HII Board of Directors
The Hon Greg Pearce
BA LLB
Chair
Appointed November 2021
Experience
Mr Pearce has extensive experience in finance, law and politics with a strong focus on regulated compensation schemes, superannuation and public sector employment. Formerly a partner and Board member of first tier international law firm, Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills), Mr Pearce has strong professional and corporate experience and has represented at international agencies. He is a leader and brings innovation, broad experience and independence.
As NSW Minister for Finance and Services, Mr Pearce’s Portfolio included Office of Finance, Public Works, Fair Trading, Industrial Relations, State Revenue, Social Housing, NSW Property, Procurement, plus direct Ministerial control of the Department of Finance and Services, a Central Agency, with a direct spend of $1.7 billion (2012-13) employing 6540 people across State Revenue, Land Titling, State Records, insurance, workers compensation, public servant superannuation schemes with assets of $32 billion and led legislative Reform of Occupational Health &Safety, IR and Workers Compensation.
Other directorships and positions
Since leaving NSW Parliament in 2017 Mr Pearce has undertaken a broad range of projects including for several NSW Government agencies, advice on payroll tax, a mining review relating to rehabilitation of mines, a major international technology company, a new point to point transport option and budgeting and finance for a significant cultural institution. He Chaired a review of NSW public sector employment. Mr Pearce currently serves as the NSW public sector Statutory and other Officers Remuneration Tribunal and on Venues New South Wales.
Scott Whiddett
B. Com, FCA
Director
Appointed: Director in January 2024
Experience
Scott Whiddett is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience, practicing principally in the areas of due diligence advisory, and independent accountant reporting on public company transactions for takeovers, initial public offerings and audit.
Scott has been actively involved (since 1998) in the growth of the Pitcher Partners Sydney practice (and its antecedent firms, White Iliffe and Moore Stephen Sydney); including founding and developing the firm’s advice and corporate finance offering. Scott was a founding Partner in establishing White Outsourcing; a back office administration business that grew to $34 billion of funds under administration before sale in 2013.
Scott enjoys problem solving and working collaboratively with directors, management and corporate advisors on projects; particularly on growth strategies and M&A transactions. He brings strong financial reporting and corporate governance mindset with his listening and problem-solving skills.
Other directorships and positions
Scott is a non-executive director of Employers Mutual Limited. Scott is a partner and director of entities associated with the Pitcher Partners Sydney Accounting and Advisory practice.
Catherine King
Director
Appointed June 2021
Experience
Ms King has diverse experience in government, community and stakeholder relations, communications, risk management and strategy development. Ms King managed a public relations and communications business for 15 years and now provides strategic advice to organisations operating in a regulated environment.
Other Directorships and positions
Ms King is also a director of the Don Dunstan Foundation and Chair’s Capetal’s Advisory Board. She has previously been a director of Adelaide Fringe Inc, Adelaide Venue Management Corporation, EML, Homestart Finance, SAFECOM and the SA Ambulance Service and a board member of Common Ground Adelaide, Riverland Wine Advisory Panel and ResourceCo Pty Ltd.
Dr George Peponis
MB BS OAM GAID
Director
Appointed May 2023
Experience
Dr Peponis has an extensive rugby league career having played and captained the Bulldogs Football Team and Australian Rugby League Team. He has served in Director and Chair roles and is currently a life member of both the Bulldogs Football Club and Canterbury League Club . From 2003 to 2018, Dr Peponis was a director of Canterbury League Club and Chair of the club from 2010 to 2018. From 2002 to 2010 he was the Chair of the Bulldogs Football Club. In 2017, he was the Chair of the Rugby League World Cup. For his services to rugby league Dr Peponis received the Medal of the Order of Australia. In addition to his directorships and Chair roles, Dr Peponis graduated from the University of NSW with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery in 1976 and has since worked as a general medical practitioner. In 2019 Dr Peponis graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Other Directorships and positions
Dr Peponis currently serves as the Chair of ClubsNSW, having been elected as a director of same at the 2017 AGM. He is the current Chair of Clubkeno Holdings elected August 2019 and Vice President of Clubs Australia elected in September 2019.
Paul Baker
LLB GAICD
Director
Appointed May 2018
Experience
Paul Baker has experience in the areas of insurance, reinsurance, commercial and administrative law, risk management, strategy and business management and corporate governance. He is a practising lawyer of more than 35 years and has been Managing Director of Meridian Lawyers since 2004, a law firm which he established and has grown to more than 240 staff.
Other Directorships and positions
Paul is the current Chair of Employers Mutual Limited a position he has held since 2021 having originally been appointed a Director of that company in 2014.Paul has previously served as the legal member of the Commonwealth Governments Consumer Medicines Information Task Force and South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service Ethics Committee. He was also a senior partner of Ebsworth and Ebsworth Lawyers and a former Director of Guild Accountants.
Sean Morrissey
BA LLB GDLP
Director
Appointed September 2022
Experience
A practising lawyer for over 15 years, Mr Morrissey has specialised in employment, industrial relations and workers compensation law. He has held roles in both private practice and in-house, having represented the interests of clients from both the employee and employer perspective.
Mr Morrissey is one of the founding partners and the Principal Solicitor Director of Hospitality Legal, a legal practice owned and operated by the Australian Hotels Association NSW which provides legal services to its hotel members and the hospitality industry more broadly.
Other Directorships and positions
Mr Morrissey currently serves as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Counsel of the Australian Hotels Association NSW. He has previously lectured in Employment Relations in the School of Business at the University of Technology Sydney.
Cameron McCullagh
B. Bus
Director
Appointed February 2007
Experience
He has over 40 years in financial management and over 30 years insurance management experience. Mr McCullagh is currently an Executive Director of COG Financial Services Limited (ASX: COG) and Chair of A.S. White Global Pty Limited. He was Chief Executive Officer of Employers Mutual Limited from 2001 to 2009 and it was during this tenure, he established Hospitality Industry Insurance Limited (HII), a subsidiary of Employers Mutual Limited.
Other Directorships and positions
During 2012 to 2014, as Chief Operating Officer of the insurance broking and underwriting agency accumulator, Steadfast Group Limited, he took operational responsibility for its successful listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.