Transparent and Independent
CHOICE is run by its members, for its members. A commitment to transparency and independence is enshrined in CHOICE’s governance structure.
- Overseen by an independent council
- Elected members must be free from conflicts of interest
- Annual vote for positions
- Any member may nominate for council
- Clear lines of responsibility
CHOICE is overseen by an independent council, elected by members annually. The council and the CHOICE CEO are charged with maintaining the independence and high standards CHOICE is renowned for. Download the ACA Constitution.
Learn more about how the Council operates
.
Key Figures
Council members are elected to three year terms with one third of the seats open for contest each year. Council members have specific restrictions placed on them to ensure the organisation’s continued independence from all government, business and professional interests; sectional groups and other vested interests. Read more about council membership restrictions.
CEO
Nick Stace
Nick Stace has lead CHOICE, Australia’s largest independent consumer group and social enterprise since February 2009. Nick has taken the organisation through significant change including a multi-million dollar building renovation and IT transformation; the launching and improvement of new and established products and services; and set CHOICE on the road to transforming consumer’s lives through campaigns that change consumer and corporate behaviour. Under Nick's stewardship membership and supporter numbers continue to grow and CHOICE has strengthened its reputation as the People’s Watchdog.
Before joining CHOICE, Nick worked as the British Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on strategic communications. This involved representing the PM in high level discussions; influencing Ministerial departments; developing policy and leading the timing/positioning of all Government announcements.
Prior to his role at No.10 Downing Street, Nick was Deputy CEO at Which?, the largest independent consumer group in Europe. He was also on the board of Which?, BEUC (representing Europe’s consumers) and Consumers International (representing the world’s consumer movement). At Which? Nick also led high profile campaigns under the banner ‘Rip off Britain’ as well as in healthcare and legal services.
Nick has been a director of a PR consultancy, and founded and chaired two charities: the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, which encourages campaigning in Britain and beyond; and The Squad, a charity for children with learning disabilities.
Read Nick Stace's Ruby Hutchison memorial speech(PDF) from the 2009 National Consumer Congress.
Read Nick Stace's speech to the National Farmers’ Federation National Congress (PGF) 2010.
Council Members at November 2011
Jenni Mack (Chair)
Jenni Mack is an experienced Director and a long serving consumer advocate. She is a director of the Financial Ombudsman Service and Food Standards Australia New Zealand and a trustee of the Travel Compensation Fund. She sits on the Advisory Boards of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Jenni chairs the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) Consumer Advisory Panel. Jenni is a former member of the NSW Judicial Commission and was the Deputy Legal Services Commissioner in NSW in the mid-90s. She was the executive director of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia in the early 90s and has worked as a political staffer and journalist. Jenni has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Administrative Law and Policy. Jenni has served on Council from 2003. She is the chair of the Governance Committee and is a member of the Policy Advisory Committee.
Rachel Dixon (Deputy Chair)
RachelDixon is Head of Enterprise and Client Services at Viocorp, a provider of enterprise online and mobile video software, and principal of Handshake Media, a new media consulting and film production Company, as well as director and co-owner of several privately-held software companies. Rachel is also a board member of the Australian Centre for Advanced Computing and Communications (ac3).
She is a past director and chair of several other media, software and telecommunications companies, and a former senior executive with Film Australia and Film Victoria. Rachel joined Council in November 2006, and is a member of the Governance Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.
Sandra Milligan
Sandra Milligan is managing director of an educational publishing business. She was co-founder of The Good Universities Guides range of electronic and print publications, which provide independent, evaluative information and advice to consumers. Sandra has been a teacher, researcher, senior officer in the state education system, a consultant to government and an entrepreneur. Over the last 20 years, she’s served on a range of public committees in the areas of education, consumer interests, women’s interests and research. She has bachelor degrees in science and education and a master’s degree in education, and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Sandra joined council in November 2006 and is a member of the Finance & Audit Committee.
Ian Spight
Ian Spight was Managing Director of Thomas Cook’s Australasian businesses and previously a Corporate Finance Director of Midland Bank (now HSBC). In his corporate career with Thomas Cook and Midland Bank, Ian held posts in London, Paris, San Francisco, New York and Sydney. Ian is now the Managing Director of a family company which operates travel agency and currency exchange services in NSW. He is a former Trustee of the Travel Compensation Fund, former Director of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents and former non-Executive Director of Travelex Australia Pty Limited. Ian joined Council in November 2006 and is Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.
