The Board
Under the Constitution, the Chairman and the DrinkWise Australia Executive are required to be demonstrably independent of the liquor industry. The Chairman will ensure that DrinkWise Australia has an effective and cohesive Board, with a strong emphasis on consensus decision-making, and will guide the development of broad approved strategies, policies, plans and budgets. The Board will consist of six representatives from the industry and six community representatives (drawn from law and order, social marketing, health fields and other areas as may be deemed appropriate).
Chairperson, Patricia Worth
Trish Worth is Chair of the NSW Government Alcohol Educational Taskforce & Health Consultant to Client Solutions. Her career in health has ranged from Registered Nurse and Midwife to Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing (2001–2004). This most recent government role gave her responsibility for drugs and alcohol, mental health and suicide prevention. Previous government positions have also seen her serve as Federal Member for Adelaide, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, and the first female Government Whip in the House of Representatives. Her parliamentary duties have ranged from a UN conference on Population and Development in Thailand and Vietnam, to party spokesperson in Papeete, protesting against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Her associations with humanitarian organisations extends to Amnesty International, UNICEF and Patron of the Justice for Cyprus Co-ordinating Committee, SA, to the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance and Honorary Member, UNESCO Commission. Ms Worth has also served on numerous parliamentary committees ranging from Foreign Affairs and Defence and Trade, to Community Affairs, Education, Health and Women’s Issues, to name but a few. Trish Worth’s long and varied political career means brings an extraordinary wealth of experience and knowledge to DrinkWise.
Industry Representatives
Eleanor Craig, Chairman, DSICA
“Several years ago the alcohol industry identified the need for a new organisation to tackle alcohol abuse in Australia. I am absolutely delighted to see that what was an idea just a few years ago has now become a reality. This is without a doubt the most exciting development in the alcohol industry for the last two decades. I am also heartened to see the wine, beer and spirits industries unite under the one banner to promote the message of responsibly drinking. DSICA and its members, both overseas and in Australia, have long been involved in programs to encourage responsible drinking. These programs will of course continue, but DrinkWise Australia will provide an independent structure with a dedicated and ongoing brief to reduce harm from alcohol misuse, and to examine strategies to change some of the negative aspects of Australia’s drinking culture. By combining the resources, experience and knowledge from across the alcohol industry, as well as by drawing on the experience and expertise of the non-industry representatives, I have no doubt that DrinkWise Australia will provide a real service to the Australian community into the future. I would encourage all stakeholders in the Australian alcohol industry to get behind this initiative and support DrinkWise Australia.”
Mal Higgs, President, Australian Liquor Stores Association
The Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) represents the over 4,000 liquor stores in Australia and is proud to support DrinkWise Australia. ALSA, which has been involved in this significant initiative since its inception, believes DrinkWise Australia will address the real issues surrounding the misuse of alcohol in Australia. For far too long, these issues have been talked about, without there having been any long-term, sustained programs developed to deal with them. As retailers, we are at the ‘sharp end’ of seeing how alcohol is used in today’s society and are well aware of some of the more negative aspects of its use. DrinkWise Australia, as a truly independent organisation, will lead the debate in creating a truly sustainable drinking culture in Australia.
Brian Kearney, CEO, Australian Hotels Association (Victoria)
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) is firmly committed to the principles of ‘Customer Care’ and ‘Responsible Service of Alcohol’ in effectively contributing to minimising misuse and abuse of alcohol in our community. Such initiatives underpin the commitment of hotels in providing a safe and family friendly environment. The AHA is now pleased and proud to be actively involved with DrinkWise Australia in promoting a healthy and responsible drinking culture in Australia. As a genuinely independent community and industry partnership, DrinkWise Australia is poised to really make a difference as we continue to address the challenge of alcohol misuse and abuse.
Philip Laffer, Winemakers Federation of Australia
Philip Laffer has been employed in the wine industry since 1963, initially with Lindemans Wines Pty Ltd as a winemaker. He resigned from Lindemans in 1990 with the position of Executive Director - Operations and Chief Winemaker, having also spent three years during that period as Marketing Director and Deputy Managing Director. From 1990 to 2005 he was employed by the Orlando Wyndham Group, first as Operations Director, then Company Winemaker, Chief Winemaker and Director of Viticulture and Winemaking. He is currently the Group Chief Winemaker at Pernod Ricard Pacific.
Jamie Odell, Chairman, Australian Associated Brewers
Jamie Odell is Managing Director of Foster’s in the Australian and Asia Pacific region with responsibility for the sales and marketing of Foster’s extensive portfolio of beer, wine, spirits and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Jamie joined Foster’s in April 2000. He was promoted from Managing Director of the Asia Pacific region of Beringer Blass Wine Estates (BBWE) to the position of Chief Operating Officer in early 2004. After leading Foster’s Wine Trade Operational Review, he became Managing Director of BBWE at the beginning of 2005. Following Foster’s acquisition of Southcorp Wines in mid 2005, Jamie Odell became Managing Director of the combined international wine business, Foster’s Wine Estates. On 1 August 2006, Foster’s adopted a simplified, regional structure, whereby Jamie took over the newly created role of Managing Director Foster’s Australia, Asia & Pacific. Jamie has more than 25 years’ experience in the beverage sector in Australia, Asia and Europe. Before joining Foster’s, he was Regional Vice President (Asia Pacific) Allied Domecq Duty Free, responsible for sales through travel-related channels in Asia and Australasia. Prior roles with Allied Domecq included Managing Director of URM Brands in the UK and Managing Director of Tetley Australia, based in Melbourne.
