Business

 Fraser Ainsworth AM

Chairman: Tarac Australia

Areas of Specialisation:

  • SME owner/developer
  • Resources sector
  • Advisory Boards

Fraser is currently the Chairman of Tarac Australia (a South Australian grape marc processor) and a non executive director of Envestra and several other companies in the resources sector. Fraser's business experience spans the resources, electricity, biotechnology, oil and gas and wine industries, but the bulk of his experience was with CSR Limited (including a stint as Chairman and CEO of Delhi Petroleum), and as the CEO of SAGASCO oil and gas company.

Fraser's busy business life has been augmented by various community activities including seven years as President of the SPARC Disability Foundation, Dep Chair of the Flinders Medical Research Foundation etc, and as a member of SA's Economic Development Board's Energy Advisory Group.

Fraser's particular knowledge, experience and network within the burgeoning energy and resources sector will prove exceptionally beneficial to our Executive Partners' students as they seek career guidance and employment prospects.

Director: Rossiter Boots Pty Ltd

Areas of specialisation:

  • Strategic planning
  • Public policy and government
  • Advisory boards

Michael has a number of years of experience in a range of company director, management and specialist roles in the private, not –for-profit and public sectors with a background in human resources and policy development. He has held a range of community positions including elected member of the Adelaide City Council and membership of management bodies of a variety of educational institutions, visual arts bodies and community groups.

He holds a range of management, educational and visual art qualifications including a MBA and Masters in Education.

Currently he is a Director, Rossiter Boots Pty Ltd and senior employee in the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Brian Hayes

Barrister: Murray Chambers
National Chairman: Australia India Business Council

Adjunct Professor: UniSA

Areas of specialisation:

  • Law and legal policy
  • Human rights
  • Workplace protocol establishment
  • Advisory committees

Brian is an eminent legal policy, environmental and human rights lawyer. His particular knowledge in these specialist fields has made him a much sought after consultant to Australian and international governments in the drafting of legislation and establishment of working protocols. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1986. He has carried out a number of World Bank and AusAid funded projects and consulted to organisations in Russia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Brian is currently the National Chairman of the Australia India Business Council, and the Premier's Special Envoy to India, and has lead numerous business delegations to India. He has also served on various advisory committees at UniSA, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the university.

Aside from these professional achievements, Brian is a founding member Law Society's Human Rights Committee, and a co-founder and Secretary of Carry for Kids Inc, a not for profit organisation assisting orphanages in the Asia Pacific region. Brian's legal, humanitarian and international credentials are of enormous benefit to our Executive Partner Program.

Jeff McCulloch

Former RAAF Officer and Aviation Executive

Areas of specialisation:

  • Strategic planning
  • Concept and policy development
  • Business development and sales
  • Leadership
  • Aerospace technology and capability

Jeff McCulloch has extensive experience in a wide range of pursuits, both from his time as a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and as an Executive in the Aviation and Defence industries. As well as operational, staff and intelligence appointments, his Air Force career included postings to Canada, the UK and Indonesia. Jeff also had three flying command appointments on P3 Orion aircraft.

Jeff transferred to the RAAF Reserve in 1998 and provided consultancy services to the Department of Defence and the Defence and Aerospace industry in aerospace systems, strategic planning and operational and organisational concepts. He joined Cobham Aviation Services in 2007 and, as the Senior Vice President Sales and Business Development, had business development, sales and strategy development responsibilities across all Australian and British business units. During this time, he was also seconded to the UK to oversee the integration into Cobham of a recently acquired helicopter company.

Jeff retired from his full-time position in 2015, and continues to work with the aviation industry on a contract consultancy basis.

Richard Thomson

Currently retired with several special interest projects

Areas of specialisation:

  • Engineering
  • Business strategy
  • Technology development
  • Business management

Richard’s international chemical engineering career spanned 30 years where he worked in raw sugar manufacture, petrochemicals, oil & gas.  He established his own advisory business and completed several successful start-ups including ROV design, manufacture and operations as well as production monitoring systems. Richard was invited by the Australian Government to assist in oil technology transfer to China by UN agencies to assist Kuwait post the Iraqi war and Poland post the fall of Soviet Russia. Subsequently he purchased a solar hot water manufacturing and marketing business and developed expertise in renewable energy industries, an area in which he continues to be active.

  • Previously Board member in several large corporates
  • Previously Chair and Board member in government business enterprises
  • Previously Chair of the Advisory Board of the Barbara Hardy Institute, UniSA