ACS Panel: The journey to getting on (a) board!

Anna is an experienced executive, advisor and Board member, renowned for her unique customer and commercial perspective on digital transformation, emerging technologies and ecosystems to enhance customer experience and promote business expansion.  Anna combines her specialties with extensive experience and passion in driving cultural change, commercial acumen and corporate governance, to provide well–rounded advice to Boards and Chief Executives.  Anna was recognised as one of Australia’s top 50 CIOs in 2019.

Anna is a member of the Ambulance Victoria Board and a member of the Finance Committee and People & Culture Committee.  She is Chief Delivery and IT Officer with $85 billion fund, UniSuper, with responsibility for delivering strategic projects, member administration operations, developing and implementing the IT strategy, and information security management.  Anna reports regularly to the UniSuper Board, Technology & Project Committee, and the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.  She has been leading the fund through transformational change since 2017.

Anna holds a Postgraduate Certificate in IT Leadership and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  She has participated in two senior executive programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Succeeding in a Digital Economy, and Driving Strategic Innovation.

Dana Nelson joined BGIS as the President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific in August 2019. In this role she leads a team of 1,500 people who deliver solutions in facilities management, technical services, project delivery, professional services, asset management, workplace advisory and real estate services. She oversees a portfolio of large Government, PPPs and major private sector clients including Department of Defence, Casey Hospital, Edith Cowan University, NSW Police, MCEC, Telstra, Rio Tinto, BP, Virgin Airlines and Western Power. 

Dana has achieved great success in a number of Senior Executive roles in large, complex services organisations. Most recently with the Spotless Group, a multi-billion dollar integrated facilities services organisation with 36,000 employees in Australia and New Zealand. Throughout her 10 years at Spotless, Dana provided leadership as the Chief Operating Officer and ultimately Chief Executive Officer. 

Dana is an energetic leader with a strong agenda to retain and attract great talent. She is a passionate relationship builder, focused on long term strategic customer relationships and high performing diverse, creative workplaces. Throughout her career she has been responsible for delivering growth, and leading significant transformation programs to drive profitability. 

Dana has a Master of Leadership and Innovation from the Melbourne Business School and is an RMIT University Advisory Board member for the MBA program.

Sarah Adam-Gedge is an experienced leader in the digital and technology industry, as well as being a Non-executive Director of Austal Ltd. Austal is 'The Australian Shipbuilder', defence prime contractor and maritime technology partner of choice; designing, constructing and supporting revolutionary defence and commercial vessels for the world's leading operators. Sarah is also Chair of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and member of the Audit and Risk Committee. 

Sarah is currently the Managing Director of Publicis Sapient Australia. Publicis Sapient is the digital business transformation hub of Publicis Groupe, and helps clients drive growth and efficiency and evolve the ways they work, in a world where consumer behaviour and technology are catalysing social and commercial change at an unprecedented pace. With 19,000 people and over 100 offices around the globe, our expertise spanning technology, data sciences, consulting and creative enables us to deliver on complex transformation initiatives that accelerate our clients’ businesses through creating the products and services their customers expect. Previously Sarah was  the chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of Ovarian Cancer Australia. Prior to her current role, Sarah was Managing Director of Avanade, and has held executive roles at IBM, PwC, and Andersen across Australia/NZ, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. She is a graduate of the AICD, Chartered Accountant, member of ACS and on the ACS Diversity Council.