Marie-Louise Pearson

FIML Life Member

Chair of the Board

Marie-Louise has over 30 years in sales and management in energy, telecommunications and ICT sectors. Under her Chairmanship of the IML NT Council 2006 to 2012, IML NT saw its strongest ever recorded Membership and participation rates. Marie-Louise has a strong history of leadership in NFP and community organisations for which she was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in the 2021 Queens Birthday Honours. Marie-Louise won the 2014 AIM Leadership Excellence Award for Community Leader of the Year, is a Life Member and Fellow of IML ANZ, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences.

Diana De Hulsters

CMgr FIML

Deputy Chair of the Board

Diana De Hulsters has close to 3 decades of international experience in commercial and not for profit organisations. She has expertise in association management and is Managing Director of Your Outsider (sole trader). Diana commenced her career in Belgium in the international travel industry, specialising in travel to Australia and New Zealand. She moved to Adelaide in 2002 and after several international sales positions, including with Accor Hotels, she side-stepped into association management for organisations such as the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Simulation Australasia, the Royal Institution of Australia and the Australian Organics Recycling Association. Diana graduated with an MBA from the AIM Business School in 2014. She has completed the Company Directors Course and holds GAICD level membership at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She also holds membership of the Australasian and American Societies of Association Executives (AuSAE and ASAE). Diana is proud to have achieved Chartered Manager status in 2017 as one of the first 100 people in Australia to do so.

Michelle Gander

CMgr FIML

Director

Michelle is a Director, College Services at Flinders University in Adelaide. She has worked for over 20 years in higher education in Australia and the UK in a variety of operational roles. With a background in leadership, human resource management, change management and higher education, Michelle was awarded Chartered Management status in the UK in 2011 and joined the Institute in 2018. As someone who has been involved in management and leadership practice for many years, including as a student, and as a university lecturer of management, Michelle is passionate about excellence in this field and an advocate for the professionalisation through accreditation of management and leadership practice. Michelle has a PhD in Management and an MBA and has recently completed the Foundations of Directorship with the AICD.

Wayne Smithson

CMgr FIML

Director

Wayne has held a number of senior finance positions including Finance Director for a number of national and international companies over a commercial career extending in excess of 40 years. Most notable senior positions that Wayne has held include National Finance Director for Ernst & Young and Finance Director for the Bank of New Zealand in Australia. Wayne has also had significant international experience in the Asia- Pacific region where, as Regional Finance Director for the region of a Swiss based professional services organisation, he was involved in a number of key business acquisitions. As well as holding a Master’s degree in Business Administration and an undergraduate Degree from Macquarie in accounting, Wayne is a qualified CPA and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a Fellow and Chartered Manager of IML ANZ. In addition, Wayne has had an extensive career in teaching at a Higher education level. In 2010 Wayne taught at a number of universities and college’s including Western Sydney University, Charles Sturt University, Federation University and Charles Darwin University. As a senior lecturer and Program Director for the Undergraduate Programs, Wayne taught both graduate and undergraduate programs across both Business and Accounting Disciplines, successfully combining theoretical and practical application drawing on his extensive years of commercial experience in particular at the Board and Director Level. Wayne is currently a member of the Academic senate for UBSS, is a Finance Director for a performing Arts organisation and Director of Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders.

Kosam Nyamdela

CMgr FIML

Director

Kosam is a project management professional and business leader. He has taken part in and led several successful large transformation projects and programs in broadcasting engineering, telecommunications and other industries for more than 30 years. In his experience, Kosam has successfully trained, coached and mentored technicians, engineers, project professionals, students and executives in technical, business and leadership skills. Kosam is the immediate past president of PMINZ where he was a board member for 5 years, with half of that time spent as a director chairing the strategy committee, and the other as the president. He was nominated as an association influencer AU/NZ in 2021. Kosam’s current role is a principal advisor at Fire and Emergency New Zealand. He is also a teaching fellow at Victoria University. Kosam holds an MBA with a specialism in Strategic Planning from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland and a Master of Professional Business Analysis from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Kosam is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of IML ANZ.

Brendan Blomeley

FIML

Non-Executive Director

Brendan has over thirty years’ of corporate, government and community relations experience, having worked as a ministerial adviser at both a state and federal level, leading a national industry association and heading up Government Affairs for a top-50 ASX-listed entity. Brendan is currently the Mayor of the City of Clarence and is also the CEO of the Tasmanian Racing Club. He also serves as Vice President of the South-East Region Development Association, as a Director of Destination Southern Tasmania and as a Director of Cancer Council Tasmania. Brendan holds an MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and IML ANZ.

Samuel Bell

FIML

Chief Executive

Sam is an experienced management professional, with 15 years’ experience in senior roles across financial services, education, and industry peak bodies. He has an undergraduate in economics and postgraduate qualifications including an MBA and Master of Public Policy.

Sam has been a senior leader at IML ANZ for the past 6 years. He is passionate about leadership and capability development, and its power to create positive outcomes for people, workplaces, and communities.

