FAAA director among finance industry members named in Australia Day Honours List

The Governor-General has announced that 1,042 Australians have been included in the honours and awards as part of the Australia Day 2024 Honours List.

The honours list includes awards in the Order of Australia (general and military divisions), meritorious awards, and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.

There are a total of 739 recipients of awards in the general division of the Order of Australia (4 AC, 38 AO, 194 AM, and 503 OAM), as well as 20 recipients of awards in the military division of the Order of Australia (1 AO, 9 AM, and 10 OAM), 224 meritorious awards and 59 distinguished and conspicuous awards.

This list also includes 49 Australians recognised for their contribution in support of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the second consecutive honours list, the majority of recipients in the general division are women, at 50.5 per cent or 272 awards.

The youngest recipient in the list is 32 years old, while the eldest living recipient is 100 years old.

Several members from the finance industry were included in the list on Friday (26 January), including:

• Diana D'Ambra, a former partner of KPMG Australia and currently the non-executive director for Financial Advice Association Australia and the chair and non-executive director of Women in Banking and Finance, who was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the general division for her “significant service to the finance and banking industry as a mentor and director”.
• Catherine Livingstone AO, the former chair of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and current chancellor for the University of Technology Sydney, who was named a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the general division for “eminent service to business, particularly through governance and strategic reform, to tertiary education, to science, technology and innovation capability development, and to the arts”.
• David Koch, the Sunrise co-host and finance journalist, who is currently the economic director for Comparethemarket.com.au and co-founded the Australian Financial Press in 1990, was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the general division for his “significant service to media as a television presenter, and to economic journalism”.
• Pascale Helyar-Moray, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Grow My Money and a former head of investment trusts for JP Morgan Asset Management, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for “service to business, and to women's affairs”.
• James MacKenzie, the chair of the Victorian Funds Management Corporation and a former managing director for funds management and insurance at ANZ Banking Group, who has been named as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the general division for “distinguished service to business, and to public administration through leadership roles”.
• Susanne Dahn, an investment adviser, partner, and consultant for accounting firm Pitcher Partners and a non-executive director (NED) for HESTA Super and Victorian Traditional Owners Funds Management Limited, who was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the general division for her “significant service to business, to the finance sector, and to the community”.
• Graeme Grant, a former chair of CareSuper and former board member of ME Bank, who was granted a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for “service to the finance and superannuation sectors”.
• Linda Duncombe, the executive vice-president and chief marketing, data and digital officer for the Royal Bank of Canada and a former senior manager at Citi and National Australia Bank, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for “service to the financial sector”.
• Nicole Oborne, a PwC Australia partner and superannuation and asset management assurance leader and a mentor for Financial Executive Women, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for “service to the financial sector, and to the community”.

Announcing the list on Friday, the Governor-General said: “Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today’s Honours List. Recipients have made a difference and had an impact at the local, national and/or international level. Individually, they are inspiring and collectively, they speak to the strength of our communities.”

He added: “Recipients come from all parts of the country. They have served and had an impact in just about every field you can imagine; their stories and backgrounds are diverse. We value their service, thank them for their hard work and selflessness and, today, celebrate them.

“To each recipient: know that you have the thanks and respect of your nation. In my experience, most are humble and often try to deflect attention or praise – please enjoy the moment because your country has decided that you deserve recognition.

“To all Australians: our honours system belongs to all of us and the Order of Australia must reflect who we are. We can all nominate someone we admire and respect for recognition. Please consider doing so,” the Governor-General said.

Recipients announced in the list will be invested with their awards in the coming months, either by the Governor-General at Government House in Canberra, or by the state governors or administrator of the Northern Territory.