AMAG Board

The Board of AMAG comprises four Officers of the Association (Chair, Deputy-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary), and seven Ordinary Board Members. All Board Members of the Association are elected annually, by the membership, at the AGM.

Ian Higgins (Chair)
Ian is the Fundraising Manager at the National Gallery of Victoria. He has previously worked for QANTAS and Optus Communications in Sydney, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Europe. Ian is also the Vice-President of the Australian Federation of Friends of Museums (AFFM).

Esther Benjamin (Deputy Chair)
Esther is the General Manager of Australia Pro Arte, Melbourne ’s pre-eminent chamber orchestra, resident at BMW Edge, Federation Square. Prior to accepting an invitation to join Pro Arte, Esther was General Manager of Stonnington Symphony for four years. Esther has a MEd (Arts Administration) and developed the Oper-eAt pre-opera briefing program for corporate opera-goers. She is also a member of the board of The Orchestras of Australia Network (TOAN) and the Stonnington Arts Reference Group.

Paul Gleeson (Secretary)
Paul Gleeson has been a Commercial Partner with Russell Kennedy since 1994. He practises in all aspects of commercial law, including contract law, trade practices and company law. He has a Masters of Laws in Intellectual Property, which includes copyright, trademarks, patents and technology law. Paul acts for several technology companies and is a member of the Victorian Society for Computers and the Law.

Richard Turner (Treasurer)
Richard is a Business Analyst in the Investment Banking Group of the Macquarie Bank. He has completed both an Arts and a Law Degree at Monash University and is currently studying Accounting at the University of New South Wales. In addition to extensive legal work experience, he has also completed a parliamentary internship and co-authored a Monash University report on Australian security analysts’ conflicts of interests. Richard has lived in Brisbane, London and Utrecht, has visited over 50 countries and has an active interest in the arts.

John Daley
John has operated a picture framing business in Camberwell for 21 years. He is the current President of the Picture Framers Guild of Victoria and has been involved in the implementation of the National Training package for the Picture Framing Industry for the past 12 years. He races Sidecars and motorcycles to relax on Sundays.

Kim Dunphy
Kim Dunphy has been working as the Manager of the Cultural Development Network since October 2004. Kim's background is in performing arts education. She has worked extensively as a community artist and educator in primary, secondary, tertiary and community sectors, distilling her work in the area of movement and dance for people with intellectual disabilities into the book Freedom to Move. She has been a dance critic for The Age, managed community centres in Hampton and Altona North and worked in community cultural development with the City of Melbourne. Most recently, Kim was Arts and Culture Officer at Hobsons Bay Council.

David Forrest
Dr David Forrest is Associate Professor of Music Education in the School of Education at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University). He is currently Director of Research and Manager of the Music & Arts Program responsible for the BA (Music Industry), Graduate Diploma in Visual & Performing Arts, Master of Education (Arts Administration), Mater of Creative Arts Therapy and Educational Doctorate. He is the Publications Editor and member of the National Executive of the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME). He is the Immediate Past Chair and Special Advisor of International Society for Music Education Commission on Music in Cultural, Educational and Mass Media Policies. He is editor of the Australian Journal of Music Education and the Victorian Journal of Music Education, and is a member of numerous editorial boards of national and international journals. His research interests include curriculum development and policy, music for children, and the life and educational philosophy of D.B. Kabalevsky, and the links between education and industry (particularly in the arts).

Bob Peters
Bob Peters is a Director of Global Media Analysis Pty Ltd ("GMA"), a specialist financial and strategic consultancy to the media, entertainment, telecommunications and technology industries. Bob is also recognized as one of Australia's leading media industry analysts. Prior to establishing GMA in early 2001, Bob was a Director of Corporate Finance with ANZ Investment Bank, for whom he now acts as a consultant In both his current and previous positions, Bob provides advice to corporate clients in relation to: takeovers & mergers; asset acquisitions & disposals; debt and equity fund-raisings; financial planning & restructuring; business & asset valuations; financial & economic feasibility studies; and the formulation of business strategies. Bob holds a Bachelor in Economics degree from the Wharton School of Finance & Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania; a Masters of Business Administration from The City University in London; and a Masters of Economics degree from LaTrobe University in Melbourne.

Rob Robson
Rob is Manager, Performing Arts & Conventions at Riverlinks, the City of Greater Shepparton's major performing arts venues. Rob joined the Board in May 2006.

Joseph Volpe
Joseph is a corporate lawyer working for Macarthur Cook - International Real Estate Investment Managers. He previously worked for Minter Ellison, where he was employed for the last four years. His professional experience has involved working with some of Australia’s most high profile companies. He has studied in Italy and The Netherlands and completed a legal internship in Germany. In addition to Law, he completed an Arts Degree at Monash University focusing on politics, literature and history and a Major in Italian. His travels and studies have furthered Joseph’s appreciation of Renaissance and Modern Art and developed his significant knowledge of international politics, law and languages.

Janet Wells
Janet has over 13 years experience in advertising and marketing roles on newspapers and magazines and is currently the Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Victorian Arts Centre. In her current position Janet is responsible for promoting, protecting and strengthening the Arts Centre brand, developing corporate marketing and market research campaigns and managing key projects. Her portfolio of responsibilities also includes event marketing, publicity, graphics, tourism, public relations, database and ticketing services. Janet joined the AMAG Board in February 2004.