Jennifer Robertson - Curriculum Vitae

Professional Qualifications

  • Masters of Business (QUT) - current course of study
  • Graduate Certificate in Business, QUT, 2006 (GPA 6.25)
  • Bachelor of Laws, QUT, 1994
  • Admitted, solicitor Supreme Court of NSW, 2000
  • Admitted, solicitor High Court of Australia, 1999
  • Admitted, solicitor Supreme Court of Queensland, 1996

Current Position

Senior Consultant of Board Matters Pty Ltd

Delivery of specialist governance services for organisations and businesses of every size comprising:

  • Conduct of governance reviews including analysing and evaluating governance documentation such as constitutions, by-laws and policies for a full assessment of adequacy, in order to provide clients with advice on these documents in the context of not-for-profit and for-profit environments;
  • Preparation and presentation of Board performance evaluations and assessments including facilitating discussions from Board performance evaluations;
  • Preparation and presentation of facilitated strategy planning workshops;
  • Providing advice and assistance to organisations on achieving board independence, restructuring options, including consequential amendments to constitutions and by-laws and drafting resulting governance policy;
  • Development of governance policy and processes and drafting governance documentation including by-laws, AGM documentation, Board policies, Board procedures and governance manuals; and
  • Assisting with risk management assessments of for-profit and not-for-profit organisations, and assisting with the drafting of risk management schedules for complex businesses.

Employment History

1998 – 2006: Senior Associate at national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth with specialist expertise in construction law in both commercial and litigious matters.
1996 –1998: Articled Clerk at Queensland law firm Nicol Robinson Kidd, practising in the areas of property law, commercial litigation, family law and insolvency.

Current Board and other Memberships and Appointments

  • President, QUT Alumni Board, 2013 - present
  • Council Member, QUT Council, 2013 - present
  • Director, Arbonne Charitable Foundation Limited, 2012 - present
  • Chair, MAP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, 2011 - present
  • Chair, Board Working Group Royal Flying Doctors Service (Queensland Branch), 2011 - present
  • Director, Asthma Australia Inc, 2011 - present
  • Chair of Audit and Compliance Committee, Asthma Australia Inc, 2011 - present
  • Committee Member, Nominations Committee, QT Mutual Bank, 2010 - present
  • Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology (through the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies), 2010 - present
  • Chair, Nominations Committee, Queensland Professional Credit Union, 2010 - present
  • Director, MAP Funds Management Ltd (trustee of the Medical and Associate Professions Superannuation Fund) (and related entities), 2009 - present
  • Director, Queensland Independent Schools Block Grant Authority Limited (and related entities), 2009 - present
  • Chair of Audit and Compliance Committee, Queensland Independent School Block Grant Authority Limited, 2009 - present
  • Facilitator, Australian Institute of Company Directors, 2009 - present
  • Member, Queensland Law Society, 1998 – present
  • Member, Queensland Art Gallery Foundation, 2004 – present 

Past Board and other Memberships and Appointments

  • Director, QUT Alumni Board, 2008 - 2012
  • Course Director, Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance, Chartered Secretaries Australia Course: Corporate Governance
  • Committee Member, Noah's Ark Resource Centre (Qld) Inc, 2006 - 2010 (also roles as Secretary and President)
  • President, Alumni Chapter of Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, QUT, 2005 – 2009
  • Chair, Future Directions Committee, Property Council of Australia, 2001 - 2005
  • Committee Member and Secretary, Future Directions Committee, Property Council of Australia, 1998 – 2001
  • Committee Member, Membership Committee, Property Council of Australia, 1999 – 2000
  • Founding member, South East Queensland Young Professional Network, 1997 – 2003
  • Committee member, Queensland Articled Clerks Association (now Queensland Young Lawyers), 1996 – 1997

Relevant Skills and Expertise

Designing and conducting a range of tailored board professional development workshops, board evaluations, projects, consultancies and sessions for various governing bodies, and carrying out the associated governance development work (i.e. development of governance frameworks, structuring board composition, advice on election and rotation of directors, rights and responsibilities of members, operation of Committees, and compliance with appropriate governance standards and benchmarks (e.g. ASX Guidelines and Australian Standard on Governance – AS8000)).

Other Skills

Advisory, risk management and commercial expertise

  • Reviewing and evaluating contracts for full risk-analysis and assessment in the context of construction, consultancy, financing, maintenance, licensing and services transactions
  • Structuring and devising strategies to advise clients of their legal and contractual obligations, often against a complex legislative and contractual backdrop
  • Drafting of risk-analysis schedules and providing commercial advice to clients in relation to risk-related issues
  • Participating in and preparation for multi-lateral mediations, including drafting and advising on settlement agreements

Advocacy, dispute resolution and litigation expertise

  • Acting for and providing strategic advice to developers, universities, national contractors, international suppliers and Queensland-based developers and contractors in complex and routine Supreme, District and Magistrate Court matters

Speaking Engagements

In addition to the presentations Jennifer provides to clients in the course of her Corporate Governance practice at Board Matters, she has presented seminars at various legal forums including "Securing Performance Under Contracts" at the 2005 Contracts Masterclass series.

Jennifer was in 2007, part of a panel billed as "a lively conversation with Australia's most experienced and forthright nonprofit board chairs" at the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies Alumni forum "Lunch in the Boardroom - Chair in a Pickle".

In March 2009, she was a guest speaker at the Queensland Law Society and Australian Corporate Lawyers Association "In-house Counsel Conference" presenting on the topic "Directors' responsibilities when companies are in crisis".