Skip to main content

Growthpoint has a Board for both our listed company and our wholesale property funds. See biographies for Board members, below.


Growthpoint Properties Australia (ASX: GOZ) Board of Directors

Ross Lees

MAF, B.Bus (Prop Econ) | Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

Term of office

Ross was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director and to the Board in May 2024.

Professional experience

Ross has over 20 years of experience in real estate investment management and operations across, listed, unlisted and institutional property funds. He has worked across the office, industrial, retail, healthcare and agriculture sectors.

Previously, Ross held several senior positions with the Centuria Capital Group, most recently serving as the Head of Funds Management. 

Prior to joining Centuria, Ross held senior transactional and asset/portfolio management positions at Dexus, LOGOS Group and Stockland.

Other directorships and positions

Ross is currently an Executive Committee Member of the Property Funds Association and Chair of its Environment and Sustainability Committee.

Board Committee Membership

  • Investment Committee

Andrew Fay

BAgEc (Hons), A Fin | Independent Chair

Term of office

Andrew was appointed as a Director of the Board in December 2022 and Chair in March 2023.

Professional experience

Andrew is an experienced company director across ASX listed, private and regulated entities. He has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, including investments, funds, property, and infrastructure management. Senior executive roles included Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Deutsche Asset Management (Australia) as well as Regional Chief Investment Officer (Asia Pacific) for the broader Deutsche Asset Management group. Prior to Deutsche Asset Management, he held senior executive roles at AMP Capital, and from 1998 to 2006 was a member of the Investment Board Committee of the Financial Services Council.

Andrew was formerly a non-executive Director of Pendal Group Limited, Spark Infrastructure RE Limited, South Australian and Victorian Power Networks, Gateway Lifestyle Group, Deputy Chair of Cromwell Property Group and an alternate Director for Dexus Property Group.

Other directorships and positions

Andrew is currently a non-executive Director of Integral Diagnostics Limited, National Cardiac Pty Limited and Utilities of Australia Pty Limited (Trustee of Utilities Trust of Australia).

Board Committee Membership

  • Nomination, Remuneration and HR Committee

Estienne de Klerk

BCom (Industrial Psych), BCom (Hons) (Marketing), BCom (Hons) (Accounting), CA (SA) | Director

Term of office

Estienne was appointed as a Director of the Board in August 2009.

Professional experience

Estienne has 27 years of experience in banking and property investment. He has held senior roles at Growthpoint Properties Limited for over 21 years, with responsibility for mergers, acquisitions, capital raisings and operating service divisions.

Estienne is a past-President of the South African Property Owners Association.

Other directorships and positions

Estienne is currently Growthpoint Properties Limited’s Chief Executive Officer: South Africa. He is also a Director of V&A Waterfront Holdings and Chairman of the SA REIT Association. 

Estienne is not considered independent due to his position at Growthpoint Properties Limited. 

Board Committee Membership

  • Chair – Investment Committee

Deborah Page AM

BEc FAICD FCA | Independent Director

Term of office 

Deborah was appointed as a Director of the Board in March 2021.

Professional experience

Deborah has extensive executive experience, having held senior financial and operational roles at a number of leading Australian companies, across the property, financial services, technology and legal sectors. Prior to this, she was a partner at Touche Ross/ KPMG Peat Marwick.

Deborah was formerly Chair of Pendal Group Limited and Investa Office Fund, and a former non-executive Director of Investa Property Group, GBST Holdings Limited, Australian Renewable Fuels Limited and Service Stream Limited.

Other directorships and positions

Deborah is currently a non-executive Director of Magellan Financial Group Limited, Brickworks Limited and The Star Entertainment Group Limited, and a member of the Takeovers Panel.

Board Committee Membership

  • Chair - Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
  • Investment Committee

Norbert Sasse

BCom (Hons) (Acc), CA (SA) | Director

Term of office

Norbert was appointed as a Director of the Board in August 2009.

Professional experience

Norbert has over 27 years of experience in corporate finance dealing with listings, delistings, mergers, acquisitions and capital raisings, and over 20 years of experience in the listed property market. 

Other directorships and positions

Norbert is the Group Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Growthpoint Properties Limited. He is also a Director of V&A Waterfront Holdings, and Capital & Regional plc and Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited.

Norbert is not considered independent due to his position at Growthpoint Properties Limited. 

Board Committee Membership 

  • Nomination, Remuneration and HR Committee

Josephine Sukkar AM

BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Ed | Independent Director

Term of office

Josephine was appointed as a Director in October 2017.

Professional experience

Josephine is co-owner and Principal of construction company Buildcorp, founded 34 years ago with her husband Tony. She is a professional company director, a Fellow of the University of Sydney and a Member of the Order of Australia.

Josephine was formerly the Chair of the Australian Sports Commission, Chair of the Sport Diplomacy Advisory Council (DFAT), Chair of the Australian Women’s Rugby Union, a member of the Nominations Committee of Rugby Australia and the Australian Rugby Foundation, a Non-Executive Director of The Trust Company, the Property Council of Australia, Opera Australia, the Centenary Institute of Medical Research, the Parramatta Park Trust and the YWCA NSW.

