Governance

Craig Chapman is Chair of the American Australian Association. He has been a member of the Association since 1984, on the Association’s Board of Directors since 2002 and on the Board’s Executive Committee since 2003. Born and raised in Connecticut, Craig’s first association with Australia was living with an Australian family in the Sydney suburb of Castle Cove and attending North Sydney Boys High School as an American Field Service exchange student in 1971. After completing law school at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1980, Craig started his career as a lawyer with Dawson Waldron, then one of Sydney, Australia’s top four law firms, where he worked for three years on a variety of corporate matters and met his wife, Susan Manton. Susan was born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield. Craig’s 39-year marriage to Susan constitutes his longest lasting and personally most rewarding “American Australian Association”. They have two daughters, Jane and Louise, both of whom are dual citizens, and three grandchildren. Craig is also a partner in the New York office of Sidley Austin LLP. Sidley is a global law firm with more than 2,000 lawyers in 21 offices around the world, including an office in Sydney, Australia. Craig has worked at Sidley (starting at the predecessor firm Brown & Wood) since returning to the United States from Australia in 1983. Craig was head of Sidley’s Tokyo office from 1992 to 1995 and head of the Capital Markets practice in Sidley’s London office from 2006 to 2009. At Sidley, among other things, Craig is a leader of its Capital Markets practice. One of Craig’s primary areas of focus at Sidley is representing Australian issuers and underwriters of Australian issuers (including Australia’s major banking and other financial institutions and their New Zealand subsidiaries) on U.S. securities offerings and other transactions. He has worked closely with Sidley’s Sydney office since its opening in 2007.

Leila Smith is a Wiradjuri woman with over 18 years’ experience in supporting organizational change and policy reform in the not-for-profit sector, professional services, research, and academia. As a highly effective people-leader she has both roll-up-your-sleeves and strategic expertise across education, health, social services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. She is the CEO of the Aurora Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports Indigenous students to realize their full education and employment potential. Prior to Aurora, Leila led the Knowledge Translation team at Australia’s national Indigenous health research organization, the Lowitja Institute. She was also one of the first Indigenous Australians to join a major management consulting firm, Nous Group where she specialized in federal government strategy and change projects for three years. Prior to working in the private sector, Leila completed a Masters of Public Policy at Cambridge University, after leading the Policy and Programs team at the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and working in data analysis and research roles at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. She also led the establishment of the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive and co-authored books and publications at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Jacqui Spence is Chairman of GL Chongqing Pty Ltd's private investment venture, working with company owners to grow their businesses and maximize shareholder value. Previously, Jacqui worked as a Global Coordinating Partner for EY, leading global initiatives with some of the world's largest brands. Jacqui was partner and principal with EY in three regions, including New York office for 11 years, Stockholm and Melbourne. She began her career in management, marketing and research roles with the Australian affiliate of Stern Stewart & Co., Cambridge University and the University of Melbourne. Awarded Melbourne Business School's prize for Strategic Marketing in 2000, Jacqui holds an MBA, a Master of Arts (Honors) and a Bachelor of Education. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Specialist Expert Member of the Institute of Risk Management. Currently, she serves as director on the boards of three growth companies in the media, technology, and retail sectors.

      Craig Chapman serves as Chairman of the American Australian Association, Inc. He has been a member of the Association since 1984, on the Association’s Board of Directors since 2002 and on the Board’s Executive Committee since 2003. Born and raised in Connecticut, Craig’s first association with Australia was living with an Australian family in the Sydney suburb of Castle Cove and attending North Sydney Boys High School as an American Field Service exchange student in 1971. After completing law school at Case Western Reserve University in 1980, Craig started his career as a lawyer with Dawson Waldron, then one of Sydney, Australia’s top four law firms, where he worked for three years on a variety of corporate, M&A and other transactional matters and met his wife, Susan Manton. Susan was born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield. Craig’s 40-year marriage to Susan constitutes his longest lasting and personally most rewarding “American Australian Association”. They have two daughters, Jane and Louise, both of whom are dual citizens, and three granddaughters, Sophie, Georgina and Beatrice. On December 31, 2022, Craig retired as a partner in the New York office of Sidley Austin LLP. Sidley is a global law firm with more than 2,000 lawyers in 21 offices around the world, including an office in Sydney, Australia. Craig joined Sidley (starting at the predecessor firm Brown & Wood) upon returning to the United States from Australia in 1983. Craig opened and served as head of Sidley’s Tokyo office from 1992 to 1995 and served as head of the Capital Markets practice in Sidley’s London office from 2006 to 2009. At Sidley, among other things, Craig served as co-chair of its Global Capital Markets practice and co-chair of its Opinion Committee. One of Craig’s primary areas of focus at Sidley was representing Australian issuers and underwriters of Australian issuers (including Australia’s major banking and other financial institutions) on U.S. securities offerings and other transactions.

