Nominations and Senior Appointments Committee

Dr Michael Schaper

Chair

With substantial experience across government, business and in academia, Michael is now a professional company director. He has previously served as the ACT Small Business Commissioner, Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber, and as Dean of a number of university business schools. He currently sits on a number of boards for the private sector, federal and state governments, and on the national board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is particularly keen in building stronger and more effective relationships between the university, the local ACT business community, and different levels of government.

Ms Alice Tay

Alice Tay is a commercial lawyer with 30 years’ experience in the establishment of entities, intellectual property, capital raising, acquisitions and sales, contracting and governance. She retired in 2018 as a partner at Meyer Vandenberg and is now focussed on utilising her experience to build healthy, vibrant, innovative and strong communities through her non-executive board and committee appointments. The University of Canberra has a particular interest as it is the university established for Canberra. As an overseas student and migrant who settled and prospered in Canberra, her appointment to the Council is an opportunity to contribute back to the community. Education and research are the foundation to a fulfilled and successful community.

Alice has a strong background in audit and risk at a board level and has chaired a number of A&R committees. She is a graduate of the AICD and a Fellow of the Governance Institute.

Alice’s other current Board and Committee positions include:

• Gambling and Racing Commission ACT - Deputy Chair and Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
• National Heart Foundation – Director, Chair, Risk, Audit and Governance Committee, Member, National Board Executive Group and Member, Investment Committee
• Master Builders Association ACT - Member, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
• The Fly Program – Director (a health promotion charity start-up with a unique early and post clinical intervention program using nature and recreational fly-fishing as a tool for mental fitness)
• Project Independence - Member, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (a social housing initiative aimed at providing home ownership for Australians with an intellectual disability)
• Community Housing Canberra Ltd, Director, Member of Risk and Audit Committee
• Diversification and Sustainability Support Fund (ACT Government), Member

Emeritus Professor Stephen Parker

Vice-Chancellor and President

Emeritus Professor Stephen Parker AO, Vice-Chancellor, University of Canberra

Stephen Parker, Vice-Chancellor in the interim at the University of Canberra (UC) is an Emeritus Professor at the University and an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne.

His academic leadership roles have included Dean of Law and Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Monash University; and Vice-Chancellor of UC between 2007 and 2016.

Following a short period at The Conversation, developing its international strategy, Stephen was made a senior partner at KPMG Australia in 2017 leading the firm’s work with education clients before becoming KPMG’s global lead focusing on clients in the UK, North America and Middle East until 2021.

Since 2021, Stephen has consulted on higher education matters, including the development of university rankings for the Australian Financial Review (AFR) and assisting the University Chancellors’ Council with its submission to the University Accord process. He has also been practising law with Galbally Parker, solicitors in Melbourne.

Stephen graduated with an Honours in Law from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wales.  He has published books, monographs and articles on the court system, legal ethics, family law and children's rights.  He has co-edited various collections of essays, including Children, Rights and The Law (with Philip Alston and John Seymour, Clarendon Press) and Legal Ethics and Legal Practice (with Charles Sampford, Clarendon Press).

Stephen was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) as part of the Australia Day Honours in January 2014 for his distinguished service to tertiary education through administrative, academic and representational roles, and as a leader in the growth and development of UC.

Stephen’s varied interests include co-hosting a podcast series, Law in Context, with Emeritus Professor Stephen Bottomley, and supporting a British soccer team which has not won a major trophy since The Beatles were still together but is starting to show a glimmer of improvement.