Directors & Management

Michael Cameron

Chairman

BBus, FCA, FCPA, FAICD

Michael was the Chairman of the People’s Choice Board from 2019 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. His background is in the financial services and property sectors. He was a Non-Executive Director of the Suncorp Group before being appointed as Managing Director and CEO in October 2015.

Michael is also the former Chief Executive Officer of The GPT Group and was previously the Group Chief Financial Officer of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Michael is currently Chairman of Resolution Capital Ltd and Deputy Chairman of icare (Insurance and Care NSW).

Michael is the Chairman of the Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Kerry J. Betros AM 

Deputy Chairman and Independent Director

BBus, HonDBus USQ, FCPA, MAICD

Kerry was the Chairman of the Heritage Bank Board from 2012 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. He has been a Director of Heritage since 1991. Kerry was the inaugural Chairman of Heritage’s Finance Committee, Chairman of the Audit Committee and has served on a number of other committees. 

Kerry is Managing Director of Betros Bros Holdings Pty Ltd and associated companies, Darling Downs based wholesalers and retailers, established in 1938. He graduated from DDIAE (now USQ) with a Bachelor of Business majoring in management and accounting and was awarded the College Medal. He is a Fellow of CPA Australia. For his distinguished service to the community, Kerry has been awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal and in 2019 received an Honorary Award of Doctor of Business from the University of Southern Queensland for his distinguished career and significant achievement in business, commerce and management. 
 
In 2021, Kerry was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). He has served on various Boards and been involved with many charitable, community and sporting organisations, including as a Director of St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Kerry is a member of the Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Brendan P. Baulch

Independent Director

B.Com, LLB, CA, MAICD

Brendan was a Director of the Heritage Bank Board from 2007 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. He is a Chartered Accountant based in Toowoomba. 

Brendan began his career with PriceWaterhouse in their corporate tax division in Melbourne, after which he spent a total of eight years in London, gaining international accounting experience in a range of business sectors including telecommunications (Cable & Wireless plc), investment banking (Société Générale) and insurance (Lloyd’s of London). 

Brendan is currently the principal of Baulch & Associates, a Toowoomba-based accounting practice providing taxation, audit and management accounting services. He is a registered tax agent and a registered company auditor. 

Brendan is Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Dr Dennis P. Campbell 

Independent Director

PhD, MBA, FCHSE, CHE, FAIM, GAICD

Dennis was the Deputy Chairman of the Heritage Bank Board from 2012 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. He joined the Heritage Bank Board in 2000. 

Dennis was previously a Chief Executive Officer in both the public and private health sectors. Dennis held the position of CEO at St Vincent’s Hospital, Toowoomba for ten years. He also served as a Corporate Director with Legal Aid, Queensland for ten years. He serves as a member of numerous Boards and Advisory Committees, representing both public and private health sectors and has legal and health qualifications. 

Dennis also serves as a trustee of the Queensland Museum Foundation, is Chairperson of the Friends Executive Committee of the Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba and is Deputy Chairman of the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board. In 2007, Dennis was awarded an Australia Day Medallion for his services to the Australian College of Health Service Executives. In 2008, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Leadership and Achievement in Health Services Management recognising his contribution and professional achievements in shaping health care policy at the institutional, state and national levels.

Dennis is a member of the Remuneration and Governance Committee and the Technology and Integration Committee.

Peter Clare

Independent Director

B.Com, MBA, FCPA, MAICD

Peter was a Director of the Heritage Bank Board from 2020 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. Peter has an exceptional banking resume and wide industry experience. He began his career as an Insolvency Practitioner with firms BO Smith and Son, Howarth and Howarth, and Ferrier Hodgson. After moving into banking, Peter held senior roles at Commonwealth Bank, and served on the senior executive leadership teams at both St George and Westpac. That included a two-and-a-half year period up to 2014 as the CEO of Westpac New Zealand. 

In recent years, Peter has served on a variety of boards in the technology and finance industries in Australia. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and an MBA from Macquarie University.

Peter is Chairman of the Risk and Compliance Committee and a member of the Technology and Integration Committee.

Stephen Davis

Independent Director

AAPI, MAICD

Stephen was a Director of the Heritage Bank Board from 2011 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. He is a registered valuer and previously a licensed auctioneer and real estate agent. He is also the Managing Director of Australian Strata Title Services Pty Ltd trading as Toowoomba Body Corporate Management. 

Stephen has been involved in community organisations and is currently the Deputy Chairman and Treasurer of the Toowoomba Hospice Association. Stephen was appointed as an inaugural director of Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation from 2018.

Stephen is a member of the Audit Committee.