Sarah Beshar is a senior executive, legal counsel and corporate advisor. In 2017, Ms Beshar was appointed a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Invesco Ltd, a global asset manager with over US$1.5 Trillion assets under management across multiple asset classes in 150 countries. Currently, she serves as Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and is on the Audit and Compensation Committees. In 2015, Ms. Beshar completed a thirty year career as a partner and member of management at Davis Polk & Wardwell, a global legal and professional services firm. Ms. Beshar was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Western Australia. She received an Honors BCL Degree from Magdalen College at Oxford University as the inaugural Sir Robert Menzies Scholar. She earned a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Jurisprudence, both with First Class Distinction from the University of Western Australia. Ms. Beshar has served as a Trustee of both the University of Western Australia in America and Magdalen College, Oxford University in America. She is a member of the Corporate Board of the Lincoln Center and Board of Trustees of Episcopal Charities, as well as a Conservation Fellow at the Whitney Museum. Ms. Beshar is a Director of the USAsia Center in Perth and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Australian Association. Ms. Beshar lives in New York.

      Founder and principal attorney, Zjantelle Cammisa Markel, arrived to the United States in 2000 from her hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, with the intention of a brief visit. Two decades, a husband, four children and a giant bernedoodle later, New York has become her home, and enabling other people’s American aspirations to happen isn’t just her work, but her passion. Zjantelle’s career spans Sydney, London, Rome and New York. This international experience gives her a unique understanding of European, Australian and American culture, laws and business practices. Her Australian background and specialization in processing E-3 visas make Zjantelle particularly popular with Australian clientele. Several well-established Australian media and news organizations including the Australian Financial Review, have quoted Zjantelle and sought her opinions related to U.S. immigration law during times of uncertainty and international crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic. Zjantelle has been honored by her professional peers and colleagues as a “Super Lawyer” (top 5% in her field of law) for the New York Metro area every year since 2013 and has been recognized in Super Lawyers magazine and in the New York Times Magazine (March in each of those years) as one of the top female lawyers in New York City.

    Damian Eales is an experienced executive who has worked across retail, financial services and media industries in a broad array of roles. Most notably having acted in a CMO capacity for one of Australia's leading retailers, one of Australia's leading banks, and Australia's leading media organization. Having served as Chief Operating Officer of News Corp Australia's publishing division, and Global Head of Transformation for the News Corp group of companies, Damian now leads Move Inc, a subsidiary of News Corporation.  

      John Estes joined Sullivan & Cromwell in New York in 1995 and became a partner of the Firm in 2002. Mr. Estes focuses his practice on leveraged finance transactions and cross-border financing. Mr. Estes has particular expertise in debt and equity capital markets transactions (SEC-registered and Rule 144A), acquisition finance, both for private equity and strategic, leveraged financings, secured and unsecured credit agreements, including revolvers, ABL and bridges, and high yield financings. His capital markets experience includes a variety of structured debt instruments, hybrid capital, convertibles and preferred stock, initial public offerings, secondary offerings and government privatizations. He has represented issuer and borrower clients in a variety of industries, including mining and oil & gas, telecommunications, financial institutions and industrial, as well as a number of underwriter and lender clients. Mr. Estes also has experience in private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and natural resourcebased project finance. Mr. Estes was resident in the Firm’s Melbourne, Australia office for more than 10 years and was the managing partner of the Firm’s Australian practice from 2005 to 2010. He returned to New York in 2010, and is co-head of the Firm’s Credit and Leveraged Finance practice.

Ash Howell is a dynamic aviation executive with over 17 years of leadership experience at Qantas Airways, Australia's flagship carrier. As Executive Vice President for the Americas, Ash spearheads Qantas' commercial strategy and growth initiatives across the United States, Canada, and South America, positioning him as a key figure in US-Australian business relations. In his current role, Ash holds full revenue accountability for the region while managing critical relationships with government bodies, regulatory authorities, and industry partners. He directs the strategic Qantas-American Airlines Joint Business Partnership and plays an instrumental leadership role in Project Sunrise, one of the airline's most transformative global initiatives. Ash’s career reflects a consistent track record of leadership in complex, high-stakes environments. Prior to his current role, he served as Head of Global Sales and Customer at Qantas Freight where he led a global team across Australasia, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, managing $1.5 billion in annual revenue. His career at Qantas also includes senior leadership positions in indirect sales, people and culture, business transformation, and corporate and government sales. Ash brings broad experience in governance and strategic oversight through his participation in senior leadership councils and transformational initiatives at Qantas. He has been actively involved in diversity and inclusion programs and is committed to fostering sustainable business practices. With a deep understanding of international markets and a passion for strengthening bilateral relations, Ash is well-positioned to contribute to the strategic direction and mission of organizations that promote cross-border collaboration. Ash holds a Bachelor of Business in Management and Marketing and has completed advanced leadership programs with GE and Qantas. Based in Los Angeles with his wife and two children, he maintains active interests in golf, international travel, snow skiing, and squash.

