Food Standards Australia New Zealand Board
Under the FSANZ Act, the FSANZ Board is selected by the Australian Minister for Health and Aging in Consultation with the Food Regulation Ministerial Council and must include qualified people from all walks of life . The Board of FSANZ numbers twelve. Members of the Board have been drawn from specialist areas - public health, food science, human nutrition, consumer affairs, food allergy, medical science, microbiology, food safety, biotechnology, veterinary science, primary food production, the food industry, food processing or retailing, small business, international trade, food regulation, consumer rights and consumer affairs policy, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and government. All members are part-time, except the FSANZ Chief Executive Officer.
The Board meets at least five times a year and it can also convene through teleconferences to discuss urgent issues. Outcomes of FSANZ Board meetings are published regularly through the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.
The Board
Note: The reference after each member’s name refers to the role specified in section 116 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 which the member fulfils.All members, with the exception of the CEO, are part-time. Members are listed alphabetically after the Chairman and CEO.
Ms Philippa Smith AM
Ms Philippa Smith, AM [s.116(1)(a)] was appointed Chair of the FSANZ Board in July 2008. Ms Smith is a former Commonwealth Ombudsman, CEO of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia and the inaugural Chair of the Consumer’s Health Forum. She currently serves on the boards of a number of organisations, including the Australian Institute of Public Health and the Sax Institute. Ms Smith has developed strong strategic skills and extensive experience in ensuring effective accountability and governance structures across a number of portfolios.
Mr Steve McCutcheon (Chief Executive Officer)
Mr McCutcheon [s.116(1)(B)] was appointed CEO of FSANZ in October 2007. Prior to his appointment, Mr McCutcheon held a number of senior executive positions in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. During that time he led the team that developed the new food regulatory framework for Australia and New Zealand under the auspices of the Council of Australian Governments. He also led the Australian delegation to annual sessions of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Mr McCutcheon holds a Bachelor of Economics degree and has undertaken further studies in public law and public policy.
Dr Michele Allan
Dr Michele Allan [s.116(1)(f)] has strong leadership experience across many facets of the food industry including a CEO position in a publicly listed food company. Her areas of expertise include manufacturing strategy, organisational strategy, risk and insurance leadership, food safety systems implementation, food packaging innovation and commercialisation. Dr Allan has held senior executive positions with Amcor Limited, Bonlac Foods, Bioinformatics Centre of Excellence Tasmania, Kraft Foods and ICI. She has held board positions within both the private and public sectors. She currently holds board positions at William Angliss Institute, CRC Hearing, MG Corporation and Go Grains health and Nutrition Limited.
Professor Katrine Baghurst
Professor Katrine Baghurst [s.116(1)(e)] has been involved in research and in translation of research to practice in the nutrition field in both Australia and New Zealand over the past 30 years, notably at the CSIRO Human Nutrition Division. Her extensive experience makes her a specialist in relation to determining food choice, consumer needs, current dietary patterns in the community and nutritional and food education. Professor Baghurst is a member of the National Health Committee of the NHMRC and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide and currently works as a Nutrition Consultant.
Mr Peter Boyden
Mr Peter Boyden [s.116(1)(g)] is an internationally experienced CEO with extensive general management and marketing experience gained in consumer foods businesses in Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Greece. His most recent corporate role was Managing Director and regional Board member of the Unilever Australasian foods business and a Board member of the Australian Food and Grocery Council. He is currently a Principal at The Adelante Group, focused on business mentoring for senior executives and is a non-executive director of Meat and Livestock Australia, Stuart Alexander and Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd. His areas of responsibility have included the management of consumer marketing, product and packaging development, food production and general management, where he has focused on strategy development and portfolio management.
Ms Jenni Mack
Ms Jenni Mack [ s.116(1)(d) has worked in consumer affairs since 1993 when she was Executive Director of the Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations. Her work has spanned food, chemicals, telecommunications, energy and financial services policy incorporating areas such as industry self-regulatory and co-regulatory practices, professional standards and codes of practice. Ms Mack has worked closely with regulators and government agencies on good regulatory science, community education, licensing, best practice enforcement and compliance schemes, and community and social research projects. Ms Mack is the Chair of Choice, Australia’s leading consumer group.
Dr James (Gardner) Murray AO
Dr Gardner Murray [s.116(1)(f)]has extensive national and international experience in food safety, and veterinary science. He holds numerous high level positions including Non-Executive Governing Board Member at the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Chair of the high security Australian Animal Health Laboratory Strategic Planning Group, and Chair of the International Advisory Committee of Experts to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. He is a Special Adviser to the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE). Dr Murray has extensive experience in the field of agricultural food safety and standards, zoonoses and emerging threats.
