Susan Forrester Chair | Non-Executive Director
BNE
A highly accomplished and experienced leader, Susan draws on over 30 years of broad commercial experience as an Australian Board Chair and Company Director with a powerful blend of management, board and consulting expertise across ASX-listed, public and private companies. With a diverse portfolio comprising of law, finance, human resources, communications, business and governance, her knowledge of complex corporate structure and pathways is greatly admired.
Beginning her career practicing law in banking, finance and property, Susan became frustrated providing purely legal, rather than commercial advice. Leveraging this essential foundation in understanding the law, Susan was driven to broaden her expertise in commercial strategy and governance. With an innate passion for working in the professional services sector, Susan’s experience from both sides of the fence as a professional and professional services manager provides an intuitive approach and understanding that is highly valued in her strategic and consulting work. Her various roles including, director, Chair, CEO, consultant and legal counsel across technology, health and professional service sectors has led her to become a leader in the strategy and consulting sector. Susan offers a great understanding of company goals, blue sky potential and strong peer relationships to drive growth and success.
Recognising WGA as a well-evolved private company which upholds its core values and genuinely care about their people, Susan relished the opportunity to join the board. Her role provides a balance to her existing portfolio whilst being able to apply the skills learnt in other sectors and challenge the business in positive ways. WGA’s commitment to growth, change and improvement motivates Susan to impart a positive influence as they challenge and disrupt the industry, whilst achieving commercial and organisational goals.
Susan is a campaigner for robust inclusive debate in the boardroom. Understanding the board’s role around strategy, governance and risk is at the forefront of her practice, noting that “the board only governs, not runs the show”. Advocating for diversity, she acknowledges that “one woman can’t do it alone” and encourages the development of female executives directors early in their career. As there isn’t a textbook, Susan hopes that by sharing her experiences and mistakes, she can help the next generation of female directors bravely step forward. She is pleased to hear when staff are excited that there is a female on the board, but truly inspired when the goal is more than one and then parity.
On Australia Day 2019, she was awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to business through governance and strategic roles and as an advocate for women.