AIIA appoints board of directors for 2021

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has revealed the members of its 2021 board of directors, featuring diverse and influential executive leaders within the ICT industry. The board of directors oversees all AIIA operations, develops the National Business Plan and sets the strategic direction of the Association.

Senior Deloitte Partner Robert Hillard will continue as AIIA Chairman; Hillard has served on the AIIA’s board for two years, following an earlier three-year term. Hillard said the new board of directors will provide a diverse range of specialisations, skills, perspectives and experiences to the AIIA, and thanked the continuing and outgoing members of the board for their support.

“We have a range of highly experienced individuals joining the board, who I’m sure will make a strong impact. Together, our aim is to stimulate and grow the digital ecosystem in Australia,” Hillard said.

Senior executive company leaders within the technology industry, Dell’s Angela Fox and Information Professionals’ Mark Nicholls have been reappointed as Deputy Chairs, while ICT industry specialist and CEO of SME Gateway Stuart Althaus has joined the AIIA board as Treasurer. Existing board member Matt Codrington, Managing Director at Lenovo, has been reappointed to the board.

Katrina Troughton, IBM’s first female Managing Director, has joined the board alongside Elizabeth Whitelock, CEO of human centred AI company Houston We Have. Lynette Clunies-Ross, CEO at SAS, has also joined the board, bringing her deep technology, business and operational expertise to the AIIA.

“As we look to re-shape our economy post COVID-19, Australia’s tech industry is in a great position to play a leading role. The AIIA will continue to champion our members’ needs and support innovative technology to lead Australia’s economic growth,” Hillard said.

The board of directors for 2021 is also comprised of Craig Baty, Principal of Data Driven; Ken Boal, Vice President of Cisco; and John Ieraci, Chief Customer Officer at Telstra Enterprise. The board is also comprised of Megan James, Director at Dataminr; Sharryn Napier, Vice President and Regional Director (Australia and New Zealand) at Qlik; and John Paitaridis, CEO of CyberCX and CEO Technology Portfolio at BGH Capital.

Vito Rinaldi, Managing Director of Blue Crystal Solutions; Karl Sice, Business Leader (ANZ) at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise; and Rupert Taylor-Price, Founder and CEO of Vault Cloud round out the board of directors for the AIIA.

The AIIA has also revealed the State Council Chairs for 2021. They include Bridget Tracy from IBM Australia for the NSW Council, Warren Hill from Data#3 for the Victorian Council, Mark Nicholls from Information Professionals for the Queensland Council, and Greg Boorer from CDC Data Centres for the ACT Council. Tim Chopping, from SRA Information Technology, will represent the South Australian and Northern Territory Councils, while Sharon Brown from Sharon Brown & Associates will represent the Western Australia Council.

“The AIIA has had an incredible year of growth in 2020 with significant spikes in member numbers, superb entries for our annual iAwards and leading discussions on Australia’s ICT industry needs with all levels of government. The AIIA looks forward to building on these strong foundations and continuing to extend our strong relationships with industry and government,” Hillard said.

Pictured: Robert Hillard