Board and executive

Our board of commissioners

• Eva Skira MBA, BA (Hons), FAICD, SF Fin  Chairman
  Ms Skira has had experience in banking, stockbroking and financial markets. She has served as a non-executive director for a number of government, business and not-for-profit organisations across a range of industries. Ms Skira is a director of Doric Group Holdings Pty Ltd, MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd, RCR Tomlinson Ltd, Deputy Chairman of St John of God Health Care Group Inc, and Deputy Chancellor of Murdoch University.
  

• Michael Gurry BSc,FAIM,FAICD,SAFin   Deputy Chair
  Mike Gurry has extensive commercial experience both in Australia and internationally. He was Managing Director of HBF until January 2007 prior to which he was President Asia Pacific for an international information technology and consulting firm. Mike is a past National President of the Australian Institute of Management and Senior Vice President of the Asian Association of Management Organizations. He has considerable corporate governance experience having served on numerous boards. Currently he is Chairman of Reignite Pty Ltd. In addition he is a non executive director of Joyce Corporation Ltd which also includes Chairman of the Audit Committee.  He is Chairman of Foundation Housing, Councillor of HBF Ltd and also a Trustee and Vice Patron of the Activ Foundation.
  

• Ms Zelinda Bafile LLB, FAICD, FCIS, SF Fin.
  Zelinda Bafile has practiced as a lawyer for nearly 30 years and as a former Executive at Home Building Society Ltd has over 20 years commercial experience and governance expertise in the banking and finance industry.  She has served on a number of Boards and her current appointments include the Water Corporation, Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee, Curtin University and Community First International Ltd.
  

• Dr Bob Smith MBA, PhD, MScResEc, BScFor(Hons)
  Bob Smith is a forester with over 40 years experience in sustainable and profitable use of natural resources.  Bob has held senior management positions in NSW and Victorian government agencies in forestry, natural resource management and finance, including Managing Director of State Forests (NSW) and Director-General NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation.  Bob has worked at international, national (including Ministerial Councils for forestry, natural resources and agriculture and the Murray Darling Basin Commission), State and regional levels.  Bob is currently a Director of VicForests, Victoria and the Timber Industry Superannuation Scheme, Victoria.
  

• Ms Karen Gadsby
  Ms Gadsby is a qualified chartered accountant and has also worked in an executive role for a multinational resources company for ten years in the roles of GM Finance, CFO and company secretary.  Karen has been involved with boards as a director or in an executive capacity for 15 years.  She has held non-executive director positions as Deputy Chair, Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committees; member of Remuneration Committee; member Nomination Committee; and member Infrastructure Committee.  She is currently a non-executive director of the following organisations; Talisman Mining Limited (also chair of audit committee);  Perth Home Care Services and Community First International. She previously held directorships in Melbourne with GMHBA, Western Health & AMES.

Our executive

• Dr Paul Biggs BScFor (Hons), EMBA, PhD, MIFA MAICD - General Manager
  Dr Biggs has led the Commission since its creation in November 2000. His previous background was in measurement and strategic planning for forestry with CALM, and greenhouse policy and forest policy within Ministerial offices. He is a member of the Institute of Foresters of Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and completed an Executive Master of Business Administration in 2005.
  

• Paul Tzaikos B.Comm CPA MAICD F Finsia - Executive Manager, Business Development & Technology
  Paul brings a strong business development background to the role from his range of experience in the public sector. More recently, Paul has worked for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and was tasked with the establishment of the Department for Communities. He has also worked for the Office of the Auditor General, the University of Western Australia, and has spent five years coordinating government policy in the science, technology and industry portfolios. Paul has also been activly involved with Wanslea Family Services for the last twelve years, currently serving on the organisations board.

• Gavin Butcher BScFor - Executive Manager, Operations
  Mr Butcher has a career spanning more than 25 years in plantation and native forest management and has particular strengths in the strategic, analytical and financial fields of forestry management. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and has also lectured part-time at Edith Cowan University. His previous position was Executive Manager Plantation Operations and prior to this was Plantations Group Manager with CALM.

• Steve Melville BBus, FCPA, MAICD - Executive Manager, Corporate Services
  Mr Melville occupied financial, marketing and management roles in the government and private energy sector before joining the Commission in 2004. His strength is in strategic planning, financial analysis and implementation of major IT systems. His recent experience has been managing change in newly deregulated markets. He holds a Bachelor of Business degree, is a Fellow of CPA Australia and also director of a significant WA financial institution.