Elizabeth Proust AO

Elizabeth is currently Chairman of the Bank of Melbourne, Chairman of Nestlé Australia and Chairman of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Her former roles include eight years as a senior executive at the ANZ Banking Group, Secretary to the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, CEO of the City of Melbourne and Secretary of the Victorian Attorney-General’s Department. She also worked for BP Australia and BP International.

She has worked for both sides of politics, as Chief of Staff to the Victorian Premier, John Cain, and as head of the public service when Jeff Kennett was Premier.

Elizabeth was educated by the Good Samaritan sisters in Balmain and Wollongong, and worked for the Young Catholic Students’ movement after leaving school. She has a BA (Hons) from La Trobe University and a Law degree from the University of Melbourne.

She lives in Melbourne with her husband, Brian Lawrence, who is Chairman of the Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations. They have one daughter, Katrina Lawrence, who lives in Sydney with her husband, Andrew Cliffe, and their two young sons, Noah and Otto.

She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2010 for distinguished service to public administration and to business, through leadership roles in government and private enterprise, as a mentor to women, and to the community through contributions to arts, charitable and educational bodies.