Board, governance, policies & procurement

Chair

Rebecca McKenzie

Rebecca McKenzie is an accomplished public sector leader with a successful career at executive level in Australia, UK and the Republic of Ireland. Rebecca joined the Zoos Victoria Board in July 2018. CEO at City of Glen Eira since February 2016, Rebecca has held CEO and executive roles across local and state government, and in the higher education sector. Rebecca is passionate about creating resilient communities with a sense of pride of place. A values-based leader who invests in her people, Rebecca builds strong relationships at all levels, and acts as a mentor and coach for emerging leaders. Rebecca also sits on the South East Water Customer and Community Advisory Council and Advisory Council and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Gender Equality. Rebecca’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts, Masters of Science and she is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Deputy Chair

Tony Hallam

Tony Hallam is a Chartered Accountant, whose career has included management and leadership positions over 20 years at PwC, including nine years as a Partner. He moved into the sports and major event industry in 2005 and has held senior executive positions within golf, football (FFA), and cricket, as well as his Chair and Board positions with Melbourne Stadiums Limited (Etihad now Marvel Stadium), Melbourne Boomers WNBL Club, and Yarra Bend Golf group of companies. He was one of the Founding Shareholders and Executive Chairman of Confirmations Asia Pacific that represented Confirmation.com (2013-2019) with offices in Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.  He has also been a Board Director at the Brotherhood of St Laurence since October 2018 and is the Chair of its Financial and Investment Committee.

Members

Dr Jennifer Beer 

Jennifer is a proud Indigenous woman from Western Australia who started her career as a veterinary surgeon and national representative for Volleyball, and has since held executive roles across multiple sectors including strategy, digital and agile transformation, and customer experience. Jennifer has a passion for working with communities to design and enable improved access to services through technology. Most recently, Jennifer leads the 1800RESPECT national telephone and online counselling service on behalf of the Commonwealth. Jennifer’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Masters of Business Administration, and she is a certified Health Informatician (CHIA) and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Jennifer is a member of the Indigenous Advisory Group for the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, and enjoys volunteering her time as a surf lifesaver.

Dr Teresa De Fazio OAM

Dr Teresa De Fazio has extensive experience in inclusion and diversity, and a strong background as an academic in the field of Education. She is the Director of Intersect Global Partners working with government, industry and community to lead and support a range of inclusive and equity practices. She served two terms as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. She continues to be an Adjunct Fellow of the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University where she worked for over 22 years, and continues to supervise research students and undertake research. In the Australia Day Honours 2021, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to tertiary education. Among other roles, she is a Board member of Multicultural Arts, Victoria, works as Editor-in-Chief for Segmento Magazine, Regional Advisory Committee Member for the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Member of the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies Consortia, Melbourne Victory Football Club Ambassador, Asian Football Cup Ambassador and Love of Languages Ambassador. She is an advisor to the Society for South Sudanese Professionals Association and a past Board Member of the Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services. She continues to work closely with community and refugee organisation and she is passionate about the protection of wildlife and contributing to a just, healthy world.

The Hon Marsha Thomson

The Hon Marsha Thomson is a former Member for the Victorian Parliament. She worked as a Research Officer, Electorate Officer, Manager and Ministerial Advisor. She was elected to the Legislative Council for Melbourne North Province in September 1999; and elected to the Legislative Assembly for Footscray in November 2006, November 2010 and November 2014. In her inaugural speech to Parliament, she said: “Government is responsible for providing social cohesion where everyone feels they have a place within”. She served as a Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs and was the first woman in Australia to hold the portfolio of Minister for Information, Communications and Technology; she was the first female Jewish minister in Australia and was Special Advisor to the Premier Daniel Andrews in the areas of trade and innovation. Since retiring from parliament in 2018, she has become a strategic consultant. She has been a Board Member of the National Ageing Research Institute since September 2019. 

Prof Brendan Wintle

Brendan Wintle is Professor of Conservation Ecology at the University of Melbourne and the Director of Australia’s National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) Threatened Species Recovery Research Hub. He develops quantitative methods to support conservation decision-making and policy. He teaches Applied Ecology and Environmental Risk Assessment, publishes on monitoring design, cost-efficient conservation spending, actions for preventing extinction, and species distributions under environmental change. He has held numerous Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellowships and large grants, including as theme leader of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions.

Marg Allan PSM

Marg Allan has public sector experience, having worked at executive levels in state and local government, largely in central Victoria. Her background includes specialist knowledge of governance, strategy, people leadership and stakeholder relationships. She is passionate about seeing communities thrive and supporting natural healthy environments.

Marg has extensive Board experience including on the Dhelkunya Dja Land Management Board, and former Chair of the Kyabram Fauna Park Committee of Management. She is currently a member of the Victorian Local Government Grants Commission. She joined the Zoos Victoria Board in 2023.

Marg’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Business, Graduate Diploma of Public Policy, Master of Public Policy and Governance and she is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Chloe Buiting

Dr Chloe Buiting is a veterinarian and wildlife conservationist, as well as the Director of Outreach at Loop Abroad, a veterinary conservation-based study abroad organisation, facilitating educational programs for students. She is also a conservation consultant for Fauna and Flora International, an international conservation organisation working to protect threatened species and habitats. She is presently a member of the Board’s Science Advisory Committee. She has completed a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, both at the University of Melbourne, followed by additional training in large animals in Africa, as well as the Foundations of Directorship course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Erin Lightfoot

Erin Lightfoot is an experienced chief executive officer and board director, with a long standing and varied career across the private and public sectors of tourism, events, marketing, and advertising. Ms Lightfoot is the Chief Executive Officer of Grande Experiences and formerly held the positions of Executive Advisor at HERO Agency, and Chief Executive Officer of Magnum Opus Partners, and the Victorian Tourism and Events Industry Council. She is presently the Vice-Chair and Treasurer of Cultural Attractions of Australia; an organisation showcasing premium experiences across Australia’s iconic and distinctive cultural attractions and experiences. Ms Lightfoot holds a Bachelor of Business, Tourism and Information Systems and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Zoos Victoria's Patron 

Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria