Governance - IBA Funds (2024)

Dr. McTaggart is an independent non-executive director. He sits on the board of the Suncorp Group, and its NZ subsidiaries. He is also Chair of Spark Infrastructure and SunCentral Maroochydore. He was previously Chair of QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research and a director of UGL. He was a member of the Prime Minister’s Expert Advisory Panel on the Reform of the Federation and has advised the NSW and NT governments on economic development.

Dr. McTaggart has extensive experience in competition policy, being on the National Competition Council for 12 years and a founding member of the COAG Reform Council. He has also worked with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation on investment strategy and Indigenous Business Australia on mortgage funding. He was Chair of the Queensland Public Service Commission (2012-2015) and was a Commissioner on the Queensland Independent Commission of Audit. In June 2012, Dr. McTaggart retired after 14 years as CEO of the Queensland Investment Corporation.

Prior to this appointment, Dr. McTaggart held roles including Professor of Economics and Associate Dean at Bond University (1989-1996), and then Under Treasurer, Queensland Department of Treasury (1996-1998). He was a member of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council (2007-2013) and Councillor on the National Competition Council (NCC) (2000-2013).

Ms Diacopoulos is a Macquarie Group executive currently overseeing the legal and governance function for the Asia Pacific region of Macquarie Asset Management’s Real Assets business.

She has held additional legal roles across the Macquarie Group, including within Macquarie Capital and the Financial Management Group. She is a practising Australian lawyer with over 20 years of legal experience including 19 years’ experience in the financial services industry, working across a broad spectrum of transactions and industry sectors.

Ms Diacopoulos's experience includes fund raising (including equity & debt capital markets), project finance, local and cross border public and private mergers and acquisitions, fund establishment & governance and general corporate law.

Prior to joining Macquarie, Ms Diacopoulos worked as a senior lawyer for Australian law firm, Clayton Utz in their Corporate Advisory/Mergers & Acquisitions team. She holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the Australian National University.

Mr Ross was born in Alice Springs and is of Arrernte/Kayteye descent. He joined the Central Land Council in 1979 and undertook an Associate Diploma in Business Management at the South Australian Institute of Technology in 1986-87.

He progressed to the position of Deputy Director in 1988 and then Director (CEO) of Central Land Council in 1989. Mr Ross was appointed to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission part time in 1992, then full time in 1994.

The following year he was appointed the inaugural Executive Chair of the Indigenous Land Corporation. After a four-year term as Executive Chair he returned to Alice Springs and was again appointed Director of the Central Land Council in 1999. He remained in that role until June 2019.

In addition to running one of the most respected and long-standing Aboriginal organisations in Australia, Mr Ross has played a significant role on national Indigenous issues, particularly those relating to land rights, native title, and economic development. He holds directorships on the boards of Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Ltd and Centrecorp Aboriginal Investment Corporation Pty Ltd.

Mr Fox has over 30 years financial services’ experience, and has been involved in establishing and/or managing many wholesale and retail investment funds across a variety of traditional and alternative financial assets. He has worked for a number of financial services organisations in the private sector.

Mr Fox was employed at Macquarie Group for nearly 14 years in an executive capacity and then subsequently for a further 7 years was a non-executive director of various Macquarie Group subsidiaries which established and managed wholesale and retail investment funds. Mr Fox commenced at IBA in 2015 and since 2018 has been responsible for the Fund Products team, charged with the management and oversight of the I-REIT and IPF.

He holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Hons.) from La Trobe University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Steven Leigh is a non-executive Director of Scentre Group and a member of the Board's Human Resources Committee. Mr Leigh’s career in the real estate investment management and development industry spans more than three decades. He has in depth knowledge of real estate economics and experience in retail assets. During a 25 year career at QIC, Mr Leigh held a number of senior positions including most recently Managing Director – Global Real Estate with QIC.
His prior roles also include Managing Director of Trinity Limited and subsequently the Chief Executive Officer of the wholesale unlisted funds management business. Following LaSalle Investment Management’s acquisition of Trinity Funds Management, Mr Leigh held the position of Head of Australia for LaSalle Investment Management. He is a non-executive Director of the ASX listed stapled entity, National Storage REIT. Mr Leigh is also one of the founding members of Male Champions of Change established by the Property Council of Australia. He started his career as a valuer with National Mutual Life.

Mr Leigh is a graduate of Gatton College (now part of the University of Queensland) and the Queensland University of Technology in the disciplines of real estate valuation and project management.

Francina Turner has developed an expansive career as a senior executive and executive director with over 20 years’ experience in real estate, investment management, finance, risk management, corporate governance and emerging asset classes.

Ms Turner is a governance and risk consultant to the Royal Botanic Garden and Domain Trust and investment manager for a family office. Ms Turner was the Managing Director and Company Secretary for Asia Pacific Data Centre Group (2012 to 2017), having previously worked at Stockland, Lend Lease Corporation and Macquarie Group Limited (1995-2010). At Macquarie, Ms Turner’s positions included Trust Manager for unlisted property syndications and General Manager of the listed LeisureWide Property Trust. She also has held voluntary non-executive positions for not-for-profit organisations.

Ms Turner is a graduate from the University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Hospitality Management).

Mr Robb is a proud Larrakia and Torres Strait Islander man with broad experience across ASX listed companies particularly in mining, energy, and finance, in addition to the public sector and non-for-profit organisations. Mr Robb is currently a Senior Advisor of Government Relations at Rio Tinto based in Brisbane. He previously worked within Rio Tinto’s global energy procurement team assisting Rio work towards meeting its decarbonisation commitments.

Mr Robb is also an experienced investment professional having previously worked in institutional banking and in Investor Relations for IBA Asset Management. Mr Robb is a Board member of First Nations Broadcasting, a Darwin based Indigenous media organisation.

Mr Robb holds a Diploma of Investor Relations from the Australian Institute of Investor Relations (AIRA), a Master of Accounting from Bond University, a Bachelor of Business from RMIT University and has completed Melbourne Business School’s MURRA Indigenous Business Leadership program.

Mr Fox has over 30 years financial services’ experience, and has been involved in establishing and/or managing many wholesale and retail investment funds across a variety of traditional and alternative financial assets. He has worked for a number of financial services organisations in the private sector. Mr Fox was employed at Macquarie Group for nearly 14 years in an executive capacity and then subsequently for a further 7 years was a non-executive director of various Macquarie Group subsidiaries which established and managed wholesale and retail investment funds. Mr Fox commenced at IBA in 2015 and since 2018 has been responsible for the Fund Products team, charged with the management and oversight of the I-REIT and IPF.
He holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Hons.) from La Trobe University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.