Growthpoint Properties Australia 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
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 real estate investment management experience and a deep understanding of commercial property markets, funds management, asset management, mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets.
He has previously held senior leadership positions at Centuria Capital, Dexus, LOGOS and Stockland.
Ross holds a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Business (Property Economics) from Western Sydney University. Ross has also had active involvement with both the Property Council of Australia and the Property Funds Association.
Board Committee Membership
- Investment Committee
Andrew Fay
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
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
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 is a member of the Takeovers Panel.
Board Committee Membership
- Chair - Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
- Investment Committee
Norbert Sasse
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, 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
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
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 and 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
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 and Development Corporation, an Australian Commonwealth Government entity under the Primary Industries Research and Development (PIRD) Act.
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 Pty Ltd (formerly Fortius Funds Management Pty Ltd1) (GIM). See biographies for Board members below.
Edwin Zemancheff
Edwin was appointed to the GIM 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
Katherine was appointed to the GIM Board in February 2017.
Katherine is an accomplished professional with over 30 years of distinguished experience in retail and institutional funds management in both executive and board member roles. Katherine possesses a deep understanding of financial markets, superannuation and asset management with a proven ability to spearhead transformative changes in both start-up and established businesses.
Katherine is a non-executive Director of True Infrastructure Ltd and Chair of Corporate Governance Committee of Vinva Investment Management. Previously she had independent director roles at Infrastructure Capital Group, Total Risk Management- Russell Superannuation Funds, and UCA Funds Management.
In her executive career she held senior positions at Barclays Global Investors (BGI) including Managing Director, Legal and General, Deutsche Funds Management, Pembroke Financial Planners and IBM.
Ross Lees
Ross joined Growthpoint in 2024 as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director and was appointed to the GIM Board in May 2024.
Ross has over 20 years of real estate investment management experience and a deep understanding of commercial property markets, funds management, asset management, mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets.
He has previously held senior leadership positions at Centuria Capital, Dexus, LOGOS and Stockland.
Ross holds a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Business (Property Economics) from Western Sydney University. Ross has also had active involvement with both the Property Council of Australia and the Property Funds Association.
Sam Sproats
Sam joined Growthpoint in 2022 and leads the Group’s funds management business. He has been a member of the GIM 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 business 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.