Panel Chair
Mr Mike Callaghan AM PSM
Mr Mike Callaghan AM PSM is an economic consultant, chair of the Aged Care Financing Authority, on the Board of the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation, Chair of the replenishment of the Asian Development Bank’ s Asian Development Fund, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute.
In 2017 he chaired the Government’s review of the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax and the review of the Economic Impact of the Government’s Regulation Agenda. He also chaired the Northern Australia Insurance Premiums Taskforce. From 2013 to 2014 he was Director of the G20 Studies Centre at the Lowy Institute.
Mike spent 38 years in the Australian Treasury. From 2008 to 2012 he was Deputy Secretary, Macroeconomic Group, Australia’s G20 Finance Deputy, and the Prime Ministers Special Envoy, International Economy. From 2005-2007 he was Deputy Secretary, Revenue Group.
He spent four years on the IMF Executive Board in Washington DC and has served as Chief of Staff to the Australian Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello.
Panel Members
Ms Carolyn Kay
Ms Carolyn Kay has had more than 30 years’ experience in the finance sector as an executive and non-executive director. In addition, she has been and remains a non-executive director of enterprises across a broad range of sectors.
She is currently a member of The Future Fund Board of Guardians and a non-executive director of the Australia-China Council Scentre Group and Myer Family Investments. In the not for profit sector she is also a non-executive director of The General Sir John Monash Foundation and a member of the 30% Club Steering Committee.
As an executive Ms Kay worked as a banker and lawyer at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Linklaters & Paines in London, New York and Australia.
She holds Bachelor Degrees in Law and Arts (University of Melbourne), a Graduate Diploma in Management (AGSM) and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to Australian society in business leadership. She is married with three children.
Dr Deborah Ralston
Dr Deborah Ralston is a Professorial Fellow, with over 25 years of board level experience across commercial and public sectors with particular experience in the banking, superannuation, and education industries.
She is currently a Reserve Bank of Australia Payments System Board Member, and was recently Chair of the SMSF Association.
In 2018 she was appointed to the Comprehensive Income Products for Retirement (CIPRs) Framework Advisory Committee. She was also the inaugural chair of ASIC’s Digital Finance Advisory Committee and is a member of the YBF Fintech Hub Advisory Board. From 2004 to 2018 she was a non-executive Director of ASX-listed company, Mortgage Choice.
From 2009 to 2015 she was the Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Financial Studies, in her role as a Professor of Finance with the Monash University Business School. She was the Principal Investigator of the CSIRO-Monash Superannuation Research Cluster. Prior to her engagement at Monash University, she was Pro Vice-Chancellor of Business, Law and Information Sciences at the University of Canberra, and prior to that Dean of Business at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in financial regulation, and a Master of Economics in small business finance. She is also a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).