Claire Johnston was appointed Chief Executive Officer US in November 2022, her latest role in a 26+-year history with the global real estate and investment management company. Claire oversees all aspects of the Americas business and is a member of the Global Leadership Team.

In addition to serving as CEO in the US, Claire will continue in her prior role as Managing Director of Google Development Ventures (GDV) until a successor is named. GDV is a 15-year, US $15bn (AUD $20bn) joint venture between Lendlease and Google for the master planning, entitlement and development of Google's Bay Area landholdings in San Jose, Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California. Lendlease estimates it will develop up to 15 million square feet of residential, retail, hospitality and associated community uses within these four new neighborhoods.

Prior to her work with GDV, Claire served as Managing Director of Lendlease Communities, an exclusive partnership with the Department of Defense through which Lendlease delivers design, construction, financing, environmental and asset management services for military housing and lodging, with a national portfolio comprising over 40,000 residential units and more than 12,000 hotel rooms. Claire also held the position of Executive Project Director of Island Palm Communities in Oahu, Hawaii, the largest residential privatization project ever awarded by the Department of Defense. Prior to this, she served as Executive Project Director for Lendlease's Docklands Melbourne Australia, a US $6bn (AUD $9.4bn) partnership with the City of Melbourne and the State Government of Victoria, where she oversaw the master plan development and delivery of commercial, residential and mixed-use assets for the urban renewal project.

Throughout her career at Lendlease, Claire has been a champion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, serving as Executive Sponsor of the LGBTQ+ employee resource group, now known as Pride Americas. As CEO, she also leads Lendlease’s DE&I Advisory Council.

Claire was recently named to GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum’s annual Women of Influence list and was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of its Most Influential Women. She received a Bachelor of Commerce, Labor and Industrial Relations, from the University of Western Sydney and a Masters in Business (Property) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Melbourne).

Shannon Marshall is a distinguished financial services executive with over 15 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. As an Executive Director and Senior Client Advisor at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Shannon is recognized for her exceptional performance and expertise in wealth management, consistently ranking among the top performers nationwide. Specializing in multi-generational wealth planning and family office structuring, Shannon adeptly navigates the complex emotional dynamics of wealth transfer through a behavioral finance lens. Her approach is deeply personal, cultivating enduring relationships with clients and their families to define goals and create tailored strategies that preserve, manage, and grow their assets for generations. Shannon's ability to harness the full spectrum of J.P. Morgan Chase's resources – spanning investing, lending, estate planning, and banking – ensures comprehensive solutions that align with clients' values and aspirations. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Shannon excelled as a Private Wealth Advisor at Bernstein Global Wealth Management, where she refined her expertise in strategic planning, asset allocation, and investment strategies. Her earlier career in the international wine industry, marked by extensive travel and diverse experiences, provided her with a global perspective and a sophisticated understanding of cross-cultural relationship building. Originally from a remote farming community in Western Australia, Shannon holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University, complemented by additional studies at Edith Cowan. She is actively involved in nonprofit initiatives focused on education, veterans, expatriates, and environmental sustainability. Residing in New York City with her husband and son, Shannon enjoys travel, culinary and wine experiences, music and the arts, and outdoor exploration.

Michael Silverton is Group Head of Macquarie Capital, a position he has held since 2019. Michael leads a global team who provide advisory, capital markets, investing, development and equities capabilities to clients, with a focus on infrastructure and real assets; technology, software and services; and resources, energy and materials. Since joining Macquarie Group in 1997, Michael has built and led businesses across the globe, with roles in Sydney, London and Chicago before moving to New York in 2010. Prior to Macquarie Capital, Michael held positions in Macquarie Group’s Central Executive Strategy unit and Risk Management Division. In 2013, he became Head of Macquarie Capital, Americas and shortly after that added oversight of MacCap Europe and Asia. Michael been a member of the Executive Committee since 2019.

