tricia caswell + associates

Profile

• An active member of numerous Boards, Committees and Councils for many years
• Proven track record of constructive engagement in all sectors at all levels
• Proven capacity to actively respond to diverse Board requirements
• Extensive sustainability advisory experience in a range of industries and a leading
  advocate of key sustainability issues
• High level, current understanding of carbon issues
• Restructured and modernised a number of organisations across the public, private and NGO sectors
• Familiarity with operations and processes of industries via on site field exposure, especially mining and forestry
• Established a Global Sustainability Institute at RMIT University
• A Founding Director of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Company established by BHP when it left the Ok Tedi Mine with more than USD1 billion in assets and investments in major commercial infrastructure projects as well as community development
  and grants programmes
• Member of the Global Assurance Group overseeing the Global Mining Initiative auspiced by The World Business Council for Sustainable Development sponsored by 30 of the world’s largest mining companies (2000–2002)
• Led major negotiations for The Victorian Trades Hall Council with 23 unions, for the initial restructure of the power industry in Victoria in the 1990s
• Longstanding international and national media and public presence
• Longstanding member and supporter of diverse Australian and Global Charities and NGO’s

Career overview

Key experience and achievements

2008 – Current: Caswell and Associates

Director

• Inaugural Board Director of PNG Sustainable Development Program Company Ltd 
• Board Director of KeeptheHabitat Pty Ltd developing carbon, community and forestry related projects in Indonesia
• Commercial start-up in environmentally friendly timber and bioenergy technologies in Victoria
• Advice around sustainability in education and training, the mining and forest industries, urban planning, public sector leadership and mentoring
• Keynote addresses to industry, academia, professional associations and local government
• Development of strategy for sustainability in private sector training and accreditation

2004–2007: Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI)

Chief Executive Officer

• Worked with 35 forest industry member companies with a an expert team and an annual budget of $3 million
• Established new model for repositioning the forest industry in Victoria as a 21^st century sustainable industry. This included innovative policy development, sustainability reporting across the industry, an innovative website and broadly-based media presence
• Developed intellectual leadership for policy and advocacy for the industry  in a Vision 2025
• Built a new, diverse constituency to advise, debate and discuss key forestry issues of policy and strategy including a high profile advisory committee
• Informed and engaged key politicians, public servants, industry leaders and NGO’s

2000–2004: Global
Sustainability Institute, RMIT University

Founder/Executive Director

• Established one of the first sustainability projects in universities, auspiced by the Vice Chancellor, including the development of its vision, mission and strategy, as well as its public and intellectual presence
• Published a Business Strategy based on a “Triple Bottom Line Plus One” approach (economic, environmental, social/cultural, governance) for the establishment of practical working models of sustainability for operations and curricula inside the University; for business, government and NGO’s outside the University
• Established partnerships with organisations inside and outside the University to provide practical models of sustainability. These included some or Australia’s largest corporations, Government Departments, NGO’s and other prestigious educational institutions; Many of the major Australian Universities, The Universities for Global Sustainability (a worldwide group), MIT, UCLA, Harvard, others in Japan and Europe
• Established an early public profile with governments, the public arena, academia and on the web

1995–2000: PLAN International Australia

National Executive Director

One of the world’s largest and oldest aid and development organisations, working in more than 80 countries in sustainable
community development

• Repositioned PLAN as a modern, credible, publicly recognized aid and development NGO in Australia
• Engaged with other like organizations in national and international advocacy around poverty and development issues
• Worked with some 30 staff and consultants, 20,000 supporters and volunteers with resources of $10 million per annum
• Worked with the Board to introduce system changes to ensure its competitiveness
• Engaged a range of high profile patrons, new board members and other expert personnel. These included the current Governor General, former politicians, church and community leaders
• Member of PLAN’s International Management Team overseeing 100 nationally based organizations in fundraising, aid and development

1992–1995: Australian Conservation Foundation

Executive Director

A leading Australian environmental organisation – independent, not for profit with high level public advocacy and exposure at all political levels

• Worked with more than 100 staff, advisers and volunteers Australia-wide, together with more than 20,000 supporters, a governing council of 38 members, and an annual budget of $3 million
• Re-established national and international recognition 
• Worked closely with the President to initiate changes to the financial and other systems to consolidate its operations and ensure its viability. It was financially vulnerable, the structure was old-fashioned, and its national profile had faded. This included the establishment of a Finance Committee of external experts, the purchasing of valuable premises, rationalising personnel.
• Encouraged engagement with a much broader constituency for its research and advocacy around environmental issues. This included partnerships with the ACTU, some businesses and NGO’s outside the environment sector
• Re-established ACF’s presence nationally and internationally, especially in the USA via a USIS Scholarship awarded through the US Consulate
• Heightened profile and policies via numerous public addresses and media appearances
• Encouraged the very early linking environmental issues with economics as well as social issues in policies and advocacy 

