Our board

Members of the board

The Hon. Lisa Neville

Chair

BA, B Laws (Hon doc)

The Hon. Ms Neville was appointed Chair of the GWW Board on 24 April 2025. Ms Neville brings decades of experience in the water sector and government to this role. She is currently the Chair of Barwon Health’s Board, Chair of the Community Advisory Committee for Port of Geelong and is non-executive director of organisations including The Torch and Employers Mutual Limited. She also served as Minister for Water from 2014 to 2022 and held other senior positions during her 20 years in the Victorian Parliament.

Nicola Burgess

Director

B.Bldg (Property), B.Planning & Design, Post Grad Dip. Property, MBA, GAICD

Ms Burgess was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from October 2023. Ms Burgess is an experienced non-executive director, Chair, CEO and member of board risk and audit committees. As an executive, Ms Burgess has worked across many sectors with mid-cap, large public, government, listed and private companies in Australia and internationally. Ms Burgess has diverse experience leading commercial innovation, digital transformation, M&A post-merger integration, and growth ventures at companies including Deloitte, British Telecom and Australia Post.

Matthew Burns

Director, Deputy Chair

AdvDip (FinServices)

Mr Burns was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from July 2021. As a Taungurung Traditional Owner and current Chief Executive Officer of Taungurung Land and Waters Council, he has deep knowledge of the water sector through his associations with catchment management authorities and other water corporation boards. Mr Burns is currently a director on the Board of the Victorian Aboriginal Child & Community Agency, Maanamak Murrup and Director and Co-Chair of the Self-Determination Fund.

Deirdre Blythe

Director

BSc (Hons) FCA FAICD

Ms Blythe was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from October 2025. Ms Blythe is an experienced non-executive director and audit and risk committee chair and currently serves on the boards of Innovation Victoria and Queen Victoria Market, where she is also Chair of their Audit and Risk Committees, and biotech Cell Therapies. She is also Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. As an Executive, Ms Blythe worked as CEO, COO and CFO across health, financial services and the arts in the public, private, and not for profit sectors in Australia and overseas.

Cameron FitzGerald

Managing Director

Eng (Chem) Hons, GAICD

Mr FitzGerald was appointed Managing Director of GWW as of 2 February 2026. Mr FitzGerald brings extensive experience in the water sector, including leadership roles at Southern Rural Water, Melbourne Water and City West Water. He led major water security initiatives, including the Target 155 taskforce during the Millennium Drought, embedding water saving behaviours that remain integral to Melbourne’s water culture. Mr FitzGerald is committed to strategic planning that supports a sustainable and climate resilient future. His vision includes ensuring cultural knowledge and connection to Country are part of how we deliver water services for generations to come. His approach to leadership enables success through inclusion, collaboration, and the delivery of impactful outcomes.

Tien Kieu

Director

BSc (Hons) PhD GAICD FAIP

Professor Kieu joined the GWW Board in October 2023. He brings extensive experience in governance, public policy, research and innovation, with expertise spanning financial investment, data analytics, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Professor Kieu served as a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2018 to 2022, where he chaired and served on several parliamentary committees. He also served as a non-executive director of the Transport Accident Commission. Professor Kieu is a member of the Swinburne University of Technology Council and is actively involved in supporting Victoria's multicultural communities.

Aisha Nicolay

Director

MAICD, BBus (Acc) with Distinction, Major in Law

Ms Nicolay was appointed a Director of the GWW Board in October 2023 and chairs the Culture, Customer and Community Committee. She brings governance, audit and risk, customer and community, infrastructure and strategic growth experience across public-purpose, corporate, not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors, with a focus on inclusion, community wellbeing and sustainable public value. Ms Nicolay is also Chair of the Public Transport Ombudsman and Deputy Chair of the Port of Hastings Corporation.

Tony Peake OAM

Director

B.Bus, FCA, FAICD

Mr Peake was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from October 2025. He has more than 30 years of board-level experience spanning public, private and not-for-profit sectors. A former Senior Partner at PwC, Mr Peake held key leadership roles including Audit and Consulting Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director. At various times at PwC he was the Global, National and Victorian Leader of the Government and Public Sector practice. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants ANZ (FCA), and a Graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD). Mr Peake currently serves as a non-executive director of Domino's Pizza Enterprises (ASX:DMP), SIS Australia Holdings, PeopleIN (ASX: PPE), Bakers Delight, The Australian Ballet, Swimming Australia, Scanlon Capital, Brencorp Properties and is Chair of Museum of Australian Photography.

Cathy Whelan

Director

MAppSc (OrgDyn), Grad Dip Business, ADip. Welfare Studies

Ms Whelan was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from October 2025. Ms Whelan was born and raised in Melbourne's west on Wurundjeri Woi- Wurrung Country and has lived there for most of her life. She has held executive roles in local government and has been a member and chair of boards across the public and community sectors. Ms Whelan works as an organisational consultant to governments, public entities, peak bodies, NGOs and the community sector. She is interested in good service delivery, accountable governance and ever improving outcomes for the people, businesses, communities and natural environments that make up GWW’s catchment.

Paul Younis

Director

Eng (Civil). Grad Dip Bus. Grad Dip Law

Mr Younis was appointed a Director of the GWW Board from October 2025. Mr Younis brings extensive senior leadership experience across state and local government. As CEO in regional and large metropolitan councils and most recently the Secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning in Victoria, he has been committed to delivering outcomes for stakeholders and the community. Mr Younis has led major governance transformations in a range of public sector bodies from the transport sector, building and planning as well as managing large infrastructure projects as part of Victoria's Infrastructure program. He also brings board experience, most recently as a director for Infrastructure Victoria.