Helen Coonan

Helen was appointed Chair of the APAC Advisory Board in Sydney in 2016 to help spearhead opportunities for growth and expansion locally and in the APAC region more broadly. As a former Senator in the Australian Parliament, Cabinet Minister, and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Helen has a key understanding of the impact of government, regulation, and the public sector on business operations and investment. Since transitioning from Parliament to the private sector, Helen has taken up an extensive portfolio of corporate and charitable roles, including an advisory practice.

Current appointments include directorships to the boards of Crown Resorts Limited and Snowy Hydro Limited. She is the Chair of the Crown Board Audit and Governance Committee, Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, and Chair of the Crown Foundation. At Snowy Hydro, Helen chairs the Board Retail Energy Committee and serves on the Safety, Operations, and Environment Committee. Government appointments include Chair of Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Trustee of the Board of Sydney Opera House. In the private sector, Helen is the Chair of Supervised Investments Limited and the Co-Chair of GRACosway Pty Limited, part of the Clemenger Group. She is on the Advisory Board of J.P. Morgan and is a consultant to Samsung Australia, Aon, and Quantium.

A key influencer in Australian business and political circles, Helen is frequently sought out to provide keynote addresses at conferences and to contribute at media events. She recently headed a 40 strong delegation of leading Australian businesswomen to Israel and has actively mentored younger women in their corporate careers and political aspirations. She is a weekly panel contributor on Sky News Business—discussing politics and the implications for the business environment.

Helen has identified an opportunity for Allegis Partners to participate in a public/private sector coalition including representatives from most sectors of the economy to recruit and retain Australian Defence Force talent as they transition from active duty. Helen is keen to expand these opportunities to assist transition of top talent in sport, politics, academe, and the public sector to corporate roles.