Stephen Brown was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2015. He was appointed Board Chair in October 2023.
Stephen Brown has held senior executive positions in the banking and finance industry with KPMG, ANZ, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, RSD
Chartered Accountants and Rural Finance Corporation. He has held various other governance roles and is currently a director of Vision Super and an independent member of the City of Greater Bendigo Audit and Risk Committee.
Having completed a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Stephen is a Chartered Accountant. He is also a registered Company Auditor, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Stephen is a member of the board’s Audit and Finance Committee, People and Culture Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Rosemary Bissett was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2015.
Rosemary Bissett is the Head of ESG Risk Management at National Australia Bank and a director and chair of the Risk Committee at the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia. She is also a member of several advisory boards and committees including the
Technical Advisory Panel for Environmental-Economic Accounting and the Melbourne University Sport Advisory Board. In 2023-24, Rosemary was included in the Financial Standard (FS) Sustainability ESGPower 50.
Rosemary has a Master of Business Administration, Master of Applied Science (Analytical Chemistry), Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Education and Bachelor of Education, as well as being a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Rosemary is chair of the board’s Opportunity and Risk Committee and a member of the People and Culture Committee and the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Angela Verde was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2019.
Angela has extensive executive level leadership experience within state government and the not-for-profit sector and is a former regional director of Regional Development Victoria in the Hume region.
She has worked in clinical, research, management, policy and governance roles and is currently the deputy chair of the Albury Wodonga Health Board. She was also previously a director and deputy chair on the Goulburn Ovens TAFE Board having served on the board from 2016 to 2022.
Angela’s board roles have included membership of sub-committees responsible for primary care and population health, audit and risk, remuneration and succession, people and safety, finance, governance and quality.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Diploma of Business Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Angela is chair of the People and Culture Committee and a member of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Victoria Schmidt was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2019 and was appointed Deputy Board Chair in October 2023.
Victoria is a technology and transformation consultant specialising in system implementation projects, change management and culture initiatives, corporate services and customer engagement.
She has held previous board positions in the banking, public health and early childhood sectors.
Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a GAICD qualification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Victoria is the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and a member of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Jonathan Green was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2021.
Jonathan Green is the current board chair of Albury Wodonga Health, former board director of Murrumbidgee Local Health District, and former board chair of Northeast Health Wangaratta.
He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria with a focus on commercial and property matters. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Jonathan is a member of the People and Culture Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and chair of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Leanne Mulcahy was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2021.
Leanne holds a Master of Laws in Enterprise Governance from Bond University, a Master of Business Administration from RMIT, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Leanne currently chairs the Victorian Local Governance Association’s Governance and Risk Committee, co-chairs the Women in Water Directors Network, and serves on the AICD’s Local Advisory Committee. She completed a four-year term as chair of the North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) in 2021.
In 2019, Leanne was awarded a Victorian Rural Women’s Network Scholarship. She is a fellow of the Goulburn Murray Leadership Program and the Local Government Professionals Executive Leadership Program. She is currently completing a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is a certified Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
Leanne operates a consultancy as a nationally accredited mediator, providing conflict resolution and governance services.
She is a member of the board’s Audit and Finance Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee and Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Maria Rigby was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2021.
Maria has held senior executive roles at Coles, Coles Financial Services/Wesfarmers, Winc and Origin Energy as well as positions in military research and software agencies in Australia and overseas. Maria is also a former refugee and migrant who is passionate about making a positive and sustainable social impact.
She was an independent board member of the Australian Red Cross, member of the Risk and Audit Committee, chair of the Technology and Cyber Subcommittee, as well as a member of the Risk Committee for the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.
Maria has a Bachelor of Computer Sciences and Mathematics, a Masters in Computer Sciences, is a Graduate of Mt Eliza Business School and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a certified Agile Professional.
Maria is a member of the Audit and Finance Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
John Murray was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2023.
Previously appointed as the Independent Aboriginal Delegate to the North East Water Board in July 2022, John was appointed by the Minister as a director in October 2023.
John is a proud Yorta Yorta / Duduroa man born and raised on the border. He currently works as the Cultural Programs Coordinator for the
Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service operating out of the Burraja Cultural Centre. He has extensive experience working with First Nations community across Victoria, NSW and Queensland with a background in local and state government, education and working with young people.
He is also a family and cultural man who leads a local Aboriginal dance troupe, holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Service Sector Management, Diploma in Community Service and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
John is a member of the board’s People and Culture Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee and Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Jennifer Fraser was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2023. 
Jennifer brings to the role significant board, public administration, planning, water and catchments experience. Following an extensive public sector career Jennifer has held a variety of governance role, most recently as a Commissioner with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder from 2019 until 2023.
Jennifer was a member of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Council, a former director of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) and a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria. She has also consulted for EarthEon Pty Limited on strategic water policy, planning and management issues.
In a voluntary capacity she was a Council Member and then chair of Medley Hall (now Wilam Hall) a residential college at the University of Melbourne and a member of the board of Westside Circus (now Circus Nexus).
Jennifer is a member of the board’s Audit and Finance Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Shayne Rodgers was appointed as an Independent Aboriginal Delegate of North East Water in July 2024.
He is a proud Taungurung man with extensive experience in community service and construction. Shayne has played a significant role in reducing gambling-related harm in Victoria as the co-chair of the Lived Experience Committee at the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, where he also presented a podcast on the issue.
With over 20 years of experience in industrial mechanical plumbing, Shayne has held both blue-collar and white-collar positions, transitioning into project management roles. Currently, he is the Development Manager for Infrastructure and Housing at a Traditional Owner organisation, focusing on providing housing opportunities for his community and beyond.
Shayne holds vocational qualifications in Mechanical Plumbing, Occupational Health and Safety, and Project Management.
Jo Murdoch was appointed as Managing Director of North East Water in January 2022.
With more than 20 years’ experience across the water and local government sectors, Jo’s leadership helps organisations deliver real and tangible benefits for their communities, supporting the health and prosperity of the regions they serve.
Prior to joining North East Water, Jo was a general manager at Barwon Water, Victoria’s largest regional urban water corporation, where she was responsible for critical strategic and service functions. Prior to this, Jo held senior leader roles with Yarra City, Kingston, and Whitehorse councils.
Jo holds a Master of Business Administration, a Graduate Certificate in International and Community Development, is IAP2 certified and an AICD member. She is also an accredited Evolve Communities Ally and was recognised in the 2022 Institute of Public Administration Australia’s Top 50 Public Sector Women Awards for her leadership commitment and contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jo is the Chair of the Victorian Intelligent Water Network and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Water Managing Directors’ Forum.
As a North East Water Director, she is also an ex-officio member of the People and Culture Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee, and Opportunity and Risk Committee.