      Samantha Schoen is the Co-Head of the North America Institutional Distribution Group for Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM). She is based in New York, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2007 and has 19 years industry experience. Previously, she was the global head of consultant relations and head of North America institutional sales for MSIM, and co-chair of the global diversity council for MSIM. Prior to that, she was based in London for 12 years and was the co-head of MSIM’s international consultant relations team covering investment consultant clients in the U.K., Europe and Asia. Prior to that she was the retail investment product manager in the wealth management division of Suncorp, Australia, and practiced as a banking and finance lawyer at Mallesons Stephen Jacques, Australia. Samantha received a B.Bus. with distinction in international business and a B.Law with honours from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, a Grad.Dip in applied finance from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, and a Grad.Dip in legal practice from the College of Law, Sydney. She is also a qualified solicitor.

Nicholas James Stone is a native of Melbourne Australia who moved to New York City in 2010. He envisioned Bluestone Lane whilst attending Business School in New York, with the idea of providing a premium coffee experience that can be readily found in Melbourne Australia (but not readily in New York). Nick has extensive corporate finance and strategy experience with ANZ Banking Group Limited and UBS Investment Bank, advising and financing some of the world’s largest consumer & services companies in United States, Europe and the Asia/Pacific. Prior to banking, Nick was a professional Australian Rules Football (AFL) player for 6 seasons, having been selected in the 1999 AFL National Draft from Wesley College, Australia (High School).

Leila Smith is a Wiradjuri woman with over 18 years’ experience in supporting organizational change and policy reform in the not-for-profit sector, professional services, research, and academia. As a highly effective people-leader she has both roll-up-your-sleeves and strategic expertise across education, health, social services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. She is the CEO of the Aurora Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports Indigenous students to realize their full education and employment potential. Prior to Aurora, Leila led the Knowledge Translation team at Australia’s national Indigenous health research organization, the Lowitja Institute. She was also one of the first Indigenous Australians to join a major management consulting firm, Nous Group where she specialized in federal government strategy and change projects for three years. Prior to working in the private sector, Leila completed a Masters of Public Policy at Cambridge University, after leading the Policy and Programs team at the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and working in data analysis and research roles at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. She also led the establishment of the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive and co-authored books and publications at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Kate is a General Partner at ALIAVIA Ventures, based out of Los Angeles where she resides. ALIAVIA is an early stage Venture Capital fund investing in U.S. and Australian based female founders building world-changing enterprise and consumer tech companies.

Kate has had a distinguished career in the technology and digital industries, with over two decades experience across major digital brands, including Spotify where she was Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand and prior was Head of YouTube Australia and New Zealand, as well as the first in-region employee for Google as the Head of Sales and Operations Australia and New Zealand.

Kate has held a number of Non-Executive board roles including Tourism Australia, Tourism Tasmania and currently at ASX listed e-sports company Mogul. She is also a former Council Member of Make-A-Wish Australia. Kate is an active angel investor, having invested in several companies in Australia and the US. She holds a Bachelor of Business from Monash University.

      Tania Yuki is Founder and former CEO of Shareablee. Tania began her career as a media and internet attorney, specializing in digital rights management, IP and film financing. After moving to the US, Tania went on to run online video content as Head of Acquisitions and Branding and led product management for comScore's Video Metrix, the world's leading online video ratings service. Shareablee was founded in February 2013 when Tania saw a new frontier emerging across social media. She was convinced that social data would fundamentally change how companies communicate and do business and dedicated herself to understanding what makes social content succeed. Since then Shareablee has evolved from 3 people in Tania’s living room to a dynamic company of 60+ employees that boasts the world’s largest system of brand performance data across social platforms and industry-standard metrics that help clients navigate and win on social media. Shareablee collects & transforms the social data into actionable business intelligence.

Leila Smith is a Wiradjuri woman with over 18 years’ experience in supporting organizational change and policy reform in the not-for-profit sector, professional services, research, and academia. As a highly effective people-leader she has both roll-up-your-sleeves and strategic expertise across education, health, social services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. She is the CEO of the Aurora Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports Indigenous students to realize their full education and employment potential. Prior to Aurora, Leila led the Knowledge Translation team at Australia’s national Indigenous health research organization, the Lowitja Institute. She was also one of the first Indigenous Australians to join a major management consulting firm, Nous Group where she specialized in federal government strategy and change projects for three years. Prior to working in the private sector, Leila completed a Masters of Public Policy at Cambridge University, after leading the Policy and Programs team at the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and working in data analysis and research roles at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. She also led the establishment of the first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive and co-authored books and publications at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Ian Irving is a well-known and high-profile Australian Defence & National Security Industry senior executive who was appointed as CEO of American Australian Association Ltd in January 2024. Ian has more than 35 years’ experience at senior executive levels within the Australian defence and aerospace industry, and is also the Managing Director of ALTILUS Pty Ltd. In 2011 Ian established ALTILUS Pty Ltd, a top tier management and professional services agency serving the government and the defence sector, where he now holds responsibility as an External Board Member for the conduct of life-cycle Independent Assurance Reviews for Australia’s Department of Defence, on Australia’s major defence acquisition and sustainment programmes. Ian is an Honours graduate in Electrical Engineering from Sydney University, and has held prior responsibility as the Chair of the peak Australian defence industry body, the Australian Industry Group (AiG) - Defence National Executive Council. Ian has also served as a South Australian Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, a non-executive director of the Williams Foundation, and is a current board member of the Pecan Growers’ Co-Operative of Australia.

