The ARMI Development Engagement Committee
The ARMI Development Engagement Committee is a sub-committee of the ARMI Leadership Advisory Board (ARMILAB). The committee support major gift level funding submissions to government, trusts and foundations, corporations plus major philanthropists, venture philanthropists and investors, as requested by the ARMI Leadership Advisory Board. The current committee were appointed on 26 March 2019 and their term will end March 2022.
ARMI Development Engagement Committee members
Dr Peter Rogers (Chair)
Katerina Aleksoska
Luke Belfield
Richard Dent
Dr Amarjit Gill
Madeleine McManus
Rob Papworth
Dr Chris Sotiropoulos
Dr Peter Rogers (Chair)
Peter Rogers is a Councillor of the Graduate Union at University of Melbourne, Emeritus Chairman Monash University Engineering & IT Foundation, Chairman of Australian Rotary Health District D9800 Committee, and a Past President of Rotary Club of Melbourne.
His early career was with ICI Australia (now Orica). He worked in agricultural chemicals and plastics businesses and at production facilities at Yarraville and Deer Park in Victoria, and Chester Hill in NSW. He was appointed Staff Manager of ICI Australia in Melbourne in 1980.
Peter was appointed to ICI PLC headquarters in London in 1984 He was a Director of ICI’s subsidiary and associated companies including ICI Bangladesh, and ICI Bangladesh Trading Company. He was a director of the London based board of Employment Conditions Abroad Ltd (ECA) for two four year terms between 1985 and 2000. He later established International Consultants Centre, a consulting company he led for over 25 years. The company was transferred to the staff in 2015.
Peter was appointed Chairman of Monash University Engineering & IT Foundation Board at commencement of 2009 and served in that role for eight years. During this period the Leadership Program , MITI and three Research Institutes were established. This included establishment of Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME). The Foundation’s endowments reached $60m in 2018. The Faculty of Engineering was ranked highest in Australia in 2015 by Times Higher Education Rankings, and highest in industry engagement and fundraising and retains top ranking in 2019.
Peter was elected to the Board of Hepburn Wind in 2011 – Australia’s first community owned wind farm located at Daylesford Victoria. His tenure covered the period of $10m capital fundraising, construction and commissioning. Awards received during his time on the Board included Premier of Victoria award, WWEA, and Banksia award.
Peter graduated in chemical engineering from Monash, M App Sc from University of Melbourne, and received his PhD degree from Monash University in 1974. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia. He was awarded a Monash Distinguished Service Medal in 2008, Rotary Paul Harris Fellow 2008, and the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering medal in 2013. In 2014 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Monash University.
Katerina Aleksoska
Katerina is an experienced public servant and has worked across investment, industry development and policy roles.
Most recently, Katerina has worked in investment attraction at Invest Victoria and Breakthrough Victoria and has extensive experience in life science and energy investments and projects.
At Invest Victoria, Katerina was Market Lead for investments from Japan and Korea across a range of target industries including life science, advanced manufacturing, cleantech and food and fibre. Katerina was also the project manager for the AU$500M Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain pilot project.
As Director of Investment Strategy at Breakthrough Victoria, Katerina was responsible for the development of the investment strategy across a number of verticals, including biotech and life sciences and agtech.
Katerina has a B.Sc in Biochemistry and B.A (Hons.) in Political Science and Russian Studies from UniMelb and has also undertaken a course on commercialisation of life science assets at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, as well as the Bridge Program offered by MTP Connect.
Katerina is currently working as a Strategic Advisor to the Australian Hydrogen Council.
Luke Belfield
Luke is the Associate Victorian Chief Engineer, who has over 15 years of experience in policy, technology and business strategy, project management, and organisational and process optimisation in asset intensive sectors.
Luke has had a diverse background having previously worked in a variety of roles at the Department of Premier and Cabinet, as a management consultant for PwC and EY, as a project manager for a metropolitan based water utility and as an engineer for a large global engineering consultancy in the oil and gas and petrochemical industry. This has included leading multidisciplinary teams for large-scale complex infrastructure investments, accountable for delivering and managing multiple concurrent projects from pre-business case development through to operational handover and decommissioning.
Luke is not only qualified in Mechanical Engineering (honours) but holds a Computer Science degree and a Master of Business Administration (Strategy / Public Policy). He is a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Australia, a Member of the Australian Institute of Project Management and is listed on the National Engineers Register (NER) as well as the APEC and International Engineers Register. He is also currently in the process of obtaining chartered accounting qualifications. Most recently Luke was listed in Engineers Australia’s top 100 most influential engineers.
Richard Dent OAM FAICD
Richard has worked in for-purpose organisations for more than two decades, holding executive and CEO roles as well as in governance positions in child, family, disability, advocacy/policy agencies, peak bodies and professional associations.
Richard is a Harvard Club Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has two Masters degrees, is a committed Rotarian, and a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.
Richard’s creed is to bring together business, government and civic organisations to make progress in complex issues for Victoria, Australia and the world, particularly relating to economic wellbeing, adapting to digital disruption, fostering social fairness, maintaining a sustainable environment and upholding human rights.
Dr Amarjit Gill
Dr Amarjit Gill is a distinguished executive leader with over two decades of invaluable experience. His visionary and entrepreneurial spirit has been evident in the influential Board Director positions he has held. His track record is defined by driving organisational growth and implementing strategic initiatives, consistently achieving substantial revenue growth, and establishing key industry alliances.
