Meet our Directors
The BCCM board comprises chief executives of co-operatives and mutuals operating across the Australian economy. As leaders of some of Australia’s leading businesses the BCCM board has experience in the areas of banking, insurance, health, motoring and agriculture.
AMP [Harvard]
Chair, BCCM
Rohan Mead recently retired as Group Managing Director of Australian Unity, a role in which he served from 2004. Upon his retirement in 2025, Mr Mead was voted an honorary member of the Business Council of Australia and chairs its Health & Care Services task force. He is also a Director of the Centre for Independent Studies.
MBA, BA
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Great Southern Bank
Paul is the CEO and Managing Director of Great Southern Bank, one of Australia’s largest customer-owned banks with more than 400,000 customers. Paul joined the mutual in February 2018 as the Chief Sales Officer. He was appointed CEO in November 2019 and subsequently joined the Board as a Director. In his time leading the bank, Paul has overseen a number of transformative projects including the rebrand from Credit Union Australia (CUA), the embedding of a new purpose to help all Australians to own their own home, and the sale of the CUA Health business to mutual sector peer, HBF. Prior to joining Great Southern Bank, Paul was the Senior Head of Strategy and Transformation at Westpac. He also held a variety of senior executive roles within ANZ in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia including Managing Director, Retail Banking at AmBank Malaysia and General Manager of ANZ’s Australian branch network.
BBus, CA
Chief Executive Officer, CBH Group
Ben was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of CBH Group in July 2021. Previously, he was Chief Operations Officer, where he was responsible for leading CBH’s world-class storage and handling, logistics, and shipping services. Ben is leading CBH Group in creating a sustainable future and returning value to Western Australian growers.
Before joining CBH, Ben worked for an investment advisory firm and an international professional services firm. Ben is a member of the Chartered Accountants, Australia.
B.Bus, M.Bus, M.Sc Tech, FAIM
Group Chief Executive Officer, RAC
Robert (Rob) Slocombe is the Group CEO of RAC in Western Australia (RAC). RAC started as a motoring club in 1905 and now also provides a range of diverse services to over 1 million Western Australians in the areas of insurance, motoring, finance, travel and tourism, retirement and home services. RAC also remains a strong advocate for its members on key issues such as road safety, mobility, accessibility and environmental sustainability.
Rob joined the RAC in September 2014 as Chief Operating Officer and from March 2019 became the Group CEO responsible for all group and subsidiary activities.
Prior to joining the RAC, Rob spent 27 years in banking and financial services, primarily in retail banking, financial market trading and treasury roles.
Rob holds a certificate in Financial Markets, a Bachelor of Business degree, a Master of Business degree, a Master of Science and Technology degree and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Rob currently serves on the board of Royal Flying Doctor Service where he Chairs the Risk and Audit Committee, the Curtin Advisory Council – Faculty of Business and Law, Chair of the Australian Automobile Association and is a member of the FIA Senate.
BEc, BCom, FCA, FAICD, AMP [Harvard]
Chief Executive Officer, People First Bank (formerly Heritage & People’s Choice)
Steve has significant people leadership and executive management experience in the retail banking and finance industry.
Steve was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of People’s Choice Credit Union from 2016 until the merger with Heritage Bank in 2023 which formed People First Bank. Steve was appointed Deputy CEO following the merger and assumed the role of CEO in July 2024.
People First Bank is the largest mutual bank in Australia with approximately $25bn in assets, 750,000 members and 2,000 employees.
B.Comm, LLB (Hons), GradDipACG, GAICD (OM), FGIA, FCG, FAIM
Group CEO, Capricorn Society Ltd
Brad is Group Chief Executive Officer of Capricorn Society. Prior to his appointment in January 2025, he was CEO of the co-operative’s Automotive division for 5 years.
Brad was appointed as Company Secretary/General Counsel to Capricorn Society Limited in 2008 and his roles at Capricorn have included management of Capricorn group’s company secretariat, legal and shares function, risk management, compliance and internal audit frameworks as well as Capricorn’s Group Marketing function.
