CEO and Board of Directors
Michael Connaghan
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
After graduating from Charles Sturt University, Mr Connaghan commenced his advertising career winning a coveted Australian Federation and Advertising Graduate Scholarship.
After spending his first four years as a copywriter at Clemenger BBDO Sydney, Mr Connaghan travelled the world. He joined John Singleton Advertising in 1993 to guide the Telecom Australia account through the country’s telecommunication deregulation.
Throughout his 8 years at JSA, which later became Singleton Ogilvy & Mather, Mr Connaghan worked on a number of major Federal Government campaigns, including the Republican referendum, and handled a number of major public listings, including Qantas. He also ran the Lion Nathan portfolio of brands across Australia.
In 2001, Mr Connaghan moved to the listed holding company, STW Group Limited, as Managing Director of Diversified Companies. He represented the group’s interest and management participation in over 30 marketing communications companies, and oversaw acquisitions, expansion and growth of the Diversified Group.
Mr Connaghan joined JWT in January 2004 as Managing Director of ANZ, until his move back to STW and his appointment as CEO in January 2006. He was appointed as an Executive Director effective July 2008.
Robert Mactier BEC
Independent Non-executive Chairman
Mr Mactier was appointed as a Director of STW in December 2006 and Chairman effective July 2008.
Mr Mactier is a Senior Advisor to the Investment Banking division of UBS AG in Australia. He has extensive investment banking experience in Australia having worked for Citigroup, E.L. & C Baillieu and Ord Minnett Securities between 1990 and 2006. During this time, he was primarily focused on the media / telecom and private equity sectors and initial public offerings generally. Prior to these roles, he worked with KPMG from 1986 to 1990 where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Mr Mactier is currently also a Non-executive Director of Melco PBL Entertainment (Macau) Limited and Aurora Community Television Limited.
He is a member of the Audit Committee.
Russell Tate BCOM (ECON)
Deputy Chairman and Non-executive Director
Mr Tate was appointed as a Director of STW in 1987 and appointed Chairman effective 1 January 2006. He was Chairman up until July 2008 when he was appointed as Deputy Chairman and Non-executive Director.
Mr Tate joined the John Singleton Advertising business in November 1987. He was appointed Managing Director in 1992 and Group Managing Director of Singleton Group Limited in 1997. He has been the Group’s most senior executive officer since that time and served as Chief Executive Officer of STW between 2001 and 2005.
Miles Young MA (OXON)
Non-executive Director
Mr Young was appointed as a Director of STW in January 2006 and is the Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific.
His career in advertising has spanned Lintas, Allen Brady & Marsh and Ogilvy & Mather, which he joined in 1983. He was educated at Bedford School and also at New College, Oxford, where he took a first class degree in Modern History.
Mr Young was appointed to the Board of O&M Advertising in London in 1986 and as Client Services Director in 1988. In February 1990, he became Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather Direct in London, Chairman of ONM Dataconsult and Chairman of O&M Teleservices. He was a Regional Director of O&M Direct Europe from 1990 to 1995.
In his private life, he has been active in the London Government, and in a variety of work in the voluntary sector. He lives in Hong Kong, and is an enthusiast for contemporary Asian art.
He is a visiting Professor of Xiamen University and of Wanli Ningbo University. He is also co-founder of the Tsinghua-Ogilvy Programme for Public Branding, a joint venture with Tsinghua University, Beijing.
Anne Keating
Independent Non-executive Director
Ms Anne Keating was appointed as a Director of STW in 1995.
Ms Keating is currently a Director of Goodman International Limited, Goodman Funds Management Limited, Macquarie Leisure Management Limited, Macquarie Leisure Operations Limited and Spencer Street Station Redevelopment Holdings Limited. Ms Keating is also a member of the Advisory Council of ABN AMRO Australia and New Zealand and a Governor of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation..
Her former Boards include Insurance Australia Group Limited, NRMA, the WorkCover Authority of NSW, the Tourism Task Force and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Ms Keating was the General Manager of Australia for United Airlines from 1993 to 2001.
Ms Keating is a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Paul Richardson CA ACA MCT
Non-executive Director
Mr Richardson was appointed as a Director of STW in 1999.
Mr Richardson is currently a Director of WPP plc and a Non-executive Director of Chime Communications plc.
Mr Richardson became the Group Finance Director of WPP plc in December 1996 after four years with the company as Director of Treasury. He is responsible for the group’s worldwide finance function, including external reporting, taxation, procurement, property, treasury and internal audit. Previously, he spent six years with the central team of Hanson plc financing major acquisitions and disposals.
Mr Richardson is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Ian Tsicalas BCOM BA
Independent Non-executive Director
Mr Tsicalas was appointed as a Director of STW in November 2007.
Mr Tsicalas was Managing Director of Australian Discount Retail Pty. Limited (ADR) until May 2007. He successfully led the merger of the Australian discount variety retail businesses of Millers Retail Limited and The Warehouse Group Limited to form ADR in 2005.
Prior to this, Ian was Chief Executive of The Warehouse Group Australia and a Director of The Warehouse Group Limited.
Ian was also previously Managing Director of Commander Communications Limited and Howard Smith Limited.
Ian is a Non-executive Director of Allco Equity Partners Limited.
He is a member of the Audit Committee.
Graham Cubbin BECON (Hons)
Independent Non-executive Director
Mr Cubbin was appointed as a Director of STW in May 2008.
Mr Cubbin is currently a Director of the publicly listed Challenger Financial Services Group Limited and Bell Financial Group Limited, as well as ANZ Business Equity Fund Limited and is a former Director of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited.
Mr Cubbin was a Senior Executive with Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) from 1990 until September 2005, including holding the position of Chief Executive Officer for 13 years. Prior to joining CPH, Mr Cubbin held senior finance positions with with a number of major companies including Capita Finance Group and Ford Motor Company.
Mr Cubbin is Chairman of the Audit Committee.