Marie-Louise Pearson

FIML Life Member

Chair of the Board

Marie-Louise has over 30 years in sales and management in energy, telecommunications and ICT sectors. Under her Chairmanship of the IML NT Council 2006 to 2012, IML NT saw its strongest ever recorded Membership and participation rates. Marie-Louise has a strong history of leadership in NFP and community organisations for which she was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in the 2021 Queens Birthday Honours. Marie-Louise won the 2014 AIM Leadership Excellence Award for Community Leader of the Year, is a Life Member and Fellow of IML ANZ, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences.

Diana De Hulsters

CMgr FIML

Deputy Chair of the Board

Diana De Hulsters has close to 3 decades of international experience in commercial and not for profit organisations. She has expertise in association management and is Managing Director of Your Outsider (sole trader). Diana commenced her career in Belgium in the international travel industry, specialising in travel to Australia and New Zealand. She moved to Adelaide in 2002 and after several international sales positions, including with Accor Hotels, she side-stepped into association management for organisations such as the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Simulation Australasia, the Royal Institution of Australia and the Australian Organics Recycling Association. Diana graduated with an MBA from the AIM Business School in 2014. She has completed the Company Directors Course and holds GAICD level membership at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She also holds membership of the Australasian and American Societies of Association Executives (AuSAE and ASAE). Diana is proud to have achieved Chartered Manager status in 2017 as one of the first 100 people in Australia to do so.

Michelle Gander

CMgr FIML

Director

Michelle is a Director, College Services at Flinders University in Adelaide. She has worked for over 20 years in higher education in Australia and the UK in a variety of operational roles. With a background in leadership, human resource management, change management and higher education, Michelle was awarded Chartered Management status in the UK in 2011 and joined the Institute in 2018. As someone who has been involved in management and leadership practice for many years, including as a student, and as a university lecturer of management, Michelle is passionate about excellence in this field and an advocate for the professionalisation through accreditation of management and leadership practice. Michelle has a PhD in Management and an MBA and has recently completed the Foundations of Directorship with the AICD.

Wayne Smithson

CMgr FIML

Director

Wayne has held a number of senior finance positions including Finance Director for a number of national and international companies over a commercial career extending in excess of 40 years. Most notable senior positions that Wayne has held include National Finance Director for Ernst & Young and Finance Director for the Bank of New Zealand in Australia. Wayne has also had significant international experience in the Asia- Pacific region where, as Regional Finance Director for the region of a Swiss based professional services organisation, he was involved in a number of key business acquisitions. As well as holding a Master’s degree in Business Administration and an undergraduate Degree from Macquarie in accounting, Wayne is a qualified CPA and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a Fellow and Chartered Manager of IML ANZ. In addition, Wayne has had an extensive career in teaching at a Higher education level. In 2010 Wayne taught at a number of universities and college’s including Western Sydney University, Charles Sturt University, Federation University and Charles Darwin University. As a senior lecturer and Program Director for the Undergraduate Programs, Wayne taught both graduate and undergraduate programs across both Business and Accounting Disciplines, successfully combining theoretical and practical application drawing on his extensive years of commercial experience in particular at the Board and Director Level. Wayne is currently a member of the Academic senate for UBSS, is a Finance Director for a performing Arts organisation and Director of Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders.

Kosam Nyamdela

CMgr FIML

Director

Kosam is a project management professional and business leader. He has taken part in and led several successful large transformation projects and programs in broadcasting engineering, telecommunications and other industries for more than 30 years. In his experience, Kosam has successfully trained, coached and mentored technicians, engineers, project professionals, students and executives in technical, business and leadership skills. Kosam is the immediate past president of PMINZ where he was a board member for 5 years, with half of that time spent as a director chairing the strategy committee, and the other as the president. He was nominated as an association influencer AU/NZ in 2021. Kosam’s current role is a principal advisor at Fire and Emergency New Zealand. He is also a teaching fellow at Victoria University. Kosam holds an MBA with a specialism in Strategic Planning from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland and a Master of Professional Business Analysis from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Kosam is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of IML ANZ.

Brendan Blomeley

FIML

Non-Executive Director

Brendan has over thirty years’ of corporate, government and community relations experience, having worked as a ministerial adviser at both a state and federal level, leading a national industry association and heading up Government Affairs for a top-50 ASX-listed entity. Brendan is currently the Mayor of the City of Clarence and is also the CEO of the Tasmanian Racing Club. He also serves as Vice President of the South-East Region Development Association, as a Director of Destination Southern Tasmania and as a Director of Cancer Council Tasmania. Brendan holds an MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and IML ANZ.

Samuel Bell

FIML

Chief Executive

Sam is an experienced management professional, with 15 years’ experience in senior roles across financial services, education, and industry peak bodies. He has an undergraduate in economics and postgraduate qualifications including an MBA and Master of Public Policy.

Sam has been a senior leader at IML ANZ for the past 6 years. He is passionate about leadership and capability development, and its power to create positive outcomes for people, workplaces, and communities.