Jane Allen was appointed to the American Australian Association Limited Board in November 2016. Jane is a co-founder and Partner of Maritana Partners, a specialist advisory firm that focuses on governance, leadership and performance related matters. Jane has spent over 20 years as an advisor, including over 15 years with a global search firm where she was Managing Partner in Australasia and also held a leadership role in Asia for many years. She has been recognised as an experienced advisor to Australia’s largest companies and Boards for many years. Jane is a member of Chief Executive Women, a network of Australia's top women leaders. Jane has been a Director of the Garvan Medical Research Institute’s Foundation Board since 2007, one of Australia’s most highly respected medical research bodies. Jane is also a Director of the United States Studies Centre. She is both an American and Australian citizen, and has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College.

Leon Allen is the former Under Treasurer (Treasury Secretary) of Queensland and CEO of Queenland Treasury Corporation (QTC), marking an extensive career in finance and public policy spanning public and private sectors, both domestically and internationally. He currently provides executive and non-executive services to companies and Boards in the infrastructure and finance sectors. Leon was previously a Director of the American Australian Association Inc (AAA) Board from 2016 to 2020, while serving as Head of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA’s) Institutional Banking & Markets, Americas business, based in New York. This tenure corresponded with a transformational period for the Association. Leon brings to the Board a genuine passion for strengthening our economic and cultural ties and investing in the organisational governance and operations of AAA Ltd itself. Leon joined the AAA Ltd Board in 2024 and is based in Brisbane.

Colette Garnsey OAM has 40 years’ experience in retail, marketing and distribution. She has played a key role in the development and growth of the Australian retail industry, using her established experience in branding, consumer insights, digital and marketing to develop strategy and grow businesses. Colette is currently Chairman of Laser Clinics Global; NED at Magellan Financial Group, Flight Centre Travel Group and Seven West Media Limited. Colette has previously held senior roles with David Jones, Pacific Brands and Premier Investments. She has also served on directorial and advisory boards for Government and not-for-profit enterprises including the CSIRO, the Australian Government Innovation and Investment Council for Federal Trade and Investment Ministers, Chief Executive Women, Australian Fashion Week and the Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Campbell joined the American Australian Association Ltd board in May 2025. Campbell has a 50 year career in media encompassing roles as diverse as reporter, foreign correspondent, editor of both The Australian and The Daily Telegraph newspapers and executive roles including Editorial Director and Head of Corporate Affairs, Government and Policy for News Corp Australia. Campbell received the Australian Centenary Medal in 2003 and became a Member of the Order of Australia for services to journalism in 2019. He has been a member of The Australian Press Council, Chair of Australian Associated Press and Head of the Digital News Academy, a journalist training initiative created by News Corp, Google and the Melbourne Business School. Outside of media Campbell is a competitive sailor and is the longest serving commodore of the Balmain Sailing Club.

Ben Scott was appointed to the AAA Limited Board in July 2020. Ben also served as a AAA Inc. Board Member in the USA from 2015-2019 during which time he chaired the AAA Development Committee and was a founding Co-Chair of the AAA Business Council.   Ben is a seasoned Financial Markets professional with over 30 years of experience including 19 years in Hong Kong and New York with Morgan Stanley. Most recently he was a Founding Partner of Barrenjoey Capital Partners in Sydney where he spent 4 years helping establishing the firm and their institutional client relationships globally.   Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and a Bachelor of Laws from Queensland University of Technology. In addition he was awarded a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport and played Representative and 1st Grade Rugby. In July 2023 he assumed the role of Chair of the Australian Rugby Foundation bringing his financial expertise and passion for the game to support the Foundation’s growth, philanthropic and strategic development.   Born and raised on a sheep and wheat farm at Muckadilla, Queensland, Ben now lives in Sydney with his wife and two sons.