Brad has been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of WA and High Court of Australia. Brad has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce (with a major in General Management), both from the University of Western Australia.
Brad has held senior positions including being a Partner with the Perth based law firm Solomon Brothers and his background has involved the provision of advice and services relating to corporate governance and contractual management.
Brad has passed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Course Diploma requirements achieving Order of Merit status. He has also successfully completed the Chartered Secretaries Australia Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance receiving awards for National Dux Corporate Accountability, State Dux for Corporate Governance and Corporate Financial Management and the Ian Falconer Rio Tinto National award for academic excellence.
Brad has also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Brad is a current Director of various Capricorn subsidiary Boards and Independent Director of the Western Rock Lobster Council.
BBus, MBA, GAICD, INSEAD Graduate
Managing Director and CEO, Newcastle Greater Mutual Group Ltd (NGM Group)
Bernadette Inglis is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Newcastle Greater Mutual Group Ltd (NGM Group). NGM Group is one of Australia’s largest customer-owned financial institutions, providing retail banking services to more than 600,000 customers under its brands Greater Bank and Newcastle Permanent. Bernadette has over 20 years’ executive leadership experience in financial services, including in retail banking, wealth management, insurance and core corporate functions at national and regional organisations. Bernadette is also an experienced Non-Executive Director, with a broad spectrum of Board appointments encompassing arts, education, infrastructure, supply chain and charitable foundations.
BA GAICD
Managing Director, Common Equity Housing Ltd (CEHL)
Liz is an experienced Board Director and CEO who has demonstrated her leadership across government, for profit and for purpose organisations and her own consulting practice.
In her most recent roles, Liz has followed a deep interest in developing innovative housing solutions, culminating in her appointment as Managing Director of Common Equity Housing Limited (CEHL) in 2021. Since then, Liz has driven a broad range of positive changes for CEHL’s 100 rental housing co-operatives and their members and has become a strong advocate for the national co-operative housing movement.
Liz currently chairs the Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance (ACHA) and is Deputy Chair of Victoria’s Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA Vic).
HND (Geog)
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, HCF
Ms Thomas was appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HCF in July 2025, bringing with her more than a decade of deep experience within the organisation. Having joined HCF in early 2015, she has held various roles, including Chief Officer, Product & Innovation, Chief Officer, Product & Diversified Business and Chief Operating Officer.
Ms Thomas has over 20 years of experience in innovative, customer-centric product delivery and business strategy. She has played a key role in driving organisational transformation, leading high-performing teams to achieve outstanding results, and improving member outcomes through innovation and service excellence. Responsible for Product Innovation, HCF Life and HCF’s International Business she has also led key Strategic initiatives supporting HCF’s 2025 Strategy. Ms Thomas serves as a Director of HCF Life, Flip Insurance Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of HCF life Insurance Company Ptd Ltd), and the Corporate Trustee of The HCF Research Foundation. Ms Thomas is also a Director of Private Healthcare Australia.
BEcon (Hons)
Chief Executive Officer, Principal & Partner, SGS Economics & Planning
Julian Szafraniec is a spatial economist and the Chief Executive Officer of SGS Economics and Planning, an employee‑owned and certified B‑Corp consultancy dedicated to strengthening communities and local economies through evidence‑based public policy. With two decades of experience advising all tiers of government, not‑for‑profits and the broader for‑purpose sector, Julian brings deep expertise across housing, employment, transport, community infrastructure and regional economic development.
Julian is committed to data‑driven policy as a foundation for building resilient, efficient and sustainable places. His work focuses on harnessing emerging data, technology and spatial analytics to reveal how places function – and to guide long‑term planning that improves people’s lives. With extensive experience applying this approach across diverse sectors, he helps organisations understand the critical interplay between people, place and strategic investment. He also serves on the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network’s (AURIN) independent Industry Advisory Committee, contributing to national research infrastructure that advances data‑informed urban policy and planning.