Past Presidents
Judith van Unen (June 2020-March 2022)
Peter Murphy (November 2018-June 2020)
Norman Lacy (November 2008-October 2018)
Marie-Louise MacDonald (December 2007-November 2008)
Michael Kelson (April 2007-December 2007)
Angela MacRae (July 2005-April 2007)
Founding President: Bob Day (2001-July 2005)
Current Board 2021–2022
The ICA/SEA Constitution requires the election of ten Board members, with four who are independent contractors, up to at least three who are company members, and up to three who are association members. The elected Board can then appoint an additional two members.
President
Helen Petaia
Secretary
Ken Phillips
Executive Director, SEA
Ken Phillips is co-founder and Executive Director of Independent Contractors of Australia. Ken is an independent contractor operating as his own business, as a researcher, commentator and lobbyist, and consultant on workplace management issues.
Amongst his many activities, Ken is a published authority on independent contractor issues and directs research on related commercial and trade practices issues. His strongest interest is management issues and the development of internal and external relationship building for organizations. Within this framework he promotes the concept of ‘markets in the firm’. Through his numerous articles in newspapers and think-tank and academic journals, Ken is known for approaching issues from outside normal perspectives and is frequently sought out for media comment.
Ken was ICA’s representative at the 2003 and 2006 International Labour Organisation debate on the ‘Scope of Employment Relationship.’ The ILO outcomes formed the conceptual basis for Australia’s Independent Contractors Act.
Ken has published a book entitled Independence and the Death of Employment. Information about the book is available here.
A fuller biography of Ken can be found here [PDF].
Board members
Chris Druett
Chris has a thirty-year history of successful entrepreneurship. In his early days he launched and ran several successful small businesses, including a Swimming School in Tasmania and an Athletics School in London UK.
Originally qualifying as a teacher with a Bachelor of Education, he went on to found and manage Tutoring for Excellence, a business that has successfully serviced the private education market for over 25 years and grown to become the largest provider of home tuition in Australia and New Zealand.He has also recently and concurrently established a management services business, CDSJ Services, which focusses on supporting small business with regulatory compliance, engaging, and managing workers and administrative services.
Chris also has an active interest, and long history, of service with business and community bodies; prior to joining the board of SEA, he was a founding member of the Australian Tutoring Association, originally serving on the board of that organisation before successfully serving a five-year term as Chairman.
He has also been a member of the Chamber of Commerce and thoroughly enjoyed being a committee member and coach of a local junior sports club.
John Findley
John Findley is a highly experienced senior executive and China specialist who has lived from time to time in China over a period of 30 years. His corporate experience includes project management for a listed company in Australia; strategic planning participating in an IPO listing of a HK company on the ASX and management of a property portfolio for a listed Australian company. John owns and operates his own business in Asia that involves agency representation in the construction, manufacturing and distribution sectors. He now lives in Newcastle. runs his own migration business (a genuine independent contractor) supporting high-end executives to work in Australia. John holds a B.E. (Hons) in mechanical engineering, a B.A. in philosophy, a M.Eng.Sc. from the University of Newcastle and a Diploma of Law.
Franc Konstek
Franc has had extensive experience within the Industrial Relations space since the late ’90s. He owned and operated one of Western Australia’s largest privately owned Industrial Relations consultancies, WRMC. In the early 2000s he formed several workforce management businesses catering to the management and compliance of both employees and independent contractors. In the mid-2000s the group of businesses were amalgamated to create the Raykon group of companies. Since the late 2000s, Franc’s main focuses are working within aiding independent contractors’ compliance along with devoting his time and passion mentoring indigenous business operators.
Annette Pike
Annette has been an independent contractor providing transcription and personal assistant services since 1990. She is currently the Managing Director of OutScribe Pty Ltd, a family business that has developed an online platform for the delivery of transcription services. Prior to entering the world of independent contracting she was involved in the agricultural industry (dairy and beekeeping) and continues to enjoy a rural lifestyle.
Lauren Sherson
Lauren Sherson is an entrepreneurial behaviouralist who develops people, ventures and communities. She has spent a decade lecturing at Universities in Entrepreneurship, started and exited two data companies and was the Liberal Candidate for Melbourne in the 2019 Federal Election. Lauren looks at the psychology, entrepreneurship and politics of a situation, specifically the social interactions that make progress. She is the founder of Kaleidoscope, a volunteer management system that develops emerging Australian talent.