Our board members

Committee: Audit Committee
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number:  (02) 9431 4000

Robert has been on the board since November 2002 and has been a member of the Society since 1986. He is a Chartered Accountant who has 21 years experience in Insolvency restructuring and business advisory services. Robert brings to The Society the expertise, energy and enthusiasm he applies as an Insolvency Practitioner which he utilizes in a creative and strategic manner to provide solutions to problems.

Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Diploma of Physical Education
Graduate Certificate Forensic Studies (Accounting)
Official Liquidator
Registered Trustee
Certified Fraud Examiner
Fellow Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants
Fellow Member, Australian Institute of Management
Member, Institute of Company Directors
Member, Insolvency Practitioners Association of Australia
Member, The Angus Society of Australia
Product Member, NSW Farmers Federation - Producer Member
Member, Meat & Livestock Australia
Member, Australian Olive Association
Member, Hunter Valley Olive Association

Committee: Audit Committee
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

As a current Director I have been very actively involved in the Wine Society since July 2001. I have an excellent knowledge of Co-operatives and a strong belief in and commitment to their underlying democratic principles. Past community involvement included, an Alderman of Sydney City Council, a Director of the Eastern Suburbs Area Health Service and as a National Serviceman in Vietnam. I have a very strong background in Banking, both overseas and in Australia. Currently the General Manager Australia of an International Finance Company, I am hands-on and strongly performance and results orientated. I am married with two children.

Qualifications and Experience
BCom(Qld), MBA(AGSM), CPA, FTIA, FCIM, FCIS, FFIN, AICD

Practical Board experience and corporate governance has been gained through Directorships of domestic and international companies both listed and unlisted. I have over 40 years experience in finance and banking and more recently in change management consulting, agriculture and product marketing. These life experiences, I consider, are essential elements for Board involvement in any intensely competitive industry grouping, including the Wine Industry. I am the managing partner of an ultra-premium Vineyard in north-east Victoria having extensive experience in the wine industry through family involvement over 40 years.

Greg is a barrister, with extensive experience in appellate, criminal, common and administrative law together with management skills and experience in the private and public sectors including over 40 years in the Army Reserve. He lives in Hobart and is married with three children. His firm management style together with extensive national and international wine experience and contacts has strongly influenced the Society′s wine tasting and evaluation processes.

Qualifications and Experience
AM, RFD, S.C., SJW, BA, LL.B
Senior Counsel with chambers in Hobart and Sydney.
National and international wine judge and member since 1971.
Director since 2003. Tasting Panel Member
Considerable management experience including Commonwealth and State statutory appointments as well as senior appointments in the Australian Defence Force.
Partner in Tasmanian vineyard and is instrumental in setting, and regulating, the wine styles for The Society labelled Tasmanian wines.

Other appointments/boards
Special Investigator, Cricket Australia
St John Ambulance Australia

Committee:Audit Committee (Chairman)
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Formerly the Investment Manager of Melbourne University, Geoff has served as Deputy Chairman of the Wine Society for three years, during which time he was instrumental in strengthening the financial base of the Society to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing wine industry. Geoff is strongly committed to the belief that an actively supported and well run co-operative can provide members with very tangible benefits and our own TWS label provides a good illustration. Geoff has been an active member of the Wine Society from the day he joined (30 years).

Qualifications and Experience
B.A., B.Ec., M. App Fin. CPA, FTIA, SIA
Extensive experience in the securities markets and investment management Geoff is an active consultant in addition to running a specialised food manufacturing business. He is an examiner and lecturer for the Securities Institute of Australia and is a research panel member of a substantial independent investment research group.

Thorough knowledge and understanding of the principles of good corporate governance, gained from service on a statutory board and a number of committees. Geoff has current directorships in a number of private companies.

Committees: Sales & Marketing Committee (Chairman)
Wine Committee
Tasting Panel member
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Lance has been a member of The Wine Society since 1965 and has worked in the wine industry for 30 years in several senior positions. He has managed wineries in the Hunter and Barossa Valleys and was the longest serving General Manager of The Wine Society. Lance has been a director of The Wine Society since 2005. He was for several years a judge at the NSW Wine Awards. When General Manager at Australia’s largest independent liquor store, Lance was selected as NSW Liquor Store Manager of the Year in 2003. He now operates his own consultancy business and is currently a director and Treasurer of the Liquor Stores Association of NSW Inc. Lance is a past director and a current member of the Wine Communicators of Australia.

