Mr Neil Comrie AO APM
Chair of the DrinkWise Board, Chair of the DrinkWise Corporate Affairs Committee, Community Director and former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.
Neil completed a 35-year career with the Victoria and Queensland Police with an eight-year term as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.
Following his police career, Neil was Visiting Professor, Faculty of Business and Law at Victoria University. He was awarded Victorian of the Year in 2001 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2000.
Neil believes that it is imperative that the alcohol industry contributes to harm reduction strategies.
Mr Terry Slater AM
Company Secretary of the DrinkWise Board, Community Director and Former Head of the Health Advancement Division in the Federal Department of Health.
Terry has played significant leadership roles in Public Health policy and regulation including having responsibility for the preparation of Australia’s first national alcohol policy.
He led the work to establish National Statutory Schemes involving the Chairing of Inter-departmental Committees, and Commonwealth, State and Territory working parties and committees to create the Australian New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA), Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), the Treaty establishing the Australian New Zealand food Authority and the Treaty establishing the future creation of the Australian New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency.
He chaired the National Food Authority and was National Manager of the TGA and CEO of Australians Donate. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Therapeutic Innovations Ltd Australia.
Eveline Albarracin
Industry Nominee Director representing Spirits & Cocktails Australia.
Eveline joined Brown-Forman as Managing Director Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands (ANZPI) in January 2020. She expanded her regional responsibilities to India, the Middle East, North Africa (IMENA) and Turkiye in 2022 to drive and consolidate Brown-Forman’s international presence.
A transformational leader, Eveline empowers culturally diverse teams to achieve their full potential and is skillful in introducing frameworks for operational efficiencies to deliver strong business performance. She is inspired by innovation, creativity and positioning iconic brands for future growth while maintaining a deep respect for their heritage and journey.
Prior to Brown-Forman, she was the Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand for Galderma Nestle Skin Health. Eveline has 20 years of experience in specialty pharmaceutical and consumer industries, holding senior roles in sales, marketing, operations, mergers and acquisitions.
Eveline is a Non-Executive Board member of Spirits & Cocktails Australia and Executive Sponsor of Brown-Forman’s GROW (Growing Real Opportunities for Women) Employee Resource Group in ANZPI.
Eveline is a member of the AICD. She holds a postgraduate Business Management Diploma and a BSc in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of Queensland.
Hon Kate Ellis
Community Director and former Federal Minister.
Kate was elected as the Federal Member for Adelaide in 2004.
In 2007 she became a Minister serving in portfolios including Sport, Youth, the Status of Women; Employment Participation, Early Childhood Development and Childcare. She also served as the Shadow Minister for Education, Childcare and Vocational Education.
Kate has previously or is currently serving as a Director on a number of boards including the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Adelaide Football Club, the Rare Find Foundation and the Crows Children’s Foundation. She acts as an Ambassador for a number of charity organisations including the Childhood Cancer Association.
Prof Niki Ellis OAM
Community Director, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee and Former President of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Niki is an Occupational and Public Health physician and was the inaugural President of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Over the past 10 years she has worked on pioneering collaborative research models between industry and academia with the aim of improving the relevance and impact of research. At the University of Queensland, she set up the Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health and more recently at Monash University she was the Foundation CEO of the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research.
Niki’s book, Work and Health: Management in Australia and New Zealand is still used in training in occupational health today. Niki has a long-standing research and practice interest in work stress. In 2008, she presented a four-part television series on the ABC, Stressbuster.
Niki is Adjunct Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.
Mr Peter Hurley AO
Industry Nominee Director representing the Australian Hotels Association.
Peter has over 35 years’ experience in the hotel/liquor industry. He is the Managing Director of the Hurley Hotel Group.
Peter holds numerous positions/board membership across several organisations. He is formerly the State President of the South Australian branch of the Australian Hotels Association and was on the National Executive of the AHA, where he served two terms as National President.
Peter is also a Life Member of the Adelaide Football Club having served on the Board from 2001 until 2014, and a former Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Hon Rob Knowles AO
Community Director, Chair of the DrinkWise Social Marketing Committee and former Victorian Health Minister.
Rob was a Member of the Victorian Parliament for 24 years serving as Minister for Health, Aged Care and Housing in the Kennett Government. After leaving Parliament Rob served as Chair of Food Standards Australia New Zealand from 2002-2008.
He was a member of the Australian Government's National Health and Hospital Reform Commission which completed its work in 2009. Rob has had a long interest in social policy and public administration, and now runs his own farm.
Mr Jeffrey McCormack
Industry Nominee Director representing Australian Grape & Wine.