An adept entrepreneur, Dr Gill successfully founded and managed Smiles Ahead Ltd., a flourishing business consultancy with a diverse clientele. His outstanding ability to streamline operations and set industry standards has led to exceptional financial success. He has also ventured into property development in both the commercial and private sectors.
Dr Gill’s reputation as a Global Key Opinion Leader in the dental industry is built on his unparalleled expertise, extensive research contributions, and exceptional communication skills. His passion for innovation and his remarkable talent for leading diverse teams make him the ideal choice to guide organisations toward unprecedented growth and success.
With academic qualifications including a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (MGDP), and Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS, RCPS), Dr Gill continually pursues personal development to remain at the forefront of industry advancements. His journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence and his ability to bring innovation and growth to any organisation he is associated with.
Madeleine McManus
Madeleine McManus OAM, FIEAust, CPEng, EngExec is CEO of the Centre for Professional Engineering Education & Centre for Pavement Engineering Education, Global Director of Robogals , Director Victorian Business Licensing Authority (BLA) – where she has oversight of the Victorian Professional Engineering Registration Scheme, and Co-Chair National Future Cities Taskforce.
Previously, she has been Director of Industry Engagement and Founding Director of the multi award winning program MITI (Monash Industry Team Initiative) for Monash, the first female Chair of Engineers Australia Vic and led their Black Saturday Bushfire response , National Director of Engineers Australia, Victorian Advanced Manufacturing Council, Board advisor for Office Projects Victoria (OPV), Project Director Building World’s Largest Lego Suspension Bridge for World Engineering Convention with MITI teams, various committees for Victorian Chief Engineer and a Board member of Monash University Engineering & IT Foundation. She is an alumnae of Monash Engineering and Monash Business School and continues to serve on a volunteer basis for Monash in a range of board and advisory roles in STEM Education, Roads Pavement Research, Mental Health in Construction and ARMI.
Madeleine has a professional background of more than 25 years in management, engineering, consulting, industry engagement, education, innovation, transformational change, business development and managing high performing teams. She holds graduate qualifications in engineering and commerce, professional qualifications from AICD for Governance Foundations for NFP Directors and is currently completing a Certificate in Management from Harvard.
Working both in Australia and overseas, particularly France, she has spent a number of years in the commercial and project-engineering environment. She has extensive high level experience in a broad range of sectors including government, engineering, NFP, FMCG, manufacturing, dairy, tertiary, defence, high tech, infrastructure, roads, construction, transport (multimodal and autonomous), research and professional education, together with experience in building successful partnerships and organisations.
A qualified Chartered Professional Engineer and EngExec, she serves and has served on a number of industry, community and philanthropic boards including Swinburne University Engineering Course Advisory, Victorian Advanced Manufacturing Council, Chair College of Engineering Leadership & Management, Chair Partnership Committee Robogals, Co-Chair Industry Advisory for National Pavement Research Hub (SPARC), Veski Postdoctoral Scholarship committee for research grants, National Advisory Women in Science, Advisory for Office of Projects Victoria Board, World Engineering Congress Committee for Australia and Co-Chair National Future Cities Taskforce.
Appointed as a Fellow of both Engineers Australia and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Madeleine was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for her services to Engineering and Education.
Rob Papworth
Rob Papworth has an extensive career in the leadership and operational management of talent functions across multiple geographies in complex business environments. His industry experiences span Information Technology, Telecommunications, Government, Business Process Outsourcing, Retail, Engineering Software and Mining. He has worked for respected leaders such as Ericsson, MMG Limited, Coles Myer, Hexagon, Computer Sciences Corporation and Tenix. He brings a global perspective, with a career and remit including Australia, New Zealand, Laos, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru.
He has represented his organisation in various countries and has been involved in international delegations to Melbourne. In addition to his core domain of Human Resources, he has regularly pivoted to business improvement projects and merger and acquisition teams. Rob studied at Monash University through one of our industry pathways and in later years, as a post graduate student at Swinburne University. In the context of his appointment to the ARMI Development & Engagement Committee, Rob brings extensive experience connecting industry to academia, international representation and the engagement and development of “talent”. His previous committee appointments include the Minerals Council of Australia Workforce Committee (2012 to 2017) and Monash University’s Resources Industry Advisory Board (2012 to 2017).
Dr Chris Sotiropoulos
Dr Chris Sotiropoulos has over 25 years global expertise in global commercialisation of innovative healthcare and IT products. He serves as a Co-Founder/Director of APAC Health and CEO of Global Opportunities Commercialisation, private companies that are Australian based but deliver commercialisation advisory and its own innovative products to national and international clients.
He is part of an international networked group that includes representation from the highest level of government, finance, global and niche distributors, innovators and global subject matter experts across each of the continents. These pathways operate a ‘superhighway’ to enable prompt in depth assessment of R&D, products/services with market need and end customers across various market segments, ensuring rapid market entry.
Throughout his career, he has facilitated the licensing and distribution of healthcare and IT products and services across several market segments, between listed and private companies in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. In Australia, he has introduced medicines for the treatment of sleep disorders, rare diseases and completed licensing deals over USD$300m in value.
He is also a practising Lawyer, focussing on International Trade and Commercial Law transactions, assisting his clients to grow their business, develop strategy and implement corporate restructure for global expansion in the US, Europe and Asia.
He has previously served on many committees including at the Law Institute of Victoria, the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, University Industry Advisor Boards, the Rotary Club of Melbourne, private company boards and a Melbourne independent School Board. He has also delivered several commercial subjects for the Swinburne University MBA and AGSE programs. He holds a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from RMIT University, a Law Degree from Monash University and Executive Training in Leadership and Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Executive Training from the Harvard Business School.