FIONA ALLAN - Chair
Fiona Allan is a highly respected leader in the performing arts, known for her bold approach to transformation and championing innovation in the sector. She has held executive leadership roles across major international cultural institutions, including most recently as CEO of Opera Australia. Previously, she served as Artistic Director & CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, CEO of Curve Theatre, and Artistic Director of Wales Millennium Centre. She has also held influential industry Non-Exec positions, including President of UK Theatre and Chair of The Space, which funds and commissions digital arts in the UK. Currently she also serves on the Executive Council of Live Performance Australia.
A passionate advocate for the power of storytelling and new work, Fiona has led the development of numerous commissioning, incubator, and artist-support programs. She believes in fostering creativity while driving strategic change, ensuring that arts organisations remain artistically ambitious and financially sustainable. Her leadership is underpinned by a commitment to inclusivity, cultural relevance, and engaging new audiences.
As Chair of Hayes Theatre Co, Fiona brings her wealth of experience to support the company’s vital role in nurturing Australian talent and developing new musical theatre. She is dedicated to ensuring that Hayes continues to thrive as a hub for bold and distinctive new work.
DARREN CHALLIS - Deputy Chair
Darren is an executive and board search consultant. As Managing Director of Challis & Company, he has led many successful assignments to find Chairs, NEDs, CEOs, country managers and functional leaders across a range of industries. Before founding Challis & Company, Darren worked as a consultant with Egon Zehnder; a senior executive at Fairfax Media; a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, and a solicitor at Minter Ellison. Over the years, Darren has also served on a number of commercial and community boards. He has twice been elected to the University Council at UNSW Sydney, its governing body, where he also served on the University’s Finance Committee, Planning Committee and as a Governor of its Alumni Association. Darren is passionate about the arts, particularly musical theatre.
JENNIFER HUBY
Jennifer Huby is a partner of HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. She is a corporate and commercial lawyer with over 25 years’ experience, specialising in the areas of media and entertainment and intellectual property, and has worked extensively in theatre, live performance, music, film and television. She has acted for many leading producers of musical stage productions in Australia which has included negotiating licences and rights acquisitions for Australian productions of Broadway and West End productions, advising creators of original works, advising on financing and investment arrangements and negotiating agreements for theatre hire, merchandise, engagement of creative and cast, music licensing and cast albums.
BREE LANGRIDGE
Bree is a proud First Nations mother, creative and performer of the Palawa people of Lutruwita. Trained at Body Language Dance Studioʼs in Hobart, Bree then graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in Musical Theatre. Bree is currently the Co – Dance Captain/Swing for Australia’s tour of Moulin Rouge the Musical. Previously Bree was the Director/Choreographer for Altitude Theatre’s Once on this Island at La Boite Theatre, Associate Director/Choreographer for The Producers (Altitude Theatre), Shrek (GFO), Resident Choreographer for School of Rock (GWB), Dance Captain for The Wizard of Oz (GFO). Rachel Marron U/S in The Bodyguard (GFO), Side Show (One Eyed Man Productions & Hayes Theatre), Cats (RUG), Showboat (TPC), Truly Scrumptious U/S in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (TML), WICKED (GFO).
JACLYN LEE-JOE
Jackie has over 20 years of marketing and digital experience across media, tech and communications. She has worked in a myriad of global and regional roles around the world with well-known consumer brands including Netflix, BBC, Skype and Virgin. At the BBC, Jackie had oversight of more than 300 brands globally, fostering franchise brands such as Doctor Who, the Planet Series and Top Gear, and for developing new brands. Jackie was instrumental in helping to create new content experiences, partnerships and ways for communities to engage with BBC content globally. At Netflix, she brought her experience in media and entertainment together with a deep understanding of the internet and tech – building reach and fan engagement for a growing international content slate across an expanding range of genres, deepening partnerships, leading popular culture by fostering conversations around the world, and developing Netflix’s brand.
WAYNE MCKENNA
Wayne has had a lifelong interest in the performing arts since first performing on stage at an early age. He commenced his professional career in the performing arts as General Manager of The Queensland Ballet and went on to become Business Manager of Opera Queensland. He subsequently moved to Sydney to further his interest in commercial theatre where he has worked for The Gordon/Frost Organisation, Jacobson Entertainment and, more recently, Newtheatricals. Over the years he has been involved with a number of major theatrical productions including The Sound of Music (GFO), the world premiere production of Shout! (JE), The Witches of Eastwick (JE), Jersey Boys (NT), Rock of Ages (NT), The Addams Family (NT), The Blue Man Group (NT) and Legends! (GFO). Wayne has also worked for a number of years in the Government sector as the Business and Financial Analyst for the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council.
LOU OPPENHEIM
Lou is a strategic leader with more than 18 years experience in the performing arts, with a passion for connecting artists with audiences through the power of live performance, community engagement and the development of the next generation of artists and arts workers. She has an extensive background in venue management, leadership roles in producing companies alongside national and international touring.
Lou began her professional career at the global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), working across Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America in a breadth of industries ranging from telecommunications to transport.
Lou has worked in the performing arts since 2003 and is currently the Executive Director of Sydney Dance Company, a role that she has held since 2022.
Lou has held roles as the Director, Production & Events at the Sydney Opera House, Create Infrastructure Senior Manager (Create NSW), Circus Oz General Manager, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) Director of Operations. This followed a strategic planning role at the MSO made possible under a non-for-profit secondment through BCG.
Lou is a Board Member and Treasurer of Theatre Network Australia (TNA) and deputy chair of ELISION Ensemble. She has also been an Arts Administration Tutor for the Australian Youth Orchestra and Chair of the City of Yarra Arts Advisory Committee. Lou holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer) and Bachelor of Arts (German, Linguistics) from the University of Melbourne.
Alexis Moran - Board Observer
Alexis Moran is SBS & NITV’s inaugural Indigenous Standards Editor.
She is a proud First Nations woman, with her grandmother and great-grandmother both raised on Cherbourg mission on Wakka Wakka Country while her grandfather’s people are Yuin and Dunghutti.
In her role, Alexis works closely with senior editorial leads across the SBS network to set the highest editorial standards when producing First Nations stories and content and to ensure SBS delivers on their Indigenous Affairs Strategy and Elevate RAP commitments to amplify community voices daily.
Alexis was previously instrumental in growing and leading NITV’s digital and social platforms for the last 18 months, where she was the Managing Editor of the digital team.
Alexis brings a wealth of experience from her career to date, particularly at NITV and as a working journalist for the ABC.