Who We Are

Our Board Members

Nicky Firth, Board Chair

Director, Human Aspect Pty Ltd

Nicky has more than 25 years of leadership experience including as the Chair of the Australian Minerals and Energy Skills Alliance (AUSMESA) and its predecessor the Mining Skills Organisational Pilot (MSOP), and previously held the position of Vice President Human Resources Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

She has played a key role in the transition to the Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance (AUSMASA), the Jobs and Skills Council at the critical intersection of the mining and automotive industries and education providers which will lead to more effective training outcomes for learners and better workforce outcomes for employers.

Nicky is a strategic, innovative and practically minded human resources executive with a proven track record for leading and delivering people and organisational change in complex and challenging business environments. Nicky is based in Perth.

Brad Gandy, Board Member

State Secretary, Australian Workers’ Union, WA Branch

Brad has represented workers for more than two decades, from the shop floor to organiser to Secretariat. Brad has a strong belief in fairness and safety in the workplace and proudly represents the AWU in WA which has a strong history of representing workers across a wide range of industries for more than 135 years. Brad is based in Perth.

Sid Marris, Board Member

MCA Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Minerals Council of Australia

Sid has over a decade of experience working with the Minerals Council of Australia. He has held various roles in the media and public affairs, as well as an advisory role with the Office of the Prime Minister of Australia. Sid is based in Canberra.

Vincent Cosgrove, Board Member

General Manager, Culture & External Affairs, Sime Darby Industrial

As part of the Sime Darby Industrial Executive Leadership Team, Vincent is responsible for leading Industrial’s human resources management, talent retention, attraction and development, employee experience and external affairs spanning 17 countries, 11,000 employees, five Caterpillar Dealerships and various allied brands. Vincent has more than 30 years of experience in the resources and industrial sectors. Before joining Sime Darby, he served in senior global leadership roles with BHP and Shell in Australia, the UK, and Singapore. Vincent is based in Brisbane. 

Christine Gibbs Stewart, Board Member

Chief Executive Officer, Austmine Limited

Chris is the CEO of Austmine, the leading industry body representing the Australian Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector. She has some 30 years of experience in international business, industry development and general management. Chris is based in Sydney.

Richard Delplace, Board Member

Director Emerging Technologies at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)

Richard is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the FCAI’s approach to new vehicle technologies and represents Australian automotive manufacturers and suppliers of passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles on matters relating to vehicle safety, connectivity, autonomy and environmental performance. He holds a Master in Electronics Engineering and brings 20 years of experience in deployment, operations and policy development of transport technology across public and private sectors. Richard is passionate about driving change towards a more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable Australian automotive industry. Richard is based in Perth.

Tony Maher, Board Member

General President, Mining & Energy Union, CFMEU

Tony started work in the resources industry in 1979 at Rio Tinto’s silver, lead and zinc mine in Broken Hill. He has been General President of the Mining and Energy Division of the CFMEU since August 1998. He has led the union’s work on climate change since 2006. Tony is based in Sydney. 

Our Board’s Committees

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Our Finance, Audit and Risk Committee assists the Board with its responsibilities for financial management, performance reporting, risk and control frameworks, and external financial reporting responsibilities.

Sidney Marris – Chair

Christine Gibbs Stewart

Richard Delplace

Nominations and Remuneration Committee

Our Nomination and Remuneration Committee monitors CEO performance, succession planning, director selection and development and provides recommendations to the Board about remuneration policy, annual salary increases and incentives paid to the AUSMASA CEO and employees.

Vincent Cosgrove – Chair

Nicky Firth

Brad Gandy

Our People

Chief Executive Officer

Gavin is an accomplished academic and minerals industry executive who has led the evolution of the highly-successful Mining Skills Organisation Pilot (MSOP) to become the independent Australian Minerals and Energy Skills Alliance (AUSMESA) facilitating greater industry and employer engagement with workforce and skills.

Prior to this, Gavin spent more than a decade in a leadership role in minerals policy and advocacy with the MCA, and had worked professionally for industry, government, and academia in both Australia and South Africa.

In 2013, Gavin received the LH Martin Award for Excellence in Higher Education Leadership for his work promoting minerals education in Australia. Gavin is based in Melbourne.

Dr Gavin Lind

Jan Norberger

Executive Director Workforce Strategy & Industry Engagement

Jan has a broad range of executive experience across a variety of industry sectors, including 12 years in leadership roles for private training providers in the vocational education and training (VET) space. With a background in mining, transport, aviation and defence, Jan is a passionate connector of industry and the VET sector. Jan has first-hand experience working with the VET sector and industry together, in providing support, and navigating through change, innovation, and disruption. Jan is based in Perth.

Helen Tinney

Executive Director Policy & Training Products

Helen is an experienced executive and has extensive knowledge and understanding of the vocational education and training sector gathered while working in TAFE NSW and within the TAFE sector in Victoria. Helen is driven to create innovative, student-centred learning that delivers high-quality education and training programs and products that make a difference to learners and an empowered workforce. Helen is based in Melbourne.

Emily Flores

Executive Director External Relations & Communications

A results-driven, award-winning Marketing & Communications leader with over 25 years of experience in the public and private sector, Emily heads up External Relations and Communications functions. Before this, she led Marketing & Communications for Chisholm, one of Victoria’s largest TAFE providers, and a National Finalist in the 2019 Australian Marketing Institute Award for Customer Acquisition Marketing, and State Winner in the 2018 Australian Marketing Institute Award for Marketing Excellence in Education. Emily is based in Melbourne.

Kristian Rough

Executive Director Operations

Kristian has comprehensive experience in both state and federal government, as a former federal ministerial policy adviser specialising in complex policy and legislative reforms; and as a Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, establishing an integrity law enforcement agency for the Victorian Government and spearheading the state's response to COVID-19 industry challenges leveraging his expertise in these areas.

He is an Australian Legal Practitioner and holds a Master of Laws, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Bachelor of Laws, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Studies, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration. Kristian is based in Melbourne.

Our values

We believe our values guide our actions, and our actions guide our outcomes.

Our values are people-focused.

We strive to create an inclusive culture encouraging honest communication, participation, and innovation.

We set ambitious goals and celebrate our successes.

Authenticity

  • We walk the talk

  • We always do what we say we’ll do

  • We have the courage to share our thoughts and accept the thoughts of others

  • We have the safety to fully express who we are

Empathy

  • We show care and consideration for our colleagues

  • We understand that what other people feel is okay and that everyone is different and has different perspectives

  • We understand our stakeholders and are considerate of them

  • We create a safe and respectful environment to share ideas

Collaboration

  • We communicate, listen and work together with a focus on a common goal

  • We achieve great outcomes together

  • We embrace the knowledge and expertise of others

  • We seek out diverse views

Fairness

  • We listen to and respect all views, treating everyone equally and acting with integrity in every situation

  • We promote good culture and a supportive team environment, learning from the mistakes we make

  • We feel safe at work, personally and professionally

  • We recognise effort and show appreciation

Purpose

  • We commit to achieving our goals, applying our knowledge, and delivering outcomes efficiently

  • We embrace challenges to build a better future for our stakeholders

  • We have a clear and shared understanding of our direction and personally align with our strategic objectives

  • We know how our contribution impacts our goals