Board Member Biographies
The Board brings relevant experience and skills to QR National including transportation, mining, legal, regional, capital and financial management, listed company experience and corporate governance. All Directors are Non Executive Directors, except for the Managing Director.
John B Prescott AC - Chairman
BCom (Indus Rel), Hon.DSc, Hon.LLD, FAICD, FAIM, FTSE
Independent non-executive chairman of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive chairman of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since July 2006.
Member of the Governance and Nomination Committee, the Remuneration and Succession Committee and the Safety and Environment Committee.
John has substantial experience in the mining, manufacturing, transport and government sectors. He was a long-term executive of The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (now BHP Billiton Limited), including 10 years as an executive director and seven years as managing director and chief executive officer (1991–1998). He was also chairman of ASC (formerly Australian Submarine Corporation Pty Ltd) from 2000–2009.
John has been a director of Newmont Mining Corporation since 2002, a global counsellor of The Conference Board since 2001 and was appointed a member of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal in 2010.
Other directorships and consulting/advisory positions have included Conference Board USA, World Economic Forum, Booz Allen and Hamilton, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, Proudfoot Consulting and the Asia Pacific Advisory Committee of New York Stock Exchange.
Lance Hockridge
FCILT, FAIM, MAICD
Executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Director of QR Network and member of the Safety and Environment Committee and the Governance and Nomination Committee.
Lance joined QR Limited as Chief Executive Officer in 2007, with extensive experience in transportation and heavy industrial sectors in Australia and the United States.
During a 30-year career with The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (now BHP Billiton Limited), and BlueScope Steel, he was a member of the leadership team that led BlueScope Steel’s successful demerger from BHP and the creation of a new publicly listed company.
In 2005, Lance was appointed president of BlueScope Steel’s North American operations where he led a major turnaround in safety, production and financial performance. Other roles at BHP included human resources and industrial relations, general manager of BHP Transport, head of the Long Products Business and president of Industrial Markets.
John Atkin
BA (Hons), LLB (Hons)
Independent non-executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Director of QR Network and Chairman of the Governance and Nomination Committee.
John is chief executive officer of The Trust Company Limited and a director of The Australian Outward Bound Foundation.
John has over 20 years experience in the management of professional service firms, and extensive experience in strategy development and execution. Prior to his current executive appointment in January 2009, John was the managing partner of Blake Dawson, where he led a successful transformation of the firm. Previously he had been a senior partner at Mallesons Stephen Jaques where he specialised in mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets.
Russell Caplan
LLB, FAICD
Independent non-executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and the Governance and Nomination Committee.
Russell has extensive international experience in the oil and gas industry. In a 42 year career with Shell he held senior roles in the upstream and downstream operations and corporate functions in Australia and overseas. From 1997 to 2006, Russell had senior international postings in the UK, Europe and the USA. From 2006 to July 2010, he was chairman of the Shell Group of Companies in Australia.
He is chairman of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust, a non-executive director of Orica Limited and a member of the Board of the Global Foundation.
Russell is a former non-executive director of Woodside Petroleum Limited and of the Australian Science Media Centre.
Graeme John AO
FCILT, MAICD
Independent non-executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Chairman of the Safety and Environment Committee and member of the Remuneration and Succession Committee.
Graeme has 30 years of management experience in the transport operations sector including 16 years as managing director of Australia Post. He was also a senior executive of TNT Australia Ltd.
He is a director of Seven West Media Limited, Racing Victoria and a commissioner of the Australian Football League. Graeme’s previous roles include chairman of Australian Air Express, chairman of Star Track Express, chairman of Kahala Posts Group, director of the International Post Corporation (Netherlands), vice chairman of Sai-Cheng Logistics International (China), and a trustee of the Committee for Melbourne and the MCG. He has received the Australian Sports Medal and Centenary Medal.
Andrea Staines
BEcon, MBA, FAICD
Independent non-executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Chairman of QR Network and member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Andrea has extensive corporate, financial and commercial experience and advisory experience in governance, strategy and risk management. She is a Director of Goodstart Childcare Ltd, North Queensland Airports Pty Ltd, Allconnex Water and Brisbane Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Former directorships include Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited, Gladstone Ports Corporation and Early Learning Services (now G8).
Andrea is a former chief executive officer of Australian Airlines, a Qantas subsidiary she co-launched in 2002 as a member of the carrier’s 12 person senior team. She previously held various financial, strategy and economic roles at Qantas. Prior to that, she held various financial roles at American Airlines’ headquarters in Dallas.
Gene Tilbrook
BSc, MBA
Independent non-executive director of QR National Limited since September 2010 and independent non-executive director of QR Limited (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of QR National) since April 2010.
Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and member of the Governance and Nomination Committee.
Gene has broad experience in corporate strategy, investment and finance. He joined Wesfarmers in 1985 and was an executive director from 2002 to 2009. Between 2000 and 2006, when Wesfarmers was a joint owner of Australian Railroad Group (ARG), he was a director of ARG and chairman of WestNet Rail.
Gene is chairman of Transpacific Industries and a director of Fletcher Building, GPT Group, the Australian Government-owned broadband group NBN Co, the Perth International Arts Festival, the Bell Shakespeare Company and the Committee for Perth. He is also a councillor of Curtin University and the Australian Institute of Company Directors WA.