Jeffrey joined Treasury Wine Estates in 2021 and was appointed at the Global Director of Public Affairs. With over 10 years’ experience in both State and Federal Government, Jeffrey brings unique insights in the development of trade, agriculture, water and regional development public policy.
In his role at Treasury Wine Estates, Jeffrey has global oversight of all government and industry relations, with key team members in Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, China, and the United States. Jeffrey also sits on the Australian Grape & Wine Executive Council, Wine New South Wales, and Wine Victoria. As well as being actively engaged with TWE’s trade industry associations.
Ms Anubha Sahasrabuddhe
Industry Nominee Director representing the Brewers' Association of Australia.
Anubha was appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Lion in 2022 after joining the business in January 2021 as Marketing, Consumer and Brand Director.
Anubha joined Lion from Mars, where she was most recently the Global Vice President of Chocolate, having held had a number of senior positions including Global Vice President, Wrigley in the US and China.
Prior to her career at Mars-Wrigley, Anubha spent over a decade with The Coca-Cola Company in various marketing leadership roles across Asia-Pacific.
A passionate marketer, Anubha has an impressive track record of building strong brands and communication campaigns to deliver category and portfolio growth.
Amanda Sellers
Industry Nominee Director representing the Brewers’ Association of Australia.
Amanda is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Asahi Beverages – Oceania. Asahi Beverages Oceania consists of a Regional Hub and three Business Divisions: Asahi Lifestyle Beverages, Asahi Beverages New Zealand, and Carlton & United Breweries.
Prior to this role, Amanda held the position of Group CFO at Asahi Beverages where she managed a number of accountabilities, including Finance, Legal, Risk & Assurance, and Shared Business Services.
Before joining Asahi, Amanda was General Manager, Finance Operations at Transurban, and also held a number of divisional CFO roles at Treasury Wine Estates.
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Fellow of the Tax Institute, and a member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.
She is also a Board and Committee Member of Lifeblood, and a director of Circular Plastics Australia Pty Ltd.
Mr Paul Sheahan AM
Community Director, Former Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School and former President of MCC.
Paul is a graduate of The University of Melbourne in Pure Mathematics. He taught in both the government and private system for 40 years, including as Principal of The Geelong College for almost 10 years and Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School for 14 years. During that time in schools, he had the experience of running a boarding house of seventy boys at Geelong Grammar and this, combined with years as the head of a school, gives him first-hand knowledge of behaviours of young people.
Outside schools, he has played international cricket for Australia, was President of MCC, and on the Board of the Australian Drug Foundation (of which he is a Fellow). He is currently Trustee of the Sir Robert Menzies Foundation and Chair of both the Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria and Christ Church Grammar School.
Hon Amanda Vanstone AO
Community Director and Former Federal Minister.
Amanda entered Federal Parliament in 1984, as a Senator for South Australia. She served as a Minister in the Australian Government from the 1996 election until January 2007, and is the longest serving female Cabinet Minister since Federation.
Amanda held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government, including Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Minister for Justice and Customs, Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, and Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation. Following her resignation from the Senate she was appointed as Australian Ambassador to Italy and to San Marino.
Amanda now hosts Counterpoint, a weekly program on ABC Radio National, and writes an opinion piece for The Age on a fortnightly basis. She is a member of several boards.
Mr Michael Waters
Industry Nominee Director representing Retail Drinks Australia.
Michael is the CEO of Retail Drinks Australia, the national industry body providing advocacy and services to support packaged liquor retailers in all states and territories of Australia. Prior to this appointment, Michael was Retail Drinks’ Chief Operating Officer since the organisation was formed in late 2018, following the national merger of the former state and territory Liquor Stores Associations. Before the national merger, Michael held the position of Executive Director and Company Secretary for the Liquor Stores Association NSW & ACT.
Michael is also currently a member of the ACT Government’s Liquor Advisory Board, a Council Member of Alcohol Beverages Australia, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) after graduating from the AICD Company Directors Course in 2018, and holds a Bachelor of Business Management from the University of Queensland.
Professor Judith Whitworth AC
Community Director, member of the DrinkWise Scientific Advisory Committee and former Chief Medical Officer of Australia.
Professor Judith Whitworth is an Emeritus Professor of The Australian National University. She has had an extensive career in the medical and research fields and has published six books and over 500 and scientific articles. Judith has held a number of prestigious appointments including Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer of Australia, leader of the Australian Delegation – World Health Assembly, Chair of the Medical Research Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, President of the Australian Society for Medical Research and the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia. Judith was also Chair of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Health Research from 2004-2011. Judith was made a Companion in the Order of Australia in 2001, for the advancement of academic medicine and as a major contributor to research policy and medical research administration in Australia.