Mr Tony Nowell CNZM
Mr Tony Nowell [s.116(1A)] is a professional company director and Founding Director of Valadenz Limited, a company formed to help develop New Zealand's trade and export sector. He was previously the CEO of Zespri International, the world's leading marketer of kiwifruit, and prior to that Managing Director of Griffin's Foods Limited, New Zealand's market leading biscuit & snack food manufacturer, a subsidiary of France’s Groupe Danone until it divested to Pacific Equity Partners in June 2006. He prepared and managed the divestment process in collaboration with UBS. From 1997 to 1999, he was the Regional Vice President of Sara Lee Asia and prior to this the Zone Manager for Sara Lee Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand from 1995 to 1997 and Managing Director of Sara Lee Indonesia from 1991 to 1994. He was Managing Director of L’Oreal Indonesia from 1987 to 1990 and Operations Manager of L’Oreal New Zealand from 1981 to 1986. Mr. Nowell was involved in the hotel industry from 1973 to 1981. His other roles and responsibilities include: Chair of Scion (the Forest Research Institute of New Zealand), Chair of New Zealand Food Innovation (Manukau), Deputy Chair of Leadership New Zealand, Board member of The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company, Board member of listed technology company Wellington Drive Technologies, member of the Export Advisory Board of Business New Zealand, Trustee of Asia:NZ Foundation, Trustee of Anew New Zealand Trust, Trustee of Snowvision New Zealand Trust and former Chair of the New Zealand Packaging Accord Governing Board and the New Zealand Government Food and Beverage Taskforce.
Dr David Roberts
Dr David Roberts [ s.116(1)(g)] is a Food and Nutrition Consultant with extensive experience in health and science. He has expertise in public health, food science, food allergy, human nutrition, food safety, food industry, food processing/retail, government and regulation. Dr Roberts has held senior positions at the Australian Food and Grocery Council and the University of Newcastle and served as the NSW Branch Chair of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Dr Andrew McKenzie - QSO
Dr Andrew McKenzie [s 116(1)(c)] began work in the New Zealand meat and seafood industries and his early career included government veterinary positions in the meat industry, technical positions in the then Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and foreign affairs service in Europe looking after issues relating to trade in animal products. He became MAF’s Chief Meat Veterinary Officer with responsibility for the regulation of primary processing and market access assurances for meat and seafood exports.
This led to becoming Chief of MAF’s regulatory authority which included responsibility for exports of all animal, plants and their products. He then set up and led the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) in 2002 – an integrated food safety agency covering domestic as well as export related food and food products. Dr McKenzie led the agency until his retirement in June 2010. Dr McKenzie has extensive experience in domestic food safety policy and standards, as well as international food safety and trade standards at the bilateral and multilateral level. He has developed extensive international networks over his career. As head of NZFSA, he has been involved with and led a number of national and international crisis management situations.
Dr McKenzie has a continuing interest in management and governance, as well as contemporary regulatory approaches to food safety / quality and trade, particularly around standard-setting. Dr McKenzie has post-graduate qualifications from Massey University in veterinary public health.
Mr Neil Walker - JP
Mr Neil Walker (s116i ca) is a food scientist with 35 years’ experience in the dairy industry. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology. He held senior executive roles in Fonterra until 2007. Mr Walker has been a 5th term Taranaki Regional Councillor and Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee since 2001 and also chairs the independent Taranaki Waste Management Authority. He is an accredited hearings Commissioner under the New Zealand Resource Management Act, and a JP in Court. Mr Walker’s private interests include Chair of a Taranaki dairy farm-owning trust, Chair of Nukuhau Carbon Ltd (which holds extensive forestry interests), Chair of Manuka Research Partnership (New Zealand) Ltd and Chair of the Dairy Industry Association. He is a Chair, Trustee or committee member of a number of private trusts and organisations, and national, community, charitable and family entities.
Professor Stephen Corbett
Professor Stephen Corbett [s.116(1)(f)] has more than 20 years experience as a public and environmental health physician, with qualifications in public health and medicine. Professor Corbett is director of the Centre for Population Health at the Sydney West Area Health Service, Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney and Western Clinical School, Westmead Hospital.
Register of FSANZ Board Members' Interests
Like all statutory boards of management the FSANZ Board is required by law to declare any possible conflicts of interest and exclude themselves from any decision making that could be considered a conflict. Under subsection 50(6) of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 , entries recorded in the register of Board members' interests must be published on the Internet ( pdf 182 kb) (word 117 kb)
FSANZ Board Charter
The FSANZ Board Charter outlines the objectives of the Board and the various roles and responsibilities of FSANZ Board members [ pdf ]
FSANZ Board Outcome
Outcomes of FSANZ Board meetings are published regularly.