Current Governance

• Board Director, PNG Sustainable Development Program Company Ltd
• Board Director, KeeptheHabitat Pty Ltd
• Member of government-related committees, including Trustee, Sustainable Melbourne Fund auspiced by the City of Melbourne; Member, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Reference Group
• Board member, Wood Products Victoria Ltd
• Vice President and member of Management Committee, Kelvin Club Inc
• Member of Management Committee, Athenaeum Theatre and Library

• Victorian Trades Hall Council Award for Service to the Trade Union Movement
• Australian Medical Association’s Inaugural President’s Award for Advocacy of Environmental and Health Issues
• Cranlana Leadership Colloquium and Alumni
• US Embassy awarded United States Information Services International Visitors’ Program
• Bachelor of Education, Latrobe University, Melbourne
• Teacher’s Diploma, Speech and Drama, Licentiate Trinity College, London
• Diploma of Education, University of Western Australia
• Bachelor of Arts Hons (Theatre Arts), University of Western Australia
• Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland

• Fellow, Institute of Public Administration, Australia (Victoria)
• Fellow, Australian Institute of Management
• Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Member, Cranlana Alumni
• Member, Women Chiefs of Enterprises Institute (President Victorian Division 2006–2008)
• Vice President, The Kelvin Club Inc

• Board Member, Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market Trust
• Board Member, Uluru and Kata Juta National Park Board
• Inaugural Board member Victorian Family and Children’s Services Council
• Member Deputy PM’s (Brian Howe’s) Australian Urban and Regional Development Review Board

Environment

• Australian Industry Group (AIG) Environment Working Group
• CSIRO Energy & Transport Sector Advisory Council
• Environment Business Australia Council (EBA)
• Jewish National Fund (JNF) Environmental Scholarship Fund
• South Australian Water Corporation Sustainability Advisory Group
• The Living Murray Community Reference Group
• Water Catchment Authority Stakeholder Group
• 2007 International Landcare Conference Organising Committee  
• Victorian Sustainability Advisory Council, for the Minister for Sustainability &Environment & the Treasurer)
• Water Catchment Authority Stakeholder Group

Industry and Sustainability

• Minerals Council of Australia Sustainability Advisory Committee
• BHP Billiton Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility
• The Board of Australian Environmental Labelling Association Council
• Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development, Advisory Committee
• Plastics and Chemicals Industry Association Community Advisory Panel
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development: Global Mining Initiative; Member, Global Assurance Group
• Australia Worldwide Solutions for a Sustainable Future: Focus Publishing Editorial Panel

Sustainable Forestry

• National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) Board
• Timber Promotion Council, Victoria Board member
• Timber Training Creswick Ltd

Arts, Culture, Education, Training and Social

• Australia Council Board member
• Victorian Arts Centre Trust Board member
• Chair and Board member, Circus Oz
• Member, UNESCO National Commission
• Member, Victorian Schools Innovation Commission
• Member RMIT University Council
• Member TAFE Board, Victoria
• Member Victoria College Council
• President, Hawthorn Institute of Education Council

Selected Addresses, Media and Publications

International Petroleum and Gas Engineers (Sustainability) Qatar 2005

Harvard Club Lecture 2003 (Melbourne)

MIT, Address to Institute of Martin and Wallenberg Fellows MIT (Sustainability) Boston
2003

Geelong College Graduation 2001

World Bank Conference Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (Sustainability)
Kuala Lumpur 2002

Address at Launch of KeeptheHabitat in Jakarta 2008

Keynote addresses at Universities; eg Harvard, Melbourne, Edith Cowan, RMIT, Deakin, LaTrobe, University of Sydney

Key addresses to Leadership Associations, Policy Institutes and Industry Associations ; eg CEDA, AICD, PRIA, IPAA, WCEI, Minerals Council, Leadership Victoria

Keynote addresses to Corporations, Political Parties, Industry Associations, Unions, NGO’s,   Public Authorities
and International Conferences.

Media appearances across all forms of media, printed and electronic as a trade union leader, then environmentalist, advocate for poverty eradication, aid and development, then an advocate for sustainability and sustainable industry. These include interviews and articles throughout most of my various advocacy related CEO roles. A key piece is Talking Heads with Peter Thompson ABC 2005.

Publications include opinion pieces, book chapters, RMIT Sustainability Stories (co-editor) CSIRO publication 2004. Major article, Sustainability: A vital agenda for 21st century good governance Parts 1 & 2 in Keeping Good Companies, the
journal of Chartered Secretaries Australia 2004.