Board Of
Directors

The 2019 National Award for Residential Architecture | Whitlam Place | Freadman White in collaboration with Anon Studio | Vic | Photographer: Tom Ross

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BRINGING STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING VALUE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE AND TO IMPROVING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Australian Institute of Architects Limited and works closely with the Institute’s National Council and Executive.

GET TO KNOW OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

peter hobbs FRAIA
Board Chair and National Council Director

Peter Hobbs is a Perth based architect with some 35 years in the construction and design industry.

PETER HOBBS FRAIA

Peter Hobbs is a Perth based architect with some 35 years in the construction and design industry.

His professional life has been rich, diverse and stimulating, and has spanned small, mid-sized and large practice.

Peter’s early career was spent working under renowned Perth architect Brian Klopper, an architect builder whose work, while modern in planning, engaged with recycling, focusing on the innovative use of old and new materials, and the adaptive re-use of old warehouses into some of the first inner city apartment projects in Perth and Fremantle. Much of this time was spent on site physically building the projects, which culminated in Peter gaining Builders Registration in 1987.

In 1993, after some work experience in Paris, Peter joined JCY- a prominent Perth practice, and was made Director between 2004-2009. In this role he was responsible for many of the practice’s major urban design, commercial, educational and residential projects.

In 2009, Peter left JCY to found his own small practice, with a focus on social and affordable housing, multi-residential, childcare and commercial projects- a diverse range of work that provides me with insight into the vagaries that beset our current professional environment.

In addition, he sits on a number of Design Review Panels, including the City of Perth Design Advisory Committee. This brief work history demonstrates a breadth of experience that allows insight into all our membership, and to their everyday concerns at every scale of practice.

Peter’s involvement with the Institute began 12 years ago- and have served as a WA Chapter Councillor for six, and Chair of their Urban Design committee for eight. He is currently in his third year as WA State President.

sHANNON bATTISsON FRAIA
NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Shannon is an award-winning Canberra architect and Director of The Mill: Architecture + Design.

Shannon Battisson

Shannon is director of The Mill Architecture and Design and has worked in architecture for more than 15 years, with projects in Canberra, across Australia and internationally in her extensive portfolio. She has previously held the role of Chair of the ACT chapter’s Sustainability Committee and was jointly presented the ACT President’s Medal in 2017. In 2018 Shannon was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects ACT Chapter Emerging Architect Prize.

Bill Krotiris FRAIA
President Elect

Bill is a Principal architect at John Wardle Architects, a member of the Design Excellence Advisory Committee for Melbourne and our Vic Chapter President.

Bill Krotiris

Bill is a Principal at John Wardle Architects and the National President Elect for the AIA.

With an aptitude for negotiation, communication and collaboration Bill has an outstanding architectural pedigree that centres around large scale commercial and residential projects. Bill’s value is in the integrity he brings to each project. It is a meticulous approach that involves clarity, and confidence along with an ability to listen, question and involve himself in the process of successful architecture.

Bill was actively with the AIA’s production of the Code of Novation, a guideline for industry on current industry procurement practices.

In Melbourne, Bill sits on the Design Excellence Advisory Committee for the City of Melbourne, a committee platform for industry, academia, and community members to engage with a range of design challenges and opportunities in the City of Melbourne.

In 2020-21 Bill was selected to sit on the “Expert Reference Group” providing professional advice to the AACA project team for the preparation of the 2021 National Standard of Competency for Architects.

Bill has undertaken various fund-raising events including bike rides for the Property Industry Foundation personally raising thousands of dollars for youth homelessness.

Tony Giannone LFRAIA
Immediate past PRESIDENT

Tony is a Director of tectvs and an Industry Professor at The University of Adelaide.

Antonio Giannone FRAIA

Tony is a Director of tectvs, a mid-size multi-disciplinary architecture and interior design studio, which is celebrating 30 years in practice. He is also an Industry Professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at The University of Adelaide.

The scale and complexity of our multi-awarded projects are many and varied as the clients and industries we collaborate with; from educational facilities, civic and infrastructure, commercial and workplace, multi-residential, residential homes, adaptive reuse to urban design and master planning.

Tony is a registered architect in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales and has been an active contributor to the furthering of design practice across industry, profession, and education. He has been actively involved with the Australian Institute of Architects in various roles over many years as an Awards Juror, Chapter Councillor and State Chapter President.

He has been the facilitator of the TAP International Design Workshop programs from 2014 - 2019 between The University of Adelaide, Tongji University Shanghai and the Politecnico di Milano fostering international design collaboration of our future generation.

Jane Cassidy RAIA
National Council Director

Jane is a Director on the board of GHDWoodhead Architecture Pty Ltd, with over 25 years specialist experience in education, Defence, healthcare, and cultural institutions.

