Our Board of Directors share Bank First's philosophy of providing customers with a fair deal and superior service and are elected by customers via ballot.
Bernie brings to the Board extensive educational experience in rural and metropolitan schools as a classroom teacher as well as executive manager. Her leadership expertise resides in long-term strategic planning, building capacity in teams and sustaining and expanding growth in organisations.
She has coached individuals and teams, and facilitated workshops for aspiring leaders with an emphasis on building positive environments which sustain and empower. She understands the interdependence between schools and their communities and how high levels of trust enable productivity. Her governance experience includes school councils and executive roles with VASSP (Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals). She led the Victorian chapter of Principals Australia for three years. Bernie joined the Board as Intern in 2010, was elected by the Members in 2011, and was appointed Chair of the Board in 2015.
Bernie is also a Director of Youthrive, a rural foundation which provides support and opportunities for young people to build agency and capability.
Graeme has completed a Management Development program at the Harvard Business School. He is also a:
Senior Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
He has had a career of over 40 years in banking and finance and held many senior Board and executive management positions with major European and Australian banks. He is an independent Non-Executive director of the RACV, Chairman of Australian Settlement Ltd. Graeme joined the Board in May 2013 and commenced as Chair of the Risk Committee in January 2015.
Stephen is an experienced health care executive who has worked in a range of roles in hospitals, aged care, community organisations and central bureaucracy in both metropolitan and rural settings in Australia and New Zealand. Stephen is currently CEO of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Stephen is passionate about improving health outcomes through good public health and service provision as well as driving organisational performance through embedding an organisation’s mission and values into its fabric and advancing a shared culture of passion, learning, accountability, and continual improvement.
As a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Stephen has held a number of Non-Executive Company Director roles.
Judy Crowe has had a long-term commitment to education, fulfilling many roles, including twenty years as a principal in three Victorian secondary schools. She spent twelve years as Principal of Melbourne Girls’ College and completed a three-year term as the President of the Victorian Association of State School Principals in early 2018. She also served on the Council of Deakin University and the National Executive of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools.
Judy co-founded and previously chaired Ourschool Ltd, an organisation to develop alumni networks in Victorian state schools. Judy joined the Bank First Board in August 2018, graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors in preparation for this role.
Jo is a non-executive director and corporate executive with over 30-years experience in the financial services sector. She is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. During her career she has held senior positions with Deloitte in both Australia and the US, and National Australia Bank within the areas of insurance and funds management.
Jo is also a non-executive of Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI), Pacific Current Group Ltd (ASX: PAC), AMA Group Ltd (ASX: AMA), PSC Insurance Group Ltd (ASX: PSI) and Independent Trustee Director and Chair of the Investment Committee of Vision Super. Jo joined the Board in August 2014.
Mark has had a geographically diverse 30-year commercial banking career with broad based leadership roles in Wholesale and Consumer Banking, Human Resources, Corporate Affairs, Sustainability and Country CEO roles in Japan and Thailand. Mark is a Non Executive Director of ASX listed Beonic and serves as Chair of a global children’s charity
Mark is also an Executive Coach and Mentor for Stephenson Mansell Group. He graduated from the University of Bristol, UK with a Bachelors degree in Philosophy and Economics and has completed various leadership courses in Oxford, Insead and the London School of Economics. Mark lives in Sydney. Mark joined the Bank First Board and Risk Committee in March 2020. Mark chairs the Governance, Culture, Risk and Assurance Committee.
