the CEO of Australia Pacific LNG Pty Ltd (APLNG), a natural gas company owned by ConocoPhillips, Origin, and Sinopec with operations in Queensland, Australia. APLNG is one of the largest producers and supplier of natural gas to the domestic market in eastern Australia and a major exporter of LNG to Asia. Khoa has over 30 years experience in the energy sector across upstream, midstream, and power generation in technical, commerial, operations, and leadership roles. Khoa has extensive global experience leading businesses in the United States, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Canada. Prior to being appointed CEO of APLNG, Khoa was the President of ConocoPhillips Australia. Khoa serves on the board of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, Safer Together Safety Leaders Group, and previously on the Board of Sonshine Community Services, a social services provider for victims of domestic violence. Khoa graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering.

Director
Maria Fernandez

President, Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific
Boeing Australia Holdings Pty Ltd

Maria Fernandez is the president of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific. She is the senior company leader in the Oceania region and is chair of the board for Boeing Australia Holdings. Ms Fernandez has a distinguished career with over 20 years of leadership experience in the National Security sector and was the first woman to lead an Australian intelligence agency. She has held positions at the most senior levels of Australia's departments of Home Affairs, Defence, Immigration and Border Protection, and Education. Prior to joining Boeing, she ran a consultancy that provided strategic advisory services to Australian government agencies. Ms Fernandez was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) in 2017 for her outstanding contribution in advancing Australia’s interests. She is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Maria is a member of Chief Executive Women.

Vice Chair
Robert Le Busque

Regional Vice President - Asia Pacific
Verizon Australia Pty Limited

Robert Le Busque is the Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific for Verizon Global Enterprise, a leader in 5G technology that serves 97% of the Fortune 500. Robert started his career with Verizon in 2003 and has spent many years living and working in the APAC region. He has led specialist technology teams across the Asia Pacific region, and has held numerous leadership roles within the Verizon International business. Prior to his current role, Robert was the Regional Managing Director for the Australia, New Zealand and Indian Enterprise Group for Verizon. This appointment followed Robert’s role as the Director of Strategy and Operations for all International divisions, incorporating the Asia Pacific, EMEA and LATAM regions. Robert was previously a board member for the Asia Cloud Computing Association, and prior to joining Verizon, held consulting and management roles in both Asia and Europe.

Director
April Palmerlee

Chief Executive Officer
American Chamber of Commerce in Australia

April Palmerlee was appointed CEO of AmCham in 2017 after an international career in government, education, and the corporate sector. American-born, Palmerlee has lived in Sydney since 2003 and is a dual citizen. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She received a BS from Georgetown and a Master’s from Columbia. In Australia, she has worked for the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, the Centre for Independent Studies, and Potomac Partners. In the US, she held the rank of Assistant Secretary at the Department of State with the remit for international women’s issues. Before that, she was a senior executive at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She has also worked for couturier Oscar de la Renta, financial publisher The Bank Credit Analyst, and not-for-profit The Spanish Institute. She is on the boards of CIS and Georgetown University Australian and New Zealand Centre. She also chairs a scholarship selection committee at the Fulbright Commission.

Director
Bill Townsend

Senior Vice President Corporate
INPEX Ichthys Pty Ltd

Bill Townsend is Senior Vice President Corporate at INPEX. In this role, Bill oversees the Corporate Affairs, Human Resources, Industrial Relations and Business Services functions in Australia as well as INPEX’s corporate interests in the Northern Territory. Bill joined INPEX in 2006.Beginning his career as a US Navy submarine officer, Bill entered the oil and gas industry in 1994 as a Business Advisor to BP Russia based in Moscow. Further commercial and external affairs assignments followed with BP in Azerbaijan and Georgia.Bill arrived in Australia in 2004 to take up the role of Joint Venture Coordination Manager for the North West Shelf Ventures at Woodside Energy. Bill earned a BA (Political Science) from Northwestern University and an MBA from Dartmouth College. He holds dual American-Australian citizenship. Bill is a Director of AmCham and the Energy Policy Institute of Australia and APPEA.