Jane Cassidy RAIA

Jane Cassidy is a registered Architect and a Director of GHD Woodhead Architecture Pty Ltd – Australia.

With more than 25 years’ experience across a diverse range of project typologies and scales, Jane is highly regarded for her effective stakeholder engagement, particularly within the complex demands of large-scale institutional environments.

Working as part of an integrated project consulting team at GHD, Jane leads the design of built environments that perform aesthetically, functionally, economically, socially and environmentally.

Jane is committed to upholding the standards of architectural excellence across the professional continuum from higher education, through registration and beyond. As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she brings experience of architectural education including 10 years teaching and course accreditation. She is a standing panel member of the AACA and the current ACT Chapter President at the Institute.

Jane believes architects have an important role to play promoting and implementing sustainable strategies that benefit all in our community, as we transition to a net zero economy.

As a National Council Director, she will advocate for the architectural profession and an inclusive membership engagement strategy.

Julian Crawford
Independent Director

Julian Crawford is the founder of EcoSTEPS, a sustainability strategy consultancy and a principal of the CFO Centre.

Julian Crawford

Julian Crawford is the founder of EcoSTEPS, a sustainability strategy consultancy and a principal of the CFO Centre.

Julian is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (FCA-CAANZ) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD). As a director of EcoSTEPS and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute, Julian is a leading advisor in the areas of ESG, sustainability strategy and reporting and climate change.

As a Director with EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, he was the inaugural CEO of the Australian Supply Chain Sustainability School providing sustainability thinking and practices to the built environment sector. Julian is a past President of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) with its global Sustainability Certification program.

Julian has a science and business background with a Master in Zoology from Oxford University, England and began his career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, working internationally in London, Brussels and then Sydney.

Dr Wesley McClendon
Independent Director

Dr Wesley Payne McClendon is Executive Director, McClendon Research Group

Dr Wesley McClendon

Dr Wesley Payne McClendon is Executive Director, McClendon Research Group, Inc., Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Advisory Panel, Masters of Change, Innovation and Leadership Program, Victoria Graduate School of Business, CEO and Chairman, The GROW Project Foundation, Non-Executive Director, Vortex Innovations and Non-Executive Director, Vertical Farming Australia.

As Executive General Manager, Head of People & Capability at GROCON and Group Director, People & Culture at Dar AL Riyadh, Wesley developed and automated the performance management, development and succession planning, and culture change capability at the largest privately owned construction, architecture and engineering professional services companies in Australia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, respectively.

As Managing Director and Professor, Edinburgh Institute, Wesley led the human capital management and leadership development practices and management consulting engagements in the UK, and expanded the business to Hong Kong. Wesley was previously Chief Strategy and Transformation Executive and Board Director at Gooroo (ASX-GOO); Partner and UK Practice Leader, Mercer HR Consulting; and Principle and Melbourne Practice Leader, Ernst & Young. Dr McClendon is author of more than 25 articles including “Seven habits of leaders in crisis” and 2 books including “Strategy, People and Performance.” A third book, “Leadership, People and Culture Due Diligence in M&A, Integration and Restructure,” will be published later this year.

Wesley has a Ph.D. and MSc. in Human Resource Management and Industrial Labor Relations from Pennsylvania State University. His soon to be published research on Leadership, People & Culture Due Diligence, was conducted as part of his DBA at Edinburgh Napier University Business School.

Shirley Chowdhary
Independent Director

Shirley is an internationally experienced Board and Executive contributor with a diverse set of credentials, committed to making effective systems change.

Shirley Chowdhary

Shirley’s current portfolio aims to create commercially sustainable and inclusive services for all members of our community. Her career has been driven by a strong desire to create a connection between people, place and purpose and this work was recognised when she was selected as one of the 2019 AFR 100 Women of Influence.

Shirley is an internationally experienced board director with a diverse set of credentials across law, financial services, funds management, the NFP sector and journalism. She is admitted to practice law in Australia and New York (after completing the New York bar exam) and has worked across Asia and Australia in the corporate and for-purpose sectors.

Career highlights include being Regional Counsel Asia Pacific for JP Morgan Investment Management; Chief Executive Officer for the GO Foundation, an Australian Indigenous organisation founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin; host of the Women’s Agenda podcast series The Leadership Lessons; and author of a range of writings including a biography for a WW2 POW.

Shirley is currently a non-executive director on the boards of the Australian Associated Press and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and is Chair of the Advisory Board of Octadoc, a health tech startup. She is consulting with a number of organisations including the Criterion Institute on gender-lens investing and the Paul Ramsay Foundation on systems change for the NFP sector. Shirley is a keynote speaker and presenter for Saxton Speakers and her portfolio includes an extensive array of mentoring and volunteering.

Board Of
Directors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BRINGING STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING VALUE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE AND TO IMPROVING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT