# Helen Nugent

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Australian company director, businesswoman and former academic (born 1949)

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**Helen Marion Nugent** [AC](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (born 13 February 1949) is an Australian company director, businesswoman, and former academic.

## Early life and education

Helen Marion Nugent was born on 13 February 1949.[1][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*]

Nugent completed a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours and a PhD from the [University of Queensland](/source/University_of_Queensland) (UQ), and earned a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from the [Harvard Business School](/source/Harvard_Business_School).[2]

## Early career

She taught Indian history and Asian culture at UQ from 1971 to 1980.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] She was professor in management and director of the MBA Program at the [Australian Graduate School of Management](/source/Australian_Graduate_School_of_Management) at the [University of New South Wales](/source/University_of_New_South_Wales) from 1992 to 1994, where she also taught courses in strategic management.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

After undertaking her MBA, she commenced her business career at [McKinsey & Company](/source/McKinsey_%26_Company), where until 1991 she was a partner specialising in financial services and the energy and resources sectors.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Subsequently, from 1994 to 1999, as Director of Strategy at [Westpac Banking Corporation](/source/Westpac), reporting to the CEO, [Bob Joss](/source/Robert_L._Joss), she was a member of the Executive Team, responsible for a major turnaround in the Bank's performance.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Company director

Nugent currently[*[when?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*] serves as chairman of [Ausgrid](/source/Ausgrid) and a Non-Executive Director of IAG. Previously, she has been Chairman of [Veda Group](/source/Veda_(company)), [Australian Rail Track Corporation](/source/Australian_Rail_Track_Corporation), [Swiss Re (Australia)](/source/Swiss_Re), Funds SA, and Sydney Airport.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In addition, she has been a Non-Executive Director of [Macquarie Group](/source/Macquarie_Group) (for 15 years, until 2014), [Origin Energy](/source/Origin_Energy) (for 14 years, until 2017), Carter Holt Harvey, Mercantile Mutual, State Bank of New South Wales, [Herbert Smith Freehills](/source/Herbert_Smith_Freehills), and [Australia Post](/source/Australia_Post).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Community organisation management

In the arts, Nugent was chair of the 1999 Major Performing Arts Inquiry, often referred to as the Nugent Inquiry[3][4] or Nugent Review. [David Gonski](/source/David_Gonski) was a member of the committee.[5]

She also chaired the federal government's National Opera Review.[*[when?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*][6][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*] She was deputy chair of [Opera Australia](/source/Opera_Australia), Deputy Chairman of the [Australia Council](/source/Australia_Council), and chaired the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

She was appointed [Chancellor](/source/Chancellor_(education)#Australia) of [Bond University](/source/Bond_University) in 2009, at which time she was also a director of the [Garvan Institute of Medical Research](/source/Garvan_Institute_of_Medical_Research).[7] She has also been president of [Cranbrook School](/source/Cranbrook_School%2C_Sydney), and a member of Council of [Monash University](/source/Monash_University).[2] She was also a member of the panel that reviewed Australian higher education for the [Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations](/source/Department_of_Education%2C_Employment_and_Workplace_Relations) in 2008.[8]

From 1 January 2017 she has been chair of the [National Disability Insurance Agency](/source/National_Disability_Insurance_Agency) and on 1 July 2019 began a two-year term as chair of the [National Portrait Gallery of Australia](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(Australia)).[9]

## Honours

In 2001 Nugent was awarded a Centenary Medal and in 2004 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for service to the performing arts, to business and the financial services industry, particularly in the area of corporate governance and to the community".[10] Nugent was promoted to Companion (AC) in the [2022 Australia Day Honours](/source/2022_Australia_Day_Honours) for "eminent service to people with disability through leadership of social and economic policy reform and implementation, to business, to the arts, and to the community".[11]

In recognition of her community contribution and career, in 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business by the University of Queensland; and in 2018 Bond University awarded her an Honorary Doctorate.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-whoswhoinaus_1-0)** *Who's Who in Australia*. ConnectWeb. 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-UQ_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-UQ_2-1) University of Queensland (2010). [Citation – Dr Helen Nugent AO](http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=20151). Retrieved 13 March 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Nugent, Helen (1 July 1999). ["Securing the future: major performing arts"](https://apo.org.au/node/17634). *final report*. Retrieved 25 March 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Major Performing Arts Inquiry](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Completed_inquiries/1999-02/gst/report/e03)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-goliath2002_5-0)** Lawson, Valerie (18 April 2002). ["David no less than a Goliath in his can-do world"](https://www.theage.com.au/national/david-no-less-than-a-goliath-in-his-can-do-world-20020418-gdu4wp.html). *[The Age](/source/The_Age)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [National Opera Review](http://arts.gov.au/national-opera-review).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Healy, Guy (10 March 2009). ["Helen Nugent named chancellor at Bond"](http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/appointments/helen-nugent-named-chancellor-at-bond/story-e6frgckf-1111119090122). *[The Australian](/source/The_Australian)*. Retrieved 9 August 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Review of Higher Education - Expert Panel"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160103023838/https://www.ssc.gov.au/decomissioned/deewr-gov-au). Archived from [the original](https://www.ssc.gov.au/decomissioned/deewr-gov-au) on 3 January 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Search results"](https://www.directory.gov.au/search/site/Helen%20Nugent). *www.directory.gov.au*. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** It's An Honour (2010). [Helen Marion Nugent](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1056779) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190403104723/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1056779&search_type=simple&showInd=true) 3 April 2019 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Retrieved 13 March 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2022_Honours_SMH_11-0)** ["Australia Day 2022 Honours List"](https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-day-2022-honours-list-20220125-p59r53.html). *Sydney Morning Herald*. Nine Entertainment Co. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

Academic offices Preceded by Trevor Rowe Chancellor of Bond University 2009-2016 Succeeded by Annabelle Bennett

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Helen Nugent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Nugent) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Nugent?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.