Board of Directors
The Screenrights Board is elected by members. Directors serve a three year term. Each year four directors resign and may stand for re-election. The Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer is Susan Casali.
Jill Bryant
Working predominantly in the production of live entertainment, formerly Director of Marketing, Asia-Pacific for BBC Worldwide. Originating Producer, Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Experience.
Director since 2003. Elected Chair 2006.
Ben Grant
Managing Director of Goalpost Pictures, with credits spanning three decades of award-winning feature films and television. Member of the Film Certification Advisory Board. Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ambassador for the Sydney Swans.
Director since 2013. Elected Deputy Chairman 2016.
Geoffrey Atherden AM
Writer and former president of both the Australian Writers’ Guild and Australian Writers’ Foundation, Geoffrey is well known for his multi award-winning television programs including Mother and Son, BabaKiueria and Grass Roots. Geoffrey has also served two terms on the board of Screen NSW, and in 2009 received an Order of Australia.
Director since 2016.
Larissa Behrendt
Professor Behrendt is a Eualeyai/Kamillaroi woman. Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney. Chair of the Humanities and Creative Arts panel of the Australian Research Council College of Experts. Board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tranby Aboriginal College and Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Director since 2017
Jonathan Carter
Head of the Legal, Corporate & Policy Group, APRA AMCOS. Management Committee, Copyright Society of Australia; Legal Committee, International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers; Steering Committee, Music Rights Australia; and Ethics Committee, Genea Limited.
Director since 2017.
Anne Chesher
Education consultant with PhD thesis “Television Content in the 21st Century Classroom”. Over 20 years’ experience producing online education creative media for the television industry (clients include ABC, SBS, Foxtel, National Geographic Channel). Former secondary school teacher and writer of ATOM study guides.
Director since 2014.
Kim Dalton OAM
Producer, distributor and broadcaster with over 40 years’ experience in the screen industry. Former CEO, Australian Film Commission; former Director, ABC Television. Chair, Freeview Australia; Chair, Asian Animation Summit and recipient of Order of Australia medal for service to the Australian film and television industry.
Director since 2015.
John Ford BA, LLB
Director since 1997.
Kelly Lefever
Kelly has written, script produced, script edited, story lined, and story edited more than 600 hours of TV for every free-to-air network in Australia. Her credits include Something In The Air, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Prisoner. Kelly is a Film Victoria Board member, and is on the Australian Writers’ Guild’s National Executive Committee.
Director since 2018.
Cathy Service
Over 20 years’ experience in the media industry. Former Head of Finance & Administration with BBC Worldwide Australasia. Currently Chief Operating Officer with KJA Engaging Solutions.
Director since 2011.
Victoria Spackman
Director of Te Auaha New Zealand Institute of Creativity. Co-owner of the Gibson Group, Board member of Education New Zealand and previous Board member of SPADA (the NZ Screen Production and Development Association).
Director since 2011.
Georgina Waite
Head of Business Affairs at the ABC, with over 24 years at the national broadcaster in her current role and within the ABC Legal department. Starting out as an Intellectual Property lawyer with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Georgina is a former lecturer in Media Law at UTS, lawyer at the Arts Law Centre of Australia, and board member of Metro TV.
Director since 2018.
Our People
James Dickinson
Chief Executive
Susan Casali
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Maha Ismail
Head of Member Services
Emma Madison
Head of Service Design
Mike Lynch
Chief Information Officer
Marie Foyle
General Counsel and Head of Policy
Annabel Holt
Member Relations Manager
Virginia Gordon
Public Affairs Advisor
Madeleine Donovan
Disbursement Service Manager
Gaëlle Clark
International Service Manager