Amanda Heyworth

Independent Director

BA (Accounting), MBA (AGSM), FAICD

Amanda was a Director of the People’s Choice Board from 2017 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. She is a professional company director serving on boards in the finance, property and university sectors. Amanda chairs UniSA Ventures and the Centennial Park Cemetery Authority and serves on the board of Ingenia Communities Group Limited and Housing Choices Australia. 

Amanda’s prior professional roles include running a venture capital fund, co-founding a tech start-up, working as an investment banker and as a federal Treasury economist. She also worked with not-for-profits in the housing, disability, social services sector as a board member and board adviser.

Amanda is a member of the Audit Committee and the Technology and Integration Committee.

Virginia Hickey

Independent Director

BA, LLB, FAICD

Virginia was a Director of the People’s Choice Board from 2014 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. She is a corporate governance specialist and company director with extensive experience in commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors. 

Virginia sits on the boards of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Energy Consumers Australia, sportsmed, Anglicare SA, and Agency Projects. She is Chair of the Public Trustee’s Audit and Risk Committee and of Department of Premier & Cabinet’s Risk and Performance Committee. She is also a facilitator in the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ national and international company director courses.

Virginia is a member of the Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Wendy Machin 

Independent Director

B.A. (Communication), M.Com, GAICD

Wendy was a Director of the Heritage Bank Board from 2019 until the merger with People’s Choice in March 2023. She has extensive experience in the financial services sector, the member-owned sector and in the political and regulatory realm. 

Wendy spent four years as Chair of the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA), the peak body for customer-owned financial institutions. She is currently Chair of Reflections Holiday Parks and the NSW Government Road Reclassification and Transfer Review. She is a Director of Golf Australia and Vice Chairman of the NSW Nationals.

Wendy has previously been the President and Chair of the NRMA; a Director of Destination NSW, Chair of ANCAP, Director of the NSW Forestry Corporation,  a Director of the Australian Automobile Association and the National Occupation Licensing Authority; as well as spending 11 years as a Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly, including a period as Minister for Consumer Affairs. She owns and operates a cattle property on the mid north coast of NSW.

Wendy is a member of the Risk and Compliance Committee.

John Patton

Independent Director

FCA, MAICD

John was a Director of the People’s Choice Board from 2016 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. He has extensive retail banking and risk experience in the mutual sector, and a background as a chartered accountant.

John was an independent non-executive director of Rural Bank from 2004 to 2016 and a director of Lifeplan Friendly Society from 2005 to 2013. For 14 years prior to these directorships, John was Chief Financial Officer of the Co-operative Building Society of South Australia and then Adelaide Bank Limited.

John is a member of the Audit Committee and the Risk and Compliance Committee.

Wendy Thorpe

Independent Director

BA, BBus, GradDip AppFin & Inv, AMP (Harvard), GAICD, FFin

Wendy was a Director of the People’s Choice Board from 2019 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. She has an extensive executive background in Banking and Financial Services, including roles as Chief Information Officer and Chief Operations Officer for AXA, General Manager of Institutional Technology for ANZ and Group Executive, Operations for AMP.

Wendy is Chair of both Epworth Healthcare and Online Education Services and is a Director of Tower, Data Action and auDA. Wendy was previously a Director of Ausgrid, AMP Bank and Very Special Kids and a member of Council at Swinburne University.

Wendy is Chairman of the Technology and Integration Committee.

Georgina Williams

Independent Director

BCom, BA, GAICD

Georgina was a Director of the People’s Choice Board from 2021 until the merger with Heritage Bank in March 2023. She has over 25 years’ experience in Banking and Superannuation, including roles as Group Executive at Australian Super and Head of Brand and Marketing at the Bank of Melbourne. She has also held a number of executive positions at NAB over many years in both Australia and the United Kingdom, which included roles in the commercial banking, wealth, strategy and marketing departments.

Georgina is currently Chair of United Nations Women Australia, a Director of Australian Retirement Trust and a Council Member of Deakin University. Georgina was previously a Director at Lifestyle Communities Ltd.

Georgina is a member of the Risk and Compliance Committee.

Peter Lock

Chief Executive Officer

MBA, BBus, GradDip AppFin, SF FIN, GAICD

Peter has more than 30 years' experience in the financial services industry, spanning insurance, business and corporate banking, and business development. 

He has held senior management roles at the Bank of Melbourne, St George Bank, and the Commonwealth Bank, following a career with the National Australia Bank. He has also run his own corporate advisory firm. 
Peter was the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank until the merger with People’s Choice in 2023.

Peter also serves on the Board of the Customer Owned Banking Association and the Board of the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals  

He has a keen interest in leadership and community, and has been part of numerous capacity-building committees in a mentoring capacity.

