BOARD
ICDP is governed by a strong team of Australian and Pacific public, private sector and academia professionals. This group is characterised by a mix of highly connected and respected individuals with the power to bring key leaders together from Australia and the Pacific.
Dr Ian J Watt AC
Chair
Dr Watt has had a long career as one of Australia’s most distinguished public servants, with nearly 20 years at the highest levels of the public service, including Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Dr Watt is Chair of ICDP and the ADC Advisory Council. Dr Watt is also a Member of the Male Champions of Change, a Member of the Melbourne School of Government Advisory Board at the University of Melbourne, a Fellow of ANZSOG and IPAA, and Senior Adviser to Flagstaff Partners. Dr Watt completed an Independent Review of the Tasmanian State Service in July 2021, the first in several decades. Dr Watt was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2016. Dr Watt also holds Honorary Doctorates of Letters from the University of Technology Sydney and from the University of Wollongong.
Andrew Carriline
Director
Andrew is an experienced business executive, commercially astute and highly skilled at operating successfully in regulated environments. After a long career at Westpac, Andrew now maintains a portfolio of non-executive roles in the “for profit” and “not for profit” sectors.
Andrew is currently a Non-executive director at the ASX listed and Paupua New Guinea domiciled Kina Securities Limited and at the Bluestone Group of companies (owned by Cereberus Capital Management). He is also a Non-executive Director at fintechs Rich Dara Corporation and Shaype Group, each of which are delivering transformative customer experiences and business solutions in the financial services sector.
Andrew is also a Non-executive director at not for profits Human Rights Law Centre and the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships and Chair of the ICDP Foundation.
Andrew retired from Westpac in July 2017. He spent the period from 2002 until his retirement in senior risk and executive roles, including acting as the Group Chief Rish Officer during the GFC. He was also Chariman of the bank’s business in Papua New Guinea until early 2018. Prior to 2002, Andrew practiced corporate law in the public, private and corporate sectors.
Andrew holds degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of New South Wales, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is an accredited coach and facilitator.
Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu
Director
Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu is the former Attorney General for Samoa, and Partner in the family owned law firm – Latu Lawyers in Apia, Samoa. Brenda has been in practise for 33 years in both New Zealand and Samoa. She worked at Crown Law Office in New Zealand from 1988-1996 and was appointed a Crown Counsel in 1991. In 1996, she went to Samoa under a New Zealand Aid Scheme as Principal State Solicitor in the Attorney General’s Office. Then in 1997, she was appointed Attorney General of Samoa. Heather-Latu held the post for 3 consecutive terms from 1997-2006.
Brenda is also the Honorary British Consul to Samoa and is a serving Judicial Officer with World Rugby and is also a Board Member for Habitat for Humanity (NZ) and holds the chiefly title of Taulapapa from the village of Fogapoa in Savaii, Samoa.
Brenda is a highly respected leader with outstanding, high-level connections across the whole Pacific. She is assisting ICDP to implement Pacific Connect through support of Strategic Development Group.
Catherine Fritz-Kalish AM
Director
Catherine is Co-founder and Managing Director of Global Access Partners Pty Ltd (GAP), which is ICDPs implementation partner. Over the last 27 years, GAP has grown to be a global network of over 4,000 members, with more than 1,000 people actively engaged in its various projects at any one time. Through its pioneering ‘Second Track’ programme, GAP initiates strategic debate on the most pressing social, economic and structural issues facing Australia, acting as a catalyst for policy implementation and reform and new economic opportunities. Catherine oversees GAP’s diverse programme of initiatives that span industry sectors including health, environment, international relations and education, and is Chair of several GAP taskforces, advisories and steering committees.
Catherine has recently joined the board of neuroscience institute NeuRA. She is Chair of the Fritz Family Foundation supporting early childhood education in Australia. She is also a member of the advisory board for the Social Impact Hub and is part of a significant giving circle which engages whole families in philanthropy. She was previously Chair and Board member of social justice charity Stand Up.
Catherine has a Bachelor of Science degree (major Psychology) from UNSW and a Masters of Business in International Marketing from UTS.
On 26 January 2024, Catherine was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the corporate sector through developing public policy.
Simone Pensko
Director
Simone was the inaugural Chief Executive of the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships (ICDP). From October 2017 to September 2022 under Simone’s guidance, ICDP implemented the Australian Government’s Pacific Connect Program which provided a platform for entrepreneurs from the Pacific & Australia to work together to support business and economic development outcomes across the Pacific. Prior to this, Simone was a senior executive with over twenty years’ experience in the Australian Public Service across several challenging portfolios including Finance and Social Services. Her roles involved advising several Ministers on Asset Sales and Shareholder issues including Australian Hearing, Medibank Private, ASC and Essendon Airport. She also had oversight responsibility for many strategic reviews and investigations for government which included modernising the Medicare System, driving Public Sector Reform and the digital transformation agenda.
She has extensive procurement expertise demonstrated through her senior roles as head of whole of government procurement policy and lead negotiator for contracts totalling over $1 billion annually across 130 departments and agencies. Simone is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Hon Christopher Pyne
Director
Christopher served in the Australian House of Representatives from 1993-2019. During this time, he was in the Liberal Party Leadership Group for 10 years, Leader of the House of Representatives for six years, and served in Cabinet for six years. He was a Minister in the Howard, Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison Governments, holding the portfolios of Ageing, Education, Industry Innovation and Science, Defence Industry and Defence. Christopher is Chairman of consulting firm Pyne and Partners, Vision 2020, the Australia United Arab Emirates Business Council, the Advisory Board of munitions and weapons company, NIOA Group and the SA Governors Council of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, and a Director of the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships and its Foundation. As well, he is a non Executive Director of Canberra based defence manufacturer, Highcom Ltd. He is an Industry Professor in the University of South Australia Business School.
He is the author of two books – “A Letter to my Children” (2015) and “The Insider” (2020) and the podcast Pyne Time. Christopher lives in Aldgate in South Australia and is married to Carolyn and is the father of Eleanor, Barnaby, Felix and Aurelia.
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