Other directorships and positions

Josephine is currently a Non-Executive Director of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and the Green Building Council of Australia. She is a Trustee of the Australian Museum Trust and Chair of the Buildcorp Foundation.

Board Committee Membership

  • Chair – Nomination, Remuneration and HR Committee

Panico Theocharides

B.Com (Hons (Acc)), CA (SA) | Director

Term of office

Panico was appointed as a Director of the Board in April 2023.

Professional experience

Panico has over 20 years of executive leadership experience in listed real estate investment trusts and the investment banking advisory industries. He has held senior financial and operational roles at Investec and Sasfin Bank, and was previously Joint CEO of Annuity Properties Limited and CEO of Annuity Asset Managers and Annuity Property Managers.

Panico was formerly a non-executive Director of Transcend Residential Property Fund Limited, a non-executive Director and Chair of the Investment Committees of two Westbrooke Group property funds (Westbrooke Alternative Tourism Property Fund and Westbrooke Student Accommodation Property Fund).

Other directorships and positions

Panico is currently Group Head of Investments at Growthpoint Properties Limited and is a member of its Executive Committee. He also serves as a non-executive Director of Capital & Regional plc and Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited

Panico is not considered independent due to his position at Growthpoint Properties Limited.

Board Committee Membership

  • Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee

Michelle Tierney

GAICD, MBA, PostGradDipBusAdmin, BArts | Independent Director

Term of office

Michelle was appointed as a Director of the Board in April 2023.

Professional experience

Michelle is an experienced senior executive and board member across ASX  and NZX organisations respectively. She has over 20 years of executive experience in the property and funds management industry having held senior executive, funds management and property roles with National Australia Bank and The GPT Group. Prior to her appointment, Michelle was Chief Operating Officer for Region Group (formerly SCA Property Group).

Michelle was formerly an executive Director of SCA Unlisted Retail Fund RE Limited and served as alternate Director of the Shopping Centre Council of Australia. 

Other directorships and positions

Michelle is currently a non-executive Director of Stride Property Group (ASX: SPG), Peet Limited (ASX: PPC) and Uniting NSW.ACT. Michelle is also a Director of Cotton Research & Development Corporation as appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Board Committee Membership

  • Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
  • Investment Committee

Growthpoint Wholesale Property Funds - Board of Directors

In addition to our Growthpoint Properties Australia Board we have a Board for Growthpoint’s wholesale property funds - Growthpoint Investment Management (formerly Fortius Funds Management1). See biographies for Board members below.

Edwin Zemancheff

Dip Law, FAPI | Independent Chair

Edwin was appointed to the Board in November 2009.

Edwin has over 35 years of experience specialising in all aspects of commercial property law advising both local and international clients on a wide range of significant and complex market leading transactions. 

Edwin was formerly a senior partner and head of the Global Real Estate practice at Baker & McKenzie. Edwin has been retained by leading Australian and International clients including Real Estate Investment Trusts, Property Funds and Asset Managers as a “Trusted Advisor” on significant multi-practice and multi-jurisdictional client mandates.

Edwin has held non-executive Directorships across a wide range of property and resources industries as well as serving on the Board of a large and diversified Australian Family Office.

Katherine Allchin

B.Bus, GAICD | Independent Director

Katherine was appointed to the Board in February 2017.

Katherine has over 25 years of experience in financial services sales and marketing working with institutional investors and across retail platforms. 

Previously, Katherine held several senior positions at Barclays Global Investors (BGI) including Managing Director and Head of Distribution. She was a member of the BGI Australia Executive Committee for over 10 years, founder of the BGI Women’s Initiative, and a Responsible Officer.

Katherine is currently a shareholder and Executive with Vinva Investment Management Limited, and a non-executive Director with the UCA Funds Management Limited Board.

Ross Lees

MAF, B.Bus (Prop Econ) | Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

Ross was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managin Director and to the Funds Management Board in May 2024.
 
Ross has over 20 years of experience in real estate investment management and operations across, listed, unlisted and institutional property funds. He has worked across the office, industrial, retail, healthcare and agriculture sectors.
 
Previously, Ross held several senior positions with the Centuria Capital Group, most recently serving as the Head of Funds Management.  
 
Prior to joining Centuria, Ross held senior transactional and asset/portfolio management positions at Dexus, LOGOS Group and Stockland.

Sam Sproats

B.Fin Admin, GAICD | Executive Director, Funds Management

Sam joined Growthpoint in 2022 and leads the Group’s funds management business. He has been a member of the Funds Management Board since May 2018.

Sam has over 27 years of experience in real estate funds management, project delivery and asset management. Sam joined the Executive Management Team on the completion of the acquisition of Fortius Funds Management Pty Ltd by Growthpoint in September 2022.

Prior to joining Growthpoint, Sam was Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Fortius, holding senior executive positions since joining in 1998.