Kelly O'Dwyer

The Hon. Kelly O’Dwyer is a Non-Executive Director of HMC Capital Limited (ASX:HMC); HCW Funds Management Limited, as Responsible Entity of HealthCo Healthcare and Wellness REIT (ASX:HCW); EQT Holdings Limited (ASX:EQT); Barrenjoey Capital Partners Group Holdings Pty Ltd; and the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. Ms O’Dwyer has deep government and strategic leadership experience, with a focus on economic and tax policy, Australia’s financial regulatory framework, corporate governance, risk and compliance, change management, stakeholder engagement, gender equity, and the shifting external environment. She brings insights across a range of sectors including funds management, superannuation, insolvency, small business, consumer affairs, workplace relations, foreign investment, law and banking. Ms O’Dwyer previously served in the Australian Parliament as a Senior Cabinet Minister holding several key economic portfolios including Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations; Minister for Revenue and Financial Services; Minister for Small Business; and Assistant Treasurer. She also served on the Cabinet’s Budget Committee (the Expenditure Review Committee) and held the portfolios of Minister for Women; as well as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister with the Public Service. Amongst other things, during her time in Government, Ms O’Dwyer helped cut both company and personal income tax; made significant reforms to the superannuation system and financial services regime; overhauled taxation and insolvency laws; facilitated crowd sourced equity funding to support entrepreneurship and innovation; established the Women’s Economic Security Statement; and made the biggest reform to employment services in more than 20 years to help more Australians into work. She was internationally recognised as one of the most inspiring and influential women of 2018 in the BBC’s 100 Women list. Ms O’Dwyer has also been celebrated as the youngest woman appointed to Cabinet, the first woman to serve in Cabinet in a Treasury portfolio and the only Cabinet Minister to have given birth whilst in office. Prior to entering Parliament, Ms O’Dwyer worked in law, government and finance. For more than 18 years, Ms O’Dwyer has been a passionate supporter of Very Special Kids, a charity that cares for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. She was a member of the VSK Hospice Rebuild Capital Fundraising Committee that helped raise $22.5 million to deliver a new world class centre, as well as international best practice in care. Ms O’Dwyer is a Corporate Council Member of the European Australian Business Council, an Advisory Group Member of Kearney ANZ, a Council Member of Caulfield Grammar School and a member of Chief Executive Women. Ms O’Dwyer holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne. She is married with two young children and lives in Melbourne.