UNE Foundation

Mr Ross Beaney is a finance executive specialising in option-based derivatives and markets. He grew up at Macksville on the Mid North Coast of NSW.  He attended UNE by distance education while living interstate, attaining the award of Bachelor of Economics in 1996. In 1999 he was awarded a Master in Business (Finance) from the University of Technology Sydney.  In 2007, he completed the International Executive Program at INSEAD.

Mr Beaney spent the first half of his career managing portfolios of derivatives in interest rates, foreign exchange, and other asset-classes. He extended his reach into management roles, working in a variety of senior positions in Australian and foreign owned financials and rising to General Manager level. His various teams were focused on bank portfolio risk in fixed-income, currencies and commodities.

Between 2012 and 2016 Mr Beaney was a portfolio manager of a leading Asian investment management firm based in Singapore. He returned to Australia in 2016, joining a domestic major in a portfolio-management role and has more recently worked as an industry consultant.

Ross was appointed as a Director of the Company in March 2019 and appointed as Chair on 17 May 2023.

Audrey is the Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Catholic Schools NSW where she leads the Legal, Risk and Company secretariat function. Audrey provides legal and risk advice to the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Catholic School Agencies. The legal, risk and company secretariat team provides advice on all aspect of the company and develops policies and procedures, including online training modules, to assist schools to meet their compliance obligations.

Currently, Audrey is the Catholic sector’s representative on the Non-Government Schools Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining Catholic Schools NSW Audrey worked in financial services for over 20 years providing advice and legal support to Boards and businesses on life insurance, superannuation and financial advice. Audrey has extensive experience in providing governance and legal advice to Boards for the past 25 years.

Audrey was appointed as Director of the Company in September 2023.

Born and raised in Armidale, Charles attended The Armidale School and the University of New England, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Financial Administration in 1993.

After completing his studies, Charles embarked on a career that has spanned key financial institutions.  He has cultivated a deep understanding of financial markets through his roles as an investment adviser at firms such as JBWere Goldman Sachs and Morgans (formerly ABN AMRO Morgans). Notably, his professional journey commenced at KPMG, adding depth to his expertise in the financial sector.

Charles currently serves as the Principal and Director of Morgans Cronulla. His credentials include being a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand.   Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Appointed to the University of New England Foundation's Board in August 2023, Charles contributes his extensive financial knowledge, strategic insight, and dedication to the growth and prosperity of the University community. His background and accomplishments uniquely position him to contribute meaningfully to the Foundation's mission of advancing education, research, and innovation at the University of New England.

Charles was appointed as Director of the Company in August 2023.

Professor Chris Moran joined UNE on 17 July 2023 as the Vice-chancellor and CEO. Prior to his appointment he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Curtin University at Curtin University from 2016 to 2023.  From 2007 to 2016 Professor Moran was Professor and Director, Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) at The University of Queensland (UQ).  The Institute comprises seven discipline-based research centres and is one of the largest entities of its kind in the world.

Previously, Professor Moran was Founding Director, Centre for Coal Seam Gas (UQ) and Founding Director, Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (UQ).  Across a 16 year career with CSIRO, he held a range of leadership roles, including heading the team that developed the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Program.

Professor Moran has been a Board Member of five Cooperative Research Centres.  In the International domain, he was Director of the International Mining for Development Centre and established an International Centre of Excellence for the mining industry in Chile.

He holds a bachelor of Agricultural Sciences (with Honours) and a PhD from the University of Sydney and has a strong international and national reputation for his research and expertise in soil science (digital image processing), natural resources (spatial modelling and statistics) and water management. Professor Moran has published widely in scientific literature and the broader media.

Professor Moran joined the UNE Foundation Board on 13 August 2023.

Genevieve Overell AM is an experienced  company director and trusted adviser with a distinguished career spanning financial services, infrastructure, government, healthcare, not-for-profits and the arts.

A lawyer by background, Genevieve has held senior executive roles across the public and private sectors, including as Director of Government Advisory at Deutsche Bank Australia & New Zealand, Deputy Secretary in the Victorian Government, and Partner at KPMG, where she advised on major infrastructure projects. She brings significant commercial, legal and governance expertise, with particular depth in infrastructure procurement, foreign investment, property development and project delivery.

Currently a non-executive director on a portfolio of boards, Genevieve chairs the Victorian Opera Company, audit and risk committees and has contributed to organisational strategy across mergers and acquisitions, CEO recruitment, IT transformation, financial reporting and risk management.

Genevieve is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Governance Institute of Australia and the Institute of Public Administration of Australia (Victoria). In 2020, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to the community. In 2021, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Faculty of Law at Monash University, and in 2022 she was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

A member of Chief Executive Women, Genevieve Is a strong advocate for women in leadership, having coached, mentored and sponsored aspiring business leaders throughout her career.

Genevieve was appointed as a Director of the Company on 18 March 2026.

David has close to 30 years' experience in the property and funds management industry. Prior to establishing his own boutique property group in 2007, he was the Chief Executive Officer (Asia Pacific) of the ASX listed Goodman Group. Before being appointed as CEO (Asia Pacific), David was Goodman Group's Chief Operating Officer.

David worked for Goodman for more than a decade and before joining them he was the Fund Manager of ASX listed Paladin Industrial Fund and an Associate Director of CDH Properties (acquired by KPMG).

David has a proven track record at both executive and Board levels in the development and implementation of effective business strategy. He also has extensive and practical experience in change management.

David is the Chairman and an Independent Director of the Kennards Self Storage Group. He is also the Chairman and an Independent Director of the ASX listed 360 Capital Group Limited. David is a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute.

David grew up in regional New South Wales and now lives in Sydney with his wife and three sons. He understands the challenges and rewards for rural based students studying an undergraduate degree at University. He completed his postgraduate studies in Management and Business at the University of New England (UNE) via correspondence. Studying at UNE allowed David to meet both the demands of a senior executive role and the responsibilities of helping to raise a young family.

David holds a Bachelor of Business (Land Economy) from the University of Western Sydney, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and a Masters in Business Administration from UNE.

David is the UNE Council-appointed member on the UNE Foundation Board.