Circular 23/22 Appointment of Independent Directors to RSL NSW Board

Two Independent Directors have been appointed to the RSL NSW Board, following the vacancies noted in the Board Communique issued 1 December 2021.

The Board comprises a maximum of ten non-executive Directors of which at least one but not more than two must be Independent Directors appointed by the Board (Independent Directors) and the remainder of which (Elected Directors) are elected by Service Members in accordance with the RSL NSW Constitution.

A comprehensive recruitment process was led by Elected Director John Hutcheson, Chair of the Nominations Remuneration and Performance Committee. A selection committee, which included two members of the District Presidents’ Council, was formed and conducted interviews of six candidates to fill the vacancies. The District Presidents’ Council endorsed the appointment of Dr James Hungerford and the reappointment of Sophie Ray.

The selection committee noted that it was pleasing to again see the high level of interest and calibre of applicants for the Board positions, particularly considering that the RSL NSW Directors are volunteers.

The RSL NSW Board thanked outgoing Independent Director David Bell for his valued contribution after he chose not to apply for reappointment.

Dr James (Jim) Hungerford, Independent Director RSL NSW Board

Jim Hungerford served in the Australian Army Reserve for nine years. He is the CEO of The Shepherd Centre, a world-leading provider of therapy and supports for children and teenagers with hearing loss, enabling them to develop outstanding spoken language and other communication skills. He is also Board Chair of First Voice, the peak body for leading charities supporting children with hearing loss and is a Director on the Board of Fundraising Institute Australia.

Prior to moving to the for-purpose sector, Jim was a senior executive in the international veterinary pharmaceutical industry. He brings an extensive range of skills to the Board including, but not limited to, the following:

• Advocating and contributing to policy dialogue with government at the state and federal levels
• Strategic fundraising and with philanthropic and government grants and fundraising processes
• Governance across health, education, for-purpose, and government sectors.

Sophie Ray, Independent Director RSL NSW Board

Sophie Ray applied for reappointment as an Independent Director and participated in the competitive recruitment process. Sophie has been reappointed as an Independent Director for a further three years.

If you have any questions regarding the appointment of the Independent Directors, please contact support@rslnsw.org.au