Chair - Dr Grant Walsh CSM
Grant served with the Australian Defence Force for 29 years having graduated as a Commissioned Officer from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1983.
He was selected for the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment in 1988 and spent the following years in a range of command and staff appointments in SASR and the broader Australian Special Forces. These included command at operational levels as well as a number of appointments as the Regimental Executive Officer. Grant was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal for his services to the Australian Special Forces.
Grant has consulted business and communities on personal, community and organizational capacity building and natural resource management. In 2016 he became a Director of Osprey International, which is a risk management and organisational development consultancy providing services globally.
Grant is a Graduate of the Universities of NSW and WA as well as Australian Army Command and Staff College. He holds a Bachelor Degree and Graduate Diploma in Science, Graduate Diploma in Management and a PhD in Natural Resource Management.
He was appointed as a Trustee to the Board of the SAS Resources Fund in 2009 and as Deputy Chair of the SAS Resources Fund in November 2015 until 2020 when he assumed the role of Chair.
Deputy Chair - Mr Alan Cransberg
Alan Cransberg recently retired from a 37 year career with Alcoa. Alcoa is the world's largest producer of alumina and bauxite and has refineries in Australia, Brazil, Spain, Suriname, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
His final role was President, Alcoa Refining & Chairman and Managing Director for the Australia Region. In this role, he was responsible for Commercial, Operational and Research and Development activities for all of Alcoa's global refineries. He was also on the Board of the Alcoa Foundation.
Alan is a former Chairman of the West Coast Eagles Football Club, and on the Boards of John Swire and Sons, the Black Swan State Theatre Company, UWA Business School and the SAS Resources Trust. He was a founding member of the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and Their Children, as well as being a founding member of the CEO’s for Gender Equity in West Australia. He has recently joined the Peel Development Commission as it’s Deputy Chairman.
Alan was appointed as a Trustee to the SAS Resources Fund Board on 3rd February 2016.
Treasurer - Mr Nick Henry, B.Comm, FCA, MAICD
Nick Henry is a highly experienced audit and assurance professional and is currently a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Perth, Western Australia. With over 35 years of expertise in the resources sector, he has built a distinguished career specializing in auditing large ASX and US listed companies and global corporations. His extensive international experience includes a stint in PwC’s San Francisco office and leadership roles within PwC’s global network.
Nick’s commitment to governance and philanthropy is reflected in his various board roles and leadership positions. He is Chairman of the Feilman Foundation, a public ancillary fund that donates its earnings to various charitable causes. He is a former Chairman of Methodist Ladies College, a leading girls' school in Western Australia, demonstrating a strong dedication to educational governance. His other past roles include serving as a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, Deputy Chairman and Treasurer of Youth Focus Inc., State Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, and a long-term member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Benevolent Foundation Grant Advisory Committee.
Nick’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia, and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (FCA) and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a registered company auditor.
Nick was appointed as a Trustee of the Board of the SAS Resources Fund in January 2024 and as Treasurer in April 2024.
Mr Nicholas (Nick) Brasington
Mr Nick Brasington retired from the firm of PwC at the end of 2018 after an international career spanning 35 years. Prior to his retirement Nick was a member of the PwC Global Assurance Leadership Executive which provides the strategic direction and oversight of all assurance services throughout its global network.
During his career Nick has held a variety of international leadership and senior management roles based in Melbourne, London, Lisbon, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Perth. His responsibilities across multiple geographical areas included that of CEO, Markets Leader, Quality and Risk Leader, and Senior Engagement Partner specialising in assurance and capital market transactions. Much of his career has been focused within the global emerging markets.
Nick is a member of the WA Museum Foundation's Board of Governors, Chair of a private company Advisory Board and is acting as a mentor and advisor to a number of private companies and CEO’s.
Nick was appointed as a Trustee to the SAS Resources Fund Board on 16 April 2012, and was the Trust Treasurer from 2013-2015.
Commanding Officer - SAS Regiment
The Commanding Officer, Special Air Service Regiment automatically becomes a Trustee of the SAS Resources Fund during his two-year term at Campbell Barracks.
Hon Chris Ellison, B.Juris., LLB (UWA)
Chris represented Western Australia in the Senate from 1993 to 2009. Prior to that he was a partner in his law firm Williams Ellison for thirteen years.
Chris served in the outer ministry and Cabinet of the Howard Government from 1997 to 2007. His portfolios included Assistant Attorney General, Minister for Schools and Training, Special Minister of State, Minister for Justice and Customs and Minister for Human Services. To this date he remains Australia’s longest serving Minister for Justice and has a current legal practising certificate, which he has held for forty years.
In the private sector, since leaving the Senate, Chris is currently Chancellor of the University of Notre Dame Austalia and is also a Director of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation. He was formerly a Director of Doric Construction, Chair of Australia’s North West Tourism and Chair of the Board of Trinity College Perth.
Chris was appointed as a Trustee to the SAS Resources Fund Board in 2020 and has been the Chairman of the Fund’s Dinner Committee since 2014.
Dr Andrew Forrest AO
Dr Andrew Forrest AO is a global business and philanthropic leader dedicated to ending the use of fossil fuels, creating green energy solutions and tackling global challenges like climate change, conflict response, modern slavery and oceanic destruction through overfishing and plastic pollution.