Jamie graduated with an MBA from the University of Sussex and a Diploma in Wines and Spirits (Hons) from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, London. He became Chairman, Australian Associated Brewers in 2006.
Andrew Reeves, Managing Director, Lion Nathan
“Creating a sustainable drinking culture, encouraging moderation and reducing the harm of alcohol misuse, is in everyone’s best interest. The health of our customers and communities is at stake, as is the alcohol industry’s long-term future. That is why Lion Nathan Australia is absolutely committed to DrinkWise Australia and its goal of minimising the negative aspects of Australia’s drinking culture. We in the industry know that endless talk on pricing, advertising and availability alone will not solve the problem of alcohol misuse. We need an organisation that can refocus the discussion on answering the more complex questions around changing what is culturally acceptable when drinking takes place. We also need an organisation that can work closely with governments and community groups on developing campaigns that empower individuals to make better choices when drinking. The anti drink-driving campaigns over the last decade have shown that changing the behaviour of Australian drinkers is possible. I believe DrinkWise Australia can have a similar impact on binge drinking and intoxication.”
Community Representatives
Noel Turnbull
Noel Turnbull is a Director of Growth Solutions Group and Adjunct Professor in Communications at RMIT University. Noel has had 35 years experience in communication strategy, issues management and journalism. Noel has served as an Australian Army officer, a Parliamentary Press Secretary, and was Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority communications head, before establishing his own public relations consultancy, which went on to become Australia’s largest. Noel was TPN’s CEO, Chairman and a Porter Novelli International Global Director until his retirement. He has been President of the Melbourne International Arts Festival; Chairman of the RMIT Communications Faculty Course Advisory Committee; Chairman of Visions of Australia; National Book Council Chairman; and a Leadership Victoria Council Member. Noel has published two books, A History of Port Melbourne and recently The Millennium Edge. He is currently Deputy President of the Victorian College of the Arts Council; Victorian Writers Centre Patron; and an editorial advisory board member of a number of Australian and international communications journals. Noel is an honorary Doctor of Communication (RMIT University) and Fellow of both the Public Relations Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Neil Comrie
Neil Comrie joined the Victoria Police in 1967. By 1977 he was promoted to Sergeant and within two years was leading a team of investigators in the Licensing, Gaming and Vice Squad where he was tasked with the suppression of prostitution and vice related matters. In 1982, Neil was seconded to lead the Delta Task Force, a specialist unit established to investigate child exploitation. This Task Force was instrumental in exposing the existence of a highly organised paedophile network and was responsible for the apprehension of a substantial number of adult offenders for serious criminal offences committed on children within Australia and overseas. Between 1984 and 1989, Neil was promoted to Inspector where he led the Vice Squad then Criminal Investigation Branch then Detective Superintendent, State Crime Co-Ordination. In this role, Neil was directly in control of the major crime squads and responsible for the co-ordination of major crime across the State.
In 1990, Neil was recruited to the Queensland Police Service as an Assistant Commissioner. In 1992 he was lured back to Victoria as Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police. During his term of office as Chief Commissioner, Neil achieved a reputation as a reformist, bringing about major structural, procedural and cultural changes in the Force. He received the Australian Police Medal in 1994. Neil retired from Victoria Police in March 2001 after eight years of service as Chief Commissioner. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2000. Since 2001 Neil has been a Member of the Premier’s Drug Prevention Council (PDPC) and has chaired a number of Ministerial and Departmental Reviews related to Corrections Victoria. From 2001 to 2005 Neil was appointed as Visiting Professor, Faculty of Business and Law at Victoria University, Melbourne and in 2006 he was appointed Adjunct Professor at the same University.
Professor Ross Kalucy
Professor Ross Kalucy graduated MB.BS with Honours from Sydney University in 1965. He then trained at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, firstly as a General Physician and then as a Psychiatrist. He pursued a postgraduate research career at the University of London St George’s Hospital Medical School over a five year period and had particular research interests in psychosomatic disorders, obesity, weight disorders and sleep disorders. He was appointed to the position of Senior Lecturer, University of London in 1974.
On returning to Australia in 1976, Professor Kalucy was appointed as Foundation Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, and became Dean of the School of Medicine at Flinders in January 1989, a post he held for two years, before returning to the Chair of Psychiatry. Currently, he is Head of Academic Dept of Psychiatry and Director, Emergency Mental Health; Senior Clinical Director of the Southern Regional Mental Health Services and the Rural Mental Health Services of South Australia; the Chairperson for the Impaired Doctors Committee Medical Board of South Australia, and Visitor C.R.C Aboriginal and Tropical Health.
Professor Kalucy has done many consultancies for State and Federal Health Services in the mental health area, Aboriginal health and Health Administration. Professor Kalucy’s areas of expertise include Ethics of Public Health Practice, Aboriginal Health, Weight Disorder and Medico-Legal Issues and a special interest in Alcohol-related Disorders and the Impact on Health and Disease.