How CHOICE is run

Sandra is an experienced digital media and internet executive and is the founder and managing director of Product Space. Her love is product management and helping organisations transform or streamline their digital product management practices to improve agility, innovation and customer satisfaction.

Prior to this, Sandra has been general manager for a boutique software company that specialises in IPTV and connected home solutions, general manager product for Australia's first 4G consumer wireless broadband service, managed the multi-million dollar operations of cross-platform digital products for Telstra's sports portfolio, and was an integral team member bringing TiVo in the Australian market.

Sandra plays an active role in the tech/digital media industry. She served as a director and chair of the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association and was one of the co-founders and inaugural directors of the Australian Domain Name Authority (auDA). For her ongoing contributions to the digital media industry, Sandra was inducted into AIMIA's Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sandra joined the Board in 2012, and is Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Business Innovation Committee. She also serves on the Marketing Advisory Committee to the Board of Bush Heritage Australia.

Bill is Managing Director of Australian Hearing, the nation's leading hearing specialist and largest provider of Government-funded hearing services. Previously, Bill has operated at senior management levels in the Managed Services industry, both within the Private and Public sectors. 

He has extensive experience in the delivery of contracted, outsourced services here in Australia, and overseas in the UK and South East Asia. Bill was also the interim CEO of CHOICE in 2008 whilst we sought a new CEO. Bill is passionate about finding ways to provide fair competition and deliver a better deal for the Australian Consumer. 

Bill served on the CHOICE Board from November 2006 until August 2008. Following the appointment of Nick Stace in February 2009, Bill was co-opted onto the Board in November 2009, and then elected to the Board in November 2010. He is Deputy Chair of the CHOICE Board and member of the Finance, Risk & Audit and Business Innovation Committees.

Fiona has over 25 years' experience in consumer advocacy, including a number of years on the executive of the Consumers Federation of Australia. Her main interest has been on advocating for people on low incomes or in vulnerable circumstances to get a fair go, particularly in the financial services marketplace.

For the past seven years, Fiona has been the CEO of Financial Counselling Australia, the peak body for financial counsellors. She has held directorships on Energex Retail Pty Ltd, the Insurance Ombudsman Service and the Financial Ombudsman Service, and was previously chair of ASIC's Consumer Advisory Panel. Fiona is currently a member of the ACCC’s Consumer Consultative Panel, ASIC’s External Advisory Panel, the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and is a director of Financial Literacy Australia. Fiona holds a B.A., LLB and M.B.A.

Fiona joined the Board in November 2015 and is a member of the Campaigns & Advocacy and Finance, Risk & Audit committees.

Alexandra is Principal Solicitor at the Financial Rights Legal Centre, which operates the National Debt Helpline and the Insurance Law Service. She is a member of the Law Council's Australian Consumer Law Committee and is the consumer representative on the Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee. She served on the Board of the Financial Counsellors of NSW from 2009 to 2012.

Alexandra has considerable experience developing consumer rights in the financial services sector through lobbying, working with regulators and government, and raising public awareness of issues in the media and through online financial literacy campaigns. She brings to the CHOICE Board high-level legal expertise, extensive sectoral knowledge, and understanding of social enterprises.

Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) / Bachelor of Psychology and Master of Laws. She was appointed to the Board in 2017.

Ben is Managing Principal of the NSW practice of Maurice Blackburn, a national plaintiff and union law firm, where he specialises in consumer and other class actions.  Ben worked at the Redfern Legal Centre and Legal Aid NSW before joining Maurice Blackburn 16 years ago. He has spent over 30 years in the consumer movement in Australia involved in community education, consultation, media, lobbying and litigation. He has a passion for consumer rights and he recognises the need to adopt a range of strategies to achieve positive outcomes for consumers.

Ben was appointed to the CHOICE Board in November 2013 and is Chair of the Campaigns & Advocacy Committee and a member of the Governance Committee.

Robert is an experienced professional in marketing, digital, analytics and statistics. He has a broad range of experience across the IT, telecommunications, finance and biotechnology industries, having worked for companies including BT Financial Group, ING Direct and Unwired. He has a strong interest in data-driven decision making, and holds qualifications in statistics and operations research. He also holds a Foundations of Directorship qualification from the AICD, gained in 2015. Robert is currently the Managing Director and co-founder of Gondwana Genomics, an Australian biotechnology start-up exporting genetic technology developed in Eucalyptus.

Robert joined the Board in September 2014 and is a member of the Business Innovation, the Finance, Risk & Audit and the Governance committees.

Anita has a strong background in public policy reform, having spent 12 years with the Cancer Council where she led the transformation of its advocacy work. Anita currently runs her own advocacy and campaigning consultancy working with a range of NGOs to bring about social change. Anita has also held senior roles in policy and advocacy at the Community Services Commissions and the Social Issues Committee of the NSW Legislative Council. She has completed the Leadership, Organizing and Action: Leading change program through Harvard University, as well as the Stanford Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders.

Anita has served on the Boards of the Council for Intellectual Disability NSW and the Intellectual Disability Rights Service. She currently serves on the Centre for Australian Progress Board.

She is a long-standing member of CHOICE and while at the Cancer Council led a number of collaborative projects with CHOICE, including campaigns against junk food advertising to children and the regulation and eventual ban of commercial solariums.

Anita joined the Board in March 2017 and is a member of the Campaigns & Advocacy Committee.

Helen is a chartered accountant, businesswoman and former KPMG tax partner with over 28 years business experience across a range of industries including financial services, manufacturing and distribution, energy and natural resources and pharmaceuticals.

She is currently a founding director of Imalia, a for-purpose business she established to empower women financially. Helen sits on a number of boards including Bidcorp (Bidvest Foodservice) where she chairs the Audit Committee, Shine for Kids (Chair), Unit (Audit Committee Chair) and the Advisory Council of the Sydney Women's Fund. Helen is also a professional mentor through The Executive Connection. Helen has a strong interest in seeing women are adequately represented in consumer advocacy.

Helen joined the CHOICE Board in November 2014 and is Chair of the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee.

Jennifer is a senior corporate executive and start-up CEO with a strong entrepreneurial background. Jennifer is the managing partner of Stacked VB, a venture builder company that provides companies with experienced, functional expertise. Her prior roles include CEO and founder of Paloma Mobile, a company that delivered services to new users of smartphones, predominantly in the developing world. Prior to Paloma, Jennifer spent 10 years in the US where she successfully started and funded companies including SeeSaw Networks and Xumii (later acquired by Myriad Group), and was CEO of Wedgetail Communications. She is also experienced in corporate operations, strategy and marketing, having spent eight years as Microsoft's Marketing Director in Australia and Asia Pacific. 

Jennifer is a strong advocate for the start-up community in Australia as a contributor to the knowledge economy and GDP. She is an experienced Board member with over 15 years Board experience in executive and non-executive roles. She also holds several advisory and board roles in Australia and the US including Bullpen Capital, The Australian Venture Capital Committee and Sirca Technology.

Jennifer was appointed to the Board in February 2015 and is Chair of the Business Innovation and a member of the Campaigns & Advocacy Committee.