QLD Emerging Leaders Forum 2024

Clare Chan is the General Manager Finance and CoSec at Pastoral Partners Australia, a carbon farming company that generates high integrity carbon credits by regenerating native vegetation on pastoral land that it owns and operates.

Clare has been in this role since August 2022, since inception of the company, and was heavily involved in setting up the company to where it is today in operation.

Clare is a Chartered Accountant, holds a Master of Applied Finance and a ‘dusty’ Law degree.

After dabbling in personal injury law and realising the life of a lawyer was not for her, Clare worked as a Forensic Accountant at Grant Thornton and Deloitte, spending almost 6 years across various fraud investigations and forensic accounting for litigation purposes. She then spent the next 4 years working at Queensland Treasury Corporation as a financial advisor to Queensland Government clients to support key financial and social objectives.

Clare then decided it was time to go commercial and took a role at Volvo Group Australia as the Business Controller of Product Profitability, where she led the execution of Volvo’s strategic market price position, achieving sales volume and profit objectives for Truck sales.

Joanne Dunn has more than 26 years of experience in corporate finance and restructuring, leveraging expertise in all aspects of corporate and personal appointments including receiverships, voluntary administrations, liquidations, deed of company arrangements, Part X arrangements and bankruptcies.

As a liquidator and bankruptcy trustee, Joanne has worked on appointments across a broad range of industries including mining and mining services, property development, engineering services, labour hire, retail and entertainment. 

Joanne utilises her experience and professional skills to project manage complex appointments, working closely with a diverse team to produce the best commercial outcome for all stakeholders.

Matt is the Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Law Society (QLS).

Appointed in March 2024, Matt was previously General Manager – Advocacy, Guidance and Governance for QLS. Originally joining QLS in 2005, he departed to take up a national policy leadership role with the Law Council of Australia in 2014, before returning to raise his family in Brisbane.

Matt’s extensive industry experience places him in the unique position of having a strong understanding and insight into the issues affecting the modern profession. An advocate for ensuring practitioners have affordable and accessible resources to build and maintain their practice, Matt is proud to be in such a position of trust to guide and enable the profession.

Karyn Ferguson was appointed Chief Financial Officer at Morgans Financial Limited in August 2022 and was appointed as a Director in March 2024.

Karyn is a Chartered Accountant, Financial Adviser and has worked in the accounting and finance industry for 20 years, both in Australia and the UK with leading investment banks. Prior to being appointed CFO, Karyn worked in various accounting and finance roles at Morgans, most recently in the debt capital markets team assisting corporate and financial services organisations to raise ASX-listed debt and hybrid capital. In London, Karyn worked as a taxation expert in executive compensation and led an offshore expat tax team in Manila. 

Since 2019, Karyn has also been the ESG specialist at Morgans assisting advisers and clients with ESG reporting, analysis and screening within investment portfolios.   

Karyn holds a Bachelor of Business (majoring in accounting) and has also completed study to become a qualified financial adviser. 

Stephanie brings over 20 years of experience in the finance sector to her role as the Head of Treasury at Cromwell.

Her journey began with a graduate position in the Macquarie Bank Property Finance team, laying a strong foundation in the industry. She then expanded her expertise through roles at a private developer and another investment bank before joining Westpac. 

At Westpac, Stephanie's career progressed over nearly 12 years in the Institutional Bank. She started as an analyst and advanced to the position of Director in the Real Estate team, where she managed a diverse portfolio of property customers and delivered tailored financial solutions.

Following her successful tenure at Westpac, Stephanie became a Relationship Executive at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). In this role, she excelled at managing key client relationships and driving business growth. Stephanie is deeply committed to contributing to the broader financial services community, continuously seeking ways to make a positive impact.

Alastair is a co-founder and portfolio manager at Wheelhouse Partners, an emerging investment manager specialising in risk-targeted strategies. The firm targets traditional and non-traditional risk premia and seeks to maximise returns for a targeted level of risk across its two funds. 

Prior to establishing Wheelhouse Partners, Alastair was a Portfolio Manager with Wingate Asset Management in Melbourne, having previously worked as Director with ABN AMRO in New York and Price Waterhouse in Brisbane.

Alastair is a CFA charterholder, a Chartered Accountant (Australia), and received his Bachelor of Commerce from Queensland University.

Richard is a seasoned CPA professional currently serving as the General Manager of Finance and Commercial at Container Exchange (COEX) in Queensland. He leads a multifaceted team dedicated to driving financial and commercial excellence. With extensive experience in strategic fiscal management and commercial operations, Richard is committed to enhancing organisational efficiency and fostering innovation.

Richard has held key roles such as Chief Finance and Commercial Officer at Exchange for Change and Commercial Manager at Coca-Cola Amatil. He has a proven track record in developing and implementing strategic plans, enhancing financial transparency, and optimising operational processes. His leadership style is characterised by empowerment and collaboration, ensuring that his team is engaged and equipped to meet strategic goals.

Richard has successfully navigated complex financial landscapes, including managing the fiscal strategies of large-scale initiatives such as the Container Refund Schemes in NSW and ACT.

Richard holds a Master of Accountancy and is a member of CPA Australia and the Governance Institute of Australia.

Erika Tucker is a Senior Engagement Advisor at Suncorp Bank in Brisbane, supporting leaders and business managers with their communications, personal branding, and presentation skills.

Prior to moving to Australia, she led a team of online journalists across multiple television and radio newsrooms in Western Canada, producing award-winning written and video content for GlobalNews.ca.

Erika also created and delivered an online writing course to Global News’ Canadian newsrooms. Early in her career, she spent a year teaching dance in a small town in Norway; choregraphing and staging a sold-out show to a standing ovation was a career highlight.