Leadership

Chair – Mr John Fernon SC

Mr Fernon is a distinguished senior counsel with extensive experience in litigation and alternative dispute resolution. 

Admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1987 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2003, Mr Fernon has built a reputation as a formidable advocate and legal strategist over his decades-long career. His practice encompasses a wide range of matters in Federal and State courts.

Member (ex-officio) – Ms Holly Kramer

Ms Kramer is a Member of IPEA by virtue of the office of President of the Remuneration Tribunal. 

Appointed as the President of the Remuneration Tribunal for 5 years from 1 June 2024, Holly is an experienced Australia and New Zealand Non-Executive Director and Advisor on a range of listed, unlisted and not for profit organisations.  Her listed portfolio currently includes the boards of the ANZ Banking Group (ASX:ANZ), the Woolworths Group (ASX:WOW) and New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra (ASX/NZX:FSF).  Holly also chairs board committees, including People/Remuneration (ANZ, FSF) and Sustainability (WOW).

Holly is the Chair of McKinnon and member of the Bain & Company Advisory Council. With an interest in sustainability, she also sits on the board of agritech start-up Nbryo and is a Senior Advisor at Pollination Group, a climate investment and advisory firm. Her previous governance roles include Pro Chancellor of Western Sydney University and Deputy Chair and Chair, Remuneration Committee of Australia Post.

In her executive career, Holly was CEO of apparel retailer Best & Less (B&L).  Prior to that, she had more than 20 years' experience in general management, sales and marketing at Pacific Brands, Telstra and Ford Motor Company (in both Australia and the US.)  Holly is the recipient of the Sir Charles McGrath Award for a distinguished career in Marketing and has completed a degree in economics and political science at Yale University (Hons) and an MBA at Georgetown University.

Member – the Hon Annabelle Bennett AC SC

The Honourable Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC is a retired Judge of the Federal Court of Australia and was an additional judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT and a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, having previously practised as a Senior Counsel specialising in intellectual property. She is currently an Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport; Member of the Board of Directors of the Garvan Institute; Chair of Gardior Pty Limited (Trustee of the Infrastructure Fund); Member and past President of Chief Executive Women; Chair of the Reef 2050 Advisory Committee; Chair of the International Cricket Council Disputes Committee; Member of the Board of Directors of the Community Migrant Resource Centre; and Member of the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Until early 2024, Dr Bennett was Chancellor of Bond University and Chair of the ANSTO Board. She has also served as a Commissioner with the NSW Law Reform Commission and as a Royal Commissioner into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

Dr Bennett also practises as a Barrister, in an advisory role, and as a mediator and arbitrator. She is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Science and Australian Academy of Law.

Member – The Hon Gary Gray AO

Mr Gray has an extensive public policy and political background. He was National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party from 1993 to 2000. He served as a Federal parliamentarian from 2007 to 2016 and as Special Minister of State and Minister for the Public Service and Integrity, and as Minister for Resources and Energy until 2013. Mr Gray was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003.

Mr Gray was Ambassador to Ireland from 2020 to 2024. Mr Gray’s business background spans two decades, beginning as Executive Director at the WA Institute of Medical Research, then as Director of Corporate Affairs at Woodside Energy until 2007. Between 2016 and 2020, Mr Gray was a Senior Executive at Mineral Resources Ltd in Perth; a board member of the Australian Submarine Corporation; a management committee member at the Perth Astronomical Observatory; and a trustee of the largest charity in Australia, Telethon Trust. He is currently a member of Civmec and Amplitude Energy Boards of Directors.

Member – Dr Julianne Jaques KC

Dr Julianne Jaques KC is a highly respected barrister and King's Counsel specialising in taxation law. She holds a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Melbourne and is also a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in administration, governance and audit matters.  With over two decades of experience at the Victorian Bar, she has established herself as a leading expert in complex tax matters, including income tax, international tax, and GST. Dr Jaques has appeared in numerous high-profile cases before various courts and tribunals, including the High Court of Australia.

Beyond her courtroom work, Dr Jaques has made significant contributions to the legal profession and tax policy development. She is a former member of the Tax Practitioners Board (2016 to 2022) and of the Board of Taxation (2017 to 2025 including two six-month terms as acting Chair). She also served as senior taxation adviser to the Assistant Treasurer from 1999 to 2001. Dr Jaques sat on the IPEA Audit and Risk Committee from 2017 to 2019.

Ms Christina Grant commenced as IPEA’s Chief Executive Officer on 10 February 2025. She brings a wealth of experience to IPEA from both state and federal public service roles. As the accountable authority under the Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and Agency Head under the Public Service Act 1999, Christina steers IPEA's daily operations, balancing service excellence, resource management, and legislative compliance.

With experience spanning Social Services, Attorney-General's, Finance, Health, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and parliamentary services, Christina brings a comprehensive understanding of the public sector to her leadership role. Her unique perspective is further enhanced by her earlier career in banking and retail, allowing her to approach challenges with both public and private sector insights. In 2024, Christina led the independent Review of Resourcing in Parliamentarian Offices.

Christina holds a Master of Business from the University of NSW, a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy and Finance from the University of Canberra, and a Bachelor of Arts from Curtin University. She has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.