David Marcus
David Marcus has been involved in consumer policy and advocacy since 1979 when he worked for the then-Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs as advisor on national consumer policy. After a period as a public servant, he joined CHOICE as deputy manager of the policy and advocacy department from 1987-89, leading campaigns in areas such as telecommunications, food safety and aged care. Subsequently, David worked as an evaluation, audit and policy consultant, particularly in the field of health financing, consumer access to health services and Indigenous health issues such as petrol sniffing and drug and alcohol services. He recently worked for UNICEF HQ in New York for three years reviewing its operations in a number of areas. David is also a member of the ACT Pedal Power Advocacy Team. David was elected to Council in November 2010 and is a member of the Governance Committee and the Policy Advisory Committee.
Frank Muller
Frank Muller is a professorial visiting fellow at UNSW's Institute of Environmental Studies and also a Commissioner of the National Transport Commission. He has a distinguished 36-year career in environmental, energy and land use policy in Australia and the US, working in government, universities, private consulting and the community sector. He currently lectures, writes and advises governments, business and community groups on climate change and sustainable development policy. Frank holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, a science degree from ANU and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Frank joined Council in November 2007 and chairs the Policy Advisory Committee.
Nicole Rich
Nicole Rich is Director - Research and Communications at Victoria Legal Aid. She was the Director - Policy & Campaigns at the Consumer Action Law Centre from January 2007 to May 2011, and prior to that role has worked as the senior ministerial adviser to the Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs, the Supervising Solicitor at the Consumer Law Centre Victoria and a lawyer at one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms. Nicole is committed to ensuring that the consumer interest is represented in policy debates and that consumers, particularly disadvantaged or vulnerable consumers, are given a voice on issues that affect them. She has produced significant research reports on bank penalty fees, access to energy and water, the cost of telecommunications services for low-income households and Australian and international consumer protection regulation. Nicole joined Council in November 2008 and is a member of the Policy Advisory Committee and the OH&S Committee.
Bill Davidson
Bill Davidson is CEO of Job Futures, a leading social enterprise committed to finding jobs for the more disadvantaged members of our community. Previously, Bill has operated at senior management levels in the Managed Services industry, both within the Private and Public sectors. He has extensive experience of the delivery of contracted, outsourced services both here in Australia, and also overseas in the UK, and South East Asia. Bill was also the Interim CEO of CHOICE whilst we were in the process of seeking and appointing our current CEO, Nick Stace. He is passionate about finding ways to provide fair competition and deliver a better deal for the Australian Consumer. Bill served on Council from November 2006 until August 2008. Following the appointment of Nick Stace in February 2009, Bill was co-opted onto the Board again in November 2009. Bill chairs the OH&S Sub-committee and is a member of the Staff Rewards Committee.
Peter Bray
Peter Bray is acknowledged as a thought leader in the marketing space, particularly in the not for profit sector. He has advised many of Australia's most recognisable not-for-profits, including Mission Australia, The Fred Hollows Foundation and The Make a Wish Foundation. He founded one of Australia's most awarded digital agencies, Clear Blue Day, where he worked with both NFP and commercial clients. A passionate consumer advocate, Peter has always emphasised the need for truth in advertising, and only worked with clients that support this philosophy. He has led a variety of marketing agencies in Australia and overseas. Peter is also the National Vice President of the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, and is one of only three Australian members to be invited to be an Executive Academy Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Peter joined council in November 2007.
Rob Antulov
Rob has experience in traditional media, new media, technology and FMCG sectors, as an executive, entrepreneur, consultant and corporate advisor and is passionate about growing businesses. Currently, Rob provides strategic advisory services in media and technology with Medianext, and capital strategy and corporate advisory services as a Partner at Hall Capital, a boutique corporate advisory firm. He is co-founder of 3eep Ventures Pty Ltd, a social and digital media incubation business, and is also an advisor to, and shareholder in, a number of early stage media and technology businesses. He is on the Advisory Board for Araya Pictures, a filmed entertainment production company, and for Nearmap (Ipernica Ltd), an innovative mapping technology business. Rob is a Director of the Sydney Film Festival, and of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Rob has an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney and a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (1st Class Honours, Elect) from the University of Western Australia.
Download the Governance process for ensuring appropriate skill sets on CHOICE Council (PDF)
Download the Council Charter and Guidelines (PDF)
Download the full Councillor register of interests (PDF)
Voting membership application form (PDF) Want to know more?
Have Your Say
Each year all financial members
of the Australian Consumers’ Association are invited to nominate for council membership. With endorsement from two other voting members of the association, a completed questionnaire on their qualifications and affiliations along with a 200 word biography; a member can petition for a seat on the council. All voting members receive copies of these documents along with their voting ballots and the results are declared at the AGM in November of each year.
The continued involvement of members is key to all aspects of CHOICE.
Learn more about becoming a member.