In 2003, Dr Forrest founded the iron ore miner Fortescue in Western Australia. 22 years later, Fortescue is one of the world's largest iron ore producers and a global green technology, energy and mining group.
As founder of Australia’s largest philanthropy Minderoo Foundation, Dr. Forrest has pledged to give away his wealth over his lifetime. With an endowment exceeding AU$9 billion, Minderoo tackles global challenges, such as climate change, urgent humanitarian responses, modern slavery, Indigenous empowerment, and early childhood development.
Dr Forrest holds a PhD in Marine Ecology and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to philanthropy, mining, employment, and sustainable foreign investment.
Dr Forrest is a member of Harvard’s Salata Institute Advisory Board (SIAB), the Giving Pledge and was listed on TIME's 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action.
Hon Martin Hamilton-Smith, BA (MIL), MA, MBA
Martin is presently a self-employed consultant, investor and company director with an interest in international trade and investment, defence and space industries, entrepreneurship and science and technology linked to artificial intelligence, cyber and big data.
Appointed as Minister for Investment and Trade, Defence Industries, and Veterans’ Affairs in May 2014 and as Minister for Small Business, Space Industries and Health Industries in the Weatherill Government 2014/18. Represented the seat of Waite for 21 years as a Liberal and as an Independent. Served as Minister for Tourism and Innovation in the Kerin Government 2001/02 and as Leader of the Opposition and as Shadow Minister in a wide range of portfolios including Treasury.
Martin is a graduate of the Royal Military College and completed a Bachelor and Master of Arts from the University of New South Wales, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Adelaide winning the Baron Partner’s Prize in Strategic Management.
Before entering Parliament, Martin spent 24 years in the Army, serving in the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), commanding the 1st Commando Regiment, and as commanding officer of the Australian multi-national Peacekeepers (MFO) in Egypt. After leaving the Army, he built up a property development and private child care centre business that employed 125 people across two states.
Martin was recently appointed the Chairman of the National SAS Association and was appointed as a Trustee to the SAS Resources Fund Board on 25 November 2021.
Ms Michelle Hawksley, LLB Hons BEcon
Michelle Hawksley is a partner of Solomon Brothers, the Fund solicitors since 1996, and has been a Trustee and acted as the Fund Solicitor since 7th October 2014.
Ms Hawksley was admitted to practice in 1998 and practises in general front-end commercial law, with a particular focus on property transactions and corporate law.
Ms Caron Sugars
Caron Sugars is a Partner within KPMG Perth’s Risk Consulting Division who has over 20 years professional experience in commerce, assurance and risk advisory.
Caron re-joined KPMG in 2007 after spending five years in senior finance and company secretarial roles with one private and two listed entities. Caron is currently the Partner in Charge of KPMG Perth’s Internal Audit division as well as leading their Board Advisory Services nationally.
Caron has been a Course Director for the Governance Institute of Australia since 2007 lecturing on the Corporate Governance module of the Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance and also sits on the Subject Advisory Board for the Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management. In 2016 Caron joined the WA State Council to further contribute to governance in WA. In addition, Caron is a regular guest lecturer for Curtin University on Governance.
Caron holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science (Honours) and a Diploma in Auditing, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa), a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Course.
Caron is the Chair of the Governance Committee for the Special Air Services Resources Fund, an appointment she held prior to becoming a Trustee.
Caron was appointed as a Trustee of the Board of the SAS Resources Fund in 2018 and as Deputy Chair of the SAS Resources Fund in April 2021.
Mr James McMahon DSC, AM, DSM
James is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Australian Capital Equity. Prior to this he was the Commissioner for the Department of Corrective Services in Western Australia and Chief Operating Officer at Azure Capital, a corporate advisory firm. James’ corporate and public sector experience followed a 22 year full time career in the Australian Defence Force.
As an SAS Squadron Commander, the Squadron was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for exemplary performance. As Commanding Officer, the SAS Regiment was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation and Unit Gallantry Citation. James was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for leadership and command in action in Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and Iraq. Recently he was named Western Australian of the Year 2019 for his service to the Community.
Board memberships include the West Coast Eagles Football Club 2007–2015, where he also served as Deputy Chairman and remains a current member of the Leadership Subcommittee, the SAS Resources Trust Board, the St John of God Health Care Board, Australian War Memorial Board and the Investment Advisory Group Committee for RSL WA. He is also an ambassador for ‘The Fathering Project’.
Education qualifications include a Masters in Management and a Masters in Business Administration.
Ms Meneesha Michalka LLB (Hons)
Meneesha Michalka is an experienced barrister and solicitor. She began her early legal career as a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills in insolvency and insurance litigation before commencing as a State Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2005. For a decade she prosecuted matters on behalf of the State in the Magistrates, District, Supreme and Children's courts, as well as the High Court of Australia. In 2015 Meneesha left the DPP to open private legal practice.
Meneesha is an experienced trial lawyer and has both prosecuted and defended the full spectrum of criminal offences.
Meneesha is a Governor of the University of Notre Dame Australia and sits on the University's Law Advisory Board. She is a sitting member of the Medical Board of Australia and is a Federally appointed member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Remuneration Tribunal. She sits on a number of charity and community boards and has served on public health ethics and research committees. Meneesha is a highly sought after public speaker and mental health advocate and has presented at health symposiums both locally and overseas.
Meneesha was appointed as a Trustee of the SAS Resources Fund in 2024.