Southern Cross University

The Council elected Sandra McPhee AM as the fifth Chancellor of Southern Cross University, commencing on 1 July 2021.  

Sandra has extensive experience as a non-executive director and senior executive in a range of major public, Commonwealth and State Government and not-for-profit organisations including utilities, energy, health, retail, tourism and aviation. 

She has served as a Non-Executive Director of Scentre Group, Westfield Retail Trust, AGL Energy, Kathmandu Holdings, The Coles Group, Fairfax Media Limited, Perpetual Limited, Australia Post, Tourism Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, Care Australia and Deputy Chair of South Australia Water. She was Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel appointed by the Commonwealth Government to review Employment Services. 

During her aviation executive career, most recently with Qantas Airways Limited, she was responsible for commercial operations in a diverse range of international markets and within Australia. 

Sandra is the Chair of the NSW Public Service Commission and a Director of St Vincent’s Health Australia. She is also a member of the Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of Chief Executive Women and Women Corporate Directors. 

In 2003, she was awarded the Commonwealth Medal for services to the community through business leadership. 

In 2013, Sandra was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to business and to the community through leadership and advisory roles. She was the author of the 2015 Commonwealth Public Service Commission Workforce Planning Strategy Report, ‘Unlocking Potential. 

As Chair of the Commonwealth Government Employment Services Expert Advisory Panel, Sandra was responsible for the resultant report ‘I Want to Work - Employment Services 2020’, which was accepted in March 2019, and recommendations are being adopted by Government.