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Elizabeth Johnstone

Elizabeth Johnstone

Senior Consultant
About

Elizabeth Johnstone works with the Australian managing partner and international leadership team on a range of strategic initiatives. In her past legal career as a Corporate Partner and practice head for Company Law and Governance, she focused on corporate advisory work for listed companies and commercialisation and outsourcing for government bodies in Australia, Asia-China, Indonesia, Thailand and the United States.

Elizabeth has experience in financial services, tourism, resources, telecommunications, health, property and engineering sectors including board and board committee exposure on complex transactions and sensitive regulatory issues.

Elizabeth has extensive engagement with public company boards including on major commercial transactions. She combines her strategic role at DLA Piper with various appointments to a range of boards and also chairs a CEO Circle Group where CEOs of large organisations gather regularly to discuss current issues and challenges.

Areas of FocusCorporate

EXPERIENCE

Elizabeth is the current Chair of the ASX Corporate Governance Council

  • Working for a number of large listed Australian companies and for large unincorporated joint ventures in the resources sectors on company law, and governance issues including directors' duties, disclosure, change of control, reputational issues, and off shore anti-bribery
  • Advising on governance, process and probity issues in relation to large scale federal and state government procurement, PPPs and privatisations, including defence and urban renewal projects
Education

    Pro Bono

    • Ruralco Holdings Ltd  (current)  Chair Audit and Risk Committee
    • ASX Compliance Pty Ltd
    • KinCare Group of Companies (Chair)
    • Macquarie University Hospital Operations Ltd (member Audit Committee)
    • Royal Flying Doctor Service (South East Section) Chair Audit and Risk Committee
    • Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce
    • Sydney Writers' Festival (Member of Finance Committee)
    • Member Appeals Panel Royal Australasian College of Physicians
    • Previously member Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (2005-2012)
    • Previously served for 10 years as an appointed member Australian Press Council
    • Foundation Board member of the Australian Compliance Institute
    • Director of the Media and Communications Board

    Insight Overview

    She speaks by invitation on governance at international conferences and facilitates numerous events for directors and senior executives.

    Publications

    Elizabeth was the lead author of the Australian chapters of the following books: American Bar Association publication on corporate governance, Getting the Deal Through - Governance, and Getting the Deal Through - Anti-Corruption.

    Seminars

    Elizabeth is widely credited for her leadership of a series of regular roundtable discussions with directors, senior executives and company secretaries.

    Memberships And Affiliations

    • Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
    • American Bar Association International Developments in Corporate Governance

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