Steve Laidlaw

Deputy Chief Executive Officer 

BEc, BCom, FCA, FAICD, AMP (Harvard)

Steve has significant people leadership and executive management experience in the retail banking and finance industry.

Steve was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of People’s Choice from 2016 until the merger with Heritage Bank in 2023. Before being appointed CEO he spent four years as the organisation’s Chief Financial Officer. 

He previously held the Chief Financial Officer role with Rural Bank, now a part of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank group, for some seven years.

Maria-Ann Camilleri

Chief Member Officer

MBA (Exec), BA (Political Science), MAICD

Maria-Ann has more than 15 years' experience in executive roles in multi-brand companies, successfully delivering growth, transformation and change initiatives. This includes international experience in the banking and aviation sectors.

Before joining People's Choice in 2020, Maria-Ann was National General Manager of Virtual Banking Strategy and Customer Care at Westpac Group and was previously State General Manager VIC and General Manager at BankSA.

Peter Corolis

Chief Risk Officer

BComm, GradDip AppFin & Inv, GMB (Harvard)

Peter was appointed Chief Risk Officer at People’s Choice in 2016 and has over 20 years’ experience in banking and finance. 

Previous experience includes executive positions in banking operations and risk management at Rural Bank, and senior leadership roles with APRA. He has considerable experience in strategic planning, organisational design, risk management, program management and banking operations. 

Dan Dredge

Chief Transformation Officer 

MBA, BComm, BEcon, GAICD

Dan has more than 18 years’ experience in the finance industry across banking and insurance.

Dan joined Heritage in 2018 as Head of Corporate Development before taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2019.

Before that, he worked at Suncorp and Westpac in a range of senior roles covering strategy, financial markets, product management and sales leadership.  

Vince Pace

Chief Operating Officer

MAcctg, BComm, FCPA

Vince has spent more than 20 years in executive finance and treasury roles in the banking and utilities sectors.

Before being appointed Chief Financial Officer at People’s Choice in 2017, Vince was Chief Financial Officer at ElectraNet, the operator of South Australia’s electricity transmission network, and prior to that was the Head of Corporate Services and General Manager Finance & Treasury with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. 

Vince is Chair of Mutual Marketplace, a specialist procurement business delivering savings for the Australian mutual industry.

Kevin Potter

Chief Merger Integration Officer

BA, GradDip Bus, AMP (Harvard)

With more than 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, in Australia and the United States, Kevin has held executive roles encompassing risk, sales, distribution, operations, product and special projects. This includes significant experience in change management and business improvement. 

Prior to joining Heritage in 2017 as Chief Operating Officer, Kevin held executive positions with Suncorp Bank and National Australia Bank. He became Heritage’s Chief Merger Integration Officer in 2022.

Taryn Shearn

Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary

LLB (Hons), BComm

Taryn joined People’s Choice in 2012 and was appointed as General Counsel and Company Secretary in 2017.

Taryn has more than 20 years’ experience in legal in-house and private practice roles.

Prior to joining People’s Choice, Taryn practised in corporate and banking and financial services law.

Darren Stephens

Chief People Officer

GradDip WorkRel

A highly experienced human resources professional, Darren held senior roles in both Westpac and St George banks before joining Heritage in 2016.

Darren has also worked with Sydney Water, in several roles within the New South Wales public sector, and has run his own management consultancy in Sydney.

After joining Heritage as Chief People Officer he moved into the role of Chief Transformation Officer in 2019.  

Andy Weir

Chief Information Officer

MBA, GAICD

Before joining People’s Choice in 2022, Andy held executive roles with CBA, Bankwest and Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) in technology, transformation, change management, integration and retail banking.

He is an experienced executive leader specialising in large-scale strategic and digital transformations. 

Andy has also advised organisations such as Suncorp, ABN Group and others in relation to their transformation efforts.

Paul Williams

Chief Financial Officer

MBA, MA (Cantab), GradDip AppFin

Having worked in Australia and South Africa for various banks, as well as global advisory and commercial real estate services firms, Paul has more than 25 years’ experience in the finance and property industries.

Joining Heritage in 2000, Paul worked in several roles across Finance and Strategy, and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2016. 
 

Benn Wogan

Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer

BCom, LLB, MBA 

Benn has 20 years’ experience in corporate legal and governance roles, including advising on financial services regulation and compliance matters.  

Benn joined Heritage’s executive team in 2017, taking responsibility as General Counsel and Company Secretary. 

Before moving to Heritage, Benn spent nine years at PwC Australia, where he held senior legal roles, including Legal Director and Senior Legal Counsel.