Meet The Board
David Watson, Independent Chair:
Dr David Watson has a PhD in accounting from Ohio State University, and has previously worked as Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Professor of Accounting and Business Finance at the University of Queensland 1978-89, Head of the Department of Commerce 1978-82, and twice Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Economics. He also served in the House of Representatives as MP for Forde 1984-87. He was then elected MP for Moggill at the 1989 state election, becoming Deputy-Leader of the Liberal Party until 1992. He was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1996, becoming Minister for Public Works and Housing in 1997.
Following the government's defeat at the 1998 election, he was elected Liberal Leader and retired from politics at the 2004 election. In 2004, David was appointed a Commissioner for the Commission of Enquiry into the Integrity Management Systems in the Queensland Racing Industry. David is on the board of the Accounting Hall of Fame (USA), the Finance Committee of The University of Queensland Senate and a member of the Board and chairs the Audit Committee of Major Brisbane Festivals Pty Ltd. He is also a member of the Board of the Queensland Competition Authority.
He has also been a non-executive Director of Sun Retail Pty Ltd, Stanwell Corporation Limited and Sun Gas Retail Pty Ltd. Dr Watson is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Professor Deborah Terry, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Queensland:
Professor Terry received a BA and PhD (1989) from the Australian National University, and joined the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland first as postdoctoral research fellow in 1990 and then as a lecturer in 1991.
After serving as Professor of Social Psychology and Head of School from 2000 to 2005, she was appointed Executive Dean, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences in January 2006. In January 2008, Professor Terry was appointed as the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning).
The position was re-titled Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) from 1 January 2009. Professor Terry is currently Vice-Chancellor as the University leads an international search to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor. Her primary research interests are in the areas of attitudes, social influence, persuasion, group processes, and intergroup relations.
She also has applied research interests in organisational and health psychology. She has published widely in these areas, and is co-editor of "The theory of reasoned action: Its application to AIDS-preventive behaviour" (1993), "Attitudes, behaviour, and social context: The role of group norms and group membership" (1999), and "Social identity processes in organisational contexts" (2001).
Professor Terry is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, previous chair of the Australian Research Council's College of Experts in the social, behavioural and economic sciences, past President of the Society for Australasian Social Psychology, and she is currently associate editor of the British Journal of Psychology.
Professor Arun Sharma, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation), Queensland University of Technology:
Prof Sharma has played a leadership role in development of Australian research capability in information and communication technology.
He was co-founder of National ICT Australia Limited (NICTA) – Australia’s national centre of excellence, and was the inaugural Director of its largest research laboratory. He is a member of the Queensland Premier’s Smart State Council and a member of the Premier’s Business Roundtable.
His current board memberships include QMI Solutions Ltd, qutbluebox Pty Ltd, Cooperative Research Centre for Integrated Engineering Asset Management and Cooperative Research Centre for Smart Services.
He received a PhD in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1990, his postdoctoral training in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1990-91) and his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 1985.
Susan Middleditch, Deputy Director-General, System Support Services Division Queensland Health:
Susan Middleditch has a bachelor of business majoring in accounting, is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australia and New Zealand School of Government and the Institute of Strategic Leadership. She currently holds the position of Deputy Director-General, System Support Services at Queensland Health.
Susan has a proven track record in delivering results in high performing organisations. As a Certified Practicing Accountant, Susan has extensive financial and business experience. Also possessing high level experience in Strategic Planning, Risk Management, Human Resource Policy development and Commercial Finance has allowed Susan to successfully drive change and transformation within Corporate Services teams.
Susan has a mix of both private and public sector experience. She was appointed to her first Chief Finance Officer role at the age of 25 for the Commonwealth Department of Employment Education and Training in Canberra. She has worked with New Zealand Treasury where she was responsible for assisting organisations such as Air New Zealand; New Zealand Post; Transpower and New Zealand Rail Corporation to strategically change and grow their business. She has also spent time living and working on Norfolk Island where she led the transition of a five star holiday resort from construction to operations.
Her role at Queensland Health now sees her leading a team of 1600 people in the delivery of corporate services to the 87,000 Queensland Health staff, and on behalf of all Queenslanders.
Jim Walker AM
Jim Walker is the Chief Executive Officer, Auto CRC, a position he was appointed to in September 2012. Prior to this Jim was Chief Executive Officer, QMI Solutions Limited for 5 years; a company dedicated to improving the Australian manufacturing industry. Before joining QMI Solutions Jim worked at Boeing Australia for 9 years as General Manager of the Boeing Network Enabled Systems (NES) Business Unit; responsible for developing many of the nation’s key defence communications and air defence assets. Prior to this Jim served in the Royal Australian Air Force working in the areas of satellite operations, intelligence, engineering and training.
Jim is also the Chair of Aviation Australia and the Chair of the Enterprise Connect Advisory Council established to advise the Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. He is a director of the Mater Medical Research Institute and Translational Research Institute, and is also a member of the QLD Australian Industry Group Council. Jim was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution in the restructure of the Australian aerospace engineering sector.