Qualifications and Experience
General Manager, The Wine Society 1987 – 1996
Wine Show Judge
Tasting Panel Member, National Liquor News
Feature Writer for a leading liquor trade magazine
NSW Liquor Store Manager of the Year 2003
Director, Liquor Stores Association NSW Inc.

Independent Director 
Committee: Wine Committee (Chairman)
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Ian′s winemaking career began in 1959 as Trainee Winemaker at Berri Co-op Winery and Distillery (BCWD) where he remained for twenty four years, completing a three year Roseworthy Diploma of Oenology in that time and working short stints at Orlando, Lubiana and Emu Wines. During this time he gained a thorough grounding in all facets of wine and brandy production and was appointed Chief Winemaker at BCWD in 1976.

In 1983 Ian joined Seppelt as their Chief Winemaker and Victorian Regional Manager based at the company′s Great Western winery. Following the formation of Southcorp Wines, of which Seppelt was a key brand, he was appointed Southcorp Wines Chief Winemaker in 1991, a position he held until his retirement in April 2001 after which he established a small consulting company. Significant projects completed under his direction were the development of Seppelt Salinger (one of Australia′s most highly regarded sparkling wines) and Penfolds Yattarna (arguably Australia′s most sought after chardonnay)

Currently regarded by many as Australia′s most senior wine judge he has been show judging since the mid 1970s and has been Chairman of Judges for the Canberra National, Adelaide, Perth, ACT, Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Mt. Barker, Hunter Valley, Riverland, Victorian Wines, Ballarat and Lilydale wine shows. He has also judged at wine shows in California, New Zealand and South Africa. He is still actively involved in wine show judging in Australia and overseas.

He has been a Tutor at the annual Len Evans Tutorials since their inception in 2001.

From the late 1980s until mid 2004 he was a consultant to QANTAS Airways as a member of their wine selection panel.

He has been a Director of The Wine Society since 2004.

Since his retirement from a full time position with Southcorp Wines he has been retained as a Consultant in a number of capacities by various winemakers in Australia, Chile and South Africa.

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Paul Foster has done what many of us might wish we had; he has made a love of fine wine into a career. He was born in Sydney in 1946 and went to school there. He attended Sydney University where he studied Arts and Law and he worked for a time for a Sydney-based firm of solicitors. He became a teacher at Sydney's Jesuit school St. Aloysius College, where he was a senior English teacher and Year 12 Master, but chose to make an interest into a business after winning the French Champagne Authority's Vin de Champagne Award.

On quitting teaching, Paul joined Appellation Wines & Spirits, an Australian company that imported and distributed French, Italian, Chilean and New Zealand wines.

In 1993 he joined The Wine Society. He was a member of its wine selection panel and responsible for writing its monthly magazine. He became the Society's Winemaster and oversaw the development of its now extensive wine education and wine events programmes. He hosted dinners, lunches and tastings and well as planning and leading wine tours in Australia, Italy and France. He was instrumental in developing the Wine Society's Young Winemaker of the Year Award.

Paul is today an independent contractor. He currently writes for a national magazine, and has had published guides on wine storage and investment for The Sydney Morning Herald. He continues to host events, conduct wine appreciation classes, conduct wine tours, and speak at conferences and product launches.

Milestones:

• winning the New South Wales Wine Press Club Wine Writing Award, 1989
• winning admission, in France, to the Wine Brotherhood of St Stephen of Alsace, 1990
• winning the Professional Section of the CIVC (the French Government's Champagne Authority) Vin de Champagne Award, 1993
• creating and presenting a QANTAS inflight series on Australian wine, 1999 and 2000
• hosting The Wine Society Young Winemaker of the Year awards in 2002, 2003 and participating in the judging of finalists in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
• donating his services by way of hosting numerous charity functions including events for The Centenary Institute, ASX-REUTERS Charity Institute and The Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute
• being published in magazines in Australia, New Zealand and the USA
• devising and conducting wine tours for Australian wine lovers in France and Italy, the most recent being an exclusive visit to the top producers of the Loire and Bordeaux regions
• continuing to participate in judging wine on The Society's selection panel

Committee: Corporate Governance Committee (Chairman)
Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

I was formerly a director of The Wine Society in 1998/99 and was appointed in September 2004 to fill a casual vacancy on the Board of the Society.I was re- elected to the Board in the November 2004 election. Experienced with a sound and up to date knowledge of Co-operatives and Associations.

Qualifications and Experience
Executive Management with a National Rural Services Company
Executive Management positions with a national financial institution
Past President of the Wine and Food Society of NSW
Former Director of the Federation of Australian Wine and Food Societies
Former Director The Song Company
Fellow of the Australian Institute of Banking and Finance