Organisational Structure

Who's Who

QPAC is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Queensland Government. In collaboration with the Trustees, QPAC is managed by an Executive Group that is responsible for the operations and the achievement of the Centre's strategic priorities.
QPAC is a Statutory Authority of the Queensland Government with its responsibilities set out in the Queensland Performing Arts Trust Act 1977.

Board of Trustees

Henry Smerdon

BCom, BEcon, FCPA, MAICD Chairman (since July 2007 and Deputy Chairman since June 2000)
Henry Smerdon had a distinguished 36 year career in the public sector, including five years as the Under Treasurer and Under Secretary of the Queensland Treasury Department.

From the end of 1994 until April 1998, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Investment Corporation, an organisation he played a major part in establishing. Henry has served on a number of Government boards including Suncorp, the Queensland Industry Development Corporation (Deputy Chairman), Workers' Compensation, South Bank Corporation, Queensland Investment Corporation, three Government Superannuation boards (Chairman) and Q-Invest Ltd (Chairman). He also served as Government Statistician for five years.

Presently, Henry is Deputy Chancellor of Griffith University, a member of the Public Trust Office Investment Board and the Motor Accident Insurance Commission Advisory Board and Chairman of Brisbane Cruise Wharf Pty Ltd, Hyperion Flagship Investments and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Board. He also operates his own consultancy business, Strategic and Financial Consulting Services.

Bill Grant

Deputy Chairman (since July 2007 and Member since November 2006)

Bill Grant holds a number of board and board advisory positions, including a board member of the Urban Land Development Authority, Brisbane Airport Corporation, New Hope Corporation Limited, Life Without Barriers and the Business Development Association (BDA).
Previously, Bill held positions including CEO of South Bank Corporation and Newcastle City Council. He has significant experience in property development, venue management, local government and project management.

Jane Bertelsen

Member (since July 2007)

Jane Bertelsen is an experienced public sector manager and is currently Chair of State Library of Queensland, Deputy Chair of Sunwater and Chair of Burnett Water Pty Ltd. For over a decade she was Manager of Intergovernmental Relations in the Brisbane City Council and Secretary of the South East Queensland Organisation of Councils, which focused on the strategic goals of the region.
Jane holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Business Administration from Boston University, and is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Jane gained extensive experience in project analysis, policy development and economic research while working in Rome for the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Council. She has participated in international United Nations missions and conferences in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Ray Bolwell

Member (since November 2006)

Ray Bolwell recently retired from his position as Chairman of the Board of the Gold Coast Arts Centre (GCAC) a position he held since 1996.

Previously, Ray was an artist manager and worked in the American entertainment industry. When he returned to Australia, he established one of the first studios to produce both video and audio commercials for leading advertising agencies in Melbourne. He then began producing shows that played in both Australia and Asia.

Ray has undertaken studies in accountancy, law and business. He established the successful art gallery, Regency Galleries, and auction house Queensland Fine Arts.

Ray's past and present appointments include Chairman, Media Asia Pacific Limited; publisher and founder of TraveLeisure Magazine; and Chairing of Steering Committee for Queensland House with No Steps Building for Tomorrow Appeal.

Simon Gallaher

Member (since July 2007)

Simon Gallaher is the principal of Essgee Entertainment and its associated companies. He is best known to Australian audiences as a music theatre star, television star, concert performer, singer, musician, pianist, and songwriter.

Simon studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music before becoming a regular on The Mike Walsh Show and hosting his own variety show. He has won three Mo-Variety Awards, a Logie Award, Queenslander of the Year Commendation, Advance Australia Award and was twice voted Queensland's Entertainer of the Year.

In 1984 he made the transition to the stage in the Australian production of the Broadway smash hit The Pirates of Penzance. By 1992 Essgee Entertainment was a major concert presenter. In 1994 he created a new stage production of The Pirates of Penzance which received a triple-platinum video and an Aria Award for Best Musical Soundtrack.

In 2000 Simon marked 25 years in show business and returned to the concert platform. In 2007 Essgee launched Showstoppers an immensely successful initiative for young up-coming performers offering a series of music-theatre workshops using the cream of Australian show business talent as tutors and mentors.

Helene George

Member (since July 2007)

Helene George is Company Director of Creative Economy, a company internationally recognised for creative business development. Helene was a keynote speaker at the First International Cultural and Creative Industries Forum in Beijing, was a member of the Prime Minister's Working Party for Creativity in the Innovation Economy, and developed Australia's first Creative Industries Strategy for the Brisbane City Council.

Helene has over 15 years experience in management and consulting throughout Australia. She has worked as a manager of creative companies and facilities, export trade representative and as an executive in local government. In addition to successfully managing her own business for over a decade, she has been engaged as a business development consultant and policy adviser by both government and the private sector. Most recently she was honoured with a Leadership Award at the 2007 Future Leadership Summit by Australia's pre-eminent leadership organisation, AusDavos.

Paul Piticco

Member (since November 2006)

Paul Piticco has managed multi-platinum, multi-award winning Brisbane act Powderfinger since the bands inception in 1990.

Paul formed Secret Service Artist Management in the late 1990s and manages numerous artists including Bernard Fanning and The Grates. In addition, Paul created the Dew Process Recordings label in 2001 which has signed many gold selling Australian artists and distributes international artists in Australia and New Zealand.

Paul is heavily involved in live music through his annual arts and music festival, Splendour in the Grass and tour promotion business Secret Sounds. Paul curated and staged PAUHAUS: A Festival of Contemporary Music as part of the multi-million dollar re-launch of the Brisbane Powerhouse in June 2007. In the same year he co-promoted Across The Great Divide - a live tour of Australia and New Zealand headlined by Powderfinger and Silverchair. Across The Great Divide was carbon-neutral, and was presented by reconcile.org.au in an effort to reduce the gap in life expectancy of 17 years between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

In 2008 Paul added a further dimension to the now well established Dew Process Label with the creation of a publishing arm.

Rhonda White

Member (since July 2007)

Rhonda White is co-founder of the Terry White Chemists Group of pharmacies and Managing Director, White Retail Group Pty Ltd. Rhonda is also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She is a pharmacist and an organisational psychologist and consults to the retail industry, and currently owns and operates a number of pharmacies throughout Australia.

Rhonda has served on a number of boards including the Energex Retail Board, the Ergon Energy Board, the Australian College of Natural Medicine Advisory Board, the Nudgee College Foundation Board, the Terry White Chemists Board and she was Foundation Chairman of the Queensland Cancer Fund Volunteers Committee.

Rhonda was awarded the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World International Award in 2000, the National Business Bulletin - Business Star of the Year in 2000, the Pharmacy Guild Distinguished Service Award for services to the pharmacy industry in Australia in 2004, and a recipient of the 2006 Pharmacy Practice Foundation Medal of Excellence.

Executive Group

Chief Executive: John Kotzas
Director - Presenter Services: Ross Cunningham
Director - Patron Services: Helen Jacobe
Director - Marketing and Ticketing: Anne-Maree Moon
Director - Corporate Services: Kieron Roost
Executive Manager - Human Resources: Alicia Dodds
Executive Manager - Production Services: Bill Jessop