Ashurst Business Literature Prize Judges 2018

Ashurst Business Literature Prize Judges 2018

Photo of Richard Fisher AM

Richard Fisher AM (Senior Judge)

Since 1997 Richard has been the General Counsel at The University of Sydney and is an Adjunct Professor in the University’s Faculty of Law.  Prior to joining the University, Richard was a partner for some 25 years in Blake Dawson (now Ashurst) and is one of its past Chairman of Partners. Whilst with the firm Richard practiced in the area of commercial law with a strong focus on corporate reorganization and insolvency. 

In addition to his involvement in practice, Richard has also been an international consultant to the Asian Development Bank, a Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission and a consultant to the Singaporean Ministry of Justice in relation to the recent reforms to that country’s insolvency laws.  He is also a company director and has had various roles in professional and other organizations including membership of the Library Council of NSW between 2005 and 2013.

Photo of Narelle Hooper

Narelle Hooper

During 20 years as a business journalist and editor Narelle has worked for Australia’s leading media groups including the ABC, Fairfax Media and SBS TV and has interviewed everyone from the Prime Minister to the head of the Reserve Bank and Treasury.

Narelle has had a long commitment to sustainable business and leadership models. A former editor of the Financial Review’s BOSS Magazine and founding co-chair of the Financial Review’s Women of Influence Awards.

She is Editor-in-Chief of the AICD’s Company Director magazine. She is also a non executive director at The Ethics Centre, the Documentary Australia Foundation and SBE Australia, which runs the Springboard accelerator program for women’s global entrepreneurship.

In 2015 Narelle co-authored New Women New Men New Economy which shows how inclusive cultures drive innovation and sustainable growth. She studied journalism at Canberra University and has a Masters in Management (Financial Management) from MGSM.

Photo of Margie Seale

Margie Seale

Margaret (Margie) Seale is a Non Executive Director with current directorships of Telstra Corporation Limited, Westpac Banking Corporation (as of 1 March, 2019) , Scentre Group Limited and Australia Pacific Holdings. Until recently she was also Non-Executive Chairman of publishing house Penguin Random House Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd. She is a member of the Audit Committee for Telstra and a member of each of the Human Relations and Audit and Risk Committees at Scentre Group.

Prior to her board career, Margie had more than 25 years’ experience in leadership roles in Australia and overseas in the global publishing, health and consumer goods industries. Her last executive role was Managing Director of Random House in Australia New Zealand and President, Asia Development for Random House Inc.

In 2015 with her husband she launched Ponder & See, a philanthropic literary travel company that funds writers’ festivals and writers through creating literary trips or experiences for interested readers. Margie and her husband voluntarily create, lead and manage the events and adventures the company undertakes and profits are distributed to relevant organisations relevant organisations or directly to writers. To date the company has taken readers to Indonesia, China, Italy and New Zealand and created literary events in Australia.