The Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) is a not-for-profit organisation whose focus is to build and strengthen trade and business connections between Australia and Canada. The Chamber is pleased to present the volunteer members of the CACC Board of Directors.
To contact please email: [email protected]
Jack started out in Toronto, Canada selling insurance but always had a clear desire to get into his own business, to have control over his own destiny. Jack moved to Australia at the age of 26 and opened his first KFC store in 1969 Jack is now the chairman and managing director of the CFAL group of companies which has sales revenue of $1.4 billion and net shareholders funds of $600 million. Jack is also the owner of Hungry Jacks, the Burger King master franchise holder for Australia, with 360 restaurants and five manufacturing plants which produce frozen meat products and processed vegetables for the supermarket and food service industry and exports to 26 countries for which it has won several Australian Export Awards.
Mike McGrath currently sits on PwC’s Global Advisory Leadership Team as the Managing Partner of Finance & Investments. Mike also has global accountability for PwC’s Managed Services Business as well as the firm’s Global Delivery Network of Acceleration and Delivery Centres. Previously Mike was the Managing Partner of Clients & Markets at PwC Australia.
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Mike has worked in the telecommunications, consulting, and information technology sectors across the European, Asia-Pacific, and North American markets. Prior to his transition to PwC, Mike was a Vice-President at Bell Canada. He has led Consumer and Business P&L’s and has worked in the IT, strategy, networks, operations, product management and sales and marketing arenas.
Currently Partner, Risk Advisory with Ashurst. With nearly 20 years’ experience, Steve is a recognised global expert in financial crime prevention, risk management and compliance. He has deep knowledge of and experience with risk management and compliance in heavily regulated environments across sectors, including financial services, hospitality and gaming and superannuation/wealth management industries.
A former lawyer, his expertise includes addressing issues relating anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, sanctions and anti-bribery and corruption across 22 jurisdictions. He has represented employers and the financial services, hospitality and gaming industries, before senior government committees, regulators and Royal Commissions in several jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom.
Lesley is the co-founder, along with her husband Roger, of Bakers Delight. It started with one bakery in 1980 in Hawthorn Victoria and is now across New Zealand, Canada and the United States, with over 700 bakeries. After leading the company in an active executive role, she and Roger handed the running of the business to their children in 2017. She remains on the Board.
Giving back is important and through the Gillespie Family Foundation established by Roger and Lesley in 2013 it has been able to support a number of philanthropic endeavours with the World Mosquito Program (a Monash initiative) and Breast Cancer Network of Australia being the most prominent. Over the years Lesley has served on a variety of boards and community committees: her current focus continues in the education sector where she chairs the Swinburne University Business School Advisory Board and well as sitting on the Loreto Toorak Girls’ School Board. She is also on the Board of the Institute of Public Affairs – a think tank focused on freedom of speech. Lesley holds a BSc Hons and Dip Ed (Monash University), Honorary Doctor of Business (Swinburne University) and Honorary Doctor of Law (Monash University).
Greg McNab is a former mechanical engineer and partner in the Securities Group of the international law firm Dentons' Toronto office. Greg’s practice includes working with financial services, resource and energy companies both domestically and internationally, with a large portion of that work involving opportunities between Canada and Australia. Dentons is one of the largest law firms in the world with offices all around the world in major finance centres.
Diane brings over 20 years of experience in international business development and financial services, as well as proven leadership skills. She joined EDC in 1999 as a Financial Services Manager and led multiple financing transactions focused in the infrastructure sector. She is also a champion of supporting small and mid sized business with creative financing solutions. In 2010 Diane was appointed Regional Manager for Mexico, then for Africa, based in Ottawa. In 2014, she moved to Québec City to take on the leadership of the Québec City office as District Manager, covering Eastern Québec, where her team excelled and ranked consistently one of EDC’s top performing teams in Canada. Prior to joining EDC, Diane worked with ABN AMRO Bank in Miami in the Latin American Telecom Finance & Advisory Team. Diane holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management (US) and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Ottawa.
Doug was appointed CEO of Commonwealth Bank Group Super in 2010 until his retirement in August 2019. During that time, Doug and his team supported the Trustee Board in the development and execution of strategies which sustain the financial well-being of 75,000 past and present employees of the Group. His introduction to the superannuation industry was through his time at Australian Administration Services where he served as GM Strategic Operations and Risk Management in the mid-2000’s. Doug gained broad financial services management experience in a number of roles with TD Bank in Canada and Australia and with Citigroup in Australia. He is also a Director of the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce.
Brendan Clark is Managing Partner – International at MinterEllison, Australia’s leading independent law firm. In that role he is responsible for MinterEllison's foreign offices, its engagement with foreign firms and networks and for ensuring that the firm’s diverse specialist practices benefit from foreign investment and trade flows.
Brendan’s own practice is focused on energy and resources. He has over two decades’ experience advising private sector and government clients on acquisitions, divestments, project developments, commercial transactions and regulatory matters in the power, gas, mining and water sectors.
Prior to moving to Australia in 2007, Brendan practiced at a leading Canadian law firm and clerked at the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen’s Bench.
Minh Dao is a National Board Member for KPMG Australia. In addition, she is the National Energy & Utilities Sector Lead and Deputy Lead, National Deals Tax Group.
With over 25 years corporate experience, Minh has built her career specialising in large infrastructure and energy transactions. She has advised on some of Australia’s most high-profile transactions, including ASX takeovers and privatisations.
She is currently the Executive Sponsor of the KPMG Leaders 2025 program and the KPMG Belong Network. Minh’s commitment to her clients and colleagues has been recognized by fellow industry leaders, winning the Tax Institute Corporate Tax Advisor of the Year in 2015 and being a finalist for the Women in Finance, Tax Accountant of the Year award in 2018 and 2020.
Minh Dao Co-Chairs the New South Wales Committee for the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and in 2025 has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director on the CACC Board.
Jean-Étienne Leroux is Managing Director – Australia & New Zealand for CDPQ Sydney. He is responsible for all infrastructure activities in Australia and New Zealand. As head of the region, he also takes an active part in positioning CDPQ as a partner of choice across all asset classes, in promoting CDPQ’s brand image in the region and in representing the organization with the financial and business community, as well as with key stakeholders. Mr. Leroux is also responsible for the Sydney office, where he has been based since 2015.
A.J. Nichols is BHP’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs for North America, overseeing external affairs, government relations, Indigenous and Aboriginal relations, and communications across the U.S. and Canada.
Before joining BHP in 2024, he spent 17 years at Vale S.A. and Vale Base Metals, where he most recently served as the Global Director of Corporate Affairs, based in Toronto. His leadership roles included serving as the Chief Representative and General Manager of Corporate Affairs for Vale in China, based in Beijing, and Head of Corporate Affairs for Asia Pacific in Singapore.
Earlier in his career, A.J. was Chief of Staff to the Canadian Ambassador in Washington and a variety of roles at the Canadian Consulate in New York City. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and MBA from Dalhousie University and has also completed the Stanford University LEAD program from the Graduate School of Business.
Mike Pyke is Executive Director and Co-Head of Equity Advisory Australia & New Zealand for JLL. He is responsible for executing capital advisory services on behalf of domestic and global institutional investors – including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies and asset managers.
Prior to joining JLL, Mike spent 11 years at Moelis Australia in investment banking, corporate strategy and IR. He has also worked at Citi bank.
Before starting his financial services career, Mike represented the Sydney Swan’s in the Australian Football League – winning a premiership in 2012. He also played professional rugby in Europe and represented Canada at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Mike holds a Master of Commerce (finance) from The University of Sydney.
