KDR Directors

LINDA BARDO NICHOLLS

Chairman

Linda Bardo Nicholls, AO, is a corporate advisor and a director of a number of leading Australian companies and organizations. 

She is president of the Institute of Australian Company Directors (VIC DIV) and in 2007 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to Australian business, especially in the areas of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. Linda is chairman of Healthscope and a director of St George Bank, Sigma Pharmaceutical Group and Insurance Manufacturers Australia. 

She was chairman of Australia Post from 1997 to 2006.  Linda is a member of the Council of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for biomedical research and a trustee of The Conference Board.  She runs her own corporate advisory practice, specialising in business strategy in financial services and health care, and has more than 30 years' experience as a senior executive and company director.

 

MICHEL BLEITRACH

Chief Executive Officer, Keolis

Michel is a leading figure in France's transport and utilities sector and was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Keolis in 2005.

He began his career in the United States, working for Bechtel. On returning to France he took on a post in the French Ministry of Equipment. He continued his career in senior roles at Elf Aquitaine and the water, energy and waste giant, SUEZ. 

Michel gained significant experience in managing relationships with the French public sector during his time as Managing Director of SUEZ and brings with him an exceptional ability to form successful public-private partnerships.  Michel holds a Masters Engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique et des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, and a MBA from Berkeley.

 

PATRICK JEANTET

Executive Vice President International, Keolis

Patrick joined Keolis as Executive Vice President International in 2005. Since then he has overseen the company's continuous international growth, making a major contribution to the overall results of the Keolis group.

Patrick spent most of his career working abroad. He started his career working for Bouygues and Sogea, two of the world's leading construction groups. In 1997 he joined International Water, a company specialised in the development, financing and operation of water and wastewater projects, owned by Bechtel (the US engineering, construction, and project management group) and United Utilities, later replaced by Edison. There, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer of the company's largest subsidiary, the Manila Water Company (Philippines) and then took on the role of Chief Operating Officer of International Water.

Patrick brings with him a wealth of experience working with professionals in various geographical and cultural environments, including Asia, Africa, the UK and France. He has significant experience in managing projects, leading teams and negotiating contracts, as well as leading strategic business development, re-engineering and managing companies and turning shareholders' goals into actions and results.

Patrick holds engineering degrees from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées, as well as a MBA from CPA, a Paris based business school.

 

LEILA FRANCES

International Director of Projects, Keolis

Since joining Keolis in 2006, Leila has played an important part in the company's international business development, identifying new opportunities and following through with evaluation and delivery.

In her role as International Director of Projects, Leila has brought structure and professionalism to international bidding processes, improving the quality of tenders and increasing the rate of success.

Leila started her career in the rail industry as a Duty Manager for National Express Group. After this, she joined First Group as Service Manager and later took on the role of Franchise Bid Manager.

Before joining Keolis, Leila deepened her experience of operational management in the rail industry, by taking on the role of Route Director for c2c Rail Ltd. In her time there, c2c Rail Ltd was awarded London Suburban Rail Operator of the Year (2005) and became Britain's best performing rail company.

Leila has gained experience working for several major players in the UK rail industry over the past 10 years. She brings with her a valuable combination of operational management experience in reducing train delay minutes and improving customer satisfaction and retention, with strategic business development activities, such as winning various tenders and completing successful and complex mobilisation to time and budget.

Leila holds a BA in Applied Social Studies from Sheffield Hallam University and a MBA from Kingston University.

 

GEOFF KNOX

Chief Executive Officer Downer EDI

Geoff assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Downer EDI Group in 2008. Prior to joining Downer EDI, he was the Global Executive Director, Hatchcos Holdings; Executive Chairman Hatch Associates Pty Ltd; and Global Managing Director, Hatch Infrastructure.

He is the former president of BHP Engineering and vice president of BHP project management and has held senior roles with Baulderstone Hornibrook, Costain Australia and White Industries.

Geoff brings a diverse career spanning almost three decades across a range of aligned industry

sectors with a strong track record in infrastructure, engineering and construction. He has valuable experience in managing businesses in which the critical success factors lie in the disciplines of relationship management, people management, contracting and major project management.

Geoff holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the University of Western Australia and followed the Business School Executive Program of the University of Michigan.


PETER REICHLER

Chief Financial Officer Downer EDI

Peter Reichler is the Chief Financial Officer of Downer EDI, an Australian-listed top 100 company which provides comprehensive engineering and infrastructure management services to the public and private transport, energy, telecommunications and resources sectors in Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific.

Peter was employed in 2006 after spending over 14 years at Amcor in a variety of senior operating and financing roles, the most recent being Vice President Finance of Amcor's European Pet Packaging Group. In total, Peter has over 25 years of finance and management experience, working in Australia and Europe.

Peter has worked for a number of financial institutions and accounting firms including KPMG Peat Marwick, Schroder's Australia Limited, ANZ Capital Markets, Bank of America, Touche Ross and the Commonwealth Bank.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Financial Administration from the University of New England, Masters of Commerce from University of New South Wales and a Masters of Business Administration from Macquarie University. He also qualified as a Chartered Accountant and is a member of the Institute of Company Directors.

 

GUY WANNOP

Chief Executive Officer Downer EDI Rail Pty Ltd

Guy Wannop serves as Chief Executive Officer of Downer EDI Rail Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Downer EDI Ltd.

Guy has over 28 years of senior management experience working in Australia, the USA and South Africa. During this time Guy worked for a diverse spread of companies in the industries of engineering, manufacturing and security. Most recently Guy held the position of Divisional Managing Director (Asia Pacific) at Chubb Plc, before taking on his role at Downer EDI in March 2004.

 

  

TREVOR ROBERTSON

Executive General Manager - Growth and Development, Downer EDI Limited

Trevor is Executive General Manager Growth & Development for the Downer EDi Group and a member of the Downer EDi Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO. Trevor has undertaken Senior Executive and Consulting appointments in both the Public and Private Sectors for over 25 years.

A former Commander in the Royal Australian Navy, he is a Director of the Sydney Ports Corporation and Sydney Pilots Service. Trevor has provided advisory services and been employed in a range senior executive roles with a number of Australian and international blue chip companies over the past 25 years.His experience has a strong project focus working at